Arizona Thunder (Vyro Creek Book 2) by Natasza Waters

Author:Natasza Waters [Waters, Natasza]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-17T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Clara Evans wiggled the key into the lock of the Tiny Trading Post. This morning she’d found an envelope sitting on her shoe mat at the back door of the one-bedroom suite she’d rented. The envelope contained a lengthy note from Tess. Mostly, it laid out her daily instructions. Tess mentioned a family emergency and she wouldn’t be working in the shop for a while, but Lynn would drop by later. Clara had only met Lynn briefly the other day. The two page computer-generated message—single spaced—ended with Lynn and Ari’s phone numbers and to call them with any issues she couldn’t handle.

The deadbolt slid open and she nudged the door with her right shoulder, clanging the old silver bell overhead. She glanced around the shop, then turned on the overhead lights from the control panel next to the customer counter.

Everything seemed in order.

This job was a godsend. She smiled at the pun, which was intended. She wasn’t certain how she’d apply her college education in Environmental Sustainable Ranching now that she’d graduated, but she’d certainly settled in the right area of Arizona to figure that out.

After depositing her backpack beside the coat rack in the storeroom and stuffing a pod in the Keurig, she headed for the front register, turning the sign from Closed to Open on her way. Then she retraced her steps to collect her coffee and added a little cream from the mini fridge.

A shipment of bath oils would arrive today and Tess wanted her to arrange them on the shelves in the bathroom beauty section. Easy to find, because a blackboard dangled from the vaulted ceiling that read, “Bathroom Beauty” written in colored chalk.

During summer break before her last year of college, Clara had worked in a ladies fashion shop on the south side of Houston. Running this shop wasn’t a strain.

With her second cup of coffee consumed, the first customer moseyed into the store. A woman with waves of long auburn hair. Her black silk shirt and cream-colored, wide leg pants made an elegant but expensive fashion statement. The woman paused in the entry and removed her red-rimmed sunglasses, revealing luminous blue eyes.

“Hello,” Clara greeted. “Please come in and look around.”

The customer’s head angled slightly to the right. “You’re not Lynn,” she stated.

“No. I’m Clara.” She watched as the woman walked, as if in no hurry, toward the antique customer counter. Her steps landed with a heavy clunk on the wood floor, which didn’t compute with her lithe frame and spiked heels.

“Then, where is she?”

“Umm, I’m sorry. I don’t know. There’s an emergency in Tess’s family, maybe she’s helping out.”

“I see,” she said sharply. With an exaggerated sigh, the mysterious woman examined the shop with a slow, sweeping gaze. “Hmm, surprisingly cute.”

The door clanged again and two men entered wearing dark suits and shades, reminding Clara of the Secret Service.

“Hi.” She wasn’t certain whether these guys escorted the woman or not. “Can I help you?”

The men didn’t answer. They stood nearly shoulder to shoulder with their hands clasped in front of their groins.

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