JAMIE WAS PLEASED when Lance drove down with her to Stockton for her next two classes; he even suggested they visit the library together to research the term papers she needed to write.
“Do you think something is wrong at Poppy Gold?” Jamie asked Lance as they ate burgers together in the old park square after work on Thursday.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. Ever since Tessa fell, I keep thinking something isn’t right, and it’s gotten worse the last few days. Yesterday I asked her if something was wrong, but she said I shouldn’t worry.”
“I bet it’s nothing.”
But Jamie wasn’t entirely convinced, especially since Tessa had only said not to worry. That wasn’t the same as being fine, and it reminded Jamie of the time Grandpa George had needed a biopsy and was waiting for the results. Nobody had told her, but she’d known something wasn’t right.
But she was eighteen now. How long would it take for people to realize she wasn’t a kid?
Lance sipped his chocolate milk shake, and Jamie tried not to be envious. With all the hard work he did in the orchard, he could eat anything and stay skinny. She’d gotten skim milk. It didn’t compare to one of the Burger Saloon’s double-thick milk shakes.
He wiped his mouth. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how to explain. Mostly it’s a feeling I keep getting. And Tessa is distracted, though I suppose it could be from dating Mr. McKinley. How does he seem?” Now that she thought about it, it was the most likely explanation. Gabe was rather grim and solemn, not at all the kind of man she’d expect her cousin to like.
“The same, I guess.” Lance shook the bag from the Burger Saloon, making something rustle. “Hey, some of your French fries must have fallen out.”
He handed it to her, and Jamie looked inside; it wasn’t French fries—it was something silver. She tipped it out on her hand and saw an adorable heart locket on a chain.
“Oh, Lance...how beautiful.”
He grinned, and she practically melted.
“I love it, but honestly, you shouldn’t spend so much money on me,” she protested.
“I like having someone to give things to,” he said gruffly, and Jamie blinked back tears.
* * *
WHILE ON HER usual afternoon circuit through Poppy Gold that Friday, Tessa heard laughter coming from the carpentry building. It sounded like her father, and she smiled. Pop hadn’t done any of his usual jobs since her mother’s death, so it was wonderful to think he was working on a new project.
She peeked through the open door. Like the other facility buildings constructed at Poppy Gold, it was a replica of an earlier style. In this case, it resembled an old-time blacksmith shop.
Pop wasn’t alone. He was chatting with Gabe as they consulted a diagram. Lately she saw them together often, working on various projects, with Gabe handling the heavy work.
Tessa sighed, almost feeling jealous. Yet how could she resent something that helped her father? She even understood some of the reasons they got along so well. Gabe was ex-military. And like Pop, he’d seen terrible things, so they shared a common ground she couldn’t understand.
A moment later, Gabe looked toward the door, and their gazes locked. One of his eyebrows rose inquiringly, but she just shook her head and continued toward Old City Hall.
Once there, she resisted the temptation to ask questions at the reservation hub about incoming calls, simply greeting everyone before doing the same with the event planning staff.
The truth was, she did have trouble delegating. That didn’t mean she’d become a micromanager, but it was possible she’d slipped into bad habits. Officially naming Aunt Polly assistant manager might help, and getting an activities director wasn’t a bad idea, either. It would be best to wait, though, until after the business with TIP had been resolved.
In the meantime, she had asked the staff to hold rooms for the first week of June as cancellations came in. The sooner they caught the spy, the better she’d sleep.
In the reception area, an older couple was waiting to register, and she chatted with them, telling them about various local activities and places to see. After a while, she became aware of another man gazing at her across the room.
He came over when the couple stepped up to the registration desk. “KJ Bermann, at your service.”
Tessa immediately recognized the name of Gabe’s associate. One of his security “contacts.” She came close to gaping. Instead of coming off as a bad-tempered loner like Gabe, KJ had a warm grin and practiced charm.
“Tessa Connor.”
“Delighted to meet you, Tessa. I’m here for a few days, checking out Poppy Gold for a possible class reunion.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
He gave her a warm appraisal, subtle enough that it wasn’t insulting, and obvious enough to be flattering. The guy was good, and she wondered if it was just an act or his real self. Probably real, she decided after they’d talked for another few minutes.
The couple finished registering and said goodbye as they left.
“Say, is there any chance I could get lucky enough to take you to dinner one evening?” KJ asked, his voice dropping into a low, inviting purr.
“Sorry, I’m pretty busy.”
“I’ll give you my cell number in case you change your mind.” KJ took one of Poppy Gold’s business cards from the desk and scribbled across the top. “Will I see you at the swimming pool later?”
“Afraid not. I work here.”
“What a shame. I was hoping to demonstrate my breaststroke. I’ve got great technique.”
