he said.
“You’ll let me know if you find out anything, right?” I asked, although I don’t know why I bothered. If Carter figured out that I was the one who shot him, I’d know by virtue of the handcuffs I’d be wearing.
“Of course,” he said and left the café.
Not ten seconds later, David, the fireman who’d helped Ally at her house, walked in, looking as though he’d just been summoned into a brothel rather than a café. The tips of his ears were pink and he glanced nervously around.
My curiosity piqued, I gestured him over. At first, he looked confused, but when he stepped up to the table, his expression cleared. “You’re the lady I saw at Ally’s house.”
I extended my hand. “Sandy-Sue Morrow. But everyone calls me Fortune.”
He shook my hand. “David Leger.”
I waved at the empty chair. “Have a seat.”
He glanced back at the kitchen again and I held in a smile as what he was up to finally hit me. He was here to see Ally, and he didn’t want her to think he was hitting on me.
“Please,” I said, now more interested in talking to him than before. “People sit with me all the time when the café’s full. That chair is a regular revolving door.”
“Thanks,” he said and sat down, looking a little less nervous. “So you’re a friend of Ally’s?”
I nodded.
“You guys been friends a long time?” he asked, not quite meeting my gaze.
“Not even a month. I’m not from here. My aunt passed away and I’m here for the summer to settle her affairs.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about your aunt.”
“Thanks,” I said. He seemed like a nice guy. Maybe he could end Ally’s bad streak with Sinful men. “So I’m basically new here, like you, although I suppose you spent time here when you were a kid.”
He nodded. “I usually spent a couple weeks every summer with my grandparents when I was young. Then Grandpa died and when Grandma got ill, Mama put her in an assisted living center in Houston. I always remembered the town, though, and liked it. Lake Charles, where I’m from, is no big city, but it a sight bigger than Sinful. It doesn’t have that tranquil feel, you know?”
I nodded. If he only knew just how far from tranquil Sinful really was.
“And the fishing is great,” he said.
“If you like to fish.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope. If possible, I only get into boats to drink beer and sleep.”
He hesitated just a second before laughing, probably assuming I was joking. I glanced over at the kitchen as Ally came out with my food. She did a double take and almost stopped short when she saw David sitting there. Quickly recovering, she put on her smile and sat the plate in front of me.
I pointed to David. “Look who I found waiting for a table.”
David looked up at Ally with a shy smile. “Are you doing okay? I mean…since the fire?”
“I’m doing fine. The insurance adjuster is supposed to be out today. Hopefully, it won’t take long to get things fixed.”
“The damage didn’t look too terribly bad,” he said. “But you’ll probably get a new kitchen out of it.”
Ally perked up. “You think so? That would be fabulous!”
“Ally is going to open her own bakery,” I said. “Her pastries are worth killing over.”
Ally blushed a little. “Fortune exaggerates, but I do like to bake.”
“True,” I agreed. “I do exaggerate, but not this time. Why do you think I invited her to stay with me while her house is being repaired?”
David nodded. “I’m living in a one-bedroom apartment over the preacher’s garage right now, but I’d gladly take the couch if I could find a roommate who cooked. I can’t even heat up microwave dinners without making a mess.”
“Well, there you go,” I said to Ally. “If you get tired of me, you have another offer on the table.”
A blush ran up David’s face and Ally looked slightly horrified.
“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” David said, clearly flustered. “I mean, I would never make a
“You’ll let me know if you find out anything, right?” I asked, although I don’t know why I bothered. If Carter figured out that I was the one who shot him, I’d know by virtue of the handcuffs I’d be wearing.
“Of course,” he said and left the café.
Not ten seconds later, David, the fireman who’d helped Ally at her house, walked in, looking as though he’d just been summoned into a brothel rather than a café. The tips of his ears were pink and he glanced nervously around.
My curiosity piqued, I gestured him over. At first, he looked confused, but when he stepped up to the table, his expression cleared. “You’re the lady I saw at Ally’s house.”
I extended my hand. “Sandy-Sue Morrow. But everyone calls me Fortune.”
He shook my hand. “David Leger.”
I waved at the empty chair. “Have a seat.”
He glanced back at the kitchen again and I held in a smile as what he was up to finally hit me. He was here to see Ally, and he didn’t want her to think he was hitting on me.
“Please,” I said, now more interested in talking to him than before. “People sit with me all the time when the café’s full. That chair is a regular revolving door.”
“Thanks,” he said and sat down, looking a little less nervous. “So you’re a friend of Ally’s?”
I nodded.
“You guys been friends a long time?” he asked, not quite meeting my gaze.
“Not even a month. I’m not from here. My aunt passed away and I’m here for the summer to settle her affairs.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about your aunt.”
“Thanks,” I said. He seemed like a nice guy. Maybe he could end Ally’s bad streak with Sinful men. “So I’m basically new here, like you, although I suppose you spent time here when you were a kid.”
He nodded. “I usually spent a couple weeks every summer with my grandparents when I was young. Then Grandpa died and when Grandma got ill, Mama put her in an assisted living center in Houston. I always remembered the town, though, and liked it. Lake Charles, where I’m from, is no big city, but it a sight bigger than Sinful. It doesn’t have that tranquil feel, you know?”
I nodded. If he only knew just how far from tranquil Sinful really was.
“And the fishing is great,” he said.
“If you like to fish.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope. If possible, I only get into boats to drink beer and sleep.”
He hesitated just a second before laughing, probably assuming I was joking. I glanced over at the kitchen as Ally came out with my food. She did a double take and almost stopped short when she saw David sitting there. Quickly recovering, she put on her smile and sat the plate in front of me.
I pointed to David. “Look who I found waiting for a table.”
David looked up at Ally with a shy smile. “Are you doing okay? I mean…since the fire?”
“I’m doing fine. The insurance adjuster is supposed to be out today. Hopefully, it won’t take long to get things fixed.”
“The damage didn’t look too terribly bad,” he said. “But you’ll probably get a new kitchen out of it.”
Ally perked up. “You think so? That would be fabulous!”
“Ally is going to open her own bakery,” I said. “Her pastries are worth killing over.”
Ally blushed a little. “Fortune exaggerates, but I do like to bake.”
“True,” I agreed. “I do exaggerate, but not this time. Why do you think I invited her to stay with me while her house is being repaired?”
David nodded. “I’m living in a one-bedroom apartment over the preacher’s garage right now, but I’d gladly take the couch if I could find a roommate who cooked. I can’t even heat up microwave dinners without making a mess.”
“Well, there you go,” I said to Ally. “If you get tired of me, you have another offer on the table.”
A blush ran up David’s face and Ally looked slightly horrified.
“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” David said, clearly flustered. “I mean, I would never make a
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