If You Know Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense
girl, how awful it must be for her. Beth Caudill, one of Deb’s cronies. No doubt everybody who
didn’t
know about Nia’s change in location, well, they’d know by lunchtime. Five o’clock at the latest.
The small-town grapevine, Ezra thought, amused. Nothing quite like it.
She hadn’t left.
Outwardly, he chatted, made small talk, things he’d done all his life.
He ate his breakfast, even asked for a second helping of pancakes. He drank three cups of coffee, expressed his concern about the possibility of a super Walmart that might or might not be built over in Oakfield. He listened to the women gossip, the men complain, and did his own share, as well.
But all the while, on the inside, he brooded. Nia Hollister hadn’t left.
And not only had she not
left
, she’d settled down at the Inn … in one of the cabins. Those cabins were a more long-term arrangement than a vacation-type stay.
If she was staying there …
Fuck.
This was not good.
The Inn was just a few miles from Law’s place, just as the deputy had promised. Kent had given her directions, a phone number, even told her to use his name—
I’m a cousin, sort of
.
Nia was starting to think half the town was a Jennings, or a
cousin, sort of
.
By midmorning that Saturday, she had a better place to stay—a cabin, with a kitchenette, for roughly a little less than she’d be paying at home. That was going to kill her savings, if she didn’t find somebody to sublet her place. Not that it was going to be an issue—finding somebody.
Settling in, though, as expected took awhile.
After all, she had to buy stuff. Especially since Nia didn’t plan on going anywhere just yet—not until shefound some of the answers she needed. She had to get food. Had to call back home, see about that subletting deal—yeah, she’d already gotten the ball rolling, but still, checking in never did hurt, right? She also needed to get a friend to go in and send her some more clothes and stuff.
And no, she wasn’t procrastinating—why should she? It wasn’t like she was
obligated
to go out and see Law.
Even though she wanted to. Even though she
needed
to, longed to …
There was just other stuff she needed to do. Other, important stuff, stuff that allowed her to … think. Think about the fact that she wasn’t sure she was equipped to deal with him, or the fact that he made her brain shut down, even as he made her heart ache, like no other guy had ever managed to do.
Think about the fact that she was here for one reason—one reason alone, and it had nothing to do with him. Once that was done, she’d leave.
So did she really need to get involved with him?
Probably not.
Not that it kept her from thinking about him …
Law swiped the towel over his face as he came back inside.
Catching sight of a familiar head of hair in the office he’d set up in his living room, he scowled.
Waiting until he could say something without gasping, he just glared.
A minute passed before Hope lifted her head and smiled beatifically at him.
“Hi.”
“It’s Saturday,” he said, pointedly.
“Yes. And tomorrow is Sunday. After that? Monday. Then Tuesday. Just think, they said we’d never use the stuff we learned in school, but here we are, using thosebasic skills we learned in kindergarten,” she drawled, grinning at him so that a dimple flashed in her cheek.
“I don’t pay you to work on weekends.” Shit, he didn’t exactly pay her an hourly wage, period. And it wasn’t like he cared—he just wasn’t in the mood to put up with anybody today. Except maybe … no. Wasn’t thinking about that, about her. Wasn’t thinking about that rain check he hadn’t cashed in.
Hope smirked. “You pay me on salary—doesn’t matter when I get the job done, as long as I get it done. And the work is piling up since you have a book coming out in a couple of weeks, and a deadline. Figured I’d get a jump on the e-mail and the stuff you need mailed.”
Shit, the book. He’d all but forgotten it. What the hell?
Sweat trickled down his back, but the tension Law had hoped to burn off during the run remained, lurking just under his skin, an edgy, greedy beast. Setting his jaw, he studied the work Hope had already piled around her—settling in. “Don’t you have plans with your hotshot lawyer?”
She shrugged. “No. He got called in for something or other and I didn’t feel like hanging around the apartment.” Cocking a brow at him, she asked, “Is there
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