Divine Phoenix(Divine Creek Ranch 10)(114)
Clay stifled a snort of laughter as Lily assured little Angelica that she certainly would. Bill looked on in amusement and said, “They are both born saleswomen just like their mom.”
Angelica clapped her hands on Clay’s cheeks so she had his undivided attention. “My daddy thayth we can thell ice to the Ethkimos! You know some Ethkimos?”
Clay shook his head and replied seriously, “No, I don’t but I’ll keep my eyes open for them.”
“Good, cuz I gottz ice in the fweether for dem!” She kissed his cheek as he put her down and held out his arm for Trinity to hug so she wouldn’t feel left out.
He could recall when Trinity was this age, and by her slight pout he could tell she missed being the baby. She smiled and said, “Same as last time?”
Clay nodded affirmatively. “Yup. Just bring me what ya got.”
Trinity arched an eyebrow and smiled like she had a deal for him. “They’ve got a new flavor coming out.”
“Sure, sweetie.”
Trinity did a fist pump and hollered, “Yes! I’m gonna win the contest again!”
Bill Hooper laughed at his predicament and mouthed the word “sucker” when the girl’s attention was elsewhere. Clay wouldn’t have it any other way. But he was going to have to do something about that deep freezer full of cookies.
Remembering the reason for the conversation, he released the girls, and Bill sent them off to play. “Thanks for letting me know about our visitor, Bill.”
“You’re welcome. Sorry you’re having troubles. I hope everything’s okay. If you need me for anything, just let me know.”
“Well, I’ll be here tonight. If he shows up again, we’ll have us a chat.”
After Bill excused himself, Lily said, “Clay, one thing I can tell you about JT. He’s a creature of habit. Monday is always a busy day and he’d never leave the shop for a day during the week. He doesn’t trust Dirk or anyone else. If we see him again, it’ll be on a weekend.”
Clay wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed heavily. “We need to talk about filing a restraining order.”
Lily nodded and looked at the ground, seeming to weigh her words. “I know but I’m afraid all that will accomplish is provoking him. He’s very conniving and will see that as a challenge.”
“We’ll be ready for him. That’s all the more reason for you to stay at the ranch, which I’m glad we kept quiet.” Checking the text message that had just arrived on his phone, he added, “Del’s waiting for us at the shop.”
Lily’s eyes took on an excited gleam. “Good. I can’t wait. I’m ready to get started.”
* * * *
Del helped Lily from his truck and held the door to Divine Ink open for her. He looked around in approval at the clean conditions and decidedly nonstereotypical surroundings. It was located in one of the redone retail business spaces in the historic Divine downtown shopping district sandwiched between the Empire Theatre and Sanger’s Furniture, which had been in that location since opening day in 1897.
The bell on the door jingled, and moments later a man in his mid-thirties appeared around the partial wall that separated the reception area from the back of the shop. The interior walls were the original bricks which had been recently uncovered and restored according to the standards of the downtown Divine revitalization committee.
The taciturn dark-haired man, whom Del assumed was the owner, Seth Carter, nodded as they met halfway at the reception counter. He was tall and dressed neatly in jeans and a T-shirt. Both arms were adorned with intricately designed, full-sleeve tattoos.
“How can I help you?”
Del identified himself and introduced Lily. “Two friends of ours, Grace Warner and Maya Warner, recommended you to us. Lily has a tattoo she’d like to have redone, and I’d like to talk about getting a tattoo as well.”
Seth nodded and looked directly at Lily. “Can you show me the tat? I’d need to see it to get an idea of what I could do for you?” Del could sense the appreciation in his hooded gaze and suppressed the slight, territorial edge he felt. Lily was beautiful and there was no hiding that fact or keeping other men from admiring her…at a distance.
Lily blushed, glanced at Del, and then back at Seth. Del wanted to say something to make this easier for her, but she seemed to come to grips with the situation.
“I’d need a little more privacy.” She gestured to the storefront windows. “The tattoo is in a private location but I don’t mind showing it to you.”
Seth nodded as though this were a common occurrence and gestured for them to follow him. Beyond the partitioning wall was his work area, which included cabinets and neat countertops, the tools of his trade, a padded chair and table, all in a well-lit, clean-looking space. Grace had told Del she was impressed with Seth’s hygienic standards and his professionalism. He reminded himself of that as he thought of Lily undressing so he could see the tattoo. In the truck, she’d told him she’d dressed specifically to make this easy on everyone.