Free Dead Heat by Kathleen Brooks

a serious relationship. How about we go out on a lunch date and learn more about each other?”
    “Um, no thanks. It’s not a real relationship anyways. The only person we need to fool is the assassin and he’s not going to be quizzing us. So, who was on the phone?”
    “Just my boss.” Cole grinned and she knew he had info.
    “Well?”
    “Oh, you want to know about the phone call and what news we have.”
    “Duh,” Paige widened her eyes and threw in an eye roll for good measure.
    “We can discuss it over lunch,” Cole winked.
    “I said no to lunch. We’re not really dating, Cole.”
    “Yet, you cared if I was married. Interesting. Here’s the deal, Paige. You let me take you out on a date tonight and I’ll tell you what I found out. No date, no info.” Oh! She really wanted to wipe that cocky grin off his face, but she really wanted to know what happened.
    “Fine. But I don’t have to like it.” She was saved by the bell, quite literally, when a new client walked in.
     
    * * *
     
    He sat back in his car and pulled out his cell phone. He never took his hard eyes off the yellow building. Punching in the number he had memorized, he waited for the boss to pick up.
    “Is it done?”
    “Almost. The two are taken care of.” He said in his normal cold voice. He had never been hired for a hit on a woman, nevertheless two women, but he had gotten it done. Just like always.
    “Then what’s the problem?”
    “There was a witness.”
    “A witness? Can they identify you?”
    “Yes. The bitch tried to run me down.” He had admired her spunk, even if she showed her stupidity by chasing an armed man down.
    “You know who she is?”
    “Of course I do.”
    “Can you handle it?”
    “You know I can. Her and her boyfriend live above her shop. When the timing is right, I will go in and take care of her. If he doesn’t get out of the way, I will just make it look like a murder-suicide. Nothing I haven’t done before.” His lips twitched. He might just feel something besides boredom for this one.
    “Fine. Just hurry up. I don’t want any loose ends.”
     
    * * *
     
    Cole slid his hand into hers as they walked down the street toward the Café. Betty Jo had been very excited to see Cole in the store. Come to think about it, her traffic flow had increased as the day went on.
    “I bet it was interesting growing up with all those brothers. I am kind of jealous. I always wanted siblings, but it was just me.”
    “Yes. It was interesting. They always wanted me to be this little girly girl. But I always wanted to be just like them. I followed them everywhere and finally they gave in and started teaching me instead of trying to get rid of me. But then I went to design school and totally surprised everyone. I think they are torn between being proud of me and embarrassed about how I turned out.”
    “How did they think you would turn out?”
    “I don’t know. Probably something along their lines, either security or farming.”
    “How would you be in security?”
    “Marshall always wanted me to run his company for him. I am good at business and I am good with people.” She got nervous when Cole was quiet for a moment. Did he think she wasn’t good enough to run a major company?
    “I can see that. You would be really good at it, but I think you like being the one in charge and you have the freedom to do that with your own store.” Cole opened the door at the cafe for her. She smiled as she walked in and found her usual table empty. He understood. Someone who barely knew her understood what her brothers still failed to see.
    Miss Daisy gave them a wave and a wink as she shuttled from table to table taking orders. Paige made her way through the packed dining room to the only open table in the back of the room. She had hoped for a booth where she could have enough room to breathe from Cole’s presence. Instead, she got a table for two pressed against the back side wall. It was the most private table at the