Tessa's Treasures by Callie Hutton

if feeling her scrutiny, he turned and gave her body a raking inspection. His smoldering eyes ran the length of her, starting at her feet and ending when they met her gaze. Electricity arced between them. He moved toward her, and she sucked in a breath, anticipating what would happen when he stood before her. Her heart hammered against her ribs and she swore it echoed in the room. Just as she didn’t think she could take anymore, Lucas’s cell phone rang.
    “Raven.” His brow twisted into a frown. Jaw tight, lips in a thin line, he said, “I’ll be right there.”
    Tessa scooted around the counter and joined him. “What is it?”
    He kissed her forehead. “Nothing. I have to take care of some business.” He slid his arm around her waist and hugged her to his side. “I want you to lock the door while I’m gone.”
    “Oh, Lucas, don’t be silly. I’m fine here.”
    “Please?”
    “What about my customers? How will they get in?” He said there was nothing wrong, but his body radiated tension.
    “They can knock, or put an ‘out to lunch’ sign on the door. I won’t be long, I promise. Better yet, take a lunch break. Go to the coffee shop. See if you can hook up with Mr. and Mrs. Blaine.”
    “All right, but I think you’re overreacting.” She grabbed her purse from under the counter and left with him, locking the door. Lucas walked rigidly alongside her. Already she sensed his mind was elsewhere.
    When they reached his jeep, his lips brushed her cheek. “I’ll be back soon. Stay there and I’ll pick you up.”
    Resigned to his paranoia, she entered the small restaurant. With every table filled, she took a seat at the counter.
    Margie, a waitress there since Tessa was a little girl, approached her, coffee pot in hand. “Hi Tessa. How’s the old stuff business?” She must’ve been in her sixties, but nothing slowed her down.
    “Business is good. I’ve had quite a few bus tours through in the last few weeks.” Despite her cheerful response, Tessa could not shake the nagging sense that something was wrong. The doll? Even though her college graduate mind scoffed at the idea, her female intuition refused to let the idea go.
    “Yeah, it’s been a crazy summer for sure. Much busier than I’d expected with the economy being the way it is.” The older woman waved at another couple walking in before returning her attention back to Tessa. “What can I get you, sweetie?”
    “I’ll have the Caesar salad and tea.” She closed the menu, not sure why she even opened it, since she had it memorized. It hadn’t changed since before Margie came to work there.
    “Coming right up.”
    Margie returned moments later with her tea. Tessa took a huge sip, the icy liquid cooling her throat and relaxing her. She stared out the window, her gaze drawn to the direction of her store, followed by thoughts of Lucas. His reaction to the phone call bothered her. What could’ve upset him that much? He’d tried to blow it off, but she could read him too well to believe that.
    As soon as Margie placed the salad in front of her, Tessa took a bite.
    “Tessa!” Her stomach dropped at the hoarse voice. She swiveled on her stool to face the owner of the drug store. His flushed face filled her with alarm as he struggled to take a deep breath. “You better come right away. There’s a fire in your store!”
    ****
    Lucas flung open the police station door, striding past the receptionist who leaned over her desk and shouted, “Can I help you, sir?”
    He walked backward as he spoke to the stocky woman with the salt and pepper hair. “On my way to see the Chief. He’s expecting me.” She added something else, but he missed it as he turned the corner and jogged to Mason’s office. He knocked once and opened the door. His brows furrowed in concentration as he spoke on the phone, Mason waved him to the chair in front of the beat up wooden desk. Much too agitated to sit, Lucas walked to the window, hands on his hips. Unable to