It was after six o’clock when Mitch finally left the police station the next day. His body was sore and achy from being folded up in a car half the day and walking the sidewalk outside the row of downtown stores the other half, keeping a watchful eye for suspicious activity. They still hadn’t caught the thief who’d stolen from five stores now. They would though. Mitch was intent on that.
“Hey,” Kaitlyn said, rounding the corner of the B&B’s kitchen.
Mitch stopped to stare at her. Despite her smile, there’d been something bothering her since last night when he’d found her in the laundry room white-knuckling the front of the machine with tears burning her eyes. Whatever the problem, she obviously didn’t want to talk about it.
Holiday music streamed down the hall. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Mr. Timsdale from Ohio is teaching a two-step in the ballroom,” she said.
Mitch had been the one to check in Mr. Timsdale and his wife yesterday. They were on their way to visit family and had decided to stay in Sweetwater Springs for a couple of days.
“The guests seem to love it,” Kaitlyn said. “I might have to hire someone to teach ballroom dancing in there regularly. It could be another draw for the inn after the holidays.”
He nodded as he considered the prospect, not that he’d have any say in what happened here after the holidays. “That’s not a bad idea.”
Kaitlyn tilted her head. “I’ve been meaning to ask: Do you happen to know anything about the ballroom? What did my grandma and grandpa do with it?”
Mitch shrugged. “They danced. That was probably Mable and Henry’s favorite room in the house. They always considered opening it up to the guests but it never happened. It was their special place, Mable used to say. I sneaked in there a time or two and watched. They were pretty good.”
Kaitlyn shook her head, a smile lifting her cheeks. “So much I don’t know about them.”
“I’m happy to fill in the holes where I can,” he offered.
“Thanks. Well, I hope my grandparents don’t mind me opening up their special place for guests. I actually have another idea for the ballroom. I’m going to show a movie in there later. I found an old projector and several films in the shed. There were even a few Christmas flicks in the mix.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, her face lighting up as usual when she had one of her moments of inspiration. “What do you think? A little Home Alone or How the Grinch Stole Christmas?”
“I’ll have you know I am not planning to steal Christmas this year,” Mitch joked. “Although I have been compared to the Grinch many a time.” His teasing worked to make her laugh, which was exactly what he’d intended.
“I have another surprise too.” She gestured for him to follow her down the hall toward the kitchen, which seemed to be the heart of the Sweetwater B&B.
He could already smell the scent of cinnamon strudels as soon as he crossed the threshold. “You’ve been talking to my mom again, haven’t you?” he accused, his mouth watering as she pulled the oven door open and allowed him a peek at what was inside. “She told you that cinnamon strudels were my favorite dessert?” he asked.
Kaitlyn shut the oven door and turned to face him. Her cheeks were suddenly flushed, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the heat of the oven or from him standing so close. “I wanted to do something nice, to thank you for everything you’ve done. You didn’t have to help or do as much as you’ve done for the inn. And for me.”
She’d already thanked him a dozen times. “I would’ve been some kind of schmuck not to.”
“True. But you didn’t have to care.” She folded her arms. “Anyway, Mr. Garrison called this afternoon. Since the time stipulation of the will is nearly up, he’s coming by to check on things tomorrow morning. I invited him to breakfast.”
Mitch nodded. “I’ll cook and let Alex know I’ll be in to the station a little later. He won’t mind.”
“Perfect,” she said with an easy smile. It still didn’t reach her eyes, and he decided to make it his personal mission to change that tonight. Whatever was bothering her, he wanted to erase it from her mind.
“So, how much longer until the strudels are ready?” he asked.
“One minute.”
“I can do a lot of things in one minute. Starting with this.” He pulled her to him and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He stroked a finger along the side of her jaw as his thumb rested on the jumping pulse at her neck. After a moment, he pulled his mouth away and looked at her, long and deep. Those eyes worked as a flame, and he was their moth.
How the hell was he going to walk away from this woman in a couple of weeks?
The oven’s timer beeped in the background.
Kaitlyn cast a glance over her shoulder. “Don’t want those to burn.”
“Just a second.” He pulled her in again, needing one more little taste. Because she was the sweetest thing he knew. His love for cinnamon strudels had been before Kaitlyn Russo. Now she was his favorite dessert.
