Angie couldn’t get excited about changing out the kitchen display. Her heart just wasn’t in it. Aubrey and Charlie buzzed around Daltons, doing most of the work. It was their area of expertise anyway. Both her cousins’ wives had a talent for creating eye-catching window displays. And today’s was gorgeous. Even in Angie’s funk she could see that.
They’d brought an old wooden hutch that Charlie had painted a fire-engine red and dragged it to one of the end windows at the front of the store. That way passersby would immediately be drawn in. Then they filled the hutch with Gina’s earthenware and boughs of fresh holly and winter greens they’d gotten from Ava and Winter.
In another window, they displayed an antique farm wagon loaded with old wooden produce crates embellished with vintage Christmas postcards. The fruit and vegetables were plastic, but Angie couldn’t tell. They looked that real. In between the crates were pots of poinsettias.
“Ready to do the last one?” Charlie sized up the corner window. “I think one of the farm tables will fit.”
The three of them cleared merchandise off the smallest of three tables in the kitchenware department and carried it to the window.
A couple of customers came through the door after standing outside on the sidewalk, gawking at the hutch. Angie left Aubrey and Charlie to work on the display and headed to the cash register.
“Let me know if I can help you find anything,” she told the customers, two women dressed for snow.
“That ironstone pitcher you have in the window is darling. Do you have any more?”
“That’s our only one.” Angie made a mental note to order more from Gina. “But you can have that one if you like.”
“Really? I hate to ruin your beautiful display.”
“No worries. We have lots of other pretty things we can put there.” Angie went to the window and grabbed the pitcher. “You want me to keep it at the register while you look around?”
“Yes, please.”
Judging from their designer ski jackets and boots, money wasn’t an issue. The pitcher was less than thirty dollars anyway. That was the beauty of Gina’s kitchenware. It looked like a million bucks but was affordable.
“Were you all eating at Gina’s?” Angie asked just to be conversational.
“We were,” said the pitcher woman’s friend. “It was fantastic. I’ve never had a better steak.”
“They’re amazing, aren’t they? You know we sell the steaks here. Of course, you must prepare them yourselves. But you won’t find better beef anywhere, though I’m a little biased. My family raises the cattle.”
“Really?” The pitcher woman stopped browsing through Gina’s jadeite kitchen accessories and came over to the cash register. “Is Dry Creek your ranch?”
Angie wished she’d kept her mouth shut. With everything going on, she probably shouldn’t have advertised who she was. Though these women appeared harmless. They were more than likely on their way to Tahoe to ski for the weekend or returning to the Bay Area after a few days on the slopes.
“Uh-huh.” Too late to pretend she wasn’t a Dalton now.
“It’s gorgeous. We live in Danville but have a timeshare at Northstar. This is the first time we’ve stopped in here. But it won’t be the last. A friend told me about the furniture store…Refind…and I’ve been wanting to eat at Gina’s for forever. We’re both huge fans of her show.”
Angie glanced over at Charlie and Aubrey, who were eavesdropping. “Those two ladies over there—my cousins—own Refind.”
“We just came from there,” said pitcher woman’s friend. “I bought the deer antler lamp for our place at Sea Ranch.”
“You have great stuff,” pitcher woman chimed in.
“Thank you,” Charlie said. “Sorry we missed you. I hope Taylor was helpful.” Taylor was a local teenager Charlie and Aubrey had hired to help on weekends.
“She was terrific. We’ll be back. I saw so many great things, but I only have the Prius.”
“Come by anytime. We also do private appointments if you need help with design work,” Aubrey added.
“Ooh, I might just do that. Nice meeting you both.” Pitcher woman turned back to Angie. “Tell me more about the steaks. I’d love to bring some home for my husband.”
Angie led the two women over to the meat counter, where their butcher, Mark, was stocking the cold case. Jace had stolen Mark away from Safeway. But at the rate Daltons’ sales were going, he would have to beg for his supermarket job back.
“These ladies are interested in some Dalton steaks.” Angie turned to pitcher woman, “What kind did you have at Gina’s?”
