Free The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson

of nowhere. But at least he could watch Jack’s back from here.
    Her wary eyes tracked his movements as he shifted gears, rolling through the three-way intersection. “What part of California?”
    â€œSan Diego.”
    â€œOh.”
    â€œYeah. You ever been?”
    She shook her head, her mouth opening like she wanted to say something more, but then she snapped it closed.
    As he navigated past the bakery and the bank, she pointed. “I think the store is right there.”
    â€œThe bank doesn’t appreciate non-customers parking in their lot.”
    â€œOh.” Again, she looked like she had more to say, but instead she clung to the door handle with one hand and her shoulder belt with the other.
    â€œYou have something against that door?”
    Her eyes shot in the direction of her death grip. Without looking back at him, she uncurled one finger at a time. “Not really.”
    His laugh burst out before he even realized how funny her comment was. “Not really? So . . . maybe just a little bit?”
    Her eyes flashed with either anger or embarrassment. Or, more likely, a combination of both, and he chuckled again as she folded her hands into her lap, back straight as a nail.
    Tempted to tease her again, he bit his tongue as she jumpedout of the truck before he’d even put on the brake in front of the antique store. The front door was already closing behind her by the time he reached the cobblestoned front walk.
    â€œWelcome to Aretha’s Antiques,” a disembodied voice called over the jingle of sleigh bells as he walked in. “I’ll be right there.”
    The maze of artifacts towered above him, blocking his view. Marie had disappeared.
    Probably picking out useless things.
    At least he had control over the money this time. And he refused to let her waste it.
    An overhead light caught the edge of a large brass lantern straight ahead, and he blinked against the flash just in time to step on something that shrieked like it had just lost three of its nine lives.
    â€œWas that Chapter? Silly thing acts like you gave her a sallywinder.”
    Whatever that was, he didn’t want one.
    The gray-striped cat darted between a matching pair of seven-foot china hutches before he could catch it, but as he wandered farther from the front door, the tabby began purring as if she’d never met the underside of his work boot.
    He rounded a turn in the maze and bumped into Marie, jostling the cat tucked in her arms. Chapter hissed, baring her teeth at him and immediately snuggling back into the warmth of Marie’s embrace.
    â€œI think you’ve made an enemy.” The corner of Marie’s mouth lifted, and a wicked spark flashed in her eyes.
    So she could smile.
    Her good humor lingered as she ran her fingers between the pointy gray ears, following a black line all the way to themiddle of the cat’s back. The hum coming out of the little beast was pure bliss, and Marie’s drooping eyes weren’t far from that either.
    Risking a finger, he moved his hand to follow Marie’s motion, only to be swatted away by a fully clawed paw. He inspected twin red scratches on the back of his hand as Marie let out a full-on laugh.
    â€œShe really doesn’t like you.” Marie hooked a finger under the furry chin and looked into the monster’s black eyes. “Smart girl.”
    Before he could form an adequate retort, a thin woman with silver and gray hair appeared at the far end of the aisle, her hands clasped beneath her chin in delight. “Well, well. Marie, you’re back so soon. And who have you brought with you?”
    Marie flashed her bright white smile toward the older woman, who patted the cat’s back without losing a hand in the process.
    Maybe the creature didn’t like men.
    That was it. It couldn’t have anything to do with being on the losing end of an encounter with his size twelve boot.
    Whatever his fight with the cat,