Sissy pressed closer to him, needing to feel his strength. “You aren’t an idiot. You’re wonderful. And it was my idea, not yours.” She glanced up. “Where’s Finn?”
“I sneaked him upstairs to your apartment so he could hang out with Patches.”
“I hope nobody saw him pass through the café.”
“I don’t think so, but note to self: When you remodel, we need to create a walled-off area at the bottom of the stairs so you don’t have to worry about people seeing Patches if he comes downstairs to go outside.”
Just then a loud knock came at the front door. Sissy hadn’t yet turned off the street-side lighting or dimmed the interior ceiling fixtures. Ben dropped his arms from around her. Sissy sprang away from him. They both turned to see who was standing outside the glass door.
“Well, shit,” Ben said. “It’s Barney.”
Sissy knew Ben’s brother. The deputy didn’t come in to the Cauldron as often since he’d gotten married and started a family, but he still dropped in occasionally. “You know why he’s here,” she said, her voice shaking. She pictured herself getting cuffed and stuffed. “Oh, God, Ben, what should I do?”
“Well,” Ben said, “I think you should start by opening the door.”
Sissy hurried over to do just that, only her voice crackled as if it came from a radio with airwave static. “Hi, B-Barney. Wh-what a surprise.”
Barney stepped inside and closed the door. “Hi, Sissy.” He removed his dark brown Stetson and inclined his head at his brother. “Ben.”
“Hey, Barney,” Ben replied. “What brings you in? The coffee’s still fresh, and Sissy makes fabulous chocolate cake.”
Barney, dressed in uniform, strode to the counter, found a clean spot to place his hat, and said, “I’m not here to eat, and you know it.” He turned to look at his brother. “What the hell were you thinking? Breaking and entering is a class-C felony, burglary in the second degree, potentially punishable by up to one hundred and twenty-five thousand in fines and five years in prison!”
Sissy grabbed hold of the bar to steady herself. Ben hadn’t stolen the kitten for himself. She couldn’t allow him to take the blame. “It was me, not Ben. I did it!”
Barney, whose eyes were the same gold-flecked hazel as Ben’s, gave her a long look. “I know you were probably with him.”
Ben folded his arms and shifted his weight to one foot, looking far too relaxed for a man who was about to be arrested. “Come on, bro, get on with it and stop with the lecture. If you were here to throw me in the slammer, you’d be hanging your head and apologizing.”
Barney’s badge flashed on his khaki shirt as he lifted his hands, palms up. “The phones are ringing off the hook at the department. Half the populace of Mystic Creek is up in arms about Sissy getting into trouble for rescuing a damned kitten!”
Anger surged through Sissy. “Patches is not a damned kitten. He’s a sweet, darling kitten who deserves to have a life! And how on earth did anyone find out it was me that entered the clinic to rescue him?”
“A clinic receptionist blabbed,” Barney replied. “She’d gone back to use the ladies’ room and overheard you and Jack talking. She told only one person, and in strictest confidence, but her friend blabbed to someone, and so it went.”
“And in Mystic Creek, word travels faster than the speed of light,” Ben finished for him.
Barney nodded. “Now Jack’s in trouble, you guys are in trouble, and Sheriff Adams is in a jam as well. The law is the law. He should arrest both of you and cite Jack Palmer for overstepping his bounds as a vet. But the people in this town—the voters who’ll reelect Adams as sheriff—don’t feel that a crime has been committed, and they aren’t going to vote for any jackass, including me, who throws two heroic kitten rescuers into jail and files charges against Jack for aiding and abetting.”
Ben spread his feet. “I’m sorry for causing a political shit storm. I just couldn’t let the owners kill the kitten for no good reason.”
Barney thumped his chest. “I’m the one who brought most of the stray animals home when we were kids, not you! When did you suddenly become the softie?”
Ben huffed. “I rescued just as many critters as you did. You off duty?”
Barney nodded.