“The filet mignon. It was fabulous. Could I get four packed up with dry ice?”
Dry ice. Wow, why hadn’t Angie thought of that?
“Unfortunately, we don’t have dry ice.” Or any ice for that matter.
“I have a cooler in the car, but we’ve got a three-hour drive. I wouldn’t want the steaks to spoil.”
Charlie overheard the conversation and came rushing to Angie’s aid. “I have a few ice packs at the house. Why don’t I run and get them? They should work fine in a cooler.”
Both women seemed pleased with the solution because the second one also ordered four steaks. By the time Angie packed the meat and rang them up, her head was swimming with possibilities. And keeping her mind on work was a handy diversion from the uncomfortable phone call she still had to make to Earl.
She further procrastinated by joining Aubrey and Charlie as they finished the farm table display. Together, they loaded the table with goodies wrapped in ribbons and bows. Then they went outside to view their handiwork through the window.
“Looks so good.” Aubrey snapped a couple of pictures with her phone. She backed up to get a different angle and bumped into a couple who were also enjoying the displays.
The center was crowded today. Angie supposed it was the snow in the Sierra that had brought so many people out. She couldn’t help scanning faces, wondering if any of them were spying while some budding Liberty Fighter further defaced her cabin.
And just like that her short-lived cheer faded away. All she could think about was someone out there wanted to do her harm.
Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.
“Are you okay?” Charlie looked at her oddly.
“Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” But Angie’s chest felt tight, like someone tied a rope around it and pulled it with all their might.
“Let’s go inside.” Charlie put her hand at the small of Angie’s back and guided her into the market.
Aubrey went to the rear of the store and returned with a glass of water. “Drink this.”
Angie dutifully took the glass and tried to gulp down the water, but her hands were shaking. “I was doing so well.”
“Too well if you ask me.” Charlie ushered Angie to the back alcove. “Sit down and try to relax. For a second it looked as if you were having a panic attack. I’ve been there myself, so I know what one looks like.”
Before Charlie moved to the ranch and fell in love with Jace, she had been in an abusive relationship. According to Sawyer, who’d told Angie the entire story, Charlie’s ex had nearly killed her. Luckily, Jace had arrested the awful man.
“Take some deep breaths.” Aubrey craned her neck around the corner to make sure no one had come into the store.
“When I saw all the people walking around outside, I panicked.”
“Cash and Jace are adding more security cameras. And we’re all here. Safety in numbers.” Charlie rubbed Angie’s back. “Aubrey’s right. Just breathe.”
The worst part about all of it was that Angie’s family was getting dragged into it. Part of the reason she’d gone into WITSEC in the first place was to protect them. To keep them safe.
“I’m okay.” She tried to stand but feeling wobbly, immediately sat down again. “It just came on so suddenly.”
“With all that has happened I’m surprised you’re even here today,” Aubrey said. “Don’t rush getting up. We’re here for you.”
“Hey, where is everyone?”
“We’re in back,” Aubrey called.
Gina appeared with three big white to-go bags. “What’s going on?” Concern etched her face.
“Nothing.”
“She had a bit of a panic attack,” Aubrey said. “We were outside, looking at the displays and Angie freaked a little because of the crowds.”
Gina put the bags on the desk and crouched down until she was eye level with Angie.
“Did you see someone you recognized?”
“No, it was nothing like that.” Angie felt foolish. If anything, it was safer here in the center with all the people strolling around than it was at the cabin. “I think the events of last evening suddenly hit me is all.” Tuff and their night in bed together had managed to distract her. But today…everything had sort of hit a crescendo.
“I know Sawyer’s at the cabin putting up cameras. And I brought food.” Gina held up one of the sacks. “If you want, we can close the store and you can come over to the restaurant and eat this.”
“No.” Angie shook her head. “We actually sold eight Dalton steaks today. I’m not going to interrupt that momentum.” She tried to laugh but it came out rusty.
“You sure? No one expects you to work today.”
“I could take over,” Aubrey volunteered. “Madison has Refind covered. And I have the day free.”
