The Hunk Next Door(15)
“Pinball to the right,” she finished for him. “Mr. Hamilton’s hobby.”
“So you have been down here.”
“Not recently.” She turned a slow circle. “It’s like a time capsule.”
It was a valid assessment. “Fortunately they left decent appliances.”
“That’s a plus.” She walked over to the first pinball machine on the short wall.
“Want to play a game or two? It works great.”
“No, thanks. I’m obsessive. If I start I won’t want to quit and dinner will burn.”
“In that case, allow me to see you safely up the stairs.”
Her smile chased away the shadows haunting his thoughts. “Thanks for indulging my curiosity.”
“My pleasure.” He gestured for her to go up first, immediately regretting the chivalry as it put the shapely curve of her hips and backside right at eye level. No one could fault her fitness. Thinking of Director Casey’s reaction if such an unprofessional observation showed up in his report cooled him right down.
She didn’t seem to pick up on his wayward thoughts, waiting patiently while he locked up and followed her across the driveway and into her kitchen. The houses were similar Cape Cod floor plans, but her decor reflected a more modern sense of style. He liked it.
“How are the knees?” He pointed to the large ceramic tiles under her feet.
“Just fine,” she replied as the oven timer went off.
So much for asking for a tour of her place.
“My biggest adjustment was the cold,” she said, pulling the large pan out of the oven.
“I didn’t think of that.”
“No one does. Go for the reclaimed hardwood.”
He nodded in agreement. The remodeling ideas were coming to him almost as quickly as questions regarding the drug bust. But he hesitated to wreck the momentum by quizzing her about that case. “Man, that smells good.”
“It tastes better.”
She put him to work tossing a salad while she pulled the lasagna out of the oven, letting it stand while she set the table.
He hadn’t been hungry until he’d walked in. The rich aroma of sausage, cheese, tomato sauce and oregano had his mouth watering in anticipation by the time she served.
“Whoa,” he said, setting down his fork after the first bite. “That’s amazing.”
“Thanks. It’s the sauce.”
“Here I thought it was the company.”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you always come on so strong?”
He shrugged, taking another bite and giving himself time to think of a reasonable reply. “Call me a doer,” he said, keeping it light. “All my life I’ve seen people waste time and effort waffling about what they want and how to get it.”
“Are you saying you want me?” Her eyebrows arched, silently daring him to reply honestly.
He grinned at her. “I’m saying I decided to live my life differently. Focused on the moment.”
“Interesting philosophy.”
“It’s working so far.” They ate in silence for a few minutes more. “Looking at you, Madam Police Chief, I’d say that’s pretty close to your philosophy, too.”
She raised her water glass in a toast. “Close enough.” She sipped, returned the glass to the table. “And my friends call me Abby.”
“I’ve moved up from suspicious stranger to friend?”
She chuckled. “It’s a long ladder, but you’re on your way. You were nice to Mrs. Wilks.”
“That’s easy.”
“Remember that when she starts asking the personal questions.”
“I’m an open book.”
She snorted. “I think Danny is infatuated with you, but he’s a fair judge of character.”
“Danny’s impressionable,” Riley said with a laugh. “He’ll be a good neighborhood cop one day.”
“He needs experience. Have you remodeled many old homes?”
He recognized a diversionary topic when he heard one, but if it kept her at ease, kept him close enough to protect her, it worked for him. “A few. I’ve been swinging a hammer since I was about eight.”
“A calling?”
He thought about those early days in the orphanage garden. “I guess so. A completed job, done well, is a reward in itself,” he replied, echoing the teachers who’d raised him.
“Another phrase from your mother?”
He nodded, letting her make the assumptions that supported his cover story. “Do you need help with anything around here?”
“Not today.”
“Say the word if you change your mind. What about your calling? Have you always been interested in criminal justice?”