He sauntered out the door, the image of masculine confidence, and Christine at the reception desk giggled. “Don’t tell me you’re buying his line.”
“Not a chance. Did he flirt with you?”
“He started to...then he saw my profile.” Christine patted her rounded stomach; she was seven months pregnant. “But I have to admit that he’s delicious. Of course, maybe your tastes run to tall, dark and silent.” She winked.
It was an obvious reference to Gabe, and Tessa tried not to grind her teeth in frustration. Poppy Gold’s rumor mill was alive and well, and his supposed interest in her hadn’t escaped the staff’s notice.
Fortunately another group arrived to register, saving Tessa from having to reply.
She went outside, and down the street she spotted KJ again; he was chatting with another young woman. He wasn’t the least bit grim or distant, and she recalled what Gabe had said about his friend. I don’t think KJ will stand out, at least not in the way you think.
He was right.
* * *
AFTER WORK, LANCE went to cool off by the creek before going back to the locker room. He splashed cold water in his face, washing off the dust and sweat. There were glints of gold on the creek bottom as usual, but he tried to ignore them, knowing they were just pyrite.
He yawned.
A glint that was bigger than usual caught his attention, and he told himself it was nothing. The creek was high because the heat had melted snow faster than normal up in the Sierras, so a bunch more pyrite had likely settled into a crevice. Still...he reached in and flicked the shimmering speck. It didn’t swirl away.
More curious than hopeful, he scooped out a handful of sand and gravel and saw a gold lump in the middle. It seemed awfully heavy for pyrite and didn’t look the same, either. He turned it over in his hand, certain it was the real thing. Maybe the lump wasn’t the size of a cow patty, but it was still a lump.
Yet even as Lance wondered how much it would be worth, he realized it didn’t belong to him. The creek was on Poppy Gold property, so this belonged to the Connors.
He stood up and trudged back to the maintenance building. The swing crew had arrived, but Mr. Connor was in his office, talking to Gabe.
“Something up, Lance?” Liam asked, waving him inside.
“I need to turn this in. It was in the creek, and I don’t think it’s pyrite,” he said, putting the lump of gold on the desk.
Liam looked the lump over and handed it back to him. “Looks real to me, but it’s yours, son. Probably worth around nine hundred or so. Nice find.”
The excitement Lance had tried to contain surged through him. “Are you sure? I mean about keeping it.”
“Of course. Nuggets sometimes wash down from higher in the mountains, not often, but occasionally. If you’re interested, a jewelry store or assayer’s office could verify it.”
Lance nodded and backed out, almost afraid he hadn’t heard right. Nobody gave away stuff like that in the kind of places where he’d lived as a kid.
He raced home to clean up, anxious to show Jamie.
* * *
GABE WAITED UNTIL Lance had disappeared before cocking his head. “Nice kid. Not too many people would hand that over.”
“He’s a fine boy,” Liam agreed. “Never lets up on the job. I’ve told my in-laws how hard he works, but they’re still concerned about him dating Jamie. After they met she started ducking the college class she was taking, and that motorcycle really bothers Emma. But I think it may also be a case of not knowing much about him. Living in such a small town spoils us. I used to know everything about the boys Tessa dated in high school.”
“Maybe they’re also concerned about how serious Lance and Jamie are getting,” Gabe suggested. “They aren’t even twenty yet. Maybe the Fullertons would rather she waited until after college to make any kind of commitment.”
Liam smiled gently. “Perhaps, but my wife was just a year older than Jamie when we got married, and I was only twenty-two, right out of the service.”
Gabe recalled what he’d read about Meredith Connor. He was willing to concede that some marriages could succeed, but he still believed that a good many contained hidden misery.
“How did you end up in the army, anyway?” he asked to change the subject. “Didn’t your father want you to work in the family business?”
“I enlisted at eighteen, same as you. I’d done a semester at Stanford and was getting into trouble. My father didn’t object too loudly, saying he’d hoped I’d learn discipline. When I got out, he sent me up here to sell Connor’s Folly. His idea was to give me a transition period back into college. He never imagined I’d stay. Or maybe he did. Tessa claims my father understands me better than I think.”
“He did give you Connor’s Folly as a wedding present,” Gabe murmured.
“Mmm, yes. I don’t know...maybe it’s destiny that sons and fathers never quite see eye to eye.”
Gabe made a noncommittal gesture. While Tessa knew about his connection to TIP, he had to be careful what he said to her father. It was unlikely that Liam would figure anything out—he was too preoccupied with his grief—but there was still a risk. Of course, it remained possible that some of Liam’s vagueness might come from secret drinking to drown his sorrow. Gabe had seen his hands shaking different times, and if Liam was that distraught over his wife’s death, he might occasionally take refuge in a bottle.
