CHAPTER 21
Mina
“Is it extra busy in here this morning, or is it just me?”
I glanced over my shoulder at the sound of Claire’s voice, then turned back to the cup in my hands and finished filling it before responding. “It’s a little crazy, yeah.” I snapped a lid on the cup, then slid a sleeve on before handing it to the customer.
“I’m not sure what’s going on.” I tore the next ticket off the stream that dangled from the order printer.
Claire edged to the side as a family squeezed past her on their way out the door. “I’m glad I ordered ahead today.”
“It was a good idea, yeah. Did you talk to Ozzie?”
Nose wrinkling, she nodded. “He wasn’t too happy with me.” A smug smile slipped over her face. “Well, not a first, anyway. I persuaded him later not to be angry.”
I chuckled. “I just bet you did.”
She laughed and smoothed her hair.
“So, what did he say?”
“Well, he wasn’t thrilled, obviously, but he listened and took all the information I gathered to verify it. He also wants to stop by later to talk to Luke about what he overheard at the diner, just a heads-up.”
“I’ll tell him, so he’s not blindsided. Any other news to impart?”
“Nope. I think I’ve dug up about all I can for now. At least until Ozzie lets something slip I can look into.” She grinned over the rim of her cup, making me laugh.
“It’s a good thing he loves you.”
“Oh, totally.” Backing away from the counter, Claire waved. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye.” My hands full, I gave her a sunny smile, and then she was gone.
I eyed the line. Hopefully, Ozzie would wait to talk to Luke until I could pop next door and let him know.
Forty-two minutes later, I finally made my escape.
A saw whined from the front of the building as I stepped through the back door. One of the crew nodded at me in greeting as I passed. Through the stripped-down walls, I saw Luke swinging a hammer as he nailed a two-by-four into place.
Watching him work was its own kind of distraction, and I let myself enjoy the sight for a moment. A white hard hat covered his dark blond hair, and muscles rippled below the sleeves of his gray t-shirt as he pounded in another nail.
Memories of those sinewy arms holding his weight above me last night as he licked chocolate off the tips of my breasts sent a bolt of liquid fire through me. I would never look at an ice cream sundae the same way again.
The clang of a tool hitting the wood floor brought me out of my lust haze, and I jumped. Inhaling a steadying breath through my nose, I wandered through the doorway from the back room and called his name.
He turned, a happy smile spreading over his face. “Hey, babe. Taking a break?”
“Sort of,” I said, returning his smile.
Tipping his head, he pecked my cheek.
“Claire stopped—” The loud whine of a circular saw rose over my voice.
Luke jerked his head toward the front of the store. “Let’s go outside,” he yelled over the sound.
With a nod, I followed him out.
“That’s better,” he said, coming to a halt in front of the papered-over windows. “What were you saying?”