“Me too,” Charlie chimed in. “Aubrey and I can split shifts, or we can do it together.”
“I’m fine. I really am. It’s good for me to be here. It feels safe and it keeps my mind occupied.”
“I get it. But at least eat. I brought enough for an army.” Gina looked around the small space. “Should we take the food out there? Too bad you don’t have the café tables yet. But we can move a display and spread out on one of the farm tables in the kitchen section.”
“That’s a great idea.” Charlie got started moving things around.
Aubrey gathered up four chairs. It probably wasn’t the most professional look for the store. But screw it. Angie needed her family. And the smell of Gina’s delicious food was a balm to her anxiety.
Gina helped set up their picnic while Angie rang up a cupcake and a bag of mandarin oranges for a man and his little girl.
A couple came in and spotted their impromptu lunch setup. “Oh, isn’t that lovely,” the woman said and glanced around the store, her eyes stopping at the butcher counter, then veering back to Gina’s picnic. “Do you serve deli food? It’s so inviting in here.”
It was as if a lightning bolt hit Angie right between the eyes. She ignored her earlier panic attack and became laser focused on the woman’s deli suggestion. Angie caught Gina’s gaze and could tell she and her sister-in-law were having the same epiphany.
“We’re working on it,” Angie told the couple. “We’re still fairly new and the deli counter isn’t up yet. But it will be soon. So don’t forget about us.”
“We won’t,” the woman said. “We own a cabin in Cascade Shores and pass this way every weekend. The restaurant is a great addition but a little heavy for lunch.” She shifted her gaze to the butcher counter. “We stopped by for a chuck roast. We got one a few weeks ago and Charles is still raving about the pot roast I made.” The man—presumably Charles—nodded.
The second the couple left with their roast, Gina squealed, “How did we not think of a deli counter before? You’re a genius, Angie.”
“You can thank that couple and this lunch.” Angie eyed the offerings. Gina hadn’t been kidding. There was more food than the four of them could eat at one sitting. Tri-tip, mashed potatoes, beans, garlic bread and a big salad. She’d also brought paper plates, napkins, and utensils. “But will it cut into your business too much?”
“It’s our business, all of ours, not mine. We need the entire center to do well to keep this ranch going. And if we can sell Dalton beef on sandwiches and in salads for people to eat here or take to go, I’m all for it.”
“I don’t think it’ll compete.” Aubrey took some of the steak and passed it around the table. “Gina’s is a destination. People who eat there either made reservations or have planned their visit days in advance. Grabbing a sandwich from a deli counter is more impulse. It’s like ‘I’m here, charging my car and am hungry.’ Or someone sits down with me for a design consultation and two hours later, they realize they’re starved. Or they come to buy groceries and while they’re here, order a wrap to go. It’s really smart.”
“I agree,” Charlie added. “A high-end steakhouse owned by a celebrity chef is not competing with the deli counter at a gourmet grocery store. It’s brilliant, actually. And could be what saves the butcher shop.”
“About that,” Angie said around a mouthful of garlic bread. “Those earlier women who bought the steaks gave me another idea. Why don’t we sell Dalton beef in cooler bags with dry ice? That way customers can schlep it up to Tahoe, especially during grilling season, or take it on the drive home without having to worry about the meat spoiling. We can even do some kind of cute packaging with our logo.”
“I love it!” Gina pumped her fist in the air. “This is exactly the kind of strategy I’m talking about. We can include a couple of recipe cards, some complimentary seasoning, a pamphlet about the history of the ranch and how we raise our beef with a link to our website for re-orders. Boom!” She held up her hand and pretended to drop a microphone. “I could even put a brochure on every table at Gina’s, saying don’t forget to buy your Dalton beef care package at the butcher shop with a picture of our adorable cooler bags or however we decide to do it.”
“It’s a fantastic idea.” Charlie clapped her hands.
“But will the guys go for the added expense?” Angie knew her family had already spent buckets of cash building Dry Creek Village and Daltons.
“If they want to save the butcher shop, they’ll have to.” Gina served everyone salad.
“We’ll need to hire more people.”
