presumption like that about a lady.”
“I’m just kidding,” I said. “Besides, do you really think I’d give her up that easily?”
“Good Lord,” Ally mumbled. “Can I get you anything to eat, David?”
David glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. “It’s later than I thought. Can I get a sausage biscuit and a coffee to go?”
“Of course.” Ally gave me a dirty look, then spun around and headed for the kitchen.
I leaned across the table, locking my gaze on David. “She’s single,” I said, my voice low. “In case that’s what you came in for.”
His jaw dropped for a moment and he stared at me in dismay. “I, uh…well, thanks.”
After an uncomfortable thirty seconds of silence, Ally appeared with his coffee and biscuit. He handed her a twenty, thanked her, and hurried out of the café.
“Jeez,” I said as the café door swung shut. “I’m running them off in record numbers this morning.”
“I cannot believe you!” Ally glared down at me, hands on her hips. “Suggesting I move in with that guy.”
“I didn’t suggest you move in with him. I was only pointing out that you had another option besides me and Celia.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were playing matchmaker. You, the woman who finds every excuse in the world to avoid the hottest guy in town.”
I glanced around, then whispered. “That whole shooting thing isn’t an excuse. It’s more of an explanation.”
“What else did you say to him?”
“To Carter? Nothing that would incriminate me.”
Ally threw her hands in the air. “Not Carter. David.”
Some of the patrons looked over at her and she smiled at them. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t say much—just how I was fairly new in town myself and didn’t like fishing.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s it?”
“I might have told him you were single.”
Her hand flew up and covered her mouth. “You didn’t.”
“Was I supposed to lie? Because I could tell the next guy you’re married or took a vow of celibacy or something.”
“You’re not supposed to give him any information at all.”
“Wouldn’t that be considered rude? I mean, up north, no one would think much of it, but seems like not participating in casual conversation over coffee would get you a reputation in a place like Sinful.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. I was fairly certain she was praying—whether it was for strength or a vial of untraceable poison, I wasn’t certain.
“He looked interested,” I said.
She opened one eye. “Really?”
“Definitely.”
She opened the other eye. “Then maybe I’ll let you off the hook.”
I grinned. “So you do like him.”
She blushed. “I don’t know him, but yeah, he seems nice.”
“And he’s not hard on the eyes—all that fireman muscle and stuff.”
Ally waved a hand at my plate. “Eat your breakfast before you get both of us into trouble.” She gave me a grin before heading back to the kitchen.
I choked down my omelet—eggs without the yolk are gross—then tossed some money on the table and headed across the street to the General Store. It was ten minutes past opening time, and with any luck, I’d get to explain my slight mishap from the night before to Walter before word got to him another way.
Then I saw the look of dismay on his face when I walked inside the store.
Darn it! Someone had beaten me to the punch.
Chapter Nine
I trudged across the store and plopped onto the stool. “I take it you heard?”
Walter shook his head. “Hard not to. I had Carter here when I opened the door, asking me if I’d sold any rock salt bullets lately.”
Crap!
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. I didn’t sell you the bullets, remember?”
I stared at Walter for a moment, the light slowly dawning. “You didn’t charge me on purpose. You thought something would go wrong and you’d have an out.”
“If one considers your track record, it was a fairly safe
“I’m just kidding,” I said. “Besides, do you really think I’d give her up that easily?”
“Good Lord,” Ally mumbled. “Can I get you anything to eat, David?”
David glanced at his watch and his eyes widened. “It’s later than I thought. Can I get a sausage biscuit and a coffee to go?”
“Of course.” Ally gave me a dirty look, then spun around and headed for the kitchen.
I leaned across the table, locking my gaze on David. “She’s single,” I said, my voice low. “In case that’s what you came in for.”
His jaw dropped for a moment and he stared at me in dismay. “I, uh…well, thanks.”
After an uncomfortable thirty seconds of silence, Ally appeared with his coffee and biscuit. He handed her a twenty, thanked her, and hurried out of the café.
“Jeez,” I said as the café door swung shut. “I’m running them off in record numbers this morning.”
“I cannot believe you!” Ally glared down at me, hands on her hips. “Suggesting I move in with that guy.”
“I didn’t suggest you move in with him. I was only pointing out that you had another option besides me and Celia.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were playing matchmaker. You, the woman who finds every excuse in the world to avoid the hottest guy in town.”
I glanced around, then whispered. “That whole shooting thing isn’t an excuse. It’s more of an explanation.”
“What else did you say to him?”
“To Carter? Nothing that would incriminate me.”
Ally threw her hands in the air. “Not Carter. David.”
Some of the patrons looked over at her and she smiled at them. “Sorry.”
“I didn’t say much—just how I was fairly new in town myself and didn’t like fishing.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s it?”
“I might have told him you were single.”
Her hand flew up and covered her mouth. “You didn’t.”
“Was I supposed to lie? Because I could tell the next guy you’re married or took a vow of celibacy or something.”
“You’re not supposed to give him any information at all.”
“Wouldn’t that be considered rude? I mean, up north, no one would think much of it, but seems like not participating in casual conversation over coffee would get you a reputation in a place like Sinful.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. I was fairly certain she was praying—whether it was for strength or a vial of untraceable poison, I wasn’t certain.
“He looked interested,” I said.
She opened one eye. “Really?”
“Definitely.”
She opened the other eye. “Then maybe I’ll let you off the hook.”
I grinned. “So you do like him.”
She blushed. “I don’t know him, but yeah, he seems nice.”
“And he’s not hard on the eyes—all that fireman muscle and stuff.”
Ally waved a hand at my plate. “Eat your breakfast before you get both of us into trouble.” She gave me a grin before heading back to the kitchen.
I choked down my omelet—eggs without the yolk are gross—then tossed some money on the table and headed across the street to the General Store. It was ten minutes past opening time, and with any luck, I’d get to explain my slight mishap from the night before to Walter before word got to him another way.
Then I saw the look of dismay on his face when I walked inside the store.
Darn it! Someone had beaten me to the punch.
Chapter Nine
I trudged across the store and plopped onto the stool. “I take it you heard?”
Walter shook his head. “Hard not to. I had Carter here when I opened the door, asking me if I’d sold any rock salt bullets lately.”
Crap!
“What did you tell him?”
“The truth. I didn’t sell you the bullets, remember?”
I stared at Walter for a moment, the light slowly dawning. “You didn’t charge me on purpose. You thought something would go wrong and you’d have an out.”
“If one considers your track record, it was a fairly safe
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