CHAPTER FOUR
"Thanks for serving me dinner." Spencer cuts off another large bite of his chicken.
I shrug while looking down at my plate. It's a chicken breast with some broccoli from a frozen bag on the side. "After the lunch you made, this is no big deal."
Spencer takes another bite of his chicken and moans while chewing. I’ve never had a man moan about my cooking before.
We ate lunch in his apartment, and while it was only a sub, it was a delicious sub. All the ingredients were there: tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, cucumbers, and olives. Total perfection. One of those subs you could make at home yourself but are always too lazy.
"That's where you're wrong. I didn't make lunch. I pulled out what Anessa sent me home with last night."
"Oh." One million thoughts run through my head as my fork stops its projections to my mouth. Have I spent the last two days hanging out with someone dating the new town baker? What about Bennett?
Spencer crams another bite of chicken into his mouth like he’s not concerned that he’s cheating on his girlfriend—who makes really awesome subs.
He finishes chewing and takes a large swallow. "She's dating one of the guys at Pelican Bay Security. Whenever one of us is on Anessa guard duty, she feels bad and supplies the food."
"You have to guard Bennett’s girlfriends? Is running a bakery dangerous?"
Spencer laughs and stabs a piece of broccoli with his fork. "It's a long story."
From the way he slowly chews his bite of food, I gather that he doesn't plan to share it. Unfortunately for him, I’m ready with more questions. Hundreds more. “What exactly is your job title at Pelican Bay Security? I thought Ridge installed alarms?"
That’s only partially true. With as many of his guys who visit the ER and the other people he sends there himself, most of us know more is going on than meets the eye. But we all turn our heads and pretend it’s not anything out of the ordinary.
"You don't really know what Ridge does until you need his services." Spencer pauses dramatically until I meet his eyes. "And you need to hope you never need his services."
"Okay… That doesn’t tell me much but sounds quite scary."
He finishes the last bite of food on his plate and leaves me staring at my half of a chicken. Maybe he doesn't get home-cooked food often. "Sorry, I don’t mean to be scary, but Ridge employees half a dozen former military men on either a full salary base or contract terms. He's doing a lot more than installing security alarms."
"But what is it that you do exactly?"
Spencer leans back in his chair with his eyes cast to the ceiling like he's thinking deeply about what and how he plans to answer me.
“You’ve heard about the bakery?”
I don’t mean to cock my head to the side in a snotty expression, but I do. “Really? Yes. It’s Pelican Bay. Everyone has heard about the bakery.” I wasn’t in town when everything went down, but they reported it in the paper. We all know.
Spencer laughs. “Well, it’s not all like that. I have experience in surveillance. I really do spend most my time installing cameras and watching feeds. I practically lived the first few months in the surveillance room, watching various cameras we have set up for customers. It was only recently I started working with the regular crew."
Does he think that answers anything? There are a hundred thousand other questions I want to ask but ultimately stick to the important ones. "When did you meet Ridge?" I grew up in Pelican Bay. I've known Ridge and his family for years. Spencer is not from this area.
"I transferred into his team the last two years of my service. He left a few years before I did, but about three months after I left, Ridge stopped by and offered me a job in Pelican Bay. He made big promises of a nice, quiet military retirement."
I laugh.
"I know. We’re not allowed to talk about cases, but Pelican Bay has been anything but quiet since I arrived."
Don't I know it. The hospital has seen more people brought in by one of Ridge’s employees over the last two years than since I graduated college.
"The hospital has never seen so much excitement."
"I thought you worked in pediatrics?" he asks.
Spencer must not come from a small town.
"Yeah, but in Pelican Bay, news travels up the elevators fast. What I don’t hear at work, I learn from the phone tree later.”
He shakes his head. "Do I want to know what a phone tree is?"
"No."
Pelican Bay has seen an influx of young people over the last two years. Pierce and his developments have worked to draw in a younger crowd. It leaves the shop owners happy but the older, long-term residents pissed. While new growth has increased on the outside portion of town, those of us who live in Pelican Bay proper are stuck somewhere between 1975 and 1985. Cell phone service is shaky at best, and any news the paper won’t print, we learn from the seven-p.m. phone call each night.
Frankie barks from the backyard, and Spencer opens my sliding glass door to let her inside. "She sure does love having your fenced-in backyard to run around in."
