Chapter 7
Dutton was elbow deep in a vintage Jeep when he heard the distinctive sexy purr of Dahlia’s Corvette pull up to his garage. He poked his head up and felt his lips pull into a slow smile. Dahlia was beaming as she climbed out of her car and headed straight for him.
“Got time for a break?” she asked, holding up a white paper bag. “I brought lunch if you’re hungry.”
“Starved. And you are a goddess,” he said, his stomach grumbling at the thought. He glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that it was nearly one-thirty in the afternoon. He’d started working just after seven and hadn’t stopped for more than to answer the phone all morning.
“I don’t know about goddess, but sandwich fairy? Yes,” she said.
“I’m sticking with goddess. Follow me.” He nodded toward the door to an office at the back of his garage. “Take a seat in there. I’m going to wash up.”
“Got any sodas in that fridge?” she asked, eyeing his cooler at the back of the garage.
“You bet. Grab anything you like. I’ll take a lemonade.
” He quickly disappeared into the restroom.
Five minutes later when his hands were as clean as they were going to get, he joined her in the office where she’d already set out his lemonade and a roast beef sandwich with all the trimmings and chips on the side.
She had something that looked like a turkey sandwich and potato salad.
“Saving the good stuff for yourself, are you?” he teased as he eyed her salad.
“You bet,” she said, clutching the container to her chest. “Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had potato salad this delicious? I was going to share, but after one bite, I decided sharing isn’t really a second date activity.”
“Is this our second date?” Dutton asked, raising one eyebrow.
She shrugged. “Close enough.”
“Is it too early to ask you out on another date? Besides tomorrow night. You’re still cooking, right?
” Dutton had been looking forward to being alone with her in her house all week, but he also wanted to take her out and show her the town.
He took a swig of lemonade and watched as her cheeks flushed pink.
The softness of her face as her eyelids fluttered closed did something to him.
“Yes, I’m still cooking,” she said shyly but then turned her head suddenly and looked him dead in the eye. “I guess if you want to see more of me after that, you’ll have to ask and find out.”
If he thought he’d felt something stir for her before, it was nothing compared to the desire that shot through him now.
He adored a woman who knew what she wanted and how to take charge.
“Saturday night? How do you feel about checking out the fall festival?” He’d been meaning to go, but the idea of tagging along with Briggs and Melissa just made him feel like a third wheel.
“I’d love to. As long as you find me a slice of that pumpkin cheesecake I keep hearing about. Apparently Miss Maple makes it only for the festival or something.”
“Cheesecake I can handle,” he said, feeling far too pleased with himself.
She smirked at him and then took a bite of her sandwich. A bit of tomato juice dribbled down her chin. She quickly dabbed at it with her napkin as her cheeks turned a brighter shade of pink.
Dutton stifled a groan. Why was it that everything she did turned him on? Had it just been too long since he’d been with a woman? Or was it that this one just had a way of getting under his skin? He already knew the answer to that question but wasn’t quite ready to admit it to himself.
“What time should I meet you on Saturday?” she asked, putting her sandwich down and picking the potato salad back up.
“I’ll pick you up at six. Does that work for you?
” There was no way he was letting her meet him at the festival.
This was a date. He wasn’t meeting her anywhere.
Not when he could walk her to her door at the end of the night.
The image of her flushed face the other night after they’d kissed was still burned in his brain.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want a repeat performance.
Why did it make him feel so alive knowing he had that effect on her?
“Did you hear me, Dutton?” she asked.
“Huh?”
She chuckled softly. “Are you still thinking about that Jeep you were working on?”
“Yeah, sure. The Jeep,” he said, feeling his own cheeks heat. Was he blushing? He must be. Holy hell. He was acting like he was sixteen again. He cleared his throat. “The transmission is being a little tricky.”
She eyed him suspiciously and then said, “The transmission. Sure. That’s what put that flush on your cheeks.”
“Jeeps are hot. What can I say?”
