TESSA ROLLED OVER in bed on Saturday morning, luxuriating in the one day a week she allowed herself an extra hour.
The wedding had gone well, in spite of Gabe’s unexpected presence. He’d helped quite a bit, shifting chairs to expand the dance floor, etc. He’d tried to be unobtrusive, but one of the bridesmaids had tried coaxing him to dance. He must have been tempted—she’d been tall, slender and well-endowed in her low-cut gown. She also hadn’t seemed to be looking for more than a night of fun.
Whether Gabe had succumbed was another question. At one point Tessa had spotted the other woman slip something into his pocket. A key? An invitation? Either way, it wasn’t her business, though he probably hadn’t because of the investigation.
Tessa had just closed her eyes again when the doorbell rang. The only person likely to visit this early on a Saturday morning was her father, so she threw a wrap over her nightgown and ran downstairs. Pop got depressed when they had weddings at Poppy Gold, so she’d begun telling him to stay away from the events. She didn’t think it was because he begrudged anyone else their happiness; weddings were just another reminder that the love of his life was gone.
“Hey, Pop, want some breakfast?” she said as she opened the door.
Only it wasn’t Liam Connor standing there. It was Gabe McKinley.
“You shouldn’t answer doors without checking who’s on the other side,” he advised, looking her up and down. “Especially dressed like that.”
Tessa determinedly kept from blushing. Her light cotton nightdress wasn’t provocative. It was cool and comfortable and far less revealing than swimwear.
“That’s none of your concern.”
Gabe stepped past her into the apartment, and she scowled, irritated by the flash of feminine heat he provoked.
“It’s customary to wait for an invitation. Were you raised in a barnyard?” she asked, shutting the door more firmly than necessary.
“Nope, but I had a vodka-guzzling mother and work-obsessed father, so I’m afraid the social niceties were left out of my education.” The blunt response seemed typical of him.
“I don’t think you’re afraid of anything.”
“Just of my brother getting hurt.”
“Fair enough. Where did Rob learn his manners?” Tessa asked, heading for the kitchen. She needed coffee to deal with Gabe McKinley, the stronger the better.
“From one of our grandmothers. Grandma Ada moved back to Los Angeles soon after I enlisted. She’s a true, old-style Bostonian. Quite proper and correct.”
Tessa ground coffee beans and started them brewing. “My mom’s parents are here in Glimmer Creek, but I still miss my Connor grandparents in San Francisco. Things are so busy I don’t get to see them often enough. Oh, I called my grandfather yesterday to tell him about the problems with TIP,” she added casually.
Gabe stared. “You did what?”
“I talked to Granddad, which is something granddaughters do occasionally. But don’t worry—he won’t say anything to my dad about the staircase or the thefts.”
“Who cares about that? You just told the enemy that TIP has a problem.”
“No, I told my grandfather. I asked if anyone has approached him or Connor Enterprises with offers of insider information. He doesn’t know of any, but he’ll check with his security staff.”
Gabe paced the length of the small kitchen with the energy of a caged panther. “This isn’t a fairy tale, Tessa. He’ll use this against TIP. We may as well advertise it in the New York Times.”
Tessa took eggs and cheese from the refrigerator, realizing Gabe genuinely didn’t understand that decent people vastly outnumbered the bad.
“Calm down before you have a stroke,” she advised. “I’ll put this in terms you should understand—Granddad won’t say or do anything, if for no other reason than it would devastate Poppy Gold Inns.”
“Poppy Gold stole both you and your father away from working with him,” Gabe snapped. “I’m sure he doesn’t harbor any fondness for the place.”
“Nobody stole anything. My father was never happy until he met my mom,” Tessa said, feeling the familiar stab of grief. Would thinking about her mother always hurt this much? “Grandfather deeded Connor’s Folly to my parents because he knew Glimmer Creek was the right place for his son. He also knew I expected to manage Poppy Gold when my parents retired and was glad to have me in San Francisco for however long I could stay. He’s never once done anything to make me feel guilty for leaving.”
“What about his empire?”
“Maybe I’ll have a child who wants to run it someday.”
Gabe’s expression turned even grimmer. “It’s irresponsible to bring children into such a screwed-up world.”
