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“Her name is Hallie. She owns a shop called The Mystic Cow.”
Blake raised his eyebrows. “The Mystic Cow?”
“Heard of it?” Caden poured another vanilla flavored creamer into his coffee that was still too black and bitter for his taste.
Blake smirked. “No. What does she sell? Mysterious meat products?”
Caden chuckled. “I had the same question. That was the whole reason I had to stop in that place. Actually, it was the day you got shot.” Caden put his hands down on the table and glowered at Blake. “We never really talked about that.”
“And we aren’t going to now,” Blake deadpanned. “I’m out with my friend, not my superior, okay?”
Caden sighed, then reluctantly nodded. “She sells things like books, artsy stuff, and gift items. It’s definitely a cool little place.”
“And her? Hallie, did you say? What is she like?” Blake asked.
Caden took a tentative taste of his coffee. Now it was too cold and still not sweet enough. To make matters worse, all this talk about Hallie was making him want to go back to Mocha Madness, preferably with her. “You’ll like her. She’s sweet and funny,” Caden said, remembering how much they’d laughed on their date.
Blake smiled. “Sweet and funny? Are you falling for her?”
It was Caden’s turn to smile. “She’s definitely a breath of fresh air I wasn’t expecting.”
Blake took a sip of his own coffee. He drank it black, no cream or sugar. Caden almost envied him as he tried to make his own coffee drinkable.
The waiter arrived with their meals. Caden ordered the house special: two scrambled eggs, two sausage links, two bacon strips and a biscuit with gravy. Blake got a oversized stack of pancakes with syrup.
After the waiter left them to their meal, Caden hesitated to bring it up, but Blake deserved to know. “There’s something else about her…”
With a mouth stuffed full of pancakes, Blake looked up at him, a hint of concern.
“You know how someone sent in a tip that you should stay away from the address on that warrant because you were going to get hurt?”
Blake nodded. He put his utensils down, giving Caden his full attention. “Did she have something to do with my shooting?”
“No,” Caden rushed to say. “At least I don’t think so, but I just thought you should know, she was the one who sent in that tip.”
“How did she know?” Blake asked.
“Not sure yet. Avery asked me to keep an eye on her. See if she opens up to me.” Caden hated the way that sounded no matter how true it was.
Blake sat back in his seat. “So, you don’t have a thing for her. She’s just a job.”
Caden closed his eyes, suppressing the anger building in him at his friend’s words. Hallie was not a job. She was… He didn’t know what she was yet, but she sure as hell wasn’t a job. “No,” he finally answered. “She’s not just a job. She never was.”
“I don’t get it. You’re involved with a person of interest?” Blake’s accusatory tone didn’t sit well with Caden. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted from his friend right now. He’d told Blake because they were friends and because their colleagues had been keeping Blake in the loop about his case.
“No,” Caden said again. “I met her before she was a person of interest. Then you got shot and things just kind of happened...”
“Well, gee, I’m sorry me getting shot got in the way of your dating life.” Blake shoved a forkful of pancake into his mouth.
Caden slammed his fork down. That wasn’t what he meant and Blake knew it. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering to tell you this. I guess I thought you were my friend.”
“I am. But you’re telling me this woman could be dangerous and you invited her to our friends’ wedding party because you actually have a thing for her. How the hell am I supposed to make sense of that?”
Blake was making Hallie sound like some kind of domestic terrorist instead of a sweet, kind, and even somewhat shy woman who ran a small business in town. Caden shoved a hand through his his hair. “Look, I didn’t tell you this to upset you. I just…”
“Wanted me to watch my back. Got it,” Blake bit out.
That wasn’t what Caden was going to say, but he refrained from any further explanations. He would just need to wait until Blake and his friends met Hallie. Then they could see for themselves that she posed no threat to any of them, or anyone for that matter.
