Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,22
more settled by the time they reached her house. That was until she saw Henry’s truck sitting in her driveway.
She spotted the beat-up blue vehicle and turned. “You know what? Maybe I’ll go wait by the body. That’s a good idea. Someone should stay with poor Mr. Fairfield.”
“Who is that?” Megan’s eyes lit up. “Could it be…?”
“Oh look.” Katherine waved at the tall man walking around the house. “Henry is here.”
Kill me now.
“Hey!” His face lit up when he saw Toni and the girls. “I was wondering if you’d gone for a hike. I was just about to go looking—”
“Whit Fairfield was murdered.” Toni decided to cut off any pleasantries at the gate. “We just found his body on our walk.”
Henry’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God, Toni, are you okay?”
“Girl, he is so sweet,” Megan murmured. “She might need some help.” Megan waved him over. “She threw up a couple of times from the smell.”
“I hate you so much,” Toni hissed. “I’m fine!” she said louder. “We’d better call the police.”
Katherine pulled out her phone. “I’ll call Drew right now.” She held out her hand. “Hello, you must be Henry. I’m Katherine Bassi, Toni’s friend.”
He shook Katherine’s hand, but he didn’t take his eyes off Toni. “Okay, let’s get you inside. You look pale.”
“I’m Megan Carpenter, and it is so nice to meet you.” Megan introduced herself and somehow passed Toni off to Henry in one fell swoop. “Toni’s told us so much about you.”
Toni was walking under Henry’s arm and halfway to the house before she understood what was going on. “Henry—”
“I’m going to make some tea,” he said. “I know you like coffee better, but you still look a little sick. I can’t blame you; that had to be upsetting.”
Toni studiously ignored how nice it was to tuck herself under Henry’s tall frame. It was one of her favorite things about him. When they were together, she felt surrounded and safe. It was annoyingly comforting. “Tea sounds good.”
“Was it bad?”
I’m actually puking because I am pregnant with your love child, but sure, let’s go ahead with the dead-body explanation. “It was pretty shocking. He’s been out there for a while.”
Henry curled his lip. “Coyotes?”
“Yeah. Probably some cats too.”
He glanced at the barn. “Do you think Enzo—?”
“I’m going to allow my brain the fiction that Enzo wouldn’t have gone near a dead human body, okay? I keep him well fed.”
“Right.” He helped her up the steps and followed. “So you and your friends were just out for a walk?”
“Katherine and Megan both had a free afternoon and they love Nico’s wine, so I told them about the trail between our houses. I thought we could hike up and say hi.”
“Shoes off.” They went in the house. “That’s a pretty walk, especially in the spring.”
“Usually it is. We smelled something about halfway up the trail and Katherine went to look—she’s a biophysicist and she’s curious about everything. She’s the one who spotted him.”
“That’s awful.” Henry deposited Toni on her couch and went to the kitchen. “Do you have chamomile tea?”
She heard him filling the electric kettle. “I think so.”
“Is your stomach bothering you? Mint might be better.”
She couldn’t stop the smile. “Look at you. You like to fuss, don’t you?”
He leaned against the doorway to the kitchen and hooked his thumb in his pocket. “Keep teasing me. I’ll tell you to put on a hat.”
“You really are an old Italian nonna, aren’t you?”
Henry walked over, looking very not grandmotherly. His jeans were worn in all the right places, and his work shirt was open at the collar. He knelt down on the floor in front of her, bringing his face to the same level as hers. He nudged her knees apart and braced his large hands on either side of her hips before he leaned in, inches from her face.
“You think I’m grandmotherly?” he said, his voice low.
“Teasing you.” She swallowed. “Obviously.”
“You must be feeling better if you’re teasing me like that.” His breath was close enough to her lips that she felt its warmth. “Your stomach settled down?”
“Uh-huh.” She couldn’t look away. His eyes were hypnotic and he smelled amazing. Like sunshine, sawdust, and a little red wine.
Damn you, hormones!
He leaned closer. His left hand started squeezing her hip. “You smell good.”
“I smell like motor oil.”
Henry smiled. “You smell like lemons.” He nipped the edge of her jaw. “You taste like salt.”
“Sweaty from… walking.” She swallowed hard. “Henry—”
“Don’t care.” Henry captured her mouth and swiftly parted her lips