Page 29 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
Liz dug around in her purse for her house keys, coming up empty-handed.Oh, no.Had she left them at the bakery? She groaned before heading over to the flowerpot next to the door. The pinwheel flowers were all half dead. They needed water ASAP. She’d get them water as soon as she was inside.
Liz lifted the pot to grab her hideaway key and frowned. The key was missing. Of course it was. No doubt Rose had used it and forgotten to put it back.
On a heavy sigh, Liz grabbed a credit card from her wallet and dipped to pick the lock. As she slid the card into the crack of the door, a siren sounded behind her. Liz bolted upright and whirled to look at the cruiser pulling up to her curb. Then she let out a soft breath when she saw Matt step out.
“Breaking into your own house?” A slow grin spread through his dimpled cheeks as he headed up her driveway.
Liz ignored the bump in her heart rate. “I left my keys at The Bitery. And my spare key is missing.”
“From under the flower pot? For someone who’s so safety minded, that’s not the best place to hide a key.”
Liz held out her wrists. “Am I under arrest, Deputy Coffey?”
“You do appear to be breaking and entering.” His eyes twinkled under streetlights that were starting to come on at dusk.
“Into my own house.” She looked between him and her door. “Do you think you can help me get inside?”
He scratched the side of his cheek. “It might be easier if I just drive you up to The Bitery so you can grab the keys from Rose. I was planning on doing a drive-by in that direction anyway.” He gestured toward his deputy cruiser. “Come on. I won’t make you sit in the back with the criminals.”
She looked beyond him to the road. “You have someone back there?”
His laugh brought her back to him. “Just teasing you.” He didn’t wait for her to agree. She guessed it was go with him or wait for her sister who may or may not show up in a timely matter.
Matt walked to the passenger side door first and opened it for her.
Little butterflies danced around inside her chest as she stepped past him and took her seat, waiting for him to appear in the driver’s seat. As he cranked the engine, she gripped the side handle of the door.
Matt’s gaze moved to her hand. “I’ll drive slow,” he said before pulling onto the road and heading toward The Bitery.
The problem with driving slow was that it meant Liz would have more time in a tight space with Matt. The way she felt about him unnerved her. He was handsome and nice. A gentleman. He made her laugh like it was the easiest thing in the world, when some days she didn’t laugh at all if he didn’t step up to her counter.
But then again, sometimes she also hadn’t thought about the accident at all until the moment she saw him. And then her eyes connected with his and there it was. She couldn’t separate him from the worst moments of her life.
Matt turned onto Seagull Street and pulled up to the curb in front of The Bitery.
“I’ll be right back.” Liz pushed the door open, stepped out, and dipped to peer through the passenger window at him.
His gaze was unwavering just like the rest of him. “I’ll be right here.”
As she turned, she wondered if he was watching her walk away. The thought that he might be usually made her nervous, but somehow it excited her a little bit right now. Whowasshe?
Rose looked up from the counter as the bell chimed over Liz’s head, and her expression twisted from indifference to horror. “What are you doing here?”
Liz glanced over to a table full of teenagers. No doubt they were eating for free well past closing time. “Relax. I just need the house keys.” Liz walked behind the counter, grabbed a set of keys, and slid the one for the house off. Then she headed back toward the exit.
“Wait. Did you just tellmeto relax?”
Liz glanced over her shoulder. “Role reversal, huh?”
“You’re not mad at me?” Rose asked. “For having friends over?”
“Has it interfered with your ability to serve the actual customers?”
Rose shook her head. “All the real customers left. But I served them perfectly fine when they were here.”
Liz lifted a brow. “With a smile?”
Rose’s lips curved into a full, beautiful smile. It was almost convincing.
