Page 47 of Hot For You

It was the day after Cody had worked another forty-eight hour shift. They had just eaten an early brunch at the Hummingbird in anticipation of a day touring the wine country.

Cody put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled next to him before tipping her face up to look at him. He kissed her, soft and sweet and when he drew back he smiled.

Ever since the night they’d spent together in each other’s arms, their relationship had changed. At first Carilyn had been concerned about starting a relationship with Cody, after all, she lived so far away. Now, she still was concerned, but she’d decided to enjoy their time together and not worry about a little something like distance.

A part of her felt that wasn’t fair to either one of them, but she couldn’t get herself to put a halt to it. She was attracted to him far too much.

While she relaxed against Cody, she watched as the scenery sped by. It wasn’t long before they reached Old Town Cottonwood and the first winery. It was a quaint town and the winery was exclusive with a tasting room that was furnished in rich woods and soft leather.

Carilyn was glad she’d worn something tasteful yet casual, and she felt comfortable around other guests at the winery. As much as she’d traveled, she’d never become a fine wine connoisseur.

Cody taught her to swirl her wine in the glass to aerate the wine’s myriad aromas and to inhale deeply before taking a sip. She then swirled the wine in her mouth to pick up different flavor and texture combinations.

She learned to select the lighter wines first, before heavier and bolder wines, saving sweet wines for last. She admitted to Cody that her favorite wines were the sweeter ones. Wine tasting etiquette allowed for either swallowing the wine after tasting or spitting it into a spittoon. If she drank too much while tasting the wines, she would end up without a clear head, so she tended to swallow only her favorites of those she tasted.

In between each wine she sampled different kinds of cheeses and crackers, two of her favorite kinds of food.

After visiting the first two wineries, it was time for lunch. They were provided a picnic lunch to enjoy on a deck overlooking Oak Creek. The artisan sandwiches were delicious and she enjoyed the cool air and the smell of the trees, along with Cody’s great company.

When they were finished with lunch, the limo driver took them to Page Springs where they stopped at two more wineries. While they traveled between wineries, they talked about their day-to-day lives before they had met. Because she worked out of her home, her days could be lonely, so she did what she could to get out of the house. Still, she didn’t really get out enough. Cody’s quiet time tended to be when he was on the ranch, away from town and the fire department.

That evening, the limo rolled into Prescott, taking them back to the Hummingbird. It had been an amazing day and Carilyn hadn’t felt that happy in a long time. She’d enjoyed every moment she’d spent with Cody during the day, and looked forward to being with him alone at his home when they returned.

After they stepped out of the limo, Cody turned to tip the driver. Carilyn stood on the sidewalk, a breeze stirring the loose tendrils of her hair around her face. She absently brushed strands out of her eyes but went still when a prickle traveled down her spine.

Someone was watching her.

She whirled and looked behind her. No one anywhere in sight. Feeling unnerved, she searched her surroundings with her gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Two women walked out of an antique shop, chatting animatedly while someone turned the “Open” sign to “Closed” behind them.

In the distance she noticed a man striding down the street, his back to her. She hadn’t seen him until this moment, but something about him seemed familiar, like she’d seen him someplace before. She knew very few people in Prescott, including some of Cody’s relatives and the firefighters she’d met when her car burned up and at the fire station.

Even though she was seeing the man from his backside, this guy seemed to have a different bearing, a different walk, than anyone she’d met—that she could remember. He was hunched over, his hands shoved into his pockets.

She moved her gaze away from the retreating man and searched the street for a sign of anyone else. No one.

A hand gripped her upper arm and she startled. She looked to see Cody as he smiled and slid his arm around her shoulders. “Ready to go back to the ranch, sunshine?”

The limo was pulling away from the curb as she let out her breath and nodded. “You didn’t swallow much, so you’re all right to drive?”

He gently tugged on a strand of her hair and gave her a smile. “Exactly. The last bit I had was a couple of hours ago.”

She rested her head against him as they walked to where he’d parked his truck. “I think I had enough for both of us today,” she said. “You could say that I’m feeling very relaxed right now.”

Even as they walked off together, she still felt unnerved despite being relaxed. She had no reason to feel that way, but she did.

Yet, then again, her car had been torched, she had received a threatening email, and Leigh’s house had been tossed. So yeah, she did have a reason to feel that way. With their day in the wine country, she’d let all that worry slide away and she had just enjoyed herself. Now it was back to reality.

She frowned to herself as she thought about the fact that she hadn’t tracked down the guy who’d threatened her via email. He’d covered his tracks very well. She was going to have to call in favors if she didn’t find him soon.

“What’s wrong?” Cody’s concerned voice jerked her out of her thoughts. “You look like something’s bothering you.”

She gave him a bright smile. “Like I said, I’m relaxed from all of that wine.”

There was no need to bring up the arsonist and whoever was threatening her and the person or persons who had ransacked Leigh’s home. She wondered if they could all be the same person. It would make sense if it were.

Cody helped her into the passenger side before closing the door and going to the driver’s side and climbing in. The drive to his home didn’t seem to take too long. For most of the drive she was lost in her own thoughts and was glad that he didn’t press her to talk.

It was early evening when they arrived at the ranch. Cody left to take care of the chores while Carilyn headed into the house.

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