Ben glanced at Sissy. “Can you open a bottle of wine, Sissy? My treat.”
Barney groaned. “I’m not having a drink with you. No matter what people in town think, you committed a crime.”
Ben strode over and swung a leg over a barstool. Sissy circled the counter. “You want mulberry?” she asked. “I picked up a few bottles. My customers love it.”
“Sure,” Ben agreed. “Maybe some magic will rub off on Barney and make him forget his tough-cop image.”
Barney took a stool beside his brother. “I don’t have a tough-cop image. And having a glass of wine will not negate the fact that you’ve caused a lot of serious trouble for me, my boss, and the only vet we’ve got in town.”
Sissy poured three glasses of wine, passed two to the men, and kept one for herself. She wasn’t quite so nervous now, but she was still on edge. She glanced at her watch. Patches and Finn had been alone in her flat for hours.
She excused herself and ran upstairs to check on her furry friends. Finn needed to go outside and pee. Patches rubbed against her ankles, begging to be picked up. “Well,” she told the animals, “in for a penny, in for a pound. Let’s all go downstairs.”
As Sissy descended the stairs with Patches in her arms and Finn taking two steps at a time in front of her, she wondered what Barney might say. Probably something about conforming to the health codes. The law is the law.
But when Barney glanced toward the stairs and saw them, he said, “Aw, come on! Have a heart, Sissy. Don’t show me that kitten.”
“Show him the kitten,” Ben said. “He’ll melt into his boots.”
Sissy led Finn through the storage area and let him outside for a whiz festival. When the pup returned, she made her way back to her place behind the counter, where her mulberry wine awaited her. Barney stared hard at Patches, snuggled in the crook of Sissy’s arm. She saw his gaze drop to the kitten’s pink stubs.
“Son of a bitch.” He took a gulp of wine. “Can the poor thing even walk?”
Ben answered. “He can not only walk; he can romp and play with Finn. It’s really something to see.”
“So why did his owners insist on putting him down?”
Ben tasted his wine. “I’m sure they felt they were doing the right thing, but in truth, they weren’t. Jack tried to tell them the kitten would adjust, but they firmly believed they were making the kinder choice for him.”
Barney sighed. “It would have been sad if Jack had euthanized him.” He angled a glare at Ben. “That isn’t to say you did the right thing. You committed a B and E. You catnapped that kitten!”
Ben shrugged. “Guilty as charged. And if you arrest me, no hard feelings. Do the crime, do the time.” He met his brother’s gaze. “But just between you and me and a fence post, if you’d known about this kitten, wouldn’t you have been tempted to swipe him to save his life?”
Barney shot him a glare over the rim of his wineglass. “Unfair question.”
“I’ll take that as an affirmative.”
Barney tipped his head back and flexed his shoulders. “You can take it however you want, but I would have figured out how to do it legally. You could have called an animal rights group.”
“We didn’t have time. It’s a great idea, but we had only a matter of hours.”
Finishing his wine with three gulps, Barney swung off the barstool and went to collect his hat. “Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you saved him. I just don’t approve of how you went about it.”
“So what’s going to happen?” Ben asked. “Are Sissy and I going to be arrested?”
“Sheriff Adams
went to see the owners of the kitten this evening. I wasn’t there to hear what he said, but I think he warned them that they need to keep their heads down and their mouths shut about the kitten if they hope to have any friends in town. Jack called the department and told Adams that he deliberately left the clinic door unlocked for you, so technically you entered the clinic by his invitation.”
“I never expected Jack to take the heat for this,” Ben mused aloud.
“The only way he’ll get in trouble is if the kitten’s owners file a complaint against him. And I don’t think they’ll do that, not unless they want to be run out of town on a rail. People are riled up. Last I heard, Blackie and Ma Thomas were planning a protest march and they got so many volunteers that they had to hold their first meeting at Dizzy’s Roundtable. Half the town could gather there.”
Ben chuckled. “And of course you knew all this when you came in here to chew my ass.”