Tessa began breaking eggs into a bowl, unsure of how to react. She’d heard men spout the same sentiment as if repeating something they’d read and used as a toss-off line to warn a date they weren’t looking for anything permanent. It isn’t right to bring kids into this kind of world, usually delivered in a smug, self-satisfied tone.
But with Gabe, it was real and personal. He didn’t want children for the exact reason he’d given.
“The world isn’t going to get better if people stop having kids,” she said finally. “Every child represents hope. They could become a Mother Teresa or brilliant doctor, or just a good person who adds to the decency in the world.”
“Yeah, well you haven’t seen the things I’ve seen. Hideous, backbreaking poverty. Brutality at the most vicious level. Ruthless killing that doesn’t care about life, much less innocence.” He delivered the words in a clipped, almost emotionless tone, yet the rigidity in his posture spoke volumes. This was a man who’d seen the darkest parts of human nature and was still bleeding inside from them. “There isn’t much hope in any of that.”
Tessa drew a shaky breath and began beating the eggs. Gabe had reasons for being such a cynic. Pop had also seen dreadful things while serving in the army...some so awful he still had intense dreams about them. It was partly why they tried to assist military men and women and their families.
The coffee finished brewing, and she poured two cups, wordlessly handing one to Gabe. He stood at the kitchen window, staring into the garden. The Victorian gardens at Poppy Gold were lushly, romantically beautiful—an idyllic delight, enticing butterflies and birds to visit. Yet Tessa wondered if Gabe was seeing something else entirely.
A pang went through her. Anyone who could have such deep wounds in his soul over the hurts and injustices of the world had to have a larger heart than he’d probably admit to having. Trying not to think about it, she swallowed a mouthful of coffee and put two skillets to heat on the stove. When they were ready, she poured in the egg mixture.
“I’ll bet all those cats upstairs would love to get outside,” Gabe murmured after a long silence. “Lots of birds to catch. Or do you think Mr. Fezziwig would leave them alone because you asked him to be nice?”
It was an obvious attempt to get a rise out of her, but Tessa wasn’t biting. “We keep the cats inside because it’s safer and healthier for them, but I’m sure they’d chase birds if given an opportunity.”
“Then all they have to hunt are dust bunnies.”
“We have a dedicated housekeeping staff, so I hope the cats don’t have those to hunt, either. However, they have toys in their rooms and lots of company.”
Tessa added fillings to the omelets before dropping slices of bread in the toaster.
“Do you want cream or sugar for your coffee?” she asked, noticing he hadn’t drunk any.
“Neither. I prefer it black.”
She shrugged and poured milk into her own cup. A few minutes later she cleared her throat. “Come and get it. I’m hungry, even if you aren’t.”
* * *
GABE TURNED AND blinked at the golden omelets sitting on the breakfast table. Without fuss, Tessa had produced breakfast for two. With another woman he might have wondered if she was trying to impress him, but Tessa’s low opinion of him wasn’t a secret.
He liked that.
He also liked that she wasn’t fussing about being in her nightgown. It was white, feminine and full to the ground. What she probably didn’t know was that despite the floaty thing she wore over it, the fabric was transparent enough to reveal hints of her figure. Curiously, it was just as provocative as a more revealing garment.
“I didn’t expect you to feed me.”
She shrugged and spooned jam on her toast. “Are you here to tell me something?”
“Yes.” Gabe put his cup on the table and sat in a chair. “I told you that I have security contacts. One of them is coming next Friday for a few days. He owns a security business that does a little bit of everything, including private investigations.”
“So he’s coming to do a reconnaissance.”
“Exactly. I didn’t want KJ to arrive without your knowledge. I also figured you’d want to tell Milt about him.”
Tessa hiked an eyebrow. “That sounds very self-righteous for somebody who’s been spying on us.”
“Are you ever going to let that go?”
She ate a bit of toast before answering. “Probably not. Is KJ another ex-SEAL?”
“Yeah.”
“Married?”
“Definitely not.”
“Too bad. He might not stand out so much if he had a wife with him.”
Gabe ate a bite of omelet. It was tasty, though that didn’t surprise him. Tessa was a pint-size dynamo who seemed capable of anything. Even after almost getting killed, she’d worked a full day and kept things moving at Poppy Gold.
“I don’t think KJ will stand out, at least not in the way you think,” he said.
“Now I’m curious.”