Gabe wondered if Tessa was aware or if he should mention it.
He shifted in his chair, uneasy about the way he was getting swept into the Connors’ lives. A year ago, he hadn’t worried about anything that didn’t affect his SEAL unit. It wasn’t like him to worry about a bereaved man’s state of mind.
* * *
WHEN GABE LEFT the maintenance building, he turned on his phone and saw a text from KJ saying he’d arrived and had already met the dynamo. His mouth tightened. Even if KJ had hit on Tessa, he wouldn’t have gotten anywhere. She was too intent on running Poppy Gold. She also wouldn’t spoil the illusion of being involved with Poppy Gold’s newest maintenance employee.
Back at his studio cottage, Gabe got on to the computer to Skype with Rob. His brother didn’t have anything new to report except that Tessa thought TIP could return to Poppy Gold in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, she was shifting reservations around to clear the El Dorado Mansion for their visit, which had already been repaired and put back in service.
Tessa had told Rob, but not him? It was the second time he’d been the last to hear important information, and it was frustrating.
Irritated, Gabe said goodbye to his brother and worked for a while, annotating his electronic list of employees with new information, but it was more difficult to focus than usual. Finally, he closed his laptop and got up.
Tessa had successfully avoided him for the past few days, but nobody at Poppy Gold would believe they were interested in each other if they didn’t spend time together. Even though it was a Friday night, she was probably working. Now that she’d more or less recovered from her fall at the El Dorado, she was putting in even more hours.
First he went to Old City Hall. “Is Tessa around?” he asked at Guest Registration. “I was hoping to have dinner with her.”
“I saw her around five but not since then,” said the young man tending the desk. “Try her office. There aren’t any special events tonight.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Gabe strode out, satisfied that word would get around that he’d been looking for Tessa.
A few guests were still in the train depot, so Gabe went in through the back staircase. Tessa’s office door was open, and he stepped inside.
“How about dinner?” he asked. “I could get something at the deli and meet you at the Victorian Cat. And don’t tell me you have work to do. You always have work, but it’s after seven.”
“I... All right.”
“Good. What would you like?”
“Turkey, Swiss cheese and avocado on sourdough bread,” she said promptly. “No onions or mustard and light on the mayo.”
“Don’t tell me, you’ve been wanting that sandwich all day long.”
“That’s right, I won’t tell you.”
Gabe grinned and headed for the downtown area of Glimmer Creek and the Gilbraith Delicatessen.
With luck, Tessa might be more cooperative with what he wanted if she got fed properly.
* * *
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, Tessa set her sandwich down on her coffee table and stared at Gabe. “You want what?”
“Access to your employee files and everything you have on your contractors, such as Sarah’s Sweet Treats,” he repeated matter-of-factly.
She made a derisive sound. Honestly, he didn’t have a clue. “That isn’t going to happen.”
“I suspected you weren’t going to be reasonable, but it’s important.”
“Oh, puleeze. You can’t honestly believe I’d do that. I gave a list to Uncle Milt with the proper authorization, but I can’t give it to you.”
Gabe glared. “I’ve researched everybody I know who works at Poppy Gold, but you’ve shot down my best suspects.”
“I didn’t shoot anybody down,” Tessa denied in a dry tone. “I just told you which ones had reasonable explanations for the money they were spending. If anything, I saved you time from pursuing unlikely suspects. But as promised, I mentioned Celina Noble to Uncle Milt, and he’s going to see what more he can learn about her.”
“Whatever.”
Honestly, Gabe was impossible. Tessa ate the last of her sandwich and pulled out the box of chocolate mint cookies he’d gotten for dessert. “Showing you employee records would violate their privacy, but we could go over what you’ve compiled together. It might duplicate everything Uncle Milt is doing, but a different perspective could be valuable.”
“I suppose,” he grumbled. He ate one of the cookies, looking like a little boy who was sulking because he hadn’t gotten his way. Tessa tried not to find it endearing. “I expect to get the background checks tomorrow from KJ’s company.”
“What can they do without Social Security numbers?”
“You’d be amazed,” Gabe murmured. “By the way, did you keep copies of the hate mail that Rob faxed you?”
“Yes.” She got up and fetched a file folder from a bookcase.
Gabe read through the letters. “These are disturbing, though they stop short of actually threatening violence. It’s mostly implied. Apparently the FBI hasn’t determined what magazines or newspapers were used to create them.”
Tessa pointed to the letter on top of the stack. “There’s something nagging me about that one. I’m just not sure why.”
“A familiar turn of phrase, maybe?”
“Not too many people who talk that way around me.”
“I suppose. Has Milt been able to determine anything?”