Barney grinned. “Somebody’s got to keep you in line. I still can’t believe you sneaked into that building and stole a cat.” He drew open the door, paused, and glanced over his shoulder. “Wish I could’ve been there, but future sheriffs miss out on all the fun stuff. Next time be a hell of a lot more careful. You left one print. We didn’t run it for a match, but it was too large to be Sissy’s.”
“People come and go in the back of that clinic all the time. How can you possibly figure the fingerprint is mine?”
“Well, now,” Barney said, tapping his temple. “There were no fingerprints on the kitten’s cage, none on the door handles or on the doors themselves. So someone wiped all those surfaces down. But he missed that one telltale print.”
“Shit,” Ben said. Then his eyes narrowed on his brother. “Wait a minute. Maybe I missed one print, but that doesn’t mean I missed one of my own. It could be Jack’s, or a kennel keeper’s.”
Barney grinned. “Had you going for a minute, though, didn’t I? It works on most perps, and I’ll tell you why. They’re dumb as buckets of rocks.”
“Are you implying that I’m dumb?” Ben asked, but his brother had already walked out.
* * *
Sissy and Ben worked together in the kitchen to clean up and then do breakfast prep. Then, both too exhausted to go anywhere, they took their pets upstairs. This time Sissy sat cross-legged on the carpet to watch the pup and kitten play. Ben decided that the sofa had lost its appeal without her on it, so he joined her.
“How soon will you hire help?” he asked. “I’m looking forward to that movie—and other outings. Maybe a stroll along Mystic Creek so we can fall madly in love.”
She fixed those guileless blue eyes on him. He saw pain in those depths. “I thought we already had.”
Ben’s heart caught. Was she really that insecure? “Sweetheart, I was just joking about the legend of Mystic Creek.”
“Are you sure? If you don’t love me, tell me now.”
“Sissy, it was a joke. Of course I love you. I’ve never told another woman that, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”
She relaxed and resumed watching the animals romp. Ben wished she would open up. Something had made her feel horribly insecure, and he wanted to know what it had been. He guessed she’d tell him about her past when she felt ready. Until then, he had to be patient. Instinct told him that pushing would get him nowhere and might cost him the ground he’d gained.
“So, tell me about your remodeling plans.”
She smiled dreamily. “I want quality plank flooring, reclaimed barnwood if I can afford it. And new booths with a rustic look. I hate those chrome-and-Formica things I have now. They’re so sixties. And I’m thinking about some faux overhead beams as well. It’s an old building. I think rich wood wainscoting will look fabulous. You may not have noticed, but a large percentage of my clientele is older. I’d like to draw in the younger set as well.”
“You need more seating,” Ben observed. “Most people come in alone or in pairs.”
They discussed ideas on how to maximize the dining area space.
She turned her gaze on him. “You’re very observant. I didn’t realize you were thinking about my renovations.”
“Well, sure, I have. It’s hard not to notice when your café is packed that the people still waiting could be seated if you changed the booths and tables to accommodate two instead of four.”
“And my café is approved by the fire marshal to hold more people already, so creating more seating would work great.”
“And if we wall off at the bottom of the stairs, you could even put in a gas log fireplace there.”
She scrunched her shoulders and then relaxed them with a sigh. “Oh, a fire would be perfect, especially on snowy winter evenings. It’d make the whole place seem cozy.” She nodded. “We’ve come up with some great ideas!”
Ben got the fishing-pole toy out and dangled the feathers in front of Patches. The kitten leaped for them and so did Finn. Ben jerked the bait right out from under their noses. Both he and Sissy laughed as the game continued. It was a nice way to end the day.
Knowing how early Sissy had to get up, Ben decided not to overstay his welcome. “Well,” he said, pushing to his feet, “I think it’s about time for me to go home and hit the sack.”
She nodded, her expression revealing regret. Ben wished she would invite him to stay longer, maybe even for the night. With other women, that was the norm. With Sissy, it wasn’t. She hadn’t even asked him to kiss her yet.