“You’ll figure it out when he gets here,” Gabe told her. It was almost guaranteed that KJ would hit on Tessa.
They finished breakfast in silence.
“I suppose you’re working today,” Gabe said when she got up and put their plates in the sink.
“This morning. Later this afternoon there’s an ice-cream social at the Veterans Memorial Hall, and I’m trying to convince Pop to go.”
“Why wouldn’t he?”
Tessa seemed to hesitate. “Remember I told you he met my mother at an ice-cream social? The memories are hard for him, and he gets emotional. So what are you going to do with your weekend?”
“Something you won’t like—I’m researching the employees at Poppy Gold. I’ve identified several people who seem to be big spenders. You know, fancy cars, big homes or other purchases that suggest hidden income.”
“I told you—”
“I know what you told me,” he interrupted, “but it’s the only action I can take right now, and it’s amazing how much information is available on the internet and through gossip.”
* * *
TESSA LOOKED AT the clock on her stove. It was past the usual time she got to her office on Saturday morning. Except...maybe it would be better to deal with Gabe now, rather than later.
“All right, what are the names?”
His eyebrows went up. “I thought you needed to work.”
“What I need is to make sure you don’t point a finger at somebody for no good reason. Believe it or not, people deserve their privacy. We’ll call Uncle Milt if I agree that something sounds questionable.”
“I don’t have the list with me. How about taking a drive? That’s a nice thing for people to do when they’re getting to know each other. And there wouldn’t be any chance of being overheard.”
“Fine,” she agreed. “I’ll get dressed and make a few phone calls. When and where should I meet you?”
“Let’s say ten o’clock near that Sarah’s Treat place.”
“Sarah’s Sweet Treats,” Tessa corrected automatically. Her cousin’s bakery and catering business was near the pedestrian shopping street. She could take care of a few things and get there quickly.
“Whatever. Wear something that looks like we’re going out on a date, not what you normally wear to work.”
“My clothes are my business. Anyhow, I doubt you know how to have fun. By the way, you had some nerve suggesting I work too many hours the other day. Aren’t navy SEALs a dedicated lot?”
Gabe looked chagrined. “Yes. But I don’t have a family at home.”
“Neither do I. So do me a favor and stuff your double-standard attitudes.”
She saw Gabe out, stepping back quickly when she suspected he intended to give her another kiss at the door. There weren’t any suspicious shadows in the early morning sunlight, and she didn’t want an unnecessary repeat of something that had kept her awake for hours every night since then.
Drat him, anyhow.
She didn’t sleep around, but with one kiss, Gabe had turned her into a sex-crazed woman who had trouble thinking about anything except ripping his shirt off. Surely it was just because he was different from every other man she’d met.
He was mysterious, strong, dangerous, and the darkness in his eyes held a deep pain...
Furious for even thinking about it, she went upstairs and threw her nightgown on the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror, turning back and forth in the reflection. So, Gabe wanted her to dress for a date. Tessa smiled and decided to accommodate him. She pulled out shorts, a lacy, camisole-style top and strappy sandals.
The other night Gabe had pulled her against him as they kissed, and there hadn’t been any doubt that he’d become aroused. But he wouldn’t be thinking about sex today...not with so much of her skin an unsightly patchwork of yellowing bruises.
* * *
GABE WAITED NEAR the bakery, uncomfortable in the cheerful throng of tourists. He half expected Tessa not to show up, but he still kept looking for her.
A shapely pair of legs caught his attention, and he watched with appreciation. Not overly long, but shapely. On her feet were the type of ridiculously impractical sandals that women sometimes wore, with a loop over the big toe and a thin band around the ankle. Her naturally golden skin was nice, with plenty of it displayed since she also wore a skimpy top that revealed her midriff.
Gabe’s gaze moved upward again, and his jaw dropped.
Tessa?
“Hey,” she said, smiling provocatively. “I hope you didn’t have to wait long.” Rising up on her toes, she pressed a light kiss on his mouth. “Do I look all right?”
She turned slowly, and Gabe suddenly understood her transformation. The bruises from her fall were quite evident, and he was torn between wanting to drag her into bed and concern for what she’d gone through.
He cleared his throat. “You look great.”
“Why, thank you, Gabe,” she returned in an overly sweet tone. “Shall we go?”
“Yeah.”
