Copper Beach

of the paranormal are always somewhat outside the mainstream.”

    Willow narrowed her eyes. “So are those who deal in the paranormal.”

    Abby kept her smile in place. “Takes one to know one.”

    Willow gave her an assessing look. “You’re trying to convince me that your relationship with my son is strictly business, aren’t you?”

    “A business arrangement is the basis of our association. Sam and I made a deal, you see. He’s trying to keep me from being kidnapped by some other collector who is after the notebook. In exchange, I’m trying to find the notebook for him. So far, he has upheld his end of the bargain. I’m still working on my half.”

    “If your relationship with my son is strictly business, I’m surprised you’re staying in the old house. That’s his personal residence.”

    “He had to stash me somewhere,” Abby pointed out. “There weren’t a lot of options. Someone did try to kidnap me, you know.”

    “Yes, I heard about what happened after you found Webber’s body. That must have been a terrifying experience.”

    Abby pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t say it ranked quite that high on my personal fear-and-panic meter. I reserve that category of terrifying for my step-grandmother. But the carjack incident definitely met the criteria for extremely alarming. Sam handled it brilliantly, though. Like I said, he is holding up his end of the deal.”

    Willow considered her with a thoughtful expression. “You are a very unusual woman, Abby.”

    “Just trying to do my job.”

    “Did Sam tell you that he’s had some experience investigating paranormal crimes?”

    “I think he said something about having done some work for the post office.”

    Willow’s eyes widened. “The post office?”

    “Never mind.” Abby smiled. “Inside joke. Yes, he mentioned his consulting work.”

    “He told you about those jobs?”

    “Not a lot,” Abby admitted. “Between you and me, I think he was trying to reassure me that he does know what he’s doing. Giving me his résumé, as it were.”

    Willow regarded her with a long, considering look. “Neither Sam nor Judson are in the habit of telling people about the nature of their consulting work. In fact, I would be willing to bet that Sam has never mentioned it to any of the other women he has been involved with in the past.”

    “To be clear, Sam and I are not exactly involved, at least not seriously involved. Not in the way you mean.”

    Willow brushed that aside. “I suppose you’ve heard about what happened to the last woman he dated.”

    “Hard not to know about it, under the circumstances. I got the first lecture on the subject from Dixon. Got another from a friend of mine who Googled Sam. Got the story from Sam. And last but not least, today I received yet another lecture on the subject from the waitress at the diner in town.”

    Willow’s lips thinned. “I hate to hear that everyone is still talking about it.”

    “I understand.”

    “You don’t seem concerned about the old rumors.”

    “Nope. Thaddeus Webber would never have sent me to Sam if he thought there was any danger involved. And my friend Gwen vouched for Sam.”

    “Who’s Gwen?”

    “She’s a psychic counselor. Reads auras.”

    “Good grief. You decided to trust my son because your friend claimed to be able to see his aura?”

    “Gwen is a genuine talent, and she is very, very good,” Abby said coolly. “But I can see that even though you’re married to a man who has a considerable amount of talent himself, and you’ve got two sons and a daughter with exceptional abilities, you don’t really want to buy into the whole paranormal thing any more than is absolutely necessary.”

    Willow grimaced. “I’ve always realized that my husband and Sam and Emma and Judson all have unusual sensitivities. But I prefer to think of their gifts as being more in the nature of very powerful intuition.”

    Abby smiled. “You’re okay with the concept of intuition?”

    “Yes, of course.” Willow moved a hand slightly. “I’m sure that most people have experienced a flash of intuition at one time or another in their lives. Unfortunately, they don’t always listen to their inner voice.”

    Abby smiled. “That’s true.”

    Willow’s brows came together in a severe expression. “But that doesn’t mean there is any need to resort to the concept of paranormal forces in order to explain my husband’s and my sons’ and daughter’s