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“If you have a phone number for the carpenter, I can make that call.He’ll probably want you to pick a door.”
“I don’t care what kind of door it is as long as it can’t be kicked in.And that means replacing the doorframe with something indestructible as well.”She scrolled through her contacts on her cell phone, found Richard Smithson’s number and shared it to Lucas’s phone.“I know it’s not your responsibility to organize my life, and it’s not part of your job description,” she laughed, “nor is pretending to be my boyfriend, but I appreciate all you’re doing for me.I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come looking for me at the Crawdad Hole.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said.“Even though I suspected you were intent on skipping out on me rather than letting me buy you a drink.”
Her cheeks heated.“I was.And what a mistake that was.If I’d just let you buy me that drink, I wouldn’t have been standing on the back landing when that guy came running out.”
His eyebrows waggled.“But then, you might not have seen how useful I could be and wouldn’t have hired me to be your fake boyfriend.”
“And I wouldn’t have had your phone number to call during the break-in.”She shook her head.“Maybe things happened the way they did for a reason.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm.“Maybe.”
She gazed up at him, quickly getting lost in his eyes.“Shall we?”she whispered.
“Mmm-huh,” he said, leaning closer.
She wanted to kiss him so badly it scared her.Felina placed a finger across his lips and stepped back.“Go to the coroner’s office?”
“Oh, yeah.”He straightened, his lips quirking at the corners.“I’ll drive.”
She didn’t argue.It was bad enough that she had to go there and look at a dead man.“Give me ten minutes to check the order system and straighten my workspace.”
He nodded.“I’ll call the carpenter and get that ball rolling.”
She went to her computer in the corner of the work area and brought up her order system.
Lucas called the number she’d shared.While waiting for an answer, he checked the lock on the back door of the shop, then strode into the front reception area.“I’d like to speak with Richard Smithson.”The rest of his conversation faded into the other room.
While Felina had been busy loading the delivery van, three more orders had come in for afternoon pickups.She checked her phone messages.Three telemarketers and one unknown caller.She listened to the unknown caller’s message.
“This is Brenda Crabtree from the Cypress Hill Plantation.I’m preparing for the annual Colonial Day in Bayou Mambaloa and would like to order special arrangements for the event.Could we arrange a time for you to visit my home so that we can discuss what I have in mind?My apologies for the short notice.The sooner you can come, the better.”
Felina jotted down her phone number, excited that she was being considered for each of the plantation houses in the parish.She’d been to some of the historical homes as a child on Colonial Day.Until now, she hadn’t been entrusted with providing the floral arrangements for the event.Her heart swelled with pride that her reputation had grown over the past five years to the point she was being commissioned to provide the flowers for the big event.
Lucas entered the workroom.“The carpenter will stop by after lunch to measure and see what he’ll need to complete the job.He has a metal exterior door kit with a metal frame he’d ordered for another job.The customer changed his mind and opted for something different.He’d planned on returning the door for a refund, but if it works, he thinks he can complete the installation today.He might have to come back to finish the trim and paint another day, but you could have a door with a lock by the end of the day.”
“Seriously?”Felina logged off her computer and grabbed her purse.“I could be sleeping in my own bed tonight?”
“He couldn’t make any promises, but knock on wood, it could happen.”Lucas walked with her to the front entrance and held the door.
She flipped the sign in the window fromOpentoClosed, stepped outside, pulled the door closed and locked it.
Lucas held out his arm.“Ready?”
She heaved a sigh and looped her hand through the crook in his elbow.“As ready as I’ll ever be to see a dead body.”
He helped her up into the truck and closed the door.
She pulled out her cell phone and texted Shelby that they were on their way to the coroner’s office.
They passed through town in silence.The coroner’s office was on the west side of town, tucked between the animal shelter and the parish maintenance site.
A sheriff’s vehicle stood in the parking lot.
Lucas parked beside it, dropped down from the driver’s seat and hurried around in time to help Felina to the ground.
She drew a deep breath, squared her shoulders and walked toward the building.