In his SUV, she put on her seat belt with a satisfied look on her face.
“Was that necessary?” Gabe asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your outfit.”
“You wanted me to wear something other than my work clothes.” Her expression was pure innocence.
“I didn’t say... Oh, never mind.”
Tessa had a wicked sense of humor, but if she thought a few bruises would turn him off, she was greatly mistaken. Instead, they’d made him start thinking about positions in bed that would put less pressure on her discolored bottom. Well, he didn’t know her bottom was discolored...other than the bruises he could see extending from beneath her very short shorts.
Frustrated, he headed out of town, taking the shortest possible route onto the small highway.
“Not that I want to be a backseat driver, but you’re driving as if the hounds of hell are chasing us,” Tessa advised.
Gabe lifted his foot off the accelerator, but it was too late. Lights flashed behind him, and he pulled over to the side of the road. Pain instantly throbbed in his temples.
The cruiser stopped behind him, and an officer got out, walking up to the driver’s window. He looked inside, and his face split into a smile. “Whoa, Tessa, you’re dressed to kill.”
“It’s a hot day, Howie. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I heard your mother’s sciatica is acting up. How is she?”
“She’s back on her feet and should be at the ice-cream social later. Are you going?”
“Unless you arrest me.”
The deputy grinned wider. “The way you’re dressed, I ought to bring you in for something, but I’ll let you off with a warning.” He sobered when he looked at Gabe. “Sir, may I have your driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance card?”
Keeping his expression as neutral as possible, Gabe dug them out. Howie examined each carefully before taking them to his cruiser.
Gabe glanced at Tessa. “Another cousin?”
“High school boyfriend.”
Of course.
Howie came back a few minutes later and returned the documents. “I won’t give you a ticket today, Mr. McKinley, but please stay within the speed limit from now on.” He tipped his hat to Tessa. “Nice to see you, Tessa.”
“Same here, Howie.”
Gabe waited until the cruiser had U-turned and was driving back toward Glimmer Creek. “Don’t say anything,” he warned.
Tessa gave him a smug smile. “You know that isn’t going to happen. Now everyone will believe we’re out on a joyride. Howie will make sure of it.”
“We had to run into your old boyfriend.”
“There are worse things—it could have been Uncle Milt. Not that he won’t hear about it. Speeding with his great-niece in the car won’t endear you to him.”
Sheesh. Gabe checked for traffic and pulled onto the road again.
“So, who are your current suspects?” Tessa asked after they’d driven several more miles.
“The first is Cheryl Clark. She’s low on the housekeeping staff but recently bought a new Mercedes. She isn’t married and doesn’t seem to have a rich boyfriend.”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Tessa shake her head. “Cheryl inherited money a few years ago from her grandparents. She probably could quit but seems to prefer working. She’s dated our local pharmacist for years. They have a very unusual relationship. Quite inventive, as a matter of fact.”
“That sounds like an interesting story.”
“Let’s just say they enjoy creative role-playing and don’t mind going public with it.” Her voice was amused. “Who else are you suspicious about?”
Gabe spotted a historical marker at the side of the road and pulled off again to park under a tree. He took his list from his pocket and reviewed it. “Nate Dixon on the maintenance crew has paid off the home he just bought two years ago. He also just purchased a new truck, loaded with every possible accessory.”
“Let me guess, Pablo Garcia, Penny Cox and Wes Sunderland are also on that sheet of paper.”
Gabe nodded, hoping he was finally making progress.
“Sorry,” Tessa said instead. “They won the lottery together ten months ago. It was a nice payout, even after taxes. Who else?”
Losing his best suspects was exasperating, but on the other hand, he wouldn’t waste any more time on the wrong people. Perhaps Tessa was going to be more help than he’d thought...and drive him to distraction in the process.
“Jodi Wilcox in Housekeeping. She was talking in the employee break room about going on a cruise this autumn. Frankly, she’s the nondescript sort nobody would notice going in and out of guest rooms.”
“Jodi isn’t a saint, but she works hard and will turn in a dime if she finds it on the street. Her daughter and son-in-law are taking her on a cruise to Alaska for her birthday.”
Tessa wiggled in her seat and stretched out her legs. It hiked her shorts even higher, and Gabe nearly lost track of the conversation. She really did have nice skin, bruises notwithstanding.
