off here last night because they noticed Liz had company and didn’t want to intrude. I was going to stop over later, so you saved me a trip.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Zoey followed him inside.
Matt was glad he’d taken a few minutes to straighten up the place but it wasn’t exactly Better Homes and Gardens quality. He saw Zoey’s gaze slide to the breakfast dishes that formed a semi-circle around his Bible.
She stopped just inside the doorway, a clear sign that she was anxious to be on her way. But now that she was here, Matt was reluctant to let her go.
“Does the carriage house look the way you remember it?” he asked.
Zoey shook her head. “Grandpa used it for storage when I lived here. I remember peeking in the windows and seeing old bicycles. Gardening tools. Stuff like that.”
When I lived here.
As tempted as he was to take advantage of the opening she’d just given him, Matt hadn’t invited her in for an interrogation.
Some deputy he was turning out to be. Jake would take away his badge.
“Daniel Redstone, one of the men in the congregation, did most of the remodeling.” Matt looked around, trying to see the place through Zoey’s eyes. Most of the furnishings were secondhand, overflow from peoples’ generosity—and attics. The result was an eclectic blend that suited a bachelor who spent more time at the church than he did his home. “I have a list of things I’d like to do eventually, but…”
“But right now you’re helping other people cross off the things on their lists,” Zoey finished the sentence.
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Right.” He saw her attention settle on a bouquet of daisies sprouting from a vase in the middle of the coffee table.
“That’s what I’m supposed to give you. Brenda hoped they would brighten Liz’s day a little.”
“Gran loves fresh flowers.”
“How is she feeling this morning?”
“She was awake a few times during the night,” Zoey admitted. “The medication she’s taking is supposed to be helping her cough, but it still sounds bad.”
Matt noticed the smudges under Zoey’s eyes. Apparently Liz wasn’t the only one who hadn’t slept. Struck by a sudden, inexplicable urge to draw her into his arms, Matt pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans instead.
If you want to cheer her up, you better stick to Chopsticks.
“When is Liz’s next appointment with Dr. Parish?”
Zoey didn’t answer. She was staring at something behind him.
Matt followed her gaze and saw the enormous calico cat curled up in his leather recliner. The most comfortable chair in the house. They battled over the territory every day so it came down to whoever got there first. Matt usually lost.
“Oh, that’s my roommate. Not that we negotiated a contract or anything. When I moved in, so did she.”
Zoey didn’t seem to be listening. She crossed the room and perched gingerly on the edge of the chair. Lime-green eyes rolled open to check out the disturbance.
“Careful. She’s kind of cranky…” Matt’s warning died in his throat. To his amazement, the ordinarily standoffish animal stretched out her front paws and pushed her wedge-shaped face against Zoey’s hand.
“Hey there,” Zoey crooned, gathering the cat into her lap.
“Don’t laugh, but she has a weird name for a female cat. It’s—”
“George.”
Matt stared at her. “How did you know that?”
“Because I named her,” Zoey whispered. “Grandpa gave her to me on my seventeenth birthday. She was just a kitten. I named her after a character in a book.” She was staring down at the cat as if she were afraid it would disappear. “I didn’t know that…I was afraid to ask Gran what had happened to her.” Zoey wrapped her arms around the cat, which jumpstarted a chainsaw-like purr.
George could purr?
He’d had no idea.
Just like he’d had no idea that for the past two years, he’d been taking care of Zoey’s cat.
“Why didn’t you take her with you when you
After a moment’s hesitation, Zoey followed him inside.
Matt was glad he’d taken a few minutes to straighten up the place but it wasn’t exactly Better Homes and Gardens quality. He saw Zoey’s gaze slide to the breakfast dishes that formed a semi-circle around his Bible.
She stopped just inside the doorway, a clear sign that she was anxious to be on her way. But now that she was here, Matt was reluctant to let her go.
“Does the carriage house look the way you remember it?” he asked.
Zoey shook her head. “Grandpa used it for storage when I lived here. I remember peeking in the windows and seeing old bicycles. Gardening tools. Stuff like that.”
When I lived here.
As tempted as he was to take advantage of the opening she’d just given him, Matt hadn’t invited her in for an interrogation.
Some deputy he was turning out to be. Jake would take away his badge.
“Daniel Redstone, one of the men in the congregation, did most of the remodeling.” Matt looked around, trying to see the place through Zoey’s eyes. Most of the furnishings were secondhand, overflow from peoples’ generosity—and attics. The result was an eclectic blend that suited a bachelor who spent more time at the church than he did his home. “I have a list of things I’d like to do eventually, but…”
“But right now you’re helping other people cross off the things on their lists,” Zoey finished the sentence.
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Right.” He saw her attention settle on a bouquet of daisies sprouting from a vase in the middle of the coffee table.
“That’s what I’m supposed to give you. Brenda hoped they would brighten Liz’s day a little.”
“Gran loves fresh flowers.”
“How is she feeling this morning?”
“She was awake a few times during the night,” Zoey admitted. “The medication she’s taking is supposed to be helping her cough, but it still sounds bad.”
Matt noticed the smudges under Zoey’s eyes. Apparently Liz wasn’t the only one who hadn’t slept. Struck by a sudden, inexplicable urge to draw her into his arms, Matt pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans instead.
If you want to cheer her up, you better stick to Chopsticks.
“When is Liz’s next appointment with Dr. Parish?”
Zoey didn’t answer. She was staring at something behind him.
Matt followed her gaze and saw the enormous calico cat curled up in his leather recliner. The most comfortable chair in the house. They battled over the territory every day so it came down to whoever got there first. Matt usually lost.
“Oh, that’s my roommate. Not that we negotiated a contract or anything. When I moved in, so did she.”
Zoey didn’t seem to be listening. She crossed the room and perched gingerly on the edge of the chair. Lime-green eyes rolled open to check out the disturbance.
“Careful. She’s kind of cranky…” Matt’s warning died in his throat. To his amazement, the ordinarily standoffish animal stretched out her front paws and pushed her wedge-shaped face against Zoey’s hand.
“Hey there,” Zoey crooned, gathering the cat into her lap.
“Don’t laugh, but she has a weird name for a female cat. It’s—”
“George.”
Matt stared at her. “How did you know that?”
“Because I named her,” Zoey whispered. “Grandpa gave her to me on my seventeenth birthday. She was just a kitten. I named her after a character in a book.” She was staring down at the cat as if she were afraid it would disappear. “I didn’t know that…I was afraid to ask Gran what had happened to her.” Zoey wrapped her arms around the cat, which jumpstarted a chainsaw-like purr.
George could purr?
He’d had no idea.
Just like he’d had no idea that for the past two years, he’d been taking care of Zoey’s cat.
“Why didn’t you take her with you when you
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