* * *
Sissy walked downstairs with Ben and Finnegan. She told herself it was only because she needed to lock up after them, but she had other reasons as well. Ben had promised her that he wouldn’t kiss her until she asked him to, and though the thought jangled her nerves, she wanted to do that tonight.
When they reached the back door, Ben paused and turned to look at her. She could tell by the tender expression in his eyes that he yearned to take her into his arms.
Gathering all her courage, Sissy said, “Ben, will you kiss me? Not on the forehead. A real kiss this time.”
He’d put his hat back on. With the bent knuckle of a forefinger, he nudged up the brim. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I’ve concluded it might be better if you kiss me.”
That was the last thing she had been expecting. “Me, kiss you?” Her knees started to quiver. “No, no, that won’t work.”
“Why not? It doesn’t matter who takes the initiative, just as long as it happens.”
Sissy couldn’t think what to say. She settled for “I don’t think I’ll be very good at it. I, um, don’t know how.”
Ben looked stunned. “Pardon me?”
“I don’t know how,” she repeated. Heat rose up her neck and pooled like fire in her cheeks. “I, um—it’s a long story.”
His dimple flashed in his lean cheek. “How can that be possible? You’re twenty-six. Young, smart, and beautiful. Dozens of guys must have kissed you.”
“Not dozens,” she forced herself to say. “Only a few, and they were—well, so rough and forceful that I was so busy trying to get away that I didn’t learn much about kissing.”
Sissy knew that she’d just opened a door, inviting Ben to ask questions she wasn’t ready to answer. But instead he clenched his teeth, treating her to a spectacular display of rippling jaw muscle, which told her the information she’d just revealed made him angry. But almost before she registered that, his expression went tender again. He murmured something she couldn’t quite catch, and then, ever so gently, he trailed his fingertip over her features, tracing the arch of her brows, the bridge of her nose, and the bow of her upper lip. His touch made her feel beautiful and cherished.
“Sweetheart, kissing is sort of like dancing. All you have to do is follow my lead.”
“I’ve never danced, either, remember. Not with a partner, anyway. I’d probably mash all your toes.”
His lips qui
rked in a quelled smile. “You’re not heavy enough to mash my toes.”
Then he bent his head, his gaze holding hers. Sissy didn’t know what to expect. Ben feathered his lips over hers, the touch so gentle and airy—and so tantalizing—that she found herself leaning her head farther back to experience more of the same.
And he delivered. His kisses were as light as the flutter of a butterfly wing.
When he finally withdrew, her heart was pounding and her breathing had gone shallow. That’s it? she wondered. He’d never even put his arms around her. He winked at her and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“Good night, Sissy,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Have sweet dreams.”
The next instant, the door closed behind him. She listened to the rhythmic thumps of his boots as he descended the porch steps. Then she heard him call out to Finn. Trembling with aftershocks from the sensations he’d sent spiraling through her, Sissy locked the door behind him and leaned against it because she felt weak in the legs. Then a dreamy smile curved her lips. She had never been kissed like that! And, oh, wow, she hoped he’d do it again, only maybe with a little more pressure next time.
* * *
Hands knotted over the steering wheel, Ben drove home with his teeth clenched with such force that his molars ached. Sissy had never learned how to kiss because she had always been too busy trying to escape. What kind of jerks treated a woman like that? Thinking about it made Ben wish he could take those guys apart. Now he understood her former aloofness. His brother Barney had pegged her right. She’d had some really lousy experiences.
Once parked by his house, Ben cut the engine of his truck. Finn, who couldn’t see much scenery during a drive at night, bolted upright from his snooze. Clearly the pup was waiting for Ben to exit the vehicle as usual to take a quick stroll around the ranch proper to check on the animals, Finn’s favorite part of getting home. But Ben needed a moment to just stare out the windshield at nothing and breathe slowly. It wasn’t often that he felt this angry.