Chapter 8
Hailey was nearly finished unloading her groceries when she spotted something unfamiliar in her Explorer.
The sunlight filtering into her attached garage didn’t quite illuminate that area of the trunk, and whatever it was lay just out of reach, so she hefted herself onto the tailgate and stretched to grab it.
Her fingers closed around a square leather object.
A man’s wallet? With a grunt, she sat up and flipped it open.
Peter Lewis’s face grinned back at her. The wallet must have fallen from his pocket while he was catching his breath, then slid toward the center of the vehicle during the drive home.
She sighed and tucked it into her own pocket for safekeeping until she could figure out how to get it back to him. After scooping up a few blueberries she’d missed earlier—none squashed, thank goodness—she gathered the rest of the bags and closed the vehicle.
Back in her kitchen with the connecting door locked, she deposited the groceries onto the table with the others, then peeked across the island to make sure Jenna was still settled in the living room.
At twenty-one months, Jenna could disappear in an instant if she wanted to.
Since the house was mostly childproof, Hailey wasn’t too worried about her wandering about, especially with the way Maggie guarded her as if she were her prime responsibility.
She knew better, however, than to assume her daughter couldn’t manage to find something she wasn’t supposed to get into.
But today’s heat and this morning’s debacle seemed to have worn her little girl out.
Jenna had tossed aside the toy she’d been playing with and was now asleep on an area rug, her cheek pillowed on Maggie’s side and one fist curled into the golden’s fur.
Hailey’s heart melted a bit, and she stopped what she was doing long enough to snap a photo with her phone.
Maggie caught her looking, but her only movement was a shifting of her eyes and a slight swish of her tail. She wouldn’t disturb her girl even if called. Hailey loved her even more for that.
Satisfied that Jenna was taken care of, she returned her attention to the task at hand.
Thanks to her cooler, the perishables had survived their extra time in the heat.
The can of white spray paint she’d grabbed to try to cover up the damage on her garage door was warm to the touch, however, and she hoped it hadn’t been compromised.
She’d find out this evening when she applied the first coat.
It could dry overnight, then she’d add another in the morning before church.
Jenna was still napping when she finished putting things away, so Hailey poured herself a tall glass of cold-brew coffee with a hefty dose of cream and settled on the couch with a book.
She’d started the novel a few weeks ago and was still only a few chapters in.
Between work and being a toddler mom, she simply didn’t have extra time to spare, but she was learning to snatch a few minutes here and there when she could.
She shifted as she turned a page, and something pressed into her leg. Frowning, she dug into her jeans pocket and pulled out Peter’s wallet. In the few minutes between finding it and putting away the groceries, she’d forgotten about it.
She’d have to get it back to him—and soon—but while she’d given him her number, she didn’t have his.
She supposed she could drop by his house on the way to church in the morning, but she hated to do that unannounced.
And what would she do if he wasn’t there?
Despite her advice, he could choose to walk somewhere.
Or hitch a ride with a friend. She couldn’t very well leave his wallet on the doorstep or in the mailbox if he wasn’t home.
Would it be wrong to look inside his wallet to see if he had a card or something with his phone number on it?
It wasn’t like she’d be snooping just to snoop.
Deciding it was acceptable, she flipped it open again and did a quick search.
Initially, it looked like she was out of luck, but then she noticed the edge of a business card sticking up from behind his driver’s license.
Carefully, she tugged it out. Though the card was somewhat worn, it was still legible.
She peered at the title under Peter’s name.
He was a bodyguard? Or had been, at some point.
Doubtful his current job allowed him the flexibility to fit protective work into his schedule.
But that was none of her business. She flipped the card over and felt a rush of relief when she saw a mobile number listed there.
Grabbing her phone from the coffee table, she punched the number in, hoping it was still in service and not an old business number. A few rings later, the call connected, and Peter’s voice came over the line.
“Lewis.”
“Hi, it’s Hailey. I’m sorry to bother you, but I found your wallet in my SUV.”
“Did you now?” His voice faded for a moment, and she pictured him patting his pockets. “Can’t believe I didn’t notice it was missing.”
“Jenna’s napping right now, but I could bring it over to you this afternoon, or in the morning, if that’s all right.”
“Don’t trouble yourself. Whenever is convenient for you is perfectly fine.”