Tessa gave him a lopsided smile. “Hey, Uncle Milt won’t share information with me, either, other than to say he’s working on some ideas.”
“Then you know exactly how I feel. Or maybe not since you don’t think anyone in town could do anything wrong. Especially your family.”
“People have faults here the same as anywhere, but that doesn’t mean Glimmer Creek isn’t a good place. I know you have awful memories, but aren’t you giving them too much power? They seem to shape how you see the world.”
Gabe’s expression stiffened. “You don’t know anything about me or how I see the world.”
“I know what you’ve told me, which is a whole lot more than you think. I wouldn’t be surprised if you closed down emotionally before becoming a SEAL. You mentioned your mother has a drinking problem and that your father is a workaholic.”
“And I bet you’ll be just as work-obsessed when you have kids as you are now.”
Tessa’s heart ached. Deep down, Gabe was still the boy who’d been left to deal with an alcoholic mom, while his dad buried himself at his company. She’d bet anything that he’d been the first to give food to hungry kids when he was on a mission, grieved over those he couldn’t save, and was still haunted by their lost voices.
“I’m going to be involved with my children’s lives, the same way my parents were with mine,” she said quietly. “But I’m curious, since Rob is now running TIP, what is your father doing?”
“He retired to the Bahamas with his second wife. He gave us each a percentage of TIP and kept the rest.”
“He gave you part ownership? Rob told me he was angry that you’d enlisted, so he must have gotten over it.”
An odd emotion flitted across Gabe’s face. “Perhaps. It’s my mother who still won’t talk to me. She was livid when I enlisted.”
“If she was already having trouble coping with life, the thought of losing her son must have really made her freak. Maybe your relationship will get better now that you’re out.”
“Maybe. But to be completely honest, there isn’t much to fix between us. I remind her too much of my dad, and they hated each long before they got divorced. ‘Coldhearted monster’ was her favorite description of us both when she was drunk.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tessa hated seeing the bleakness in Gabe’s eyes. “I don’t think you’re the least bit cold. And you’re certainly not a monster.”
“Check again. I’m not Mr. Warm-and-Fuzzy.”
“You have a thick protective layer, but underneath that I think you care more about people than you let on.”
He shook his head, but Tessa was sure she was right. A man who didn’t care about other people didn’t become a navy SEAL. It was too dangerous and required too many sacrifices. What had Rob said—that his brother was honorable and decent?
Tessa leaned forward. “To change the subject, I want to explain why I’m working so hard right now. Poppy Gold’s conversion to a conference center is relatively recent and we can’t afford to fail. The town depends on us.”
“I’m sure Patrick Connor would bail you out.”
“I don’t want to be bailed out, I want to succeed. But as a return gesture of honesty, I’m willing to admit that while I hate micromanagers, I’ve been turning into one. So thank you for helping me to see that. I’m trying to...well...”
“Let people do their job instead of doing it for them or looking over their shoulder every minute?”
She tossed a wadded-up napkin at him. “Something like that.”
He chuckled. It was a curious moment of closeness and understanding—even shared humor—that tugged at her heart. It was also unsettling, because she’d never experienced a moment like that with a man.
Gabe gathered the trash from their meal and stuffed it in the bag from the deli. “By the way, I understand you think TIP can return in a couple of weeks? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just told Rob today.”
“But Milt already knows, too.”
“Of course. Uncle Milt agrees that a sting operation is needed since industrial espionage is so difficult to investigate. He’s also talked to Rob about the letters, even though technically it’s out of his jurisdiction.”
“I can’t see that stopping Milt.”
“Nope.”
Gabe stood up and stretched. “I’d better get going.”
Tessa got up to open the door. The hum of several conversations drifted in from the garden and Gabe quickly put an arm around her.
At first his kiss was more mechanical than sensual, but his lips slowly gentled. The mingled scent and taste of mint and chocolate drifted through her, and she relaxed against him.
The men she’d dated in San Francisco had worked in an office, usually too busy to stay in shape. A few had exercised, but none of them had possessed Gabe’s sheer muscled strength. It was exhilarating, and she struggled to keep from encouraging more than a kiss. She didn’t think he’d refuse...his arousal pressed against her, hard and insistent. If they hadn’t been in semipublic view, she might have satisfied her curiosity about how he’d respond to a bold exploration.
No, a voice whispered in her head.
She didn’t want to fall for a man like Gabe. Yet her thoughts scattered as his fingers spanned her rib cage. She wriggled against him, pleased to hear him groan.
The sound of nearby laughter was a cold splash of reality, and they both froze.
“I’d better go,” he muttered, his arms dropping so fast she nearly lost her balance. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He left before she could find her voice again, which was a good thing or she might have suggested he stay.