containing Kate’s clothes, and went inside. The smells of coffee, baking bread and various spices welcomed her.
Kate was wiping the already spotless counter when Frankie walked through the door. The older woman smiled, dropped her cleaning cloth somewhere under the counter, and walked toward her with outstretched arms.
Slender and athletic, Kate was all whipcord and boot leather. Where she’d obviously once been pretty, she’d matured into a sun-wrinkled and handsome woman.
“I can’t thank you enough for your help.” Frankie held the clothes toward Kate.
Kate accepted the bag and gave the younger woman a big hug. “I’m glad you’re okay. Sit, sit. I’ll get menus and the necessary accoutrements .”
Nick Rollins sat at a table near a window. As Frankie walked toward him, he removed his hat and stood, an old fashioned courtesy rarely seen nowadays. She clamped her lips down on a budding smile as unwelcomed warmth began to spread through her mid-section.
“Thanks for meeting me.” She took the seat across the table.
Deputy Rollins’ welcoming smile lit up his handsome face. Frankie’s lips stiffened at the way her treasonous body reacted to the deputy. She gritted her teeth and reminded herself that sooner or later all relationships suck, that people die, or they just stop loving the ones they vowed never to leave.
“This was good timing,” Rollins said. “I often come here for meals. Do you think we could have lunch before we get down to business?”
Kate returned with silverware, napkins and menus. Frankie decided on the Parris Island Cobb salad, while the deputy ordered the Semper Fi sirloin burger.
Once their food arrived, the two fell to eating. Rollins talked about his service in the Marine Corps, and Frankie surprised herself by telling him about the extraordinary years she and Tim spent being raised by their Uncle Mike and his housekeeper, her nanny Alma.
As Frankie spoke, the deputy’s eyes never left her face. The gentleness of his demeanor set off a warning claxon in her head, and she fought down the urge to bolt for the door. What was happening to her? She was acting like a virgin about to be sacrificed to a volcano god. As if assuring herself of its location, she glanced toward the exit.
“I’ve never met anyone raised by a Special Forces operative,” Rollins was saying. “Your uncle sounds like quite a man.”
“He was tough, that’s for sure. But he had a soft heart. We never doubted he loved us.”
“And every summer he put the two of you through his own brand of survival training. That must have been interesting.”
Frankie breathed a puff of air out through her nose. “I guess that’s one way of putting it. Uncle Mike was not what you’d call overly affectionate. When we needed hugging, it was Alma we went to.”
“It must have been tough to lose him. My grandma is my only living relative, and I’d hate to lose her.”
Frankie nodded her head and again slid her eyes toward the exit.
The deputy’s face reddened. “That’s the fourth time you’ve looked at the door. You look like a prisoner searching for an escape.” Frankie started to protest, but Rollins held up his hand. “No explanation necessary. I didn’t mean to interrogate you.” He smiled ruefully. “It’s an old habit.”
“It’s just that we were never allowed to talk about the past. Uncle Mike used to say it’s the here and now that matters.” Frankie scooted her chair back and put her napkin on the table next to her plate. “Look, I need to get going. Any news about the investigation?”
Deputy Rollins made a move to rise from his chair. “I wish I had more to tell you. We’ll follow any leads that come to light, but at this point we’ve hit a brick wall.”
“Hit a brick wall as in everything’s at a standstill, or hit a brick wall as in something we’ll either go around or climb over?”
Nick took a deep breath. “People watch crime investigation shows on television and
Kate was wiping the already spotless counter when Frankie walked through the door. The older woman smiled, dropped her cleaning cloth somewhere under the counter, and walked toward her with outstretched arms.
Slender and athletic, Kate was all whipcord and boot leather. Where she’d obviously once been pretty, she’d matured into a sun-wrinkled and handsome woman.
“I can’t thank you enough for your help.” Frankie held the clothes toward Kate.
Kate accepted the bag and gave the younger woman a big hug. “I’m glad you’re okay. Sit, sit. I’ll get menus and the necessary accoutrements .”
Nick Rollins sat at a table near a window. As Frankie walked toward him, he removed his hat and stood, an old fashioned courtesy rarely seen nowadays. She clamped her lips down on a budding smile as unwelcomed warmth began to spread through her mid-section.
“Thanks for meeting me.” She took the seat across the table.
Deputy Rollins’ welcoming smile lit up his handsome face. Frankie’s lips stiffened at the way her treasonous body reacted to the deputy. She gritted her teeth and reminded herself that sooner or later all relationships suck, that people die, or they just stop loving the ones they vowed never to leave.
“This was good timing,” Rollins said. “I often come here for meals. Do you think we could have lunch before we get down to business?”
Kate returned with silverware, napkins and menus. Frankie decided on the Parris Island Cobb salad, while the deputy ordered the Semper Fi sirloin burger.
Once their food arrived, the two fell to eating. Rollins talked about his service in the Marine Corps, and Frankie surprised herself by telling him about the extraordinary years she and Tim spent being raised by their Uncle Mike and his housekeeper, her nanny Alma.
As Frankie spoke, the deputy’s eyes never left her face. The gentleness of his demeanor set off a warning claxon in her head, and she fought down the urge to bolt for the door. What was happening to her? She was acting like a virgin about to be sacrificed to a volcano god. As if assuring herself of its location, she glanced toward the exit.
“I’ve never met anyone raised by a Special Forces operative,” Rollins was saying. “Your uncle sounds like quite a man.”
“He was tough, that’s for sure. But he had a soft heart. We never doubted he loved us.”
“And every summer he put the two of you through his own brand of survival training. That must have been interesting.”
Frankie breathed a puff of air out through her nose. “I guess that’s one way of putting it. Uncle Mike was not what you’d call overly affectionate. When we needed hugging, it was Alma we went to.”
“It must have been tough to lose him. My grandma is my only living relative, and I’d hate to lose her.”
Frankie nodded her head and again slid her eyes toward the exit.
The deputy’s face reddened. “That’s the fourth time you’ve looked at the door. You look like a prisoner searching for an escape.” Frankie started to protest, but Rollins held up his hand. “No explanation necessary. I didn’t mean to interrogate you.” He smiled ruefully. “It’s an old habit.”
“It’s just that we were never allowed to talk about the past. Uncle Mike used to say it’s the here and now that matters.” Frankie scooted her chair back and put her napkin on the table next to her plate. “Look, I need to get going. Any news about the investigation?”
Deputy Rollins made a move to rise from his chair. “I wish I had more to tell you. We’ll follow any leads that come to light, but at this point we’ve hit a brick wall.”
“Hit a brick wall as in everything’s at a standstill, or hit a brick wall as in something we’ll either go around or climb over?”
Nick took a deep breath. “People watch crime investigation shows on television and
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