Full Bloom

a question to Jacob. He was talking in a low, intent voice, but she caught a few of the words and they froze her in her wet tracks. Jacob was not talking to Diane. He was talking to her brother.
    "No, I can't prove a damned thing, Drake. But I don't believe in coincidences. It's not as if people get attacked in Emily's garage on a regular basis. It might have been a piece of bad luck. God knows I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time on previous occasions. But this time I'm a little suspicious. I'm not going to let Emily take any chances. She's too vulnerable and Morrell knows it." He paused, listening. "No, you won't be able to reach us. I don't know yet where we'll be staying. Don't worry about it. I'll contact you. I'll keep her out of the way for a few days while you and Giff make your move."
    Emily was vaguely aware that she was creating a large, damp spot on her white carpet. She was also cold. But she could not seem to find the strength to move back into the steamy warmth of the bathroom. She listened to the remainder of the call with fatalistic attention.
    "How the hell should I know what approach you should take? I don't work for you anymore, remember? My only interest in all this is keeping Emily out of the way. You want some free advice? Try digging around the Satterly deal. There was something off base about that right from the start. We knew that. Check with Satterly's administrative assistant. He's the kind who will talk for a price. I've used him before. If you look hard enough, you should be able to find something you can use."
    Emily finally recovered control over her muscles. She walked slowly into her bedroom, the shower still running behind her, and reached for a terry-cloth robe. She belted it in place and went down the hall to the living room where Jacob was just completing his phone call.
    He was standing with his back to her, gazing out the window as he spoke. He sounded impatient and determined. Emily came to a halt in the doorway and stood looking at his bare, broad shoulders. Jacob was barefoot, wearing only a pair of jeans. He had not finished dressing after he'd gotten out of the shower a few minutes ago. He'd obviously waited until he'd heard the shower running again and then he'd reached for the phone.
    "Yeah, I'll give you a call in a couple of days to see how things are going. Don't worry about Emily. I'll take care of her." Jacob tossed the phone back down into its cradle and caught sight of Emily standing very still in the doorway. He swore softly. "I thought you were in the shower."
    "That's obvious. If you hadn't thought that, you wouldn't have made that call to my brother."
    "Emily, I didn't want to worry you." He watched her assessingly.
    "So thoughtful." She tightened the sash of the robe and moved a couple of steps into the room before stopping again. "Always looking out for my best interests. Such a loyal RI man. Always willing to sacrifice himself to keep the Ravenscrofts' wayward daughter out of trouble."
    Jacob ran a hand through his hair in a disgusted manner. "I guess you're going to read all the wrong things into that phone call, aren't you? I had a feeling you would. That's why I didn't want you to hear it."
    Her eyes widened with mock innocence. "How should I interpret that phone call, Jacob? Suppose you tell me exactly what's going on. What was the real reason you wanted to take me to the coast for a few days?"
    He regarded her consideringly. Emily had seen that look before, and she did not like it. He was wondering exactly how much to tell her. It made her aware once more of just how Jacob and her family had always dealt with her.
    "Emily…"
    Suddenly she'd had enough. "Forget it. I don't want to hear any more. I'm sure you were only acting in my
best interests
." She swung around and started back down the hall to her waiting shower. She would be lucky if there was any hot water left.
    "Emily, wait just one damned minute. As long as you overheard me talking to your brother, you might as well hear it all."
    Jacob came after her, reaching her just as she stepped into the steamy bathroom. His hand closed around her shoulder, tugging her around to face him. Unable to escape his hold, she looked up at him with stormy eyes.
    "I'd appreciate it if you would let go of me. I'm going to be late for work as it is."
    "You're not going in to work today. You're coming to the coast with me."
    "Why? Because you've arrived at some wild conclusion about those two punks who