“Hey, don’t get pissy. I’m just saying...time...sorry...casual...no good—” And then the line went dead. Perfect timing. Rian might’ve missed most of what Kane was trying to say but he could glean the gist of it and it was nothing he didn’t already know.
He immediately called the agent in charge of the Abelli case. “This is Rian Dalton. There’s been a situation. Someone took a shot at CoCo yesterday and in order to guarantee her safety, I’ve had to move her. We are at a secure location.”
“You should’ve gained authorization before moving Miss Abelli. What’s your location now?”
“Pardon me, agent, but I’m not working for you. I work for Mr. Abelli. If he wants to know where his daughter is, he can call me and I’ll let him know. Other than him, no one else is going to know.”
“Did you get a description of the shooter?”
“No. I heard tires squealing from the parking lot but I didn’t catch the make and model. I was too busy making sure CoCo was all right.”
“No injuries?”
“None.”
“Is this a good number for contact later?”
“Yes. I’ll keep my cell with me at all times.”
“Good. We’re getting close to finding the person responsible. We just need a few more days. We’ll be in touch.”
“Great.”
He clicked off and tucked his phone in his pocket. A few days shouldn’t be too hard. Beautiful country, plenty of work to keep him busy and the best food in the South.
Everything sounded perfect...except for the part where he had to keep his hands off CoCo. That part made him break out in a sweat.
He could do this. No problem, right?
14
COCO KNOCKED ON the screen door leading into the kitchen and a plump woman with a shock of wavy white hair appeared at the door. “You must be Rian’s friend, come in, come in,” Adeline said, ushering CoCo into the kitchen. Immediately, CoCo was assaulted by the most heavenly smell and her mouth actually watered.
“Smells incredible in here,” she said, glancing around looking for the source. “Rian said you enjoyed baking. If whatever you’re making is as good as those scones, you’ve made a friend for life.” She held her hand out with a smile. “I’m CoCo Abelli. So nice to meet you.”
The older woman wiped her hands on her faded Thomas Kinkade printed apron and a bright smile wreathed her face. “What a beautiful name. CoCo Abelli, it really rolls off the tongue like an exotic dessert. I’m Adeline Verley, pleased to meet you, sugar. And to answer your question, I’m making fresh applesauce. I don’t care for that store-bought stuff. You never know what they’re putting in there and with all the reports about everything giving you cancer, you can’t be too careful. The truth is, my dear friend Cora, God rest her soul, died from cancer and if I can do something to make a difference in someone’s life, which means whipping up a batch of homemade applesauce for Warren because he loves it so much, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.” She winked. “And it makes the kitchen smell so yummy, doesn’t it?”
“Very,” she agreed. “So you and Mr. Bradford...”
Adeline waved away CoCo’s unsure question, saying, “Oh, honey, if Rian thinks enough of you to bring you here, then I insist that we not stand on ceremony. Warren wouldn’t hear of it. And yes, Warren and I are going steady, if you can call it that anymore.” She bent to whisper conspiratorially, “Actually, we’re plain living in sin but at our age, I figure we better take what we can get while the getting is good, right?”
CoCo laughed at the older woman’s delightful candor and realized she already liked Adeline immensely. In fact, she reminded her of Miss Plix, her most beloved nanny, always ready with a smile to lend a hand to whoever needed it. Sadly, Miss Plix had died when CoCo was twelve from an undiagnosed heart condition. The one saving grace was that Miss Plix had died in her sleep. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re grabbing on to happiness wherever you can. Life moves pretty quickly, right?”
“Darn right it does. Now, what can I do for you?”