Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(60)

He whipped out his phone, called the sheriff’s office, and got put through to Deputy Kissner. “I found the notebook. You think you guys should retrieve it and run it for prints?”

“The notebook Kate found on her walk? It wasn’t really close to the scene. I doubt it has anything to do with our investigation.” Kissner sounded distracted.

Drake stared down at the book. “You’re probably right, but just in case, I’ll be careful with it. Come by and get it if you want it.” He ended the call and jogged back to the SUV. “There should be a plastic bag under your seat. I don’t want to smudge any prints, just in case. Could you hand me one?”

She reached under her seat and retrieved one, then passed it to him. “You called Danny?”

“Kissner. He doesn’t think it’s important, but I’m not convinced. I just want to make sure we cover our bases. We didn’t think the jewelry pouch was important either.” His fingers grazed hers when he took the bag, and warmth spread up his arm straight to his heart. The sooner he got this, the sooner he could get the girls to bed and spend a little more time with Kate.

He went back to the car and picked up the notebook, then took it back to her. “I’m going to throw your tire in the back so I can get it fixed.”

Her smile was his reward as he went to shut the trunk and carry the tire around to the Land Rover’s trunk area. He tried to open and shut it as quietly as he could so he didn’t wake the girls, but Emma’s head popped up as he came around to get back in the SUV.

“Can we watch a movie when we get home?” Her voice was alert as if she’d gotten all her sleep in.

He glanced at the clock. “It’s past your bedtime.”

“But I’m not sleepy now. Aunt Dixie gave us a big supper, and I fell asleep before it got dark. I want to watch a Disney movie.”

“Me too,” Phoebe chimed in.

Drake’s gaze met Kate’s. “What do you say?”

Her eyes widened, and a tiny smile lifted her lips. “I think we can let them stay up this once. It’s been a hectic day, and we could all use some snuggle time.” She leaned over and whispered, “I took a quick look at the notebook. It all appears to be gibberish. Some kind of kid’s code maybe. Nothing important, and you said Kissner didn’t seem interested either.”

“I was hoping for some alone snuggle time,” he whispered as he dropped the gearstick into Drive.





TWENTY-EIGHT


The aroma of baking cookies filled Kate’s blue-and-white kitchen. Everyone loved Claire’s almond-flour chocolate chip cookies, even Luke. Claire checked the cookies and decided they needed a couple more minutes. “There’s nothing like that aroma. My mother always made them on Saturdays when I was little. It was the only time I was allowed to help in the kitchen. The rest of the time our cook shooed me out.”

Her sister looked up with a smile. “I cooked a lot, but it usually wasn’t fun things like cookies. I learned to make jerky from deer meat and how to dehydrate blueberries.”

“I like your house.” Emma licked cookie batter off the spoon. “I could live here forever.”

“You don’t like the cottage?” Kate reached for her coffee.

“I love the cottage.” Phoebe ran a finger around the surface of the bowl, then licked it.

“I like the blue here.” Emma carried the spoon to the sink, then washed the sticky batter from her hands. “Uncle Drake says he’s going to have you come to our house in Boston and redecorate it. Can you make our kitchen look like this one? His is all dark brown and feels sad.”

Claire grinned and wagged her brows at Kate. Her sister seemed different today, relaxed and happier than she’d seen her since the blueberry harvest proved so bad. “Come help me with the cookies. Where’s your cooling rack?”

Kate rose and grabbed the rack from the cabinet under the cooktop. “I see your grin.” She turned to the girls. “You can go play in the tree house until the cookies are cool.”

“Yay!” Phoebe slid off her chair and raced for the door with Emma on her heels.

Claire lifted out the sheet of cookies and grabbed the spatula. “Okay, give. I can see you’re just bursting to tell me something.”

“I, um, I went out with Drake last night. We went to dinner at the Sea Room.”

Claire’s chest could hardly contain the joy that swelled up. “It’s about time! Dish! How’d it go? And how’d he talk you into it?”

“One thing I really like about him is that he’s so direct and honest. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He pulled off the road and told me it was silly for us to pretend we aren’t drawn to each other and that we should explore where those feelings might lead.”

Claire lifted a cookie from the tray to the rack. “Wow, that is direct. Did you shoot him down at first?”

Kate’s blush deepened. “No. He was right. We went swimming with the girls the other day, and we both knew there were feelings there. He could sense it and so could I.”

“Well, I think it’s wonderful! How did dinner go?” She put the last cookie on the rack and laid the spatula in the sink.

“Good. We talked about what I wanted to do with my life. I actually told him the truth about loving interior design. He gave me some great ideas about starting small with local businesses. Is it okay if I take pictures of what I did in your house?”