Three Rules I’d Never Break by Remi Carrington
Chapter 4
Every morning, I ran through the same routine. After getting dressed, I grabbed coffee and often a doughnut from Tessa’s bakery, which happened to be right next door. Too convenient.
When I moved into my house, I planned to eat a healthier breakfast. But for now, the arrangement couldn’t have been more perfect. Not only did she serve great coffee and amazing doughnuts, but I liked seeing her every morning.
Glancing around as I pushed open the door to the doughnut shop, I hoped Eli had stopped in for something sweet at the end of his all-night shift. Sadly, he wasn’t here.
“Morning.” I waved and perched on a barstool at the end of the counter.
Tessa grinned as she raced around. The place was hopping this morning. Not surprising for a Friday.
Fireman just off their shift gathered near the counter, waiting to order. A few cowboys sat at the corner table, talking about the recent cattle auction. And a young woman sat alone at a table, tapping away on her phone.
I loved how this little shop was the gathering place for new and old in this town.
Tessa set a mug in front of me. “Help yourself to coffee. I’ll be back in a bit.”
After filling my mug and adding a splash of cream, I returned to my spot at the counter.
Tessa dropped a bag onto the counter and set a to-go cup next to it. “This is for Eli. Will you let him know when he comes in?”
“Sure. Need me to fill the cup?”
“One packet of sugar. No cream.” She raced back to take another order. She didn’t know about my plan, but she’d given me a great opportunity.
I prepped his coffee, then waited at the counter.
When the door opened, I forced myself not to turn around. I’d let him walk up to the counter, and then I’d make casual conversation.
His arm brushed mine as he grabbed the bag. “Oh, hi.” He picked up the cup, and coffee splashed everywhere. On the front of his uniform. All over my pink shirt. On his bag of breakfast. Either the man didn’t know his own strength, or I hadn’t put the lid on correctly.
“I’m so sorry.” I ran to the coffee station and gathered a handful of napkins. I tossed a few onto the floor and started wiping his shirt with the others.
He stood as still as a concrete post. “It’s usually empty.”
“That’s my fault. I tried to be helpful and fill it for you.” I dared a peek at his face. “I must not have gotten the lid on correctly.”
We’d attracted attention, and several customers watched with amusement as I wiped the front of his uniform.
Clutching the wet bag, he glanced at my wet shirt and stepped back. “It’s okay.” He walked over to where Tessa was finishing up with a customer. “I spilled my coffee.”
He’d taken the blame even though the fault was probably mine.
Her shoulders sagged as she looked over at the spill. “Long night?”
“Yeah.” He stared at the empty cup in his hand.
Carrying the mop, she came around the counter. “You working nights all month?”
He nodded. “Four nights on. Two days off. All month. Next month, I won’t be a zombie.”
“Need me to get you a fresh doughnut?”
“Nah. This is fine.”
Tessa cleaned up the floor, then looked at me. “Both of you are a mess. Did y’all throw coffee at each other?”
Eli paled. “No.”
Laughing and hoping it sounded natural and not crazed, I wiped the front of my shirt. “That’s a better story than what actually happened.” I pointed at his shirt. “Need me to wash that for you? I feel awful about this.”
Tessa leaned the mop against the wall. “Do you have a clean uniform? You won’t have time for laundry.”
“I’ll figure it out.” Moments ago, Eli engaged in conversation. Now he only mumbled.
“Take off that shirt. I’ll wash it and have it ready for you when you get up.” She treated him more like a little brother than a cousin. How did she plan to run a shop and do laundry?
He stepped away from her. “I’m not taking my shirt off.” With his cup in one hand and the food in the other, he walked out the door.
“How long until he realizes he didn’t refill his cup?” I dragged the napkins across the counter.
Tessa laughed. “He’s not coming back.”
“Well, he won’t as long as I’m still here. So, I’ll see you later. I need to change and run by the house before I open up anyway.”
“Catch you later.” Tessa picked up the mop and went back behind the counter.
I stepped outside and walked down the sidewalk, pretending not to see the deputy sitting in his SUV in the parking lot.
His door swung open as I entered my store. The poor guy really needed coffee.
* * *
The lingerie businesswas busier than normal even for a Friday, and by the time I closed the doors, I was beyond exhausted. Rather than go out, I changed into my comfy flannel nightshirt. It was long and soft and perfect for when the nights got chillier.
But it wasn’t chilly outside. The calendar said it was spring, but the weather thought it was already summer.
I wore this nightshirt because it was long and not see-through. That made it the perfect thing to wear to bed here at the store. I’d been wearing this to bed even before the towel incident.
After eating my leftover brisket and doublechecking all the locks, I flopped on the bed with my romance novel.
Maybe reading about fictional characters would inspire me. I wasn’t sure how to get Eli’s attention. Correction. I had his attention. I wasn’t sure how to get him to ask me out. Making him spill his coffee wasn’t the right answer. Clearly.
It was too bad he’d refused to take off his shirt.
A knock sounded at the back door, and I checked the time. Who could it be? Tessa usually messaged before coming over. Cami too. I tossed my book on the bed and unlocked the bolt.
