Arden Read online

  They made their way downtown. It was by no means a huge place, but it was filled with character and had some great dining options. The streets were well maintained, and the shop owners took pride in how it appeared. He loved being a part of this community, loved that he was getting to show it to Keera.

  “Does Italian sound good?” he asked.

  “Sure,” she told him. He’d completely understand if she didn’t taste a thing, but if he could awaken her senses, it would be at Bianchi’s diner. They had the best Chicken Parmesan in the entire state of Washington.

  The best part of the restaurant was that they had outside seating, so he could bring Max with them. Of course, he was still considered to be a working dog, even if Max was retired, so it wasn’t as if anyone would stop him from bringing the mutt inside, but Arden liked sitting outdoors. Once the rain started, it might be a while before it let up again.

  Keera followed him to the hostess station, and they were led to a corner table where heat from a gas fire kept the area nice and cozy. Large potted trees were strategically placed throughout the small sitting area to give the illusion of intimacy. It wasn’t a bad place for their first date even if the timing was off. Of course, Keera wasn’t aware he was looking at this as a date.

  But Arden had decided he needed to help Keera. Beyond that, though, he had to get to know this woman more. And the only way he was going to be able to do that was to spend time with her. It was too bad their night out had started on such a solemn note.

  The server was there within a minute, and much to Max’s delight, she had a bowl of water for him, and took a moment to scratch him behind the ears. Arden could swear the dog sighed. Spoiled mutt.

  “How you doing, Arden?” she asked. Cammy was a sweet girl, in her second year of college and coming home every chance she could to help out her mom at the restaurant. She’d been a top student of his.

  “Really good. How’s college life treating you?” he asked.

  “I love it,” she exclaimed. “I might be one of those forever students. At least that’s what my dad fears,” she added with a laugh.

  “You were always a good student, so I say go for it,” he told her. He wouldn’t be surprised if she got her PhD.

  “And you are still my favorite teacher,” she said with a big smile.

  “Love to hear it,” he told her.

  She took their drink and appetizer order, promising a short wait since the main dinner crowd had already cleared out. Arden assured her any wait was worth it with her mother’s cooking being so dang good.

  After they perused the menu, Cammy came back and finished their order, then left them on their own. Arden wanted to try to get Keera to share what she was feeling or even what she was thinking.

  Their appetizers arrived, and Keera picked up her fork, dangling it in her fingers. “You’re going to want to savor this. It’s heaven,” Arden assured her.

  She finally looked at him, and he was pleased to see color returning to her cheeks. There was also a new glint in her eyes. Instead of seeming defeated, she appeared angry. Good. He’d much rather she was ticked off, than scared or sad.

  “Thank you. I can’t remember when I last ate,” she said, her brow wrinkling as she tried to recall her last meal.

  “That’s not good,” he said, pointing down at the antipasto platter with his own fork. He stabbed an olive and enjoyed the tartness of it on his tongue. He was happy when Keera munched on a piece of salami and cheese on a hot piece of bread. She sighed.

  “Oh, this is good,” she told him.

  “Cammy’s mom is full Italian, and her cooking is unique. She makes all the bread and pasta from scratch. If they run out, the place closes down early. She tries to make sure that doesn’t happen, so she hires high school kids to help in the kitchen. She says there are no egos but hers allowed in there, so that’s why she prefers to teach the younger ones than hire other chefs.”

  “She sounds like a woman I’d like to know,” Keera said, making him beam with pride.

  “I’m sure she’ll come out and say hi. She often does,” he told her.

  “That’s something I like about small towns,” she admitted, giving him a little piece of herself as she relaxed.

  She sipped the wine he’d ordered, and he topped off her glass, not trying to get her drunk, but hoping a bit of red wine would help her relax. He wanted her to trust him. He’d never had to try so hard to get someone to do exactly that.

  Arden didn’t think he was the best guy in the world, but he considered himself pretty dang close to perfect. People were generally drawn to him, and it fascinated him that Keera was doing her best to keep him away. There was obvious attraction between the two of them, so that made it all the more puzzling. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he figured out this woman. That was something he knew for sure.

  “What else made you decide to come here?” he asked as he dipped a piece of bread in vinegar and oil.

  Keera paused with an olive dangling before her lips. He felt himself harden when her tongue swept out and she licked away the seasoning before popping it in her mouth. Damn, she made eating downright sexual without even trying.

  He shifted in his seat as he tried to get comfortable. He might as well give up because he had a feeling he was going to be hard until the two of them ripped each other’s clothes away. Needing a distraction, he grabbed a piece of salami and tossed it down to Max, who eyed him for a moment before he carefully picked it up and ate it. Arden was almost surprised when the mutt didn’t demand a plate and fork. He hadn’t been aware a dog could have such a big personality, but Max was the exception to the rule when it came to pets.

  “You know you can feed it to him. Would you like to eat off the ground?” Keera asked as she held out a piece of meat, which Max took gently as he scooted closer to her, his head on his paws as he patiently waited for the next morsel.

  “He’s a dog. They like to eat things off the ground,” Arden assured her.

