“It’s okay, you know. His name doesn’t make me break out in a cold sweat.”
“Decent of you, given that the SOB tried to drown you,” Wonder muttered.
Cal’s mouth was a thin line. “You can’t be sure of anything about Brody. Even now I don’t think we know all the things he was up to when he was chief.”
“Well, he didn’t do much with the bikers.” Morgan ran her finger down the side of her glass. “I don’t even remember any drunks getting arrested the last time they were here. Ciro and Esteban took care of getting them off our property. I’ll bet Hilton was ecstatic that nobody got picked up, seeing as how the whole rally was his idea. Arrests tend to make people feel unwelcome, you know.”
“With Brody’s leftovers, you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Wonder drained the last drops of his wine. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you, Chief.”
“Believe me, I’m not.” Erik shifted his body so that his still-hardened groin was in a slightly less visible position. Just then the last thing he was thinking about was comfort.
Morgan followed Allie and Wonder out the door of the Dew Drop, trying not to show that she was aware of Erik Toleffson behind her. She hadn’t felt this self-conscious around a male since middle school. Come to think of it, Erik Toleffson bore a certain resemblance to Brent Peters, the object of her affections in eighth grade.
All the Toleffsons were gorgeous—it was a well-known Konigsburg fact. Tall, broad, dark hair and eyes, killer smiles. Like every other Konigsburg female, she’d perked up when Cal had joined Horace Rankin’s veterinary clinic, but he’d taken one look at Docia and been a goner. Then Pete had come to town for Cal’s wedding and fallen hard for Janie Dupree almost before anyone else had had a chance at him. Lars had moved himself and his daughter down the following year, and lots of Konigsburg women had suddenly developed a need for a really good accountant, but he’d taken up with his babysitter, Jess Carroll, and married her a few months ago.
That left Erik. Nobody seemed to be rushing to catch him, even though he was just as handsome as his brothers. Maybe because he was both handsome and sort of, well, scary.
That kiss last night hadn’t been scary, though. Just hot.
She took a deep breath, feeling the warm evening air fold around her like a blanket. Steady, Morgan. As she turned left, she found that Erik had fallen into step beside her.
“Thought I’d get some dinner.” One end of his mouth edged up in a lopsided smile. “Care to join me?”
Beside her, a cast-iron streetlight had switched on, casting a warm glow in the twilight. “Sure.” The word came out a little more breathy than she’d intended.
Steady, for god’s sake!
“What’s your favorite place?” Erik asked.
“Let me think.” Morgan folded her arms across her chest as she walked so that she wouldn’t bump into him. Although, in reality, bumping into him didn’t sound bad at all. “I need to go to Brenner’s, if that’s okay. I’ve got to talk to Ken about a wine shipment anyway.”
“Which one is Ken?”
Morgan might have imagined that slight edge to his voice. Or maybe not. “The sommelier. He and Lee, the chef, own the restaurant. They’re major customers at Cedar Creek, and the restaurant’s so popular it’s good for our business.” She didn’t bother explaining that Ken and Lee were partners in more than just the restaurant. He’d been here for a couple of years—he should know that already.
“I know Lee. I guess I know Ken, too, by sight anyway. The redhead, right?”
“Right.”
The lights were already lowered at Brenner’s. Candle lanterns gleamed on the tables, illuminating the pale mauve tablecloths. For a moment, Morgan stood in the doorway, drinking in the essence of Konigsburg.
“Morgan, sweetheart, welcome! I don’t suppose you brought a case of primitivo with you.” Ken hurried
“Decent of you, given that the SOB tried to drown you,” Wonder muttered.
Cal’s mouth was a thin line. “You can’t be sure of anything about Brody. Even now I don’t think we know all the things he was up to when he was chief.”
“Well, he didn’t do much with the bikers.” Morgan ran her finger down the side of her glass. “I don’t even remember any drunks getting arrested the last time they were here. Ciro and Esteban took care of getting them off our property. I’ll bet Hilton was ecstatic that nobody got picked up, seeing as how the whole rally was his idea. Arrests tend to make people feel unwelcome, you know.”
“With Brody’s leftovers, you’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Wonder drained the last drops of his wine. “I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you, Chief.”
“Believe me, I’m not.” Erik shifted his body so that his still-hardened groin was in a slightly less visible position. Just then the last thing he was thinking about was comfort.
Morgan followed Allie and Wonder out the door of the Dew Drop, trying not to show that she was aware of Erik Toleffson behind her. She hadn’t felt this self-conscious around a male since middle school. Come to think of it, Erik Toleffson bore a certain resemblance to Brent Peters, the object of her affections in eighth grade.
All the Toleffsons were gorgeous—it was a well-known Konigsburg fact. Tall, broad, dark hair and eyes, killer smiles. Like every other Konigsburg female, she’d perked up when Cal had joined Horace Rankin’s veterinary clinic, but he’d taken one look at Docia and been a goner. Then Pete had come to town for Cal’s wedding and fallen hard for Janie Dupree almost before anyone else had had a chance at him. Lars had moved himself and his daughter down the following year, and lots of Konigsburg women had suddenly developed a need for a really good accountant, but he’d taken up with his babysitter, Jess Carroll, and married her a few months ago.
That left Erik. Nobody seemed to be rushing to catch him, even though he was just as handsome as his brothers. Maybe because he was both handsome and sort of, well, scary.
That kiss last night hadn’t been scary, though. Just hot.
She took a deep breath, feeling the warm evening air fold around her like a blanket. Steady, Morgan. As she turned left, she found that Erik had fallen into step beside her.
“Thought I’d get some dinner.” One end of his mouth edged up in a lopsided smile. “Care to join me?”
Beside her, a cast-iron streetlight had switched on, casting a warm glow in the twilight. “Sure.” The word came out a little more breathy than she’d intended.
Steady, for god’s sake!
“What’s your favorite place?” Erik asked.
“Let me think.” Morgan folded her arms across her chest as she walked so that she wouldn’t bump into him. Although, in reality, bumping into him didn’t sound bad at all. “I need to go to Brenner’s, if that’s okay. I’ve got to talk to Ken about a wine shipment anyway.”
“Which one is Ken?”
Morgan might have imagined that slight edge to his voice. Or maybe not. “The sommelier. He and Lee, the chef, own the restaurant. They’re major customers at Cedar Creek, and the restaurant’s so popular it’s good for our business.” She didn’t bother explaining that Ken and Lee were partners in more than just the restaurant. He’d been here for a couple of years—he should know that already.
“I know Lee. I guess I know Ken, too, by sight anyway. The redhead, right?”
“Right.”
The lights were already lowered at Brenner’s. Candle lanterns gleamed on the tables, illuminating the pale mauve tablecloths. For a moment, Morgan stood in the doorway, drinking in the essence of Konigsburg.
“Morgan, sweetheart, welcome! I don’t suppose you brought a case of primitivo with you.” Ken hurried
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