“Uh, okay,” he muttered. “The last two are Celina Noble and Lance Beckley.”
“Why Lance?”
“He’s new in town and spends a fair amount of money on Jamie Fullerton. He’s also mentioned wanting to make it big.”
“Ambition isn’t a crime.”
“No, but someone might try to exploit it. What can you tell me about Celina?”
Tessa’s face was thoughtful. “Not a great deal. She didn’t grow up in Glimmer Creek and has a reputation for being a loner. It’s no secret that she prefers working the night shift in Guest Registration.”
“She has expensive taste in jewelry.”
“Again, not a crime. We can mention her to Uncle Milt, but she could have inherited, saved, be buying on credit or any number of other perfectly innocent alternatives. For all we know, she’s related to someone who runs a large international company and is investigating industrial espionage.”
Gabe’s headache got worse. “How many times will I have to apologize for that?” he asked.
“Until I think you mean it.”
* * *
ON THE DRIVE back to Glimmer Creek, Tessa reflected that trying to fake a romantic relationship was rather like having rabbits—one thing led to another until you were ankle-deep in bunnies.
She’d agreed to lunch so they’d be away long enough to look as if it had been a genuine outing, then Gabe had decided she should walk back through Poppy Gold carrying something “fun,” similar to returning from a carnival with a stuffed animal. She’d wryly suggested balloons, and he’d taken her seriously.
“Where is your brain? I’m not eight,” she’d said in exasperation.
As a compromise she’d bought a pair of glove stretchers at Beecher’s Antique Mall; their bags were printed with a bold drawing of a gold miner holding up a nugget and yelling, “Eureka.”
“Under the circumstances, shouldn’t we go to the ice-cream social together?” Gabe asked as he parked near the bakery again.
“No. We have nothing else to discuss, and you just want to give me a hard time. But don’t let me stop you from going.”
“It might be a good place to learn more about the locals, but I’m not the kind of guy who goes to that sort of thing alone,” Gabe argued. “It would be better to have people speculating about who I’m with than something else.”
Tessa pursed her lips.
The bunnies were now hopping up to her knees.
If she went to the ice-cream social with Gabe, her father might think that she was starting to look for a serious relationship. Yet if she told Pop about the problems with TIP and the possible connection to her accident on the staircase, he’d worry himself sick.
Pop would rather close Poppy Gold Inns forever than risk his daughter getting hurt.
“Tessa?” Gabe prompted.
“I was just thinking about my father,” she said slowly. “I don’t like lying to him.”
“Not correcting a wrong impression isn’t exactly a lie, and you’re already trying to avoid telling him about the information thefts.”
She frowned unhappily. “All right, I’ll tell him we’re seeing each other, but that it’s very casual since we don’t think we’re compatible. Maybe I can tell him that I’m mostly trying to get you to loosen up so you’re more approachable for our guests.”
“I did okay last night at the wedding.”
“That’s because one of the bridesmaids wanted to sleep with you and didn’t intend to take no for answer.”
* * *
GABE DIDN’T BOTHER wondering if Tessa had been jealous; her tone was too unconcerned. If she hadn’t liked the other woman’s behavior, she was keeping it hidden.
He parked near the pedestrian shopping street and got out to open the door for Tessa.
“When should I pick you up this afternoon?” he asked.
“I’ll meet you. Or we’ll meet you, provided I can talk Pop into going. Four o’clock at the Glimmer Creek Veterans Memorial Hall. That’s up Carson Street on the right.”
“Gotcha.”
Tessa slid down from the high seat of the SUV, avoiding the hand he extended to help her. She grabbed her shopping bag and neatly ducked as he stepped closer for a kiss.
“Just pretend we had an argument about the bridesmaid,” she advised him.
Damn, she was sharp.
Tessa walked away, and he watched appreciatively. She packed a lot of punch in her petite frame, swinging her hips with just the right amount of sass.
Cool it, he ordered silently.
Tessa Connor had already proved to be a handful, and she was the wrong kind of woman for a casual affair.
The bridesmaid on the other hand?
She’d definitely been looking for a one-nighter, but only to get back at her boyfriend, who hadn’t been able to attend the wedding. Distaste filled Gabe. He might have a dim view of marriage and long-term relationships, but he wouldn’t help someone cheat, for revenge or otherwise.