Dahlia threw her napkin at him. “Fine. Keep your secrets. We’re talking about me now anyway.”
“We are? Were you about to tell me something scandalous? Go on. I’m all ears.”
She rolled her eyes, and Dutton couldn’t help laughing. He loved bantering with her. Had he ever felt this comfortable with a woman? Let alone one he’d only spent a handful of days with? No. Definitely not.
“I was trying to tell you that I signed a contract with Harlow Thane to hang my shingle in her office building,” she said, her face lit with excitement.
“You did? When, today?” He put his own sandwich down and leaned forward to give her his full attention. “As an employee?”
“That’s the same question I asked,” she said.
“But no. I’ll be renting office space and we’ll advertise together.
I just can’t believe that happened. I went in today to ask her some questions, and the next thing I know, I’m signing paperwork and getting a referral to the graphic designer she uses. It’s… almost unbelievable.”
“That’s amazing. Harlow and Cash are pretty well-respected around these parts. That should be a wonderful opportunity for you.”
“Do you know them?” she asked, her brows furrowed. “I’m asking because I just met Harlow today, and while we really hit it off, I’m not ordinarily the kind of person who jumps right into things that fast. I’m usually much more calculating.”
Dutton snorted.
“What was that for?” she asked, sounding a little offended.
“Sorry.” He held his hands up in surrender.
“I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just that from where I’m sitting, you do seem a little impulsive.
It’s not every day that a bride bolts from her wedding.
Or that someone quits their lucrative corporate job in the city to move to a magical town and suddenly be a medium for hire. ”
“None of those things were done lightly,” she said stiffly.
“I know.” Dutton placed his hand over hers and squeezed gently. “I’m not saying they were. I’m only pointing out that you, Dahlia Day, are a risk taker. You make a decision and you go for it. That’s admirable but also a bit impulsive. How long did you know your fiancé before you got engaged?”
She pursed her lips and glanced away, breaking their eye contact.
“A year?” he asked. When she didn’t answer, he tried, “Six months?”
Her gaze flickered back to him briefly before glancing away again.
“Three months?”
“It was almost five, okay?” she blurted. “Happy now?”
He grinned but then quickly dialed it back as he said, “No.”
Dahlia groaned. “Why are you busting my balls?”
“I’m not. I’m merely making an observation. You’re impulsive. So? Some people like impulsive. I happen to be one of them.”
“Well… good, I guess,” she said, sounding a bit petulant.
He laughed again. “It is good. Wait until you see what I have in store for you Saturday night at the festival.”
Her eyes flashed with interest. “You have a surprise for me?”
“I guess you could look at it that way.”
Dahlia sighed heavily. “I’m not good at waiting.”
“Imagine that,” he said with a wink.
“Stop,” she said. “Anyway, back to Harlow and Cash. Do you know them?”
“Yes,” he said, picking up his sandwich again. “They’re good people. I wouldn’t hesitate to go into business with them.”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed as she sat back in her chair. “Good. That’s good. It’s only a three-month trial, but still. It’s nice to be reassured.”
“Trust me. You have nothing to worry about.”
They ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes until Dahlia said, “There’s a rattle in my dash. Think you can take a look at it sometime?”
“On the driver’s side or the passenger side?” he asked, craning his neck to take a peek at the convertible through the open office door.
“Driver’s. I noticed it yesterday, but it got a little worse today.”
“Sure. Right after lunch,” he said, excited to get his hands on her ride. The Corvette was a beauty. If it belonged to anyone but her, he’d have already made an offer on it, whether it was for sale or not.
“You don’t have to do it today. I don’t want to get in the way of the Jeep’s progress,” she said.
“Don’t worry about it. The Jeep will get done.”
She gave him a grateful smile and said, “Thank you.”
“Any time.”
Dutton had just finished off his sandwich when a black SUV pulled up in his driveway.
He frowned as he watched two men climb out of the vehicle.
They were both wearing jeans and white button-down shirts with black shoes.
They were nondescript in a way that made him uncomfortable.
