I didn't know, and I had no time to ponder it because just then, an unfamiliar male voice called out from the darkness. Even more strange, the voice was coming from a location that made no sense.
Chapter 28
Cole
I was still looking at Lexie when some guy called out, "Hey, Buddy!"
I turned to look and spotted a brawny blond standing in the driveway across the street. When he caught my eye, he strode forward and called out again. "Can you snag my duffle?"
What the hell?
The guy was wearing jeans, work boots, and a red flannel shirt. He wasn't rushing toward us, but he wasn't stopping either. I saw no sign of a bag – duffle or otherwise.
I looked to Lexie and asked, "Who's that?"
She shook her head. "I have no idea."
I kept an eye out as the guy crossed the street and headed toward my mailbox. From the neck up, he looked like a surfer dude searching for his next wave. From the neckdown, he looked like a lumberjack searching for his missing axe.
When the guy reached my mailbox, he stopped and called out again. "Or forget the coat. Just toss me the keys, alright? They're in the left pocket."
Next to me, Lexie gave a little gasp. "Oh, my God."
Already, I'd been on my guard, but now, my concern rocketed upward. "What's wrong?"
Like a woman whose coat had caught fire, Lexie was practically ripping the thing from her body. "This must behis.A duffle – that's a type of coat, right?Thistype of coat?"
Hell ifIknew.
I was more worried about Lexie, so I kept my mouth shut and eyes open.
The coat was barely off Lexie's shoulders when a new voice, this one decidedly female, called out from across the street. "Drake? Seriously?"
I followed the sound and spotted a twenty-something blonde standing in the now-open doorway of Lexie's aunt's place. It was the same blonde who'd been reasonably friendly a few weeks ago when I'd returned their sign – except she wasn't looking so friendlynow.
She looked agitated and maybe a little pissed off as she scrambled out of the house wearing a long white bathrobe and bulky winter boots. She paused just long enough to reach back into the house and flick on the interior lights before shutting the door firmly behind her. And then, clutching the bathrobe tight around her torso, she rushed forward and gave the surfer-lumberjack a stunned look. "What are you doing?"
The guy – whose name was apparently Drake – called out, "Getting my coat – or hey, just the keys. I'm not picky."
She clomped toward him. "But you promised you wouldn’t!"
"No," he said in a voice of exaggerated patience. "I promised I wouldn't askher. So I'm askinghim. See?"
With a sigh, the blonde crossed the street and joined Drake at my mailbox. "But I asked you not to."
"No," he said in that same patient voice. "You asked me not to askher.And I didn't." With a self-satisfied grin, he repeated, "See?"
She didn't look amused. "Oh come on! You knew what I meant. It's not like I kept it a secret."
His grin faded. "No, but you keptmea secret."
Next to me, Lexie muttered, "Well, he was a secret fromme, that's for sure." And with that, she draped the coat over her arm and made a move to walk toward the bickering couple.
I didn't like it."Wait, what are you doing?"
Lexie turned back and lifted the coat. "I'm gonna give this back to him."
I moved forward. "Hang on. I'll do it."
