WAS ALREADY busy in the pastry room when Eden got to work the next morning. Patty would be late due to an appointment, so Eden started prepping for a brunch the following afternoon instead of making phone calls to purveyors and clients as usual. She got a good hour of work in before she finally abandoned her veggies and went back into the pastry area, where Justin was applying a base icing. “Hey, uh…”
He looked up. “What?”
“I found an envelope on my windshield last night when I left around six o’clock.”
“Just an envelope?” her brother asked patiently. “Or was there something in it?”
“I don’t know what was in it. I figured it was from Ian, and I dropped it on the ground, because I was really hoping he was watching me. Then curiosity got the better of me and I came back after babysitting Rosemary, and it was gone.”
Justin shifted his weight, holding the spatula in his hand in a way that made Eden think he could defend himself with it. “Has Ian been bothering you?”
“Haven’t seen him in over a week.”
“If he does…”
Yeah. Right. She was going to have Justin deal with Ian for her. Mmm-hmm. “I’ll let you know,” she said. It wasn’t as if her ex-boyfriend was dangerous. He was just hardheaded and hated to lose. He was determined to convince Eden the guest-bedroom grope had been a one-time thing, a fluke. Eden wasn’t buying it and didn’t like being lied to.
“I’m serious,” Justin called after her as she left the pastry cave.
“I know. And thank you,” she called back. But she did feel better knowing she had someone who’d watch out for her.
She went back to work prepping the veggies when the buzzer on the front door rang. Wiping her hands on a towel, she walked into the reception area, stopping in the doorway when she saw who was there. One tall, broad-shouldered, dark haired cooking student.
“Nick?”
“Hi.” He looked almost embarrassed as he said, “I was wondering…my granddad lost his wallet. I’m checking all the places he’s been. Which aren’t too many.”
“Black elk skin?” Eden asked as she reached beneath the counter and pulled out the wallet Patty had found tucked in a drawer that morning.
He nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Your grandfather lost his wallet in a drawer.”
Nick let out a long breath. “No doubt.” He fixed her with sea-green eyes and said, “Just to give you a heads-up…I think my grandfather did this on purpose so that I would come down here and talk to you.”
Eden laughed. “Enterprising.”
His smile was slow and charming, although she didn’t think he meant it to be.
“Are we the victims of geriatric matchmaking?” she asked, realizing that in spite of the Ian debacle, she didn’t mind. In fact, Nick Duncan was kind of a nice distraction.
He cleared his throat. “I think so.”
“What shall we do about that?” she asked innocently.
“Anything we can not to encourage him.”
Eden took a moment to process his answer, and decided that he wasn’t being insulting. No, he had nothing against her—he was trying to keep his grandfather in line. “Not in the dating market?”
“It’s not that, it’s just…”
“Hey,” she said. “None of my business.” Nick was interesting and she’d play this by ear. But there was something he could help her with. She tilted her head slightly and asked, “Would you mind giving me some security advice?”
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