Page 16 of Tough Justice
“I bet you can do some pretty good people watching from there.” He’d never been in her apartment but knew she rented a space right on the square.
Scrunching her nose, she grinned. “True. And with the winter rodeo starting, there will be plenty of hoopla happening to keep me busy from my perch.”
“Winter Rodeo? What the hell is that?”
She dropped her jaw in mock surprise. “What? Lane hasn’t filled you in on this?”
“If you haven’t noticed, your brother isn’t one for small talk. Now tell me what you’re talking about.”
Heather popped her head into the hallway. “Are you two coming or what? I’m starving.”
Duke cringed. “When she gets hungry, she gets angry. We better get in the kitchen.”
He led the way into the galley style-kitchen. The pizza box sat open on the marble counter. He placed the bags he carried with the junk food beside it then searched for plates, napkins, and cups.
“What were you two discussing out there?” Heather asked.
“Suzy was just about to tell me about some winter rodeo that’s coming to town.”
Heather’s mouth formed a large O, and she swiveled around to face Suzy. “That sounds fun. What is it?”
“The whole square gets shut down for days. People compete in all kinds of crazy events. Skiers get pulled by horses down the street, an ice rink is set up in the middle of the square for skating and a competitive hockey tournament that brings out the best and worst in everybody, there’s sledding down by the Baptist church, and even a moonlight ski near Lake Silver. Lots of vendors with food and games. Kind of like a state fair, only much colder, and no bull-riding.”
A pinch of regret tightened Duke’s throat. He loved his life in Hillmore, but he missed the thrill of the ride.
“Looks like I picked the perfect time for a visit.” Heather picked a pepperoni off a slice of pizza and tossed it in her mouth.
Duke set plates on the counter and frowned. “Sounds like something that could bring in a large crowd. Maybe someone who came to town a day early is the person responsible for busting the Gurly’s front window.”
“Maybe. I can’t think of anyone in town who’d do that. Everyone loves them, and their candy.”
“That reminds me.” He dipped into one of the bags and found the peanuts Mr. Gurly had given him. He tossed them to Suzy. “Mr. Gurly sent these with me as a thank you.”
Suzy snatched the sack from the air and peered inside. Her smile bloomed, melting him faster than the chocolate covering those damn peanuts. “These are my favorite.”
“I know,” he said.
Two sets of wide eyes stared at him.
“I mean, Mr. Gurly told me. He clearly knows his clientele.”
“Whatever you say, big brother.”
He hated the sing-song way Heather taunted him, but he refused to take the bait. Instead, he passed out the plates then took drink orders before leading the way into the living room.
A caramel-colored sofa separated the kitchen from the living room with two matching chairs flanking the stone fireplace, the television mounted above the hearth. He wanted a view of the mountains at every seat, choosing to leave the wall clear of clutter to let the view shine through. A coffee table sat in front of the couch, and he covered it with bags of goodies waiting to be eaten.
“Sit wherever you’d like. I’ll grab the gaming console. It’s in a box somewhere in the spare room.”
Heather settled onto one end of the couch and took a bite of pizza.
“Do you need help?” Suzy asked. “I’d hate for you to be stuck looking into boxes and the food to get cold.”
He hesitated. Being in such close proximity with Suzy while his brain already refused to see her only as a friend was a bad idea. But there were a shit ton of boxes to glance through—none of them labeled.
“Sure,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “The quicker we find it the better.”
Suzy set down her plate then followed him down the hall and into one of two guest rooms. She stood in the doorway with her fists anchored to her hips. “I don’t see any boxes. From here,it looks like everything is neat and in its proper place. Never figured you for such a tidy guy.”