* * *
The next morning, Kaitlyn bumped her body against Mitch’s as he taught her the art of making eggs Benedict in the kitchen. The well-rested guests would start stirring soon.
She, on the other hand, was tired. She had snuck off with Mitch midway through Home Alone. They’d hurried down the hall like a couple of horny teenagers. Like the college-aged couple who’d stayed at the B&B during Thanksgiving week. After posting the DO NOT DISTURB sign—a cute little trinket she’d picked up the other day—and locking the door they’d buried themselves under the covers but hadn’t gone to sleep until well after midnight.
“I could get used to this,” she said dreamily as they cooked.
“You could get used to what? Delicious breakfasts every morning or me?”
“Both.” At her confession, a moment of panic streaked through her at the thought that Mitch might think she was somehow implying she wanted him to stay. She wasn’t. But she relaxed when she saw the easiness of his smile. Everything with him really was starting to be so easy. Yes, she could get used to the tasty dining, but also to him.
They carried the food into the dining room where one couple had already come down. Another lingered at the staircase. She quickly set the table, leaving an extra spot for Mr. Garrison, who was supposed to be arriving anytime now.
“Take a breath,” Mitch advised as she straightened one of the centerpieces. “He’s just checking that I haven’t gone AWOL. He doesn’t care if the bed and breakfast is in pristine condition. Which it is, by the way.”
“I know.” Kaitlyn glanced around at the guests filling the seats. “It’s just that Mr. Garrison knew my grandparents. He knew this place. I want him to be impressed with what we’ve done here.”
“It was mostly you.” Mitch lowered his voice in that intimate way that lovers did when they were paying the other a compliment. It sent gooey warmness all through her. “And he will be impressed. He’d be crazy not to be. In just a short time, this place has been completely transformed. It’s more than a B and B. It’s an experience.”
Kaitlyn narrowed her eyes. “Wow. I love that. More than a bed and breakfast—an experience.” She clapped a hand over her chest. “I’ve been working with Paris on some graphic design ideas for pamphlets to advertise the B&B. Emma from the Sweetwater Café said she’d put some out for me. She said her restaurant is one of the first places tourists hit when they come to town.”
“You’re getting cozy with all the locals, aren’t you?”
She shrugged. “Well, if this is going to be my home, I should make friends.”
“I think putting pamphlets out is a great idea.”
“And I can send some to Josie in New York. She’d send people here. I can put them everywhere to keep this place hopping all year long.” Renewed excitement surged through her.
“Careful what you wish for,” he warned teasingly.
“I love it when it’s busy.” She just wished, for the millionth and one time, that she could keep him on staff.
She busied herself filling the guests’ coffee mugs and making small talk as she waited for Mr. Garrison to arrive.
“He should be here by now,” she said, coming up to Mitch halfway through breakfast. Before he could respond, her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and read a text.
Running late. Be there in fifteen minutes.
Kaitlyn frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Garrison is running behind. He’s going to miss breakfast with the guests, and his food will be cold.”
“Again,” Mitch said, talking calmly, “he’s not here to shut you down.”
To shut you down. “Right,” she said, nodding. “You’re right.”
Mitch reached for his own cell phone now. It was his turn to look disappointed. “Alex wants me to call him. I’ll help you with cleanup in just a minute.”
“Sure.” Kaitlyn stood there by herself for a moment, listening in on the conversations at each table. Mitch was right. This was much more than a bed and breakfast. It was an experience. She’d done more than the interior design here. She’d designed a place where guests were taken back to a time when electronics didn’t run every second. Good old-fashioned fun happened at this inn.
A moment later, Mitch returned to the dining room, looking apologetic. “There’s been another break-in. I have to go.”
“Now?”
“I’m sorry.”
“But Mr. Garrison…”
“He’ll understand,” Mitch promised.
Kaitlyn was shaking her head. “He’ll be here any minute. What am I supposed to tell him?”
Mitch leaned in and kissed her cheek, which made her thoughts totally slam to a halt. He’d never shown any display of affection in front of the guests before. “Just tell him the truth. We’re doing great. We make a good team. And I’m out making the streets of Sweetwater Springs a little safer these days.”
