you know any male wolves in the area? Besides me? Or my brother?” the detective asked, following her. “You didn’t say whether you lived alone or not. Instead, you misdirected the conversation when you asked to see my ID.”
She smiled, remembering the ploy and how it had worked. “I live alone, and no, I don’t know any other male wolves. No female wolves either in the area.” She paused to look at him, frowning. “By the way, do you have security cameras at your ranch?”
“We sure do.” His dark eyes held her gaze.
“You didn’t catch anyone stealing a calf from the ranch on the video?” She couldn’t believe a police detective who had security cameras hadn’t figured out who the real thief was from the outset.
“No. The video was tampered with.”
“Oh wow. Now that’s something I know nothing about.”
“I considered you had an accomplice.”
She cast him an annoyed look. Someone rang the doorbell at the front of the shop, and she went to get it. It was the mail carrier. She answered the door and smiled at him. He was an army veteran who had served in Iraq and could be a younger version of actor James Earl Jones. He didn’t wear glasses, but he had the same neat mustache and the same infectious smile.
“It’s just like Christmas every day,” she said.
The mail carrier smiled back. “Speaking of Christmas, I heard about the reindeer at your shop. I wish I could have seen that and taken a picture for my kids.”
She signed for the four boxes, astonished that she was still getting merchandise that her great-aunt had purchased before she died. She couldn’t believe the boxes from Gulliver’s estate hadn’t arrived yet.
“Next year, I’ll actually schedule to have a reindeer here. You can bring your kids and have them pet the reindeer and take pictures,” she told him.
“Or you can always drop by and see the reindeer at the ranch. They love visitors.” Josh gave him a business card.
Brooke was surprised the detective had business cards on him for the ranch.
“Thanks, I’ll do both.” The mail carrier said goodbye, and Brooke saw Sarah Burns, the owner of the bakery across the street, bringing her the baked goods she had on standing order while Josh carried the boxes inside.
Josh shook his head. “Man, if he didn’t look like James Earl Jones.”
“He’s got a great voice too.” Brooke smiled at Sarah. “Good morning, Sarah. Thanks so much for delivering the scones and cookies this morning.”
Sarah’s black hair was graying, her full cheeks red from the cold, and she was wearing an apron that had Sweet Treats, the name of her bakery, on it. She was just like her baked goods—as sweet as could be—and had welcomed Brooke with treats as soon as she took over and reopened the antique shop. Sarah had been so glad the shop had remained in business, because Brooke’s customers often visited her bakery, and Brooke loved to buy baked goods from Sarah’s shop.
“I had a moment and thought I’d run these over.” Sarah glanced at Josh. A hot and sexy treat, but definitely not sweet.
Josh gave Sarah a big smile. Looks could be deceiving.
Sarah looked like she was waiting for an introduction, but Brooke needed to get ready to open the shop—and didn’t Sarah have customers to take care of? She opened her shop earlier than Brooke did.
“Oh, you have some more customers,” Brooke said, motioning to a car that had just parked in front of the bakery.
“Oh, so I do.” Sarah smiled at Josh again and hurried off.
Brooke knew Sarah wanted to know if Josh was becoming an item in her life. No. Way. Sarah had asked about Brooke’s status in the beginning, curious to know if she was engaged or married to anyone, and Brooke had to tell her no on both accounts.
“If you don’t mind, we can carry the boxes into the office this way,” Brooke told Josh as she relocked her front door. She might as well put him to work if he was going to bug her while she was trying to get ready to open the shop.
“Sure.”
“It’s something my great-aunt purchased.” Brooke frowned. “These are from Colombia.”
“Yeah?”
Brooke began opening one of the boxes. “I purchased some boxes of stuff at an estate sale in Phoenix. The assistant, a Mr. Lee, said my great-aunt was worried she’d purchased some things from someone in Colombia who wasn’t reputable.”
“Do you mind?” Josh motioned to the box.
“Go ahead.” As soon as she opened a box,