"She does. Feel free to bring her over whenever you want and let her run. Maybe the extra activity will wear her out so she doesn’t get in so much trouble."
There's a loud rustle followed by a bark from my kitchen as Frankie sticks her nose in the trash can, intending to knock it over.
"Or it could make her extra hungry."
"Frankie!" Spencer yells. "You cannot make a mess in Joslin's house." He continues to shout at Frankie like only a father could.
I settle our dirty plates in the sink. "Don't worry about it."
Spencer bends over and uses his bare hand to push the garbage back into the can. "I've got to find her an obedience class somewhere."
Frankie picks a spot on the floor next to me and sits down, looking as innocent as ever. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe she was one who knocked over the trash.
“I’d planned to ask you if you wanted to watch another movie tonight—something without dead dogs—but I worry if we stay longer, we’ll wear out our welcome.”
I laugh and cast a look at the microwave. The digital readout shows a few minutes past nine. My five-a.m. wake-up call will come bright and early. For some reason, women don’t wait to have their children between the convenient hours of nine and five. “I have to work tomorrow morning.”
“What time is it?” Spencer’s eyes find the same time readout I did. “Oh shit. It’s after nine. Where did the day go?”
Where did the day go? It feels like he picked me up for our date a few short hours ago, but before I realized it, we’ve spent the entire day together.
“I didn’t mean to stay so long. I hope I haven’t kept you from anything important.”
Like there can be anything as important as getting the opportunity to stare at him all day long.
“Nope. Nothing planned except a lot of sitting around.” I twist my fingers around each other behind my back.
I leave out the part where being with him was much better than my plan to watch tv alone. With a bag of chips. Maybe some dip.
Spencer clips his bright pink leash to Frankie’s matching collar and tugs her to the door. He stops at the entryway but doesn’t say anything.
The silence freaks me out. What are we supposed to do right now? Kiss? Make out? Ask him to stay the night? All of them might be activity I'd like to do, but none of them are things I actually would.
"I already have Frankie out the door, so if you want to keep her out of your house, you need to come over here for a good-night kiss.”
Oh.
Well then.
I slowly make my way from the kitchen to where he leans against the doorframe. If only I had a cell phone so I could text him something funny at this moment, rather than the nonsense blabber that will exit my mouth should I open it right now.
"You made it." Spencer says.
"Well…you know." See! I’m worthless.
He chuckles, a deep, throaty sound that makes my body tight in anticipation.
"Well, are you going to kiss me or just talk about it all night?" I gasp and my eyes widen. Holy shit. I made a witty comment at an opportune time in front of a cute guy.
Spencer doesn't need any additional coaxing. His arm latches around my middle, and he pulls me to him until we’re chest to chest. With me on my tippy toes, his lips smash against mine in a frantic movement, but he pulls back enough for the second kiss to be smooth and slow.
My eyes close, but Spencer surrounds me. His cologne soaks into my clothing and assaults my nose with his heavenly, manly, musky scent. His tongue caresses my upper lip, and I open, allowing him entrance into my mouth. Our tongues duel, and Spencer tugs his fingers through my long blonde hair.
It's a kiss I want to go on forever, but eventually, he pulls back slowly, taking my bottom lip with him for a few millimeters, continuing to lavish me with small, sweet, short kisses. Both of us are reluctant to let go. Our current kiss begins to deepen, and I tighten my grip on the hem of Spencer's polo shirt, but his lips are ripped away from me in one quick jerk. My eyes follow his, looking at his outstretched arm where Frankie pulls on the end of her leash.
Spencer flicks a hand through his hair nervously. "I guess she’s ready to go after all." His arm’s tugged hard again, and he works to keep his upper body straight to continue facing my direction. “Can I see you again?”
What a silly question. Like I’d say no after a kiss like that. "Sure. When?"
"Is tomorrow too soon?"
"Tomorrow? Tomorrow would be good. I'll be out of work after three."
Spencer takes a step or two toward his truck. "I'll call you then."
The cold wood of the front porch soaks through my socks while I wait for Spencer to load Frankie into his truck. He closes his door and begins to back out before I wave good-bye. Turning back to the house, ready to lock up for the night, I look down and see the gnaw marks on the edge of my wooden door. Frankie’s most recent victim to entertaining herself while she waited.