Page 108 of The Woman Left Behind

After she crashed sleepily into him and he held her for a few minutes, he said, “Get dressed, sweetheart, let’s go to Aromacobana.”

She nodded, pushed her face into his chest like it was an added hug, then she pulled away and did as he asked.

Now they were there, everyone in the coffee joint was watching them, and he didn’t give a shit.

They got their coffees, she got a croissant, and they were back out on the sidewalk when he asked, “Plans for the day?”

“I need to dive deep into this manuscript so I can get it back to my author. The services for Mom and Dad are Saturday. I’ll want to spend time with Shane and Sherise while they’re here. I need a clear slate.”

“Right.”

“And I’ll be popping to Jenna’s. She’s doing the flowers for the service. She wants to show me what she has in mind. Ronnie is coming with me.”

“Okay.”

They had their arms around each other’s waists, and she used hers to give him a squeeze. “I’m also making dinner for my guy.”

“Wait for me, we’ll cook together.”

She looked up at him. “I take it there’s no set getting-home time for Sheriff Moran.”

He gave her another squeeze. “No, honey, but I’ll stay in touch during the day so you’ll have a sense of when my day will be done.”

She nodded.

They crossed the street.

They were passing Kimmy’s Christmas store when Kimmy came out, indicating she’d probably been at the window watching everything and as such, clocking them going to Aromacobana, as well as clocking them coming back.

He was about to say something to get her to back off, but she handed Lillian a big, fancy, shiny candy cane with thin swirls of green mixed with thinner ones of white cut with a slender gold.

“Hammond’s caramel apple. The crème de la crème of candy canes. Avery’s favorite,” Kimmy declared.

Harry heard Lillian’s sharp indrawn breath, but Kimmy just patted her shoulder awkwardly, gave Harry big eyes, and disappeared back into her store.

Harry set them to walking again.

“Alex is so totally a moron,” she said in an undertone.

“Who’s Alex?” he asked.

“The guy who wouldn’t move to Misted Pines from Oregon.”

“Yup, totally a moron,” Harry agreed, though why Harry thought he was a moron and why Lillian did were very different.

They kept walking, almost by the front door of the department, except she stopped.

He looked down at her. “I’m walking you home.”

“It’s not even a full block away.”

“I’m walking you home,” he repeated.

She leaned into him, wrapping both her arms around him, even with one hand holding a coffee and the other a croissant and a candy cane.

“You know how you need to see to me?” she asked.

He knew where this was going.

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