Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

Maybe I didn’t need a solid reason. My intuition had been telling me something. What, I didn’t really know, other than he’d made me uncomfortable. But I’d keep an eye out when I went to my car, just in case. You never knew these days. Even in a small town like Tilikum, there could still be a creeper deluxe.

Or worse. Matt seemed to know all about that.

I packed up the few desserts that were left to take to the food bank and made sure everything else was cleaned up. Tired as I was, I didn’t mind the time it took. Matt was probably harmless, just a guy who let his eyes linger on my boobs too long, but hopefully this way he’d be less likely to stick around so he could “accidentally” run into me when I left for the day.

When everything was clean and tidy, I went out the back door and locked it. I didn’t see anyone as I walked to my car. Just a few squirrels on the roof of the building next door and another in a wine barrel planter nearby.

I still locked the car doors as soon as I got in.

So far, my bad luck hadn’t gotten me into serious trouble—no major car accidents or muggings or anything horrible like that—but I didn’t want to tempt fate. And who knew, as the seven years drew to an end, maybe the mirror curse was gearing up to go out with a bang.

That was a disconcerting thought.

Then again, other than be reasonably careful, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I turned on my car and flashed the lights once before putting it in reverse. I’d call that a habit, but it was probably more like a ritual. I did it every time I got in my car.

The drive home was uneventful, aside from a squirrel who seemed to value the candy bar it was carrying more than its life. It darted in front of me and I had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting it. Without even glancing my direction, it bounded across the road, carrying the too-big-for-it loot.

Tilikum squirrels were interesting creatures.

I stopped at the food bank to drop off the leftover desserts and bread, then headed home. My house was less than ten minutes from downtown, in a little residential neighborhood with winding streets and lots of trees. It was cute, a two-story with a small yard and a two-car garage. That was going to come in handy in the winter. I wouldn’t have to scrape ice off my windshield at four in the morning.

Inside were three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Like most rentals, the colors were all neutral, mostly beige and white. But it was clean and well-kept. And best of all, it had a great kitchen, especially for being a smaller house.

It wasn’t just the maple cabinets, quartz counters, and farmhouse sink that I loved. It was the space. Most of the downstairs was open, great-room style, which left room for a big kitchen island and lots of counter space. And there was plenty of storage for my admittedly huge collection of baking supplies.

Despite the fact that I baked for a living, I still enjoyed doing it at home. Some of my best recipes had come from late night baking sessions in my own kitchen. But after my long day, I wasn’t in the mood for more baking. Or cooking of any kind.

I went inside, put my things down, and went upstairs to change. There was nothing like the freedom of taking off my bra at the end of the day. So nice. I put on a tank top and flannel pajama pants, redid my ponytail, and went down to the kitchen to see what I could scrounge up for dinner.

My choices weren’t exactly thrilling. I had food, I was just in a mood where nothing I had sounded good. After standing in front of my open fridge for a few minutes, I closed the door, pulled a ramen bowl out of the freezer, and popped it into the microwave. Not exactly health food, but at least it had a few vegetables in it.

Even with the hum of the microwave, my house seemed oddly quiet. I’d been living alone for years, but somehow it was taking a long time to get used to the silence of the small town.

It made me wonder what Garrett Haven was doing.

I’d been trying not to think about him, but alone in my house, in the quiet of the early evening, he muscled his way into my mind.

He was, well, big, for one. I was five-eight, so not exactly short, and he’d towered over me. And those arms. Did the sheriff’s department have to order him custom uniform shirts? There was no way those were standard.

Add blue eyes, neatly trimmed stubble, a broad chest, and tree trunk thighs, and he was a dream in uniform.

Of course the guy who canceled on me would be freaking gorgeous. That was my luck.

The microwave beeped, so I grabbed my ramen and set it on the counter. He’d seemed like a nice enough guy, too. And I was impressed by the way he’d handled the situation with his son, especially considering he was in law enforcement.

He’d been firm with him, but calm. And even though Owen had begged me not to let his dad arrest him, there’d been no fear in his demeanor. He wasn’t scared of his big, brawny, uniformed dad. Owen had been a bit sullen—no surprise, considering he’d been caught—but not afraid.

I stirred my ramen and took it to the couch. What was I doing? I was well on my way to letting the sight of Garrett Haven in that uniform live rent free in my head, and that was such a terrible idea. He’d stood me up once, which was not a mark in his favor.

And the mirror thing was a problem. A very real problem, despite what my mother and sister would have said about it. Aunt Doris had confirmed it. The bad luck would find me, every single time.

So I ate my ramen. Alone. And tried not to think about how much I would have liked to have someone to eat cheap, frozen food with.

Loneliness was a thing. And because of my bad luck, I was stuck with it.

CHAPTER 7

Garrett