  “Max is far from an ordinary pet,” she told him in her sternest tone. He could totally see her giving kids a good talking-to. The teens would probably be shaking in their boots. “He has more class,” she added.

  Max gave a murmur of agreement as his eyes slanted at Arden in a mocking manner. Arden wasn’t normally a man prone to violence, but he wanted to give the mutt a swift kick in the hind end. Since he didn’t abuse people or animals, he grabbed another piece of salami and savored it as the dog looked on.

  Now he was taunting an animal. Arden realized he might have issues. He assured himself it all stemmed from sexual frustration. It was either that or he was slowly losing his mind.

  “Well, he likes you a lot more than he likes me,” Arden told her as Max laid his head on her shoe and closed his eyes. It appeared he was done with eating for now, but he wanted to stay close to her.

  “That just shows he has taste,” Keera said, her lips turning up in a smile that was quite the beautiful sight.

  Their plates were cleared, new silverware was brought out, and their wine glasses were topped off. Salad was brought out next, and Arden kept their conversation light as he watched Keera relax. He couldn’t actually remember the last time he’d enjoyed someone’s company as much as he was enjoying hers. Other than family, of course.

  By the time they finished the meal, Arden was stuffed to the gills and still not in a hurry to go anywhere.

  “Do you want dessert?” Cammy asked.

  “Definitely,” Keera said. “What’s the best you have?”

  Cammy smiled in delight. She liked customers who trusted her. It was her mama’s place, and the girl would know what the best of the best was.

  “We have one big slice of the pumpkin-gingersnap tiramisu left that’s so delicious you’ll cry when it’s gone. But I have to say, Mom’s secret trifle recipe is particularly delicious tonight, as well. Unfortunately, I had both and will have to run ten miles tonight to work off the calories. I refuse to gain the freshman, sophomore, or junior
fifteen,” she said with a chuckle as she ran her hand across her stomach.

  “You’ve left me no choice. I’ll have to get both,” Keera said.

  “How about we share?” Arden asked. He laughed out loud when her brow wrinkled as if she wanted to turn him down. “I’ve had the desserts before, and trust me, they aren’t small cuts. Each piece is definitely enough for two or three people,” he promised.

  “Is he being truthful?” Keera asked, making Arden laugh again. He couldn’t remember anyone not taking him at his word.

  “For sure,” Cammy said. Reluctantly, Keera agreed.

  The moment Cammy came back with both desserts, and a plate with some chocolates and cookies on it, Arden felt a stab through his gut at the pure ecstasy on Keera’s face. If she got this excited over sugar, he imagined she was going to soar when he got his hands on her naked flesh.

  A woman who could appreciate a good meal was a woman who liked to be satisfied. And Arden was up to the task of making sure that happened. When she took her first bite of the tiramisu, she let out a groan that nearly had him coming in his pants—something he hadn’t done in at least twenty years.

  This woman was definitely going to be the death of him. He realized he didn’t care—that the end would be so damn pleasurable he’d die wearing a smile. He took a bite of the dessert and let out his own sound of pleasure. Their eyes connected, and he wondered how it was they weren’t bursting into flames.

  Chapter Eleven

  There was no possible way Keera would be able to get even one more bite of food into her overstuffed belly. She squirmed in her seat as she took a sip of water, hoping it would help the food digest a bit faster. She should have gone straight to the dessert menu and ordered one of everything. Her sweet tooth was fully intact.

  Greta Bianchi came out and visited with them for a few minutes, and Keera enjoyed the woman. She fell in love with Greta when the lady handed her a sack of goodies for later, welcoming her to Edmonds and insisting she come back soon.

  Keera assured her she would. Arden insisted on paying the tab and wouldn’t tell her how much it was. But the two of them didn’t make it outside the gate before Cammy ran up to them and gave Arden a hug and thank-you, so the tip must have been slightly insane.

  “That was pretty sweet of you,” Keera told him as they moved down the sidewalk to his car.

  “She’s a good kid, was one of my favorite students,” he said, shaking it off as no big deal. She was pleasantly surprised by the blush in his cheeks. It seemed he didn’t want her to know he’d left the girl a large tip. She was glad he hadn’t done it to impress her, even if the gesture certainly had done exactly that.

  Keera wasn’t at all surprised when she didn’t have to tell Arden where she lived. Not only was it a small community, but she had a feeling with all that was going on, the community members would want to know exactly who she was.

  She wondered if they’d unburied her past. She was too afraid the answer was yes for her to ask. She’d hoped to have a fresh start here, to be somewhere her name didn’t carry the burden with it that it had carried for so long.

  Maybe it was time for her to realize her past had shaped her into who she was, and it was better for her to face it, maybe even embrace it—the good and the bad—and to stop letting it freeze her. If it were that simple, though, maybe she would have done just that by now.

  Keera knew Arden wasn’t a man to drop her at the curb and take off, so she didn’t try to argue when he fell into step with her as she entered her apartment building. It had been so long since someone had escorted her home that she had to admit it felt sort of nice, especially since she was a little jumpy.

  “I’m taking the stairs. I have to burn a few of these calories,” she said. “You don’t have to walk up with me.”

