Her Christmas Detective - Laura Ann Page 0,33
appreciate it. Thank you.” Henry turned and surveyed the room. “Now...should we jump in and get going?”
Bella leaned into his side and took a deep breath. “I suppose we should, but I have to admit I’d rather be cuddled up with you, exchanging notes.”
Henry chuckled and she bounced against him. “Yeah...this isn’t my scene either, but your cousin needs our help, and if I’ve learned anything about you, it’s that you’re fiercely loyal to your loved ones.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she quipped.
“Never.” After one last kiss to the top of her head, Henry pushed her forward and the two of them began to pick up pieces of wood and drag them outside.
“Such a waste,” Bella said softly as she dumped yet another broken sheet of plywood. She looked around and frowned. “Where did Enoch go?”
“He’s picking up new supplies,” Hope offered, wiping her dusty hands on her pants. “The store is two towns over and Enoch happens to know the owner, so he’s hoping to trade in a favor.”
“I haven’t even thought of that,” Bella said softly. She shook her head. “Geez, this is turning out to be way more extensive than I thought.”
“And we still need to figure out why the ice was on the walkway,” Henry said in an aside as he walked by.
“Oh my word, I almost forgot about all that,” Bella said in exasperation. “I was too caught up in Jimmy.”
HANK NODDED SOLEMNLY. “It’s easy to get caught up in the moment,” he agreed. “What I’m most concerned about, however, is the man Jim said destroyed the room. If we can catch him, then I think we’ve solved the whole case.”
Bella grinned. “You sound like a TV cop.”
Hank closed his eyes and chuckled. “You would only know that if you watch them.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “So what if I do? Crimes fascinate me. I watch all the documentaries too.”
“How are you with horror movies?”
Bella blew a raspberry and waved a hand in the air. “Haven’t found one to frighten me yet.”
“Wow.” He nodded, his lips pursed. “That’s impressive. I would never have guessed someone like you would be so thick-skinned.”
Bella scowled and put her hands on her hips, her foot tapping as per the norm. “What do you mean, someone like me?”
Hank laughed and took her hand, leading her back to the work zone. “Someone who looks like they’d never hurt a fly. I’m learning you have a sadistic streak, and it’s throwing me off kilter.”
“If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen,” she shot back.
Hank squeezed her hand before letting go. “Oh, I can handle it,” he said, then leaned in for a second. “In fact, I do believe I’ve been the one to start the fire a few times.” He grinned when her cheeks turned bright pink. It wasn’t exactly easy to make Bella blush, but when it happened, it was a sight to behold.
“I think maybe I should go work over here,” she said breathlessly, pointing to the opposite side of the room.
He watched her fan herself as she walked away and couldn’t help but laugh. The woman was brash, overeager, and sometimes teased a little too much, but she was also compassionate, loyal, fun, and quickly capturing his heart. He loved her dedication to truth and willingness to work. He also loved her snappy comebacks and how she kept their relationship interesting and lively. I do believe I’m on the way to losing my whole heart, and I’m not sure how, or if I want, to stop it.
He forced the thoughts to the back of his mind. That was a case for another day. Right now he needed to figure out why there was still a mystery left at Gingerbread Inn and help get a festival back on its feet. That was more than enough for one man to handle.
By the time they had finished rebuilding the display room, the sun was rising on the horizon and Hank felt as if his body had been hit by a Mac truck. He groaned as he climbed to his feet after pushing the last screw into place.
“I think that’s it!” Bella cried, bouncing on her toes.
Right now Hank envied her ability to have such energy. He was beat. It seemed that each time he pulled an all-nighter, they got harder and harder. How the heck did I do so many of them during college? he mused.
“You going home?” Bella asked. If he hadn’t been looking closely, Hank would never have