Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

And the bear hadn’t come to life and murdered anyone, so I had that going for me.

I went around to the front of the building and headed up the sidewalk. My body still felt oddly fatigued, even in the fresh air, so I picked up the pace to get my blood moving a little more. That had to help.

At the corner, a man in a faded flannel shirt and brown leather vest crouched in front of a wine barrel planter. A shaggy beard showed beneath his wide-brimmed hat, and he looked up at me with a smile that creased the skin around his eyes. Harvey Johnston. I’d met him once or twice and he’d always been friendly, if a little eccentric. Aunt Doris said he was a longtime Tilikum resident who was, in her words, not quite all there.

I figured Tilikum was just full of quirky people.

“Hi, Harvey.” I paused next to him. “What are you up to?”

He stood and brushed the front of his vest, although it didn’t look like he had dirt on his hands. “Good. Oh, no, that’s not what you asked. What am I up to?”

It was hard to tell from his tone if he was just repeating the question or if he really wasn’t sure. I waited to see if he wanted to answer.

“Oh!” He held up a finger, his eyes widening with excitement. “I know what I’m up to. I made these.” He picked up what looked like a small picnic table with attached benches. Instead of a flat tabletop, it had a container filled with nuts and seeds.

“That’s so cute. Is it for the squirrels?”

“Someone’s been making squirrel-proof bird feeders and selling them all over town. I know our squirrels can be a nuisance, but the birds do just fine on their own. And since so many feeders are flinging them off like slingshots, I thought I’d give the squirrels a nice place to eat.” He set the picnic table down next to the planter.

“That’s smart. Maybe if they have their own little tables, they’ll leave the birdseed alone.”

One eye squinted almost shut as he tapped his temple. “Yes, indeed. Thinking, I was. And what are you up to today, Miss Tilburn?”

“Just getting out for a walk and I’ll probably grab some food.”

“Good, good.” He patted the pockets on his vest and his brow furrowed, as if he’d lost something. “You have a nice day, now.” He turned in a circle, looking around. “What did I do with it?”

I pointed to a canvas drawstring bag on the ground next to the planter. “Is that what you’re looking for?”

“Oh, yes, I think it is.” He picked up the bag and tipped his hat to me. “Afternoon, Miss Tilburn.”

“Afternoon, Harvey.”

He walked out into the street without looking for traffic and the driver of a green pickup slammed on his brakes to keep from hitting him. I winced, but Harvey didn’t seem to notice. Just kept walking, muttering something to himself that I couldn’t hear. The driver didn’t make a scene, either. He just waited for Harvey to cross and went on his way.

Tilikum was definitely an interesting place.

A pair of squirrels scurried over and sat on the picnic table benches, happily eating from the tray. It made me smile.

Good job, Harvey Johnston.

I kept walking past the shops and restaurants, enjoying the sunshine. Outside the Dame and Dapper Barber Shop stood Lola, a huge statue of a pinup girl. Someone had put what looked like a crocheted beard with little pink flowers on her.

At the next corner, Harvey had placed another squirrel picnic table between two planters. A single, rather round squirrel sat on the bench, enjoying its lunch. Another one scampered over and climbed onto the bench across from it, but the first squirrel wasn’t happy. It made a noise that could only be described as a cross between a chirp and a bark, its fluffy gray tail flicking back and forth. The other squirrel dashed away, disappearing across the street.

“A little territorial, aren’t we?”

It ignored me and went back to its feast.

I walked a bit longer, just to get my body moving, until I came to the Copper Kettle diner. I’d been there a few times and they had the best house-made chicken noodle soup. That sounded delicious, so I went in.

The clink of dishes and scent of buttery toast greeted me. My stomach growled at the smell of food.

“Welcome in. Just one today or are you waiting for someone?” the hostess asked. She had dark blond hair in a bouncy ponytail and her name tag said Heidi.

“Just me.” I tried to sound chipper about that. “I’m alone for lunch, but not alone, alone, if you know what I mean.”

Heidi hesitated with a menu in her hand, looking slightly confused. “Okay. Would you like a booth?”