“The restaurant can do a lot of the prep work. But yeah, we’ll need someone to work the counter.”
“We’ll need a counter with a refrigerated case, which probably isn’t cheap,” Aubrey added. “We’ll also have to reorganize the store, which isn’t a big deal, but it will cut into our shelf space.”
Shelf space for items that weren’t selling.
“That’s where we do our thing.” Charlie waved her hand between her and Aubrey. “I’m pretty used to shoving a lot of stuff into a small space without it looking crowded and messy.”
“If it looks anything like your and Aubrey’s windows”—Angie nudged her head at the displays they’d completed—“we’ll kill it.”
Charlie reached over and gave Angie a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. And the thing that happened yesterday…it will pass.”
“Yep.” She put on a good face. But she knew the Liberty Fighters. They wouldn’t leave her alone until blood was spilled.
“Okay, enough bad shit. Let’s talk about something uplifting, like say, Tuff Garrison.” Gina poked Angie in the arm. “According to Sawyer, he’s been sticking to you like a guard dog. If I wasn’t married to your brother and having his baby, I could get used to having a guard dog like Tuff around.” She waggled her brows. “Sounds like you’ve been holding out on us.”
“There’s nothing to tell. He’s a good friend.” Angie didn’t know what else to call him and there was no way in hell she was confiding in her sister-in-law and cousins that she was sleeping with him. It was too new and too wonderful to share. She wanted to savor it while it lasted and with the way things were going it wouldn’t last long.
“Be that way.” Gina stuck her tongue at Angie and everyone laughed.
“He really is hot.” Aubrey licked her fork for extra emphasis. “And so nice. But I’ve always thought there was an air of mystery to him, too. He’s never been super open about his background, almost like he’s hiding something.”
From everything he’d told Angie, he’d had a tragic childhood. A father who was murdered when Tuff was only a kid and a mother who was an alcoholic. It wasn’t stuff people typically liked talking about.
“Jace likes him a lot,” Charlie said. “And I’ve always been a fan. But, Angie, your love life is yours and yours alone.”
Angie could feel her face heat. “It’s not like that with Tuff and me. We’re friends, that’s all.”
“And look, there’s your friend now.” Gina bobbed her head at the window with the hutch display.
Tuff was standing in front of the window with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his down jacket, checking out Aubrey and Charlie’s creation.
“Last I looked, your friend wasn’t working today.” Gina hitched her brows.
Tuff had employed Ava’s cousin to handle the shop on weekends, so he could have a day off or spend it working on projects without the interruption of customers.
“Maybe he came by to get something,” Angie said. “You ever think of that?”
Before Gina could respond, he walked into the store. He took one look at their picnic spread and broke into a grin. “You move the restaurant in here?”
“Not the restaurant.” Angie couldn’t stop the flutter in her chest. “But we’re talking about installing a deli counter. Sandwiches, salads, soup, that sort of thing.”
“Yeah? This a test run?” He gave their lunch a thorough perusal. “Whaddya got there?”
“Tri-tip and all the fixings.” Gina handed him one of the paper plates. “Dig in.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He helped himself to some of the meat, beans and potatoes.
Gina took a quick glance at her watch. “I’ve got to get back to the restaurant. Come to dinner tonight, Ange. Sawyer says you don’t want to stay with us, but you know you’re always welcome.”
“I know.” And Angie did. Since she’d arrived, Gina had treated her like a sister. “I’m going to skip dinner, but I’ll stop by tomorrow.”
Charlie and Aubrey helped Angie clean up and revert the table back to a kitchen display while Tuff ate at the cash register. A few customers came in to browse. One of them bought a brownie and stood by the counter, picking at the frosting and flirting with Tuff. She was an attractive blonde in her mid-thirties. Angie gave Tuff credit for not flirting back. Instead, he kept glancing over at Angie, silently begging her to save him.
That’s what you get for being too good looking.
Charlie and Aubrey took off to make sure Taylor didn’t need help at Refind with the promise to check in on Angie throughout the day. It was sweet of them, but Angie regarded the store as her safe zone. Too much foot traffic by the big glass windows for anyone to try anything.
