Copper Beach

turned back to Abby. “This is your idea of revenge, isn’t it?”

    “No,” she said. “I swear it’s not.”

    “I hope you enjoy it.” Dawson slammed the briefcase shut, picked it up and went down the hall.

    The door closed behind him.

    “Excuse me,” Abby said.

    She rushed out of the kitchen and disappeared into the bedroom. Newton hurried after her.

    Sam got up and followed the pair, not sure what he should say or do. It was clear that Abby was accustomed to handling her problems all by herself or with the help of her close-knit circle of friends. But he happened to be the one who was here today.

    He walked into the bedroom. Abby was sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching a tissue. She was not crying. She had one hand on Newton, who had his front paws propped on the bed beside her.

    “Please go away,” she said, a little too politely. “I’ll be fine.”

    Sam went to the bed. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

    “We’re a team now,” he said. “That means you’re stuck with me.”

    She pressed her face into his shoulder and sobbed.

16

    AFTER A WHILE SHE REALIZED THAT THE HUMILIATING BOUT of visible weakness was finally over. She stopped crying. The temptation to stay where she was, wrapped warm and tight in Sam’s arms, was almost overwhelming. It took everything she had to push herself away from him.
    “This is so embarrassing,” she said. She stepped back and managed a shaky, rueful smile. “Sorry about the drama. Sorry about your shirt, too.”

    He glanced down at the damp spot. “It’ll dry.”

    “I’m okay now. Just lost it there for a while.” She grabbed another tissue and blew her nose. “I haven’t been sleeping well lately, and now there’s the blackmail thing and that stupid lab notebook and Dawson facing bankruptcy and…and last night.”

    “I thought last night went well,” he said neutrally. “It certainly did for me.”

    “I didn’t mean that. Not exactly.” Utterly mortified now, she tossed the tissue into the little wastebasket and rushed past him toward the bathroom. “Never mind. Give me a few minutes to wash my face.”

    “Sure,” he said.

    She fled into the bathroom, closed the door and turned on the cold water. She winced when she saw her tear-swollen face in the mirror. She was not one of those women who cried in an attractive way. But, then, it wasn’t as if she’d had a lot of experience. She rarely cried these days, and when she did, she made certain that she was always alone.

    It was the stress. She’d been under a lot of it lately. She had to get a grip.

    She leaned over the sink and splashed the cold water on her face for a couple of minutes, then turned off the faucet and grabbed a towel. When her face was dry, she took another critical look at the wan features of the woman in the mirror. Show no weakness. She reached for a lipstick and a compact.

    A short time later, feeling back in control, she went into the front room. Sam was standing at the window, looking out over the rain-dampened city. He turned around when he sensed her approach.

    “You can’t stay here,” he said. “Not now.”

    She stopped in the middle of the room. “What?”

    “There are too many people after that book, and a lot of them have decided you can get it for them. I’m going to take you to a different location, one that is more secure. You’ll be safe there, while I look for the blackmailer.”

    “What on earth are you talking about? I can’t just disappear.”

    He smiled. “Sure you can. You’ll see.”

    “What are you proposing to do with me? Stash me in a hotel room under a different name?”

    “No. I’m going to take you to the Copper Beach house. I’ve got good security there. In addition, strangers stand out like sore thumbs on the island. It’s hard to get ashore without being noticed.”

    “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Horrified, she held up both hands, palms out, and waved him to silence. “Thanks but no thanks. I appreciate the thought, but that is not going to work.”

    “Why not?”

    She lowered her hands. “You said it yourself a few minutes ago. We’re a team. We’re going to have to work this thing together. You don’t stand much of a chance of finding that lab book, let alone breaking the code, without my help. And I need you to track down the blackmailer. Let’s face it. Finding out that my stepbrother is under a lot of pressure to come up with that book really put the icing on the cake,