Read Online Scraps of Evidence: Quilts of Love Series by Barbara Cameron - Free Book Online Page A

care as much as you do about them now.”
    “Is that what Gordon’s done? Become cynical?” She knew the answer to that—nearly every police officer she’d worked with carried a healthy dose of cynicism about his fellow man.
    “More than I knew.”
    “Ring me up?” Tess asked, holding out the fabrics and supplies she’d chosen along with her credit card.
    “Sure.”
    Tess’s cell rang. She pulled it from her pocket and checked the display. It was Logan. “Excuse me, I have to take this.”
    “Hey, Tess, are we still on tonight?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’ll pick you up at six.”
    “I can meet you. It’s not a date, remember?”
    “Right. But one thing I’ve learned is that parking is scarce in that area.”
    He was right. “Okay, pick me up. Let me give you my address.”
    “Really, Tess,” he said with a chuckle. “See you later.” He hung up.
    She tucked the phone back into her pocket and saw that her aunt was smiling at her. “What?”
    “Not a date, huh?”
    “It isn’t. He’s—” She stopped when her aunt perked up. “It isn’t a date.”
    “Who are you trying to convince?” Kathy asked.
    Tess rolled her eyes. “You know, it’s really not a crime to be single.”
    Kathy patted her cheek. “I just want you to be happy.”
    “I’m happy.”
    “You deserve a nice husband.”
    Tess folded her fabrics and put them in her tote bag. “I don’t think it’s a matter of deserving. I just think I haven’t met the right man yet.”
    “How can you? All you do is work and fix up that house of yours.”
    A customer walked in. Kathy looked over, acknowledged the woman, and sent Tess a look that promised the conversation wasn’t over. Tess sent up a silent thank you to the big guy upstairs and quickly threw the supplies she’d bought into the tote. She waved at her aunt, pointing at her watch to show she had to be somewhere and escaped.
    “I’m a grown woman and here I am running away like a little girl,” she muttered as she got into her car. Shaking her head, she checked for traffic and pulled out of the lot.
    As she drove home, she found herself mentally going through the contents of her closet. She forced herself to stop. It wasn’t a date, so why was she even thinking about what she was going to wear?

    Logan buttoned up his shirt and debated adding a tie.
    He hadn’t ever lived anywhere quite so casual. Shorts and flip-flops were the uniform of the day. At night, you wore your better shorts and flip-flops. But surely a dinner at a fancy little restaurant called for a dress shirt, tie, and dark slacks. Maybe even a sport coat? He pulled one off a hanger and laid it over his arm.
    Joe lay in the middle of the bed washing himself.
    “Big date, huh? Oh, maybe it’s not a date.”
    Logan took a final look in the mirror and left the room. Maybe he should have asked Tess how dressy he had to be for the restaurant . . .
    Then he chided himself. Tess didn’t strike him as the type to be overly concerned with such things. He walked into the kitchen to make sure Joe had food and water. The cat followed him, looked in the dish, and turned his nose up at it.
    “Maybe I’ll bring you home a doggie bag,” Logan told him. “Cat bag? Leftovers. If there are any.”
    Grabbing his car keys, he left the house, laying his jacket carefully on the back seat. The minute he started the car he turned on the air conditioner. The temperature had dropped some and there was a little bit of a breeze, but he wanted to make sure she was cool riding to the restaurant.
    When he pulled into her driveway, Logan tried not to stare as she came out of her house. She wore a spaghetti-strapped black dress showing off her curves and her golden tan. Her only jewelry was a long rope of some sparkly stones. Strappy, black high-heeled sandals made her legs seem even longer than usual. Her hair was always tucked into a fancy little bun thing at the nape of her neck but tonight she wore it loose and flowing over her