Besides, Tuff was here now. She didn’t know how long he’d stay but he didn’t seem in any rush to leave.
The blonde finally got the hint and left with her brownie.
“Busy day?” Tuff got off the stool so Angie could sit in her usual spot by the register.
She motioned for him to stay put. She’d been sitting all day. “Not bad. We sold eight steaks and a chuck roast.”
“Nice.”
“What did you do today?”
He kept his voice low. “Got my window fixed and helped Sawyer install a half dozen cameras around both our cabins.”
“This has got to suck for you.” She hated the idea that the tradeoff for her safety meant invading Tuff’s privacy.
“Worse for you, I suspect. I left Buddy at your place before I came over.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Tuff.”
Tuff shrugged. “I think he likes your cabin better anyway.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a scruffy-looking group of men came in. Tuff watched them browse. Angie got the impression he was memorizing their faces. They looked like your typical outdoorsy types. Men up from the city to fish or camp at the state park. They’d probably had a late lunch at Gina’s and wanted beer to bring back to wherever they were staying.
Sure enough, they grabbed a couple of six packs of local microbrew from the refrigerator case and a bag of Nevada City ground coffee from the shelf where Angie planned to put the coffee bar. Tuff continued to watch them. And when they left, he trailed them to the parking lot.
“What was that about?” she asked when he returned.
“Got a picture of their license plate.”
“Why? They were just tourists. Probably campers from the way they were dressed.” One of them had had a backpack and they all wore REI gear.
“Maybe. But it doesn’t hurt to pay attention.”
She couldn’t argue with that but wanted to talk about something else. It bothered her that everyone had been sucked into her drama. And if anything happened to Tuff or her family, she’d never forgive herself.
Tuff surprised her by sticking around until closing time. She called Sawyer to let him know that Tuff was seeing her home. Her brother didn’t object, which was another surprise. He was still coming over later, though, to give her a tutorial on the new cameras he’d installed. If she’d just stayed in Portland none of this would be happening.
Tuff opened the door of his pickup for her, and she scooted in. He shut the door and just stood there, staring across the parking lot. She followed his gaze to a black SUV. From this distance and with only the glow from a lamp post she couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like a Chevy Tahoe. It was the only car parked on that end of the lot.
Tuff got in on his side.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just checking things out.”
“Do you recognize the vehicle?” There were a lot of SUVs that looked like that.
“Nope. But it’s late and the only thing open is the restaurant. They’re parked pretty far away from it.” He tugged his phone out of his pocket, started his engine and slowly cruised by the SUV.
No one was in the vehicle. Tuff hung out of his window and snapped a couple of pictures. “I’m sure it’s nothing but it doesn’t hurt to be vigilant.”
He was starting to remind her of Earl. “I guess not.” But what a way to live?
When they got home, Tuff slid in next to her Mercedes and scanned the area before opening his door. “The place could use a few more motion lights. I’ll pick some up at the hardware store tomorrow and put them in.”
“Come in and I’ll make you dinner.”
He put his hand on his stomach. “I’m still full from lunch.” But he followed her inside anyway.
Buddy greeted them at the door, his tail wagging back and forth. He jumped up on Tuff, demanding a good head scratch, then jogged down the porch steps to do his business.
Tuff took a quick walk through the cabin. “I’m going to head home. But I’ll check on you in a little bit.”
She grabbed his arm as he headed out. “You don’t have to stand guard. I can take care of myself.”
He looked at her, really looked. And she could tell that he saw her in way no one else had.
“I know you can.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. It was soft and sweet but at the same time more. So much more. It was a yearning so strong that he fairly vibrated with it.
When he was finished, she stood there, shaken.
“Don’t hesitate to call me or to push that button.” His eyes moved to the watch on her wrist. “I’m serious, Angie.”
She waited for him to cross the creek and disappear behind his cabin door. Then, still in a bit of a haze over the kiss, she got her phone, curled up on the couch, and called Earl.
“It’s me. Did you find Kari?”
There was a long pause, then, “She’s gone.”