“You know, you’ve got some pretty good moves. Or you did until that last one,” she commented.
“Hey, it was spot on if I wanted to motorboat someone but still make it seem like an accident.”
“Surely there are less dangerous ways to accomplish that goal.”
I grinned at Sierra then glared. “You’re early. You weren’t supposed to be here until after closing time.”
“I woke up at five and decided to head out,” she replied with a shrug.
That was Sierra. She went wherever her instincts took her. It was something I both loved and hated. Sometimes it meant we went on a spontaneous adventure and others it led to us not seeing each other for two years.
"Well, I'm glad you're here. I'll take you to the house, get you a spare key, and help you get settled in. I have to be back at the shop in two hours to open up, but we can have a late dinner together tonight if you want."
Sierra nodded. "Sounds great. I'll cook."
I stared at her.
I clearly did a poor job of hiding my fear because she burst out laughing until she snorted. "You should see your face." She looked at me again then bent over, giggling uncontrollably. "I promise, my cooking has improved in the last two years. I took some classes."
I tried not to cringe. I wasn't sure classes would help. Sierra was a disaster in the kitchen. She was one of the smartest women I knew, but even working from a recipe, she couldn't make simple dishes like meatloaf or fried chicken. I'd even been witness to her scorching canned soup.
I opted for physical safety over honesty and said, "Sounds great."
"Your enthusiasm is overwhelming," Sierra commented. Her tone was as dry as mine had been.
I shrugged one shoulder. "Until I see the evidence, I'm withholding judgment."
"No, you're not!" Sierra exclaimed.
I grabbed my purse out of my desk, ushered her out of my office, and locked the door behind us.
"Okay, so I'll try harder."
She scoffed but didn't argue.
We walked down the short hall that lead from my office to the main part of the store. There was a bathroom to one side and a small supply closet on the other. When we emerged from the hallway, I saw a tall, male figure standing at the huge shop window at the front, his hands cupped around his eyes so he could see inside.
"Who is that?" Sierra asked, her voice warm with interest.
"Benjamin Murphy," I replied.
"Wait, Murphy. Murphy? How do I know that name?"
"You're thinking of Brody Murphy, J.J.'s best friend."
We drew closer to the front door and Ben spotted us. He waved and walked to the entrance, waiting outside as I unlocked the door and let Sierra exit before me.
"Hey, Cam," he greeted me, but his eyes were on Sierra.
Sierra was shorter than me, but she had curves. She rarely worked out but had a gorgeous hourglass figure. Life wasn't fair. I was in great shape because I either ran, practiced yoga, or lifted weights nearly every day, but I would never look like a 1950's pin-up the way Sierra did.
I wasn't surprised by the way Ben eyed her. Everywhere we went, men stared at her. Between the stacked bod and the thick, black-framed glasses she wore, Sierra was the epitome of men's fantasies; a hot, nerdy girl that went from buttoned-up to bombshell with one toss of her hair.
While Sierra enjoyed the attention from time-to-time, nothing pissed her off more than a man who was so focused on her physical appearance that he had no appreciation for her intelligence or twisted sense of humor.
My best friend was brilliant and gorgeous, but all those wonderful characteristics masked the fact that she was, well, a handful. Considering who my brother was, that was saying something.
I turned back to lock the door before I answered Ben.
"Hey, Ben. This is my friend and business partner, Sierra."
Sierra held out her hand and gave Ben's hand a firm shake. "Nice to meet you."
The glimmer of interest in his eyes intensified as he stared down at her and he grinned. "That's some handshake."
Sierra raised an eyebrow at him and I knew he'd already taken one step toward pissing her off. "Well, I practice a lot," she stated, deadpan.
Ben's grin widened and I bit back a sigh. Sierra's biting wit could be challenging and Ben never backed down from a challenge.
This wouldn't turn into a shitshow. No way. Everything would be just fine.
I braced myself to intervene when Ben opened his mouth and said, "Practice makes perfect. But it's a pleasure to meet you too."
He said it sincerely and without a hint of smarm. Not that Ben was smarmy, but he could lay the charm on pretty thick. It worked well for him in Farley, but Sierra was immune to smooth talkers. She preferred intelligent, funny men to hunks with muscles and dimples.
He released her hand and turned to me. "I actually came by to talk to you," he said to me.
While I'd known Ben a long time, he rarely stopped by just to chat. "What's up?"
"Brody's back in town," he stated. "And he brought my niece with him."
"Um, okay?"
Ben grinned, both dimples popping. "When I told him about your shop, he seemed very interested in bringing her by. I just wanted to warn you."
I didn't understand why he thought I needed a warning. "Why?"
"I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't be too surprised."
I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at him without a word.
Ben sighed and shook his head. "Still don't like my sainted brother much do you?"
"I never disliked him, Ben. I just get annoyed by his constant poking and prodding. It's like the man can't be in my vicinity without trying to get a rise out of me."
"Well, you are kinda cute when you're mad."
Ben and I might not be kids anymore, but I was definitely willing to sacrifice some maturity and sock him on the bicep for that remark.
"Hey," he said, rubbing his arm.
"No whining. When you say sexist things, you get frogged. You know that."
The fake frown on his face vanished immediately and his eyes gleamed with mischief and humor. He was up to something, but I had no way of knowing what it was.
"Yes, ma'am," he drawled, making sure his accent was nice and thick. "No disrespect intended."
I sighed. "Thanks for stopping by."
Ben gave me a side-arm hug. "You're welcome. I'll be back later for a milkshake."
"You do that," I replied, hugging him back.
"Sierra, nice to meet you. I hope I see you again while you're here." He accompanied his statement with a wink and a devilish smile.
"Only time will tell," Sierra countered.
Ben's grin widened and he released me. "Y'all have a good day now," he drawled, giving us both a wave as he sauntered down the street and turned into the local diner.
Sierra turned to me and fanned herself. "Woman, why didn't you tell me that they grew men like that around here? I would have come back earlier."
"Ben's cute but he's kinda wild. Well, he used to be. And we haven't spent a lot of time together since he came back to town."
Suddenly, Sierra giggled.