for finding a spot at the counter and asking for coffee.
“Black?” she asked kindly. “Or do you like it sweet?”
Her eyes were brown, he noticed, unlike her niece’s.He recalled with disturbing clarity green eyes with flecks of gold. Cat eyes. “Black
is fine,” he said, blinking away thoughts of Lainey.
Minerva studied him for a second longer, but her twinkling eyes didn’t reveal anything
other than warm hospitality.
And what else would they show? he asked himself disgustedly. That she can see one
thought of her niece had you almost squirming on your stool? He glanced down a bit
too quickly as she slid the heavy, white ceramic mug in front of him. No use taking
chances. One interfering busybody was enough. Minerva might look like a kindhearted
granny, but Tucker had no doubt there was more than one matchmaking bone in her body.
She had an unmarried niece. Meddling came with the territory.
“You must be Tucker,” she said as she wiped down the counter. “I was wondering if
you would pay us a visit.”
Warily, he glanced up at her, but her expression was completely guileless. “I only
started working for her yesterday.” He should have waited until the café was busier.
He was its only customer now. He swore his stool grew increasingly warmer under Minerva’s
steady regard.
“And I suspect you’re already busy,” she said easily. “At least if Lainey is to be
believed. She says you’ll make the ladies around here forget all about Helga.”
Lainey had talked to her about him? With a determined mental shove, he pushed aside
any questions he might have been tempted to ask. “I’m flattered to hear that.” He
smiled. A sip of coffee warmed him further. He could handle this.
Minerva paused in front of him. “You’ll pardon me for saying this, but if you’re half
as good with your hands asyou are to look at, I imagine you’ll be booked up solid by the end of the week.”
Tucker barely kept from choking on his coffee. He now knew exactly why Minerva and
Lillian were close friends. “I’m, uh …” He paused to clear his throat. Her eyes sparkled
so innocently, but Tucker was beginning to reevaluate who the gullible one was there.
He’d spent years making sure the wrong people didn’t get to those he was in charge
of protecting, honing his observational and character-judgment skills to a keen edge.
He rarely misjudged someone. In this instance his blind spot was probably caused by
wishful thinking. “I’m only helping Lillian out temporarily.”
“So I hear.” She patted his hand. “But I give even odds that if you start booking
them in, Lillian will find a way to keep you.”
“At least you gave me a fighting chance,” he said dryly.
She topped off his coffee. “Oh, I imagine if anyone could give Lillian a good run,
it would be you.”
Tucker took another sip as he let that comment sink in. Her tone had been warmly sincere.
So what was she implying? He already realized that Minerva was far sharper than her
homemade-pie personality let on, but did she know who he really was?
“I have no idea what Lainey said about me that would give you that idea.” He gave
her his best charming grin. “But I’ll take it as a vote of confidence.”
She smiled back, her eyes as guilelessly merry as ever. Tucker braced himself.
“Not to sound critical, but Lainey hasn’t always been the best judge of character
when it comes to men. After the Charlie fiasco, she decided—wisely, if you ask me—tostep back and examine her mistakes and figure out what keeps getting her in trouble.
I told her she needs to spend more time thinking things through. Jackrabbits have
more patience than our Lainey. Of course, she managed to resist you—though heaven
knows why she picked now to put my advice to the test.” She gave him a once-over that
made him squirm on his stool, then sighed and shook her head. “I love her dearly,
but the girl
“Black?” she asked kindly. “Or do you like it sweet?”
Her eyes were brown, he noticed, unlike her niece’s.He recalled with disturbing clarity green eyes with flecks of gold. Cat eyes. “Black
is fine,” he said, blinking away thoughts of Lainey.
Minerva studied him for a second longer, but her twinkling eyes didn’t reveal anything
other than warm hospitality.
And what else would they show? he asked himself disgustedly. That she can see one
thought of her niece had you almost squirming on your stool? He glanced down a bit
too quickly as she slid the heavy, white ceramic mug in front of him. No use taking
chances. One interfering busybody was enough. Minerva might look like a kindhearted
granny, but Tucker had no doubt there was more than one matchmaking bone in her body.
She had an unmarried niece. Meddling came with the territory.
“You must be Tucker,” she said as she wiped down the counter. “I was wondering if
you would pay us a visit.”
Warily, he glanced up at her, but her expression was completely guileless. “I only
started working for her yesterday.” He should have waited until the café was busier.
He was its only customer now. He swore his stool grew increasingly warmer under Minerva’s
steady regard.
“And I suspect you’re already busy,” she said easily. “At least if Lainey is to be
believed. She says you’ll make the ladies around here forget all about Helga.”
Lainey had talked to her about him? With a determined mental shove, he pushed aside
any questions he might have been tempted to ask. “I’m flattered to hear that.” He
smiled. A sip of coffee warmed him further. He could handle this.
Minerva paused in front of him. “You’ll pardon me for saying this, but if you’re half
as good with your hands asyou are to look at, I imagine you’ll be booked up solid by the end of the week.”
Tucker barely kept from choking on his coffee. He now knew exactly why Minerva and
Lillian were close friends. “I’m, uh …” He paused to clear his throat. Her eyes sparkled
so innocently, but Tucker was beginning to reevaluate who the gullible one was there.
He’d spent years making sure the wrong people didn’t get to those he was in charge
of protecting, honing his observational and character-judgment skills to a keen edge.
He rarely misjudged someone. In this instance his blind spot was probably caused by
wishful thinking. “I’m only helping Lillian out temporarily.”
“So I hear.” She patted his hand. “But I give even odds that if you start booking
them in, Lillian will find a way to keep you.”
“At least you gave me a fighting chance,” he said dryly.
She topped off his coffee. “Oh, I imagine if anyone could give Lillian a good run,
it would be you.”
Tucker took another sip as he let that comment sink in. Her tone had been warmly sincere.
So what was she implying? He already realized that Minerva was far sharper than her
homemade-pie personality let on, but did she know who he really was?
“I have no idea what Lainey said about me that would give you that idea.” He gave
her his best charming grin. “But I’ll take it as a vote of confidence.”
She smiled back, her eyes as guilelessly merry as ever. Tucker braced himself.
“Not to sound critical, but Lainey hasn’t always been the best judge of character
when it comes to men. After the Charlie fiasco, she decided—wisely, if you ask me—tostep back and examine her mistakes and figure out what keeps getting her in trouble.
I told her she needs to spend more time thinking things through. Jackrabbits have
more patience than our Lainey. Of course, she managed to resist you—though heaven
knows why she picked now to put my advice to the test.” She gave him a once-over that
made him squirm on his stool, then sighed and shook her head. “I love her dearly,
but the girl
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