Eli crossed his arms when I opened the door. “You shouldn’t open the door for strangers.”
“You aren’t a stranger.” I said it with all the confidence of someone who had just thrown down the winning card in a poker game.
“You had no way of knowing it was me.” He didn’t even smile.
The man could be incredibly maddening, but he was talking to me, and I wanted to keep the conversation going.
I leaned against the door frame. “Now see, that feels a little like entrapment.”
His brow furrowed. “I just wanted to be sure you weren’t having any trouble.”
“Want to come in and check for yourself?”
His gaze dropped to the hem of my long night shirt, but only for a split second. Then he shook his head.
“Thanks for checking on me.”
Thanks to Tessa’s conversation with Eli, I knew he was working nights all month. Would he check on me often?
If so, I couldn’t waste the opportunity.
He tipped his hat. “Night.”
I closed the door but didn’t turn the bolt. One . . .two . . .
“Lock it.” Eli had two settings—silent and commanding.
I wasn’t sure which I liked better.
Instead of doing as he asked, I yanked the door open. “What if we set up a secret knock? Then I would know it was you. Something like—oh, what’s that called?” I rapped my knuckles against the door. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. Tap. Tap.
“Shave and a haircut is too obvious. Lots of people knock that way.”
“I said something like it. Make something up.”
His lips pinched together.
That was my signal to wait. The man was a walking database it seemed. And sorting through all that data took time.
After a few seconds, he knocked out a rhythm on the door. Tap, brief pause, tap, tap tap, tap, tap. Pause. Tap, tap, tap, silent beat, tap. Pause. Tap tap, brief pause, Tap, tap, tap, tap.
That seemed like an excessive number of taps, but the chance of someone accidentally figuring out our secret knock was close to nil.
“Wow. Okay. You’ve given some thought to secret knocks. Clearly.”
He folded his arms. “That’s too long, isn’t it? I’ll just do the first part. Want to hear it again? Just the beginning.”
It meant he’d stay longer.
“Please.”
He tapped out the new shorter secret knock. Tap, slight pause, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. I memorized the number of knocks and where the pause was.
“Will you remember that?”
“Yep. Now I’ll know it’s you.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Right. Well, I need to get back to it. Don’t forget to lock up.”
He stayed put as I closed the door.
I knew he was standing out there waiting for the bolt to flip, and I might’ve counted to three before turning the lock. “Night, Eli.”
Even if my new plan ended up unsuccessful, engaging with Eli would be fun.
* * *
Saturday night,I stayed in leggings and a t-shirt long after I would normally have changed into my night shirt. Just in case.
I scrolled through DIY videos about making wreaths. As soon as the house was finished, I was heading to the craft store and buying oodles of stuff to create the perfect wreath for welcoming guests.
Then I saw posts for the perfect craft room, and another two hours disappeared as I gathered ideas. Perhaps I should add cabinets to one wall in that room. I’d have to talk to the contractor.
Eli’s knock echoed in the hall, and I ran to the back door.
“Hi.”
He tipped his hat. “Evening, Miss Carter. Everything okay here?”
“Better now.”
His brow furrowed. “What happened?”
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to stop by.”
“Oh.” He rubbed his jaw. “I thought maybe something was wrong.”
“I’m good. Thanks for checking on me.” As much as I didn’t like being told I shouldn’t live here, I did like seeing him every night.
He gave a quick nod and tipped his hat again. “Stay safe.”
I closed the door, flipped the bolt, and pressed my back to the door. Even when Eli was all business, he was swoon worthy.
* * *
Sunday night,I was already in my flannel nightgown when Eli tapped on my back door with his special knock. He didn’t make his rounds at the same time every night.
Was he just trying to keep me on my toes?
I opened the door. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
Stepping back, I pulled the door open a little more. “Quiet night?”
He pulled his hat off his head as he stepped inside. “So far.”
If we were going to have a conversation, I’d need to think of topics. “Have you written any tickets tonight?” I spewed the first thing that popped into my head.
“A couple.”
“How long have you been a deputy?”
“Two years.”
This conversation was as difficult as ripping open a package of batteries.
“About the other night, usually I lock the door. That guy called just as I got home, and I was mad. I shouldn’t have let it distract me.”
“True. Please make sure you lock it.” He walked back toward the exit. “Well, since everything seems okay here, I’ll be on my way.”
“Eli, how did you know that guy in the truck was bothering me?”
He kept his back to me a second before turning around. “He’d been peeking in the front window of your store. And then you were slinking along the side of the building right before he tore out of the parking lot. I had a hunch he’d been bothering you.”
I glanced at the blinds, uncomfortable at the thought of someone spying on me. “He hasn’t messaged me anymore, so I think he got the hint.”
“Good. You deserve better than that.” He stepped out and set his hat on his head. “Don’t forget to lock up.”
I flipped the bolt right away. Tonight, I wasn’t in the mood to tease him.
* * *
Eli didn’t knockon Monday or Tuesday night, and I made notes in my calendar. Knowing when my favorite deputy was on duty seemed like important information.