unless he was home with a book.
A small, dark-haired woman with laughing eyes stopped at the table as he was finishing his salad. “Hi, Dr. Toleffson, I’m Janie Dupree, Docia’s assistant.”
Cal waved a hand at the chair across from him. “Call me Cal. Would you care to join me? I just got started.”
Janie shook her head. “No, thanks, I’ve already eaten. I just wanted you to know I’m looking after Nico at my place tonight. In case you were going to stop by Docia’s.”
Cal blinked at her. He hadn’t realized other people in town knew he was making house calls. “That’s okay. You can call me if he has any problems. He was doing fine the last time I looked.”
“He still is. Well—” Janie shrugged, “—he’s pissed at me for moving him. But Nico’s always pissed at somebody, so I guess that’s normal.” She grinned again, then headed for the door.
After dinner, with nothing else to do, Cal found himself wandering toward the bookshop, as if he really had intended to check on Nico. The upstairs looked dark and empty, and Cal suddenly realized how much he’d hoped it might not be. This is bad, Idaho, you need to get a grip.
He’d only just met the woman, only kissed her a couple of times. It was way too early to be getting obsessed. Light. Keep it light.
He heard a car door slam and turned to see the object of his obsession trudging toward her apartment door. “Docia?”
She stopped, squinting in his direction. “Cal? Is that you?”
“I didn’t think you were due back tonight.” Great. Now she’d probably assume he was a stalker hanging around outside her door. Cal just hoped she wasn’t right.
“I wasn’t. I decided to drive back after all.” Docia stepped into the light and Cal stared. Her eyes were tired, her hair trailed around her face, her shirt was half untucked. She looked glorious. Oh, shit, Idaho, you are in deep, deep doo-doo.
He cleared his throat. “Have you had any dinner?” Jesus, he sounded like his mother.
“Yeah, I had sandwiches with Mama.” Docia laid her fingers on his arm, lightly. “You look tired.”
Cal kept his hands at his sides. If he touched her, he figured he’d have her on her back in about twenty seconds. “I found out about Liddy Brenner, and the street dance.”
The corners of her mouth edged up in a slow smile. “Still want to risk it?”
“Oh, yeah.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the warm trail of her fingers along his sleeve, then opened them again to watch those green eyes. So much to see, so little time. “I want to see your Liddy outfit.”
Docia shook her head. “I don’t go as Liddy. I’ve got my own favorite mythological character.”
“And that would be?”
“That, Dr. Toleffson, would be a secret. See you tomorrow.” She dropped her hand, giving him another slow smile, then turned and unlocked her apartment door.
Cal took a breath, watching the door close behind her. He’d only just met her. For all he knew, she could have a dozen skeletons tap-dancing in her closets. Demons could be walking right beneath the surface of her smile.
And he didn’t give a good goddamn.
Chapter Seven
Friday began the long weekend, when the tourists started descending in earnest from Austin and Houston and even a trickle from Dallas. Usually, Docia opened the bookstore at ten o’clock, like most of the businesses on Main. But today a crush of red hats and purple dresses filled the sidewalks outside, signaling the arrival of the first tour buses, and she’d opened at nine-thirty. By ten-fifteen, she was knee-deep in bling-draped, red-hat-wearing women.
She’d just rung up the purchases for a woman with rhinestone earrings that brushed her shoulders when Chief Brody stepped up to the counter. “Ms. Kent,” he rumbled, “could I have a moment of your time?”
“Of course.” Docia kept the feeling of unease out of her voice, motioning Janie to the cash register. “We can talk in the back.”
In the
A small, dark-haired woman with laughing eyes stopped at the table as he was finishing his salad. “Hi, Dr. Toleffson, I’m Janie Dupree, Docia’s assistant.”
Cal waved a hand at the chair across from him. “Call me Cal. Would you care to join me? I just got started.”
Janie shook her head. “No, thanks, I’ve already eaten. I just wanted you to know I’m looking after Nico at my place tonight. In case you were going to stop by Docia’s.”
Cal blinked at her. He hadn’t realized other people in town knew he was making house calls. “That’s okay. You can call me if he has any problems. He was doing fine the last time I looked.”
“He still is. Well—” Janie shrugged, “—he’s pissed at me for moving him. But Nico’s always pissed at somebody, so I guess that’s normal.” She grinned again, then headed for the door.
After dinner, with nothing else to do, Cal found himself wandering toward the bookshop, as if he really had intended to check on Nico. The upstairs looked dark and empty, and Cal suddenly realized how much he’d hoped it might not be. This is bad, Idaho, you need to get a grip.
He’d only just met the woman, only kissed her a couple of times. It was way too early to be getting obsessed. Light. Keep it light.
He heard a car door slam and turned to see the object of his obsession trudging toward her apartment door. “Docia?”
She stopped, squinting in his direction. “Cal? Is that you?”
“I didn’t think you were due back tonight.” Great. Now she’d probably assume he was a stalker hanging around outside her door. Cal just hoped she wasn’t right.
“I wasn’t. I decided to drive back after all.” Docia stepped into the light and Cal stared. Her eyes were tired, her hair trailed around her face, her shirt was half untucked. She looked glorious. Oh, shit, Idaho, you are in deep, deep doo-doo.
He cleared his throat. “Have you had any dinner?” Jesus, he sounded like his mother.
“Yeah, I had sandwiches with Mama.” Docia laid her fingers on his arm, lightly. “You look tired.”
Cal kept his hands at his sides. If he touched her, he figured he’d have her on her back in about twenty seconds. “I found out about Liddy Brenner, and the street dance.”
The corners of her mouth edged up in a slow smile. “Still want to risk it?”
“Oh, yeah.” He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the warm trail of her fingers along his sleeve, then opened them again to watch those green eyes. So much to see, so little time. “I want to see your Liddy outfit.”
Docia shook her head. “I don’t go as Liddy. I’ve got my own favorite mythological character.”
“And that would be?”
“That, Dr. Toleffson, would be a secret. See you tomorrow.” She dropped her hand, giving him another slow smile, then turned and unlocked her apartment door.
Cal took a breath, watching the door close behind her. He’d only just met her. For all he knew, she could have a dozen skeletons tap-dancing in her closets. Demons could be walking right beneath the surface of her smile.
And he didn’t give a good goddamn.
Chapter Seven
Friday began the long weekend, when the tourists started descending in earnest from Austin and Houston and even a trickle from Dallas. Usually, Docia opened the bookstore at ten o’clock, like most of the businesses on Main. But today a crush of red hats and purple dresses filled the sidewalks outside, signaling the arrival of the first tour buses, and she’d opened at nine-thirty. By ten-fifteen, she was knee-deep in bling-draped, red-hat-wearing women.
She’d just rung up the purchases for a woman with rhinestone earrings that brushed her shoulders when Chief Brody stepped up to the counter. “Ms. Kent,” he rumbled, “could I have a moment of your time?”
“Of course.” Docia kept the feeling of unease out of her voice, motioning Janie to the cash register. “We can talk in the back.”
In the
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