With that, he hurried out the door, leaving Kaitlyn all alone to prove to Mr. Garrison that she and Mitch were fulfilling the conditions of the will.
* * *
Mitch moved through Julia Kent’s bookstore downtown, looking at the upheaval of knickknacks and books. He knew from the past robberies that the thief was only interested in money. The burglar was likely an amateur who’d watched way too many CSI episodes. Why else would someone tear through the place but not actually take anything except for what was in the cash register? Another amateur move was robbing a bookstore. Everyone knew bookstores didn’t have a lot of cash on hand.
“Hey, Julia.” Mitch walked over to the store owner who was seated behind the cash register, looking flustered. Her face was red and blotchy as she looked off into space, apparently attempting to gather her thoughts.
“I’m not sure what happened,” she told Alex. “The robber was wearing a black ski mask, only it looked more like a black knit hat pulled over his head with holes cut out for his eyes and mouth.” She laughed softly. “I know that sounds ridiculous.”
Mitch was holding a small notebook in his hand. “Did he say anything?” Mitch asked.
She nodded. “He told me to sit in this chair and not get up. He also told me to close my eyes and not open them until I heard the back door shut.”
Mitch jotted those facts down. “So he went out the back door?”
“Yes. At least I think he did. I heard the back door close. That’s when I got up, grabbed my cell phone, and dialed 911.”
Alex squeezed her shoulder gently, a comforting gesture that Julia seemed to appreciate.
Petty thief or not, this burglar was scaring people. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to take one more look around,” Mitch said.
Alex nodded. “Take your time. I’ve got a few more questions for Julia while you do.”
Mitch took his time walking around the store a second time. He watched his feet, looking at the floor around the bookshelves. He’d enjoyed reading cozy mysteries as a kid growing up here in Sweetwater Springs. Maybe that was one of the things that appealed to him so much about law enforcement. He liked to solve puzzles. Liked to figure out whodunit.
His gaze caught on a small, white rectangular ID lying just beneath one of the bookshelves. Mitch’s steps quickened, and he bent to pick it up. It was a driver’s license. How idiotic can this perp be? The ID read Kyle Martin and had the photo of a young seventeen-year-old pimply-faced boy with fair skin and red-toned hair. The ID said that Kyle was approximately five foot eleven, one hundred and forty pounds. All of the victims had described their burglar as being around six feet tall and very thin.
Bingo!
Mitch couldn’t bring himself to be happy about it though. This was just a kid. Why the hell was someone so young, with so much future ahead of him, throwing his life away on something like this?
Alex looked up as Mitch approached the counter again.
“Found something,” Mitch said.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? What is it?”
“I don’t think you’re going to like it.” He slapped the ID on the counter in front of Alex.
Alex picked it up and frowned. “I know this kid. He’s a bit of a troublemaker around town. I’ve had to talk to him a few times. The kid doesn’t have a father, and his mom is always working.” With this information, Alex offered an apologetic look, as if maybe Mitch would take it personally. “He’s angry, and he hangs out with the wrong crowd.”
“Burglary is a felony.” Mitch shook his head. “At his age, he’ll probably be tried as an adult.”
“It’s possible.” Alex poked his pen back into his front pocket. “I know where they live. Looks like we’re making a house call.”
“Do we need to call this in?” Mitch asked. “Backup?”
Alex shook his head. “No. Kyle won’t put up a fight. His mom, maybe.”
Alex turned to Julia and promised to call her later.
“Thank you both,” she said, offering a wobbly smile. “I’m just glad it’s all over. I might not sleep for a week.”
“Trust me. Sweetwater Springs is still one of the safest towns I know,” Alex promised, patting a hand on Mitch’s back. “Especially with Mitch here on the job.”
They headed out of the store and climbed into Alex’s SUV. Mitch closed his eyes for just a moment. He’d been a stupid teen once too. It hadn’t gotten him thrown in jail but it could have. He shouldn’t have been on the road the night he ran into Brian Everson. It was a stupid mistake that he’d never be able to correct.
Alex waited for traffic to pass, did a U-turn in the road, and then drove toward Kyle Martin’s home.