Clenching his jaw to keep his frustration intact, he snapped photos of all the log pages with his phone. “Thanks,” he told the guy before he ushered Laurel toward her storefront.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, once they were alone inside.
He finished emailing the photos to Gabe, then held up his phone. “That this is enough for the sheriff to run with. And if Duke was tied to either of these guys, we’re going to know soon.”
Laurel opened her mouth to reply, but Brandi stepped inside through the back door, her usual planner tucked under one arm.
“Morning!” she called out. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything. I thought I saw you pop in here. Figured we could go over that shelving layout and coffee bar spacing before the drywall guys need final measurements.”
“Oh, that’s great,” Laurel said, already brightening. She looked at Bennett. “You good?”
He nodded, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Yeah. I’ve got a meeting with Mac and the team at ESI. Don’t go anywhere without me. I’ll be just down the street.”
“I won’t,” she said, walking him to the front door, her hand brushing his arm.
“I’ll be back to walk you to work,” he added, unlocking the door.
She smiled. “Okay, my handsome watch dog. Keep me posted.”
He met and held her warm, open gaze. “Always,” he said, giving her one last look before heading out.
He didn’t want to leave her, not with everything still up in the air. But she had plans to build something here. Something good. And if he did his job right, she'd get to do that without looking over her shoulder.
Bennett stepped out into the sunlight, jaw tight, boots hitting the sidewalk with a little more purpose as he made his way toward the ESI building a few blocks over.
Behind him, Laurel was safe—at least for now.
Joe Everly was a big guy. He was also vetted by Mac. The general contractor had offered to keep an eye on Laurel and Brandi when none of the ESI team was around. He shot him a quick text to let him know he was off site.
When he received an “I’ve got them” in return, Bennett shoved his phone back in his pocket and breathed a little easier.
But his gut was still tight, the log entries turning over in his mind like a warning bell he couldn’t silence. Rick Nolan hadn’t just wandered onto that job site. Fred Hess hadn’t just shown up for no reason. And Duke Carver sure as hell wasn’t backing down without making one last play.
Ever vigilant, he surveyed the area while he walked, his jaw clenched against the rising churn in his chest. All clear.
But looks could be deceiving.
No one knew that better than Bennett.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Laurel stepped over a coil of extension cord and followed Brandi toward the back corner of the shop, where two sawhorses and a slab of wood stood in place of the future coffee bar.
“This is where I’d center the espresso machine,” Brandi said, flipping open her planner and angling it toward Laurel. “You’ll have counter space here, storage underneath, and a clean sightline to the register and reading area.”
Laurel nodded, already picturing it. A fun assortment of mugs lined up on hooks, the smell of freshly ground beans drifting through shelves of books. The quiet hum of conversation. A bell over the door. People settling into corners with paperbacks and lattes.
Her space. Her dream.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “This is it. My little caffeine-fueled book kingdom.”
Brandi snorted. “Then we better build you a throne and crown you Queen of Coffee and Chapters.”
She flipped a page in her planner. “You want your loyal subjects to have good lighting while they get lost in a good book, right? Pendant fixtures here and here?”
Laurel grinned. “Perfect, and as long as my throne comes with lumbar support and a secret snack drawer, I’m in.”
Brandi laughed. “I’ll add it to the blueprints.”
