A Bone to Pick (Page 23)

“I don’t think any of this is intrusive.” Tessa remembered the sheer panic at thinking her mother might have headed for Widow’s Walk. “I want to keep her safe and at home as long as possible.”

“She comes home tomorrow, right?”

“Right.”

“Then I’d better get busy installing these devices.”

Gratitude overwhelmed her. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything.”

“I disagree.” Tessa stared at the shopping bags, then raised her gaze to meet his. “Just tell me what this all cost, and I’ll repay you.”

“No.” His chin went up. “We might have had a murder or two, but this is still Widow’s Island, not Seattle or Afghanistan, where we can be in a crowd of people and yet still be alone. We might be isolated out here, but we help each other.”

“‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem like enough.”

Logan’s eyes shifted away for a second, as if he were debating something important. “How about you make me a home-cooked dinner, and we call us even.”

“One dinner?” Tessa laughed at the absurdity of balancing a pot roast against a few thousand dollars in electronic gadgets.

Logan shrugged. “I’ll be here all day installing these devices. I’ll be hungry.”

Tessa shook her head. “All right. One pot roast it is. I’ll head to the grocery store now.”

“I’ll get busy.” Logan turned back to his SUV. After looping the handles of the shopping bags over one arm, he grabbed a toolbox. “Could you close the hatch?”

Tessa did. Then she looked up at him. “But I still say dinner isn’t enough.”

She rose onto her toes and kissed him. The soft press of her lips against his lasted just a few seconds. When she dropped back onto her heels, her cheeks heated with a blush.

At Logan’s easy smile, more warmth rolled through Tessa. There was something between them that hadn’t been there a few days ago—or ever. She didn’t know what it was or where it would lead, but for today, knowing it existed was enough.