He touched the bruise over his left cheekbone. “How’s it look?”
“Awful.” But her smile softened the word. “Maybe you should run by the bank and get Melissa to feel sorry for you.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.”
“You have?”
“My vehicle is a goner. Gotta buy a new one.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” She stepped off the curb to stand by his car window. A flirty breeze ruffled her heavy bangs and he was pretty sure he smelled that fancy shampoo again.
Jockeying for a better view, Heath leaned an elbow on the window opening and tilted his face. Cassie had something that appealed to him. A kind of chic wholesomeness mixed with Southern friendly and a dash of real pretty. “Think I should get a loan from Melissa?”
Cassie grinned. “She’s good at her job, if you can deal with the fact that she thinks you’re the hottest thing to hit Whisper Falls since Pudge Loggins’s turkey fryer caught fire and burned down his garage.”
He hiked an eyebrow, amused and flattered and knowing very well what she meant. “Does she now?”
This time Cassie laughed, her scarlet mouth wide beneath dancing green irises. “Haven’t you noticed the number of times she’s been to the courthouse this week?”
He hadn’t. Man, he must be losing his radar. He hitched his chin toward the bakery. “Were you going in there?”
“Lunch. Want to come? Evie makes good sandwiches from her own homemade bread. Fresh baked this morning.”
“Best invitation I’ve had all day.” Since he’d been here actually. The school didn’t expect him for another hour, so he radioed his location to dispatch and exited the car. The ankle screamed at the first step, causing an involuntary hiss that infuriated Heath.
Cassie paused, watching him. “You’re still in pain.”
“No, I’m fine.”
She made a disbelieving noise in the back of her throat. “You remind me so much of my brother.”
“Must be a great guy.”
She took the statement as the joke he’d intended. “The best. You should meet him.”
“I’d like that.”
“Come to church Sunday and you will.”
Heath reached for the antique door handle. The scroll on the amber glass was equally antique as was the rounded arch transom above the door shaded by a red fringed awning.
“If I’m not on duty, I might do that.” He needed a church, not that he’d ever had time to attend much, but he believed, and church was important in a small town.
With his ankle throbbing, he somehow held the door open for Cassie and limped inside a small business that smelled better than Grandma Monroe’s kitchen on Thanksgiving. Though he wouldn’t be sharing that information with Grandma. The smells of fresh breads and fruit Danish mingled with a showcase of pies and homemade candies.
“A cop’s dream,” he muttered, only half joking.
A middle-aged woman—Evie, he supposed—who obviously enjoyed her own baking, created their orders while maintaining a stream of small talk with Cassie. When she put his sandwich in front of him along with baked chips and a glass of tea, she said, “This one’s on the house, Mr. Monroe, and dessert of your choice. Welcome to Whisper Falls.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“You don’t have a choice. Go sit down and eat.” She smiled. “And enjoy.”
“Don’t argue with her, Heath. Trust me, she’ll get her money back from you.” Cassie took the lunch tray before he could and led the way to a table. There were only three and all had a sidewalk view.
“Chief called me a wimp today. I’m starting to feel like one.”
“How bad is your leg? I mean really. No bluffing. Any other injuries besides that?”
“Just the ankle. Sprained. And a couple of bruises here and there.” Bruises that ripped the air out of his lungs. “Annoying. But I still have all ten toes.” He bit into the thick, fragrant sandwich.
“I’m relieved to hear it. When do you want your mani-pedi?”
Heath choked, grabbed for the tea glass and managed to swallow. “My what?”
The thought of Cassie touching him again gave him a funny tingle. A nice tingle, come to think of it. Did she have any idea the thoughts that go through a man’s head at the most inappropriate times?
“You don’t remember our conversation?” she asked. “Is the concussion still bothering you?”
“Slight headache if I get tired. Nothing to worry about.”
“Are you following up with Dr. Ron? He’s a really good doctor.” She pinched a piece of lettuce from her plate, holding it between finger and thumb. “And the only one in town.”
“Next week.”
“He’s terrific. You’ll like him.” She nibbled the lettuce and then bit into the sandwich packed with vegetables and turkey. Between bites, she chattered about plans for a community storm cleanup, the Easter sunrise service at the Baptist Church—which she deemed “not to be missed” though Easter was several weeks past—and filled him in on the small, useful details of Whisper Falls.
“Some of this sounds familiar,” he said after a long, cool drink of sweet tea. “Did you tell me this in the car?”
“I thought you didn’t remember.”
He never said that. He remembered bits and pieces. Like her silky voice and dogged efforts to keep him awake. “It’s starting to come back to me.”
“I’ve talked enough about Whisper Falls anyway. No use repeating myself again. Tell me about you. You’re from Texas, not married, no kids. Any other family back in Texas?”
“Two brothers and a terrific mom.”
“No sisters? Your poor mother.”
“She had her hands full.”
“I imagine so! Tell me about the brothers. Older or younger? What do they do?”
“Holt and Heston. Both younger. Both in law enforcement. Sort of. Holt is a private investigator. Heston’s a street cop.”
She tilted her head in a cute way that bunched her hair on her shoulder. He spotted a small sparkly earring. “Did they follow big brother’s path or is law enforcement in the genes?”
“In the genes, I guess. My dad was a cop.” His hand went to his pocket, to Dad’s badge. “A great cop. He died in the line of duty.”
Her
