He shook his head. “Sunlight did that.” He gestured to the blinds he’d forgotten to draw closed the night before. “Where are you going?”
“To get my clothes. I need to go over to Angel’s to help her set up her pie booth at the fair.”
“I’ll drive you. I figured we could pick up your car and park it back here, where no one will notice it. Then we’ll go back to Angel’s.” He’d hoped to coax her back to bed, but she’d already warned him she wanted to be at Angel’s early this morning. “Just let me jump into the shower, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
She nodded and started for the door.
Not too awkward considering it was their first morning after.
They hadn’t discussed last night, but in his mind that was a good thing. He didn’t want her running scared, and if she knew just how much he’d enjoyed her, how much he wanted to be with her again, she’d do just that. So silence on the subject suited him fine.
Silence in general, did not. “Sara.”
She turned back to him. “Yes?”
“Why don’t you move your things in here?”
She narrowed her gaze, assessing him.
“Did you really think I’d let you sleep alone in your bed the rest of the time you were here?”
An amused smile pulled at her lips. “Umm…”
“Of course, if you want to be alone…”
She shook her head. “I’ll be right back with my things.” She turned and ran out the door, leaving him laughing.
And pleased.
Not bad for a morning’s work. He had her where he wanted her.
The rest would fall into place.
THEY ATE A QUICK breakfast of cereal and milk before heading over to the bed-and-breakfast, bringing Sara’s car back to Rafe’s, and returning to Angel’s, resigned to helping his sister-in-law and Sara load pies into her minivan—only to discover the two guests who’d checked in yesterday had already finished the job. The pies were securely in the van along with her price signs and flyers.
Frick and Frack and their argyle vests were nowhere to be seen. Rafe called his brother to make sure he’d be at the festival to watch over Angel. Just in case.
Sara slid out of the Jeep, an added spring in her limp that Rafe attributed to last night. He was damn well floating.
“Sorry we’re late,” Sara said, heading to meet Angel by the van.
Rafe couldn’t tear his gaze off her short, flouncy skirt, which showed off her long legs, her skimpy tank top and beaded flip-flops. She’d skipped the knee brace, and when she wasn’t looking, he’d tucked it into the backseat of the car. After a long day of working at the booth, she’d be happy to have the support.
“No worries.” Angel waved away the apology. “Biff and Todd did all the heavy work so we didn’t have to.” She shot a grateful gaze toward the two men who’d walked out onto the front porch, dressed as preppily as they’d been the day before. They were damned odd, and his radar was on alert.
“They seem really nice,” Sara said.
Rafe frowned. “What kind of names are Biff and Todd, anyway?”
“Shh!” Sara nudged him with her elbow. “They helped Angel out, so leave them alone!”
Rafe shook his head, uncomfortable with their defense of those two men. He couldn’t say why they bothered him, but they did. And instinct rarely served him wrong.
Angel glanced at her watch. “I need to get moving. Why don’t you meet me at my booth, and you can help me sell?” she asked Sara.
She nodded eagerly.
He wasn’t sure what had her so excited to work a pie booth, but he wasn’t about to take that smile off her face. He’d just spend the day at the family spice booth, hanging out with his relatives and keeping an eye on her from a close distance.
Biff and Todd weren’t the only strangers that concerned him. The influx of visitors would camouflage anyone who came specifically for Sara. But if someone was after her, they’d have to get through him first.
CHAPTER NINE
MAIN STREET IN HIDDEN FALLS was as busy as Little Italy during the annual San Gennaro Festival in New York City. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, Sara thought. But for a small town near the Canadian border, the streets were pretty crowded. Throughout the morning, she’d met many locals, including Rafe’s uncle Pirro, a happy, kind gentleman who obviously adored his family. She couldn’t see him looking for comfort or anything else from a woman other than his wife. But as Sara knew too well, appearances were often deceiving. Who knew what Pirro did in his spare time?
Today, however, everyone was mingling together, enjoying the sunshine and the festival, including Rafe and his brother, who were watching every move she and Angel made. But they weren’t the only ones. Biff and Todd were never far away, either, constantly offering to restock the pies or buy them food or drink from another stand. Their attention made Sara uncomfortable. If she didn’t already know the men had made their reservations way in advance, she’d be concerned that maybe they had been sent by John Morley, but their reservation preceded her coming here. They might be too clingy and preppy for her taste, but they weren’t hit men.
Joy, the woman Sara had met at Angel’s yesterday, walked by and purchased an apple pie. Sara caught sight of her a few more times during the day. She mostly kept to herself, and Sara even toyed with the idea of introducing her to Biff and Todd, but then she remembered Joy was engaged. Better to leave well enough alone.
“Ladies,” a familiar male voice said.
Speak of the devil, Sara thought. Biff stood in front of the booth, Todd at his side.
“Hello,” she said in a deliberately cool tone.
She wanted to keep her distance from these two, mostly because she knew they annoyed Rafe, and she didn’t want to instigate trouble. He was looking out for her physical well-being. She could do no less for his emotional one.
“Are you enjoying the festival?” Angel, ever the warm proprietress, asked the two men.
“I am. It’s a nice town you have here,” Biff said.
“What brings you upstate, anyway?” When Sara was curious, her inquisitive nature took over.
The men met each other’s gaze before Todd turned back to face her. “We work for a wine distributor in New York, and we’re looking to make new contacts.”
“Makes sense,” Angel agreed. “We have quite a few vineyards in the area and a lot of people interested in doing business during festival time.”