Secrets Collide (Bluegrass Brothers)

ease as he cleared the table. But then he stopped and looked at his phone and reality came crashing in. She could like him and be attracted to him, but that was all it was ever going to be.
    “Focus on the case,” Gemma murmured.
    “What was that?” Paige asked.
    “Sorry. I was just thinking of the case.” Gemma gave a little smile and hoped they couldn’t see her blushing.
    “What about the case were you contemplating so hard?” Cy asked smoothly as he came into the living room.
    “I’m itching to get back to my sister’s notebooks. I know the answers have to be in there.”
    “Well, I’m all done with my part of the cleaning. Let me take you back and we can get to work. Good night, ladies.”
    “Good night, Cy.” Tammy smiled and looked to Gemma and she realized she hadn’t gotten away clean. Someone had noticed her looking at Cy. The question was what Tammy was going to do, if anything.
     
    Miss Lily’s porch light was on as they pulled to a stop at the bed and breakfast. Gemma was relieved to see the warm lights of the old house. She’d only been there for the day, but it felt like a retreat.
    Cy opened the front door for her and she walked into the large entrance way. These old houses with the wide, sweeping staircases and gorgeous wood detailing just didn’t exist in L.A.
    At the top of the stairs, Gemma paused at her door to dig for her key. No matter how small a purse she carried, she still couldn’t find what she wanted in it. Somehow her tiny purse would turn into a bottomless pit the second she tried to find something.
    “Gemma.”
    She raised her head and saw that Cy stood closer than she thought. He was looking down at her with a look she hadn’t seen before. Whatever it was, it was not the normal carefree mask he always wore.
    “Yes?”
    “I wanted . . . well, I thought . . .” Cy leaned forward and Gemma held her breath as anticipation coursed through her. Dink-dink . An incoming text on his cell phone interrupted the moment. Cy barely acknowledged the phone as he pulled it out, but Gemma caught an eyeful.
    “Isn’t that the lingerie model who just posed nude on the cover of . . . ?”
    “Doesn’t matter.”
    Gemma gave a shy smile. Was he really talking about her? Dink-dink . Gemma let out a frustrated breath. Every dink of that cell phone was a splash of cold water to the face. How stupid did she have to be to think he would want to be with her when that was texting and calling him? “And it seems she wants to talk to you. Better answer. Good night, Cy.”
     
    Cy wished Gemma had slammed the door. Then he would know that she cared. Instead, Gemma quietly closed and locked her door as Angelina kept calling his phone and he kept sending it to voicemail.
    With a sigh, he turned and headed for his room. He may not be taking Angelina’s call, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to be making one of his own.
    “Hello. Tonight?” Cy said into the phone as he stood by the window looking down to the front yard. “Good. I’ll see you then.”
     
    Gemma took her time getting ready for bed. She had worked a couple hours on the first notebook as darkness fell outside her window. She took a seat on the window bench and stared at the stars, still unused to seeing them so clearly.
    She glanced at the clock and saw it was already close to midnight. Somewhere in the back of her mind she had to admit the reason she hadn’t let the exhaustion claim her was hope. Hope she would hear a small tap on the door and open