Then just as they reached the office door, he realized why.
They were agents from the Magical Task Force. His body instantly tensed, just like it had the first time he’d had a run-in with them back in San Diego.
“Dutton Williams?” the taller one with salt-and-pepper hair asked.
“That’s me,” Dutton said, getting up and walking out of the office. His fingers twitched to close the door, though he wasn’t sure why. Did he want to protect Dahlia from them, or himself from her overhearing something they might say?
“If you have a minute, we’d like to talk to you about the recent fires here in Keating Hollow,” the tall one said. He held out his badge.
Dutton read his name: Parker. He turned to the other one, waiting. The agent held out his badge. Avery.
“Well, agents Parker and Avery, what can I do for you today?” Dutton asked.
Parker glanced once at Avery and then dove right in. “I need you to tell me about those fires you started back in San Diego.”
Dutton had known that was coming, but his mouth went dry anyway. He cleared his throat. “That was a long time ago.”
“Yes, sir, it was,” Parker agreed. “But it was arson, and our records state you were responsible. What I want to know is how you got the charges for ten counts of arson dropped.”
“Ten counts?” Dahlia gasped out, appearing suddenly beside him. She was looking up at him with wide, fearful eyes.
Dutton’s heart sank. He knew that look. He’d seen it before.
Once again, things were over before they’d even gotten started, all because he’d been a troubled kid a long time ago and had done a lot of things he deeply regretted.
“I’m not that person anymore, Dahlia,” he said softly.
“If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll explain everything after they leave. ”
Dahlia swallowed hard. Then she looked at the agents and back again at Dutton. “I… um… I think I’d better get back to Shortcake. I’ve already left her alone long enough today.”
Dutton’s tone was flat when he said, “I thought you wanted me to look at your Corvette.”
“Uh, um, maybe I can bring it back some other time. Bye, Dutton.” She didn’t look at him again as she hurried off, climbed into her car, and then sped down the road.
“I guess that’s the first she’d heard of your criminal past,” Parker said conversationally. “I bet it’s hard to date with that record of yours.”
Dutton balled his hand into a fist and had to fight the urge to deck the MTF agent. “Do you make it a habit of running around ruining people’s days?”
“Sometimes.” Parker nodded. “But usually only when I think they deserve it.”
“And you think that because I was trouble when I was a minor, freshly kicked out of an abusive foster home and trying to navigate not being killed on the streets, it means that I deserve to have my day ruined?” Dutton was so frustrated he could scream.
He knew what he’d done all those years ago was wrong.
He’d known it was wrong then. That’s why he’d done everything in his power to make sure that no one got hurt.
But that didn’t seem to count for anything.
It never had.
It was only because an angel intervened that he’d gotten off with just probation, but when it came down to it, when people learned that he’d committed arson, they always thought the worst of him, no matter what he said.
It was why he’d stopped explaining himself. It never seemed to make a difference.
“I don’t know if you do or not, Mr. Williams,” Parker said. “What I do know is that your magical signature is all over the three fires we’re investigating.”
“Wait, three?” Dutton gasped out. “It was only two. The barbecue fire and the one at the pie store.”
Parker checked his notes and then shook his head. “And the third one down by the river.”
“There wasn’t a fire at the river,” Dutton insisted.
“I assure you, there was. It was only extinguished because Yvette Townsend was down there with her sisters the other night. She’s the one who put it out. You want to know who started it?”
“No. I’m certain that I don’t,” Dutton said, already backing up.
“Where are you going, Mr. Williams?” Parker asked.
“To call a lawyer.”
The MTF agent pulled out his magical handcuffs and slapped them on Dutton’s wrists before he even had a chance to flinch.
“You can call one from the station. You’re under arrest for the willful destruction of town property.
You have the right to remain silent…” The officer went on to read Dutton his full rights before stuffing him into the back of the SUV.
Dutton sat silently, praying when he got his one phone call that Briggs knew a good lawyer. He was going to need one.