“Morning would be easier. That way I won’t have to load Jenna in the car an extra time. I could drop it by on my way to Sunday morning service. You could even join us if you want. We attend the church on Sycamore Lane.” There was a slight pause, and she hoped she hadn’t been too forward.
But then he said, “So do I, actually.”
“Oh, that’s perfect, then. Would you like a ride? We usually do the early service.”
“If you’re sure it’s not a bother. I had just about reconciled myself to having to miss tomorrow, but I’d much prefer to be there.”
“It’s no trouble,” she assured him. “Your house is barely a minute out of our way.”
“Splendid. What time?”
Now it was her turn to pause. Since Wesley’s death, she’d slipped into the habit of arriving late or barely on time and leaving early to avoid having to talk to people. But she wouldn’t force that preference on Peter. “Is about eight twenty okay?”
“I’ll be ready.”
They ended the call, and Hailey picked her book back up.
But she found it difficult to focus on the story.
With the realization that she’d need to break her pattern of the last ten months, she’d also realized that her showing up with Peter might give people the wrong idea.
She didn’t want anyone speculating that they might be a couple.
She’d been widowed for less than a year and was absolutely not in the market for a relationship.
After the way her marriage had ended, she wasn’t sure she ever would be.
But she was only offering him a ride as a good neighbor, nothing more. And Peter had given no indication that he thought otherwise. If the busybodies decided to talk, let them talk.
PETER SMILED as he ended the call with Hailey. Though he hated to depend on someone else for a ride, he truly was thankful not to have to miss church tomorrow.
Since becoming a Christian a little over a year ago, he’d done his best to make it to Sunday services.
It had been difficult to leave his church in Cincinnati when he moved, but the hour-long drive was a bit excessive when there were perfectly good churches right here in town.
Of course, he often drove to his grandparents’ for Sunday dinner, which put him in the area anyway.
Joining a small group or taking part in anything during the week would have been nearly impossible though.
At the thought of his grandparents, he grimaced. They were expecting him for dinner tomorrow. Better give them a heads-up now and hope Gran didn’t already have a large roast thawing in anticipation of his visit.
Thankfully, he hadn’t had to get a replacement cell.
The police had found both of his missing phones, along with his gun and access badge, shoved under a shelving unit in the security office.
Apparently, the intruders hadn’t been interested in keeping his belongings, only in gaining access to the building and security office—and of course, keeping him from being able to call for help or fight back.
After the police had checked for prints, they’d returned the items to him.
As if he’d been waiting by the corded landline telephone they still owned, Gramps picked up on the first ring. “Fancy getting a call from one of my favorite people.”
Peter grinned at the familiar greeting. “Hi, Gramps. How’s the day treating you?”
“Never better. The sweet Carolines and salvias are flourishing in this heat, but your grandmother is adamant that I would not and had better stay indoors if I know what’s good for me.” Though the words sounded like a complaint, Peter could hear the smile in Gramps’s voice.
“She’s a wise woman. You should listen to her.”
Gramps released an exaggerated sigh. “I’m in here on the phone, aren’t I?” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “But only because she promised to make a blackberry cobbler if I behaved myself.”
Peter chuckled. “For Gran’s blackberry cobbler, I’d be on my best behavior too.”
“No promises, but I might be able to save you a piece for dessert tomorrow.”
He paced toward his small kitchen. “That’s actually what I called about. I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to take a rain check on dinner tomorrow. Had a little incident at work last night, and I’m not supposed to drive for a few days.”
“You all right?” All humor disappeared from his grandfather’s voice.
“Nothing to be concerned over. I got a mild concussion, and the ER doc wants me to take things easy for a bit.”
“Were you hospitalized? What happened?”
“No, sir. There wasn’t even talk of admitting me. This is simply a precaution because of my recent medical history. I’ll be in tip-top shape within a few days at most.” He briefly recounted the night’s events, downplaying the attack.
“I don’t like this, son.”
“Can’t say I’m particularly happy about it either, but things like that aren’t common occurrences around here. Kincaid is usually pretty safe.”
“Your gran is going to have a fit when I tell her. She worries about you.”
He was afraid of that, but he kept his tone light. “Tell Gran not to worry, that I’m following medical advice, and that I’m sorry. I’ll try to be there next week.”
“I’ll tell her. You take care of yourself, you hear?”
“I hear you. Eat a piece of cobbler for me.”
“Deal.”