  Arden didn’t even bother with a response, just smiled as he opened the door to the staircase and signaled for her to go on through. She smiled back and stepped into the dim stairwell.

  Arden walked at her side up the three flights, with Max leading the way. The dog was so well behaved he didn’t have to be on his leash the majority of the time. That gave Keera a sense of security. If there was someone out to get her, she had no doubt they wouldn’t make it past Max.

  When they reached her floor, they stepped into the hall, and Keera was feeling pretty dang good—that was, until they reached her door. Then she felt that sense of unease again as she gazed down at her doorknob.

  Max immediately stood at attention as his head swiveled both ways. She wasn’t sure if he knew something was out of place, or if the dog was just picking up on her tension. Arden stepped behind her, keeping her back protected as he scanned the area.

  “What’s the matter, Keera?” he asked quietly.

  “You pick up on things fast, don’t you?” she said. “It’s a little disconcerting how well you read people—including me,” she added with a nervous chuckle. “And that’s without really knowing me.” She should shut up now, but she was nervous and tended to speak too much when she was. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if they did get to know each other. She was beginning to forget why that was such a bad idea.

  “I like to think I read people and situations well,” he said. “Now, tell me what’s bothering you.”

  “Someone’s been here,” she said.

  Arden looked at her knob, seeing the scratches around the lock.

  “Can you tell if they got the door open?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so. Someone could have scared them off,” she said. “Or at least I hope that’s the case. Or that maybe I’m just jumpy and overreacting.”

  “I want to make sure,” he told her. He held out his hand for the key.

  Keera didn’t want to be a helpless victim, but she allowed herself the luxury of letting him take over, at least this once. Too much had happened in one day, heck, for the past week, and it didn’t make her a weak person to lean on someone now and then, especially when that someone had shoulders wide enough to carry the burden of ten people.

  Arden carefully unlocked her door, then told Max to stay with Keera as he stepped inside her place. Max didn’t budge from his spot at her side, his head resting against her waist as he continued monitoring the hallway.

  Keera let out a breath of relief even though Arden hadn’t returned yet. She had no doubt no one was in her place. If they were, there was no way Max would obediently stay at her side. The dog would be charging in to protect his owner. Arden and Max might not be on the best of terms at all times, but she knew a loyal animal when she saw one, and Max was that dog who would gladly give his life.

  “We’re all clear,” Arden said about ten seconds later—a very nerve-racking ten seconds. “Let’s call the police.”

  “Are you sure? They didn’t make it inside,” Keera said. She couldn’t stand the thought of the police thinking this was something she was bringing on herself. “This is getting awkward, and they have to be getting irritated I’m monopolizing so much of their time.”

  “There might be evidence,” Arden told her. He didn’t continue to argue, just pulled out his phone and dialed. He called his brother next, and Keera could hear Declan swearing through the speaker of the phone. She wasn’t sure what was being said, but she could feel tension radiating as the two brothers spoke.

  It was oddly anticlimactic as they left her door open and waited for the techs, who came quickly. They were in and out fast, again telling her they were going to solve this problem even if they had to work twenty-four-seven to do it.

  Keera felt the sincerity of their words and had to fight desperately not to shed a tear at the loyalty from these people who didn’t know a thing about her. It appeared all they needed to know was that she was now a citizen of their community, and that was good enough for them.

  “We need to replace your door lock,” Arden told her as he looked at the worn piece of metal. “And why didn’t you have the dead bolt secured?”

  “The dead bolt doe
sn’t work. I told maintenance, but they haven’t gotten to it yet,” she said. It was important for her to make sure he knew she wasn’t some foolish girl who didn’t think about her own safety.

  “Let’s go get new locks. We’ll let management know later,” he told her.

  “I can take care of this, Arden. It’s been a long day for you with school, practice, and babysitting me,” she told him.

  “Do you honestly believe I’d feel okay with myself if I left you to deal with this on your own?” he asked, looking far more puzzled than annoyed. “I wouldn’t sleep, knowing someone could easily get into your place at any time with how rickety these ancient locks are.”

  Keera certainly didn’t have a hero complex where she needed to save the day, but she had to agree with the man. If she were walking a student home and came upon the same sort of situation, especially if that student had been stalked recently, she wouldn’t leave, either, until she knew the problem had been taken care of.

  “Thanks, Arden. You truly are going above and beyond for someone you barely know,” she said.

  Keera hadn’t really thought much about the fact that she didn’t have long-lasting relationships in her life. She just figured she was one of those people who had been scarred too much from an early age to allow people in enough for them to form close bonds of friendship.

  But as she moved down the staircase with Arden, she realized she didn’t want to be that person anymore. She didn’t want to live such an isolated life. No, her scars hadn’t disappeared, but maybe if she got help, sought out the advice of a counselor, then she’d be able to trust herself enough to trust other people to stay in her life.

  Ironically, she’d rather be alone as she was having these breakthrough thoughts. But there was something nice about having Arden walking on one side of her and Max on the other. She felt like she was in a pocket of safety, and it sent a warmth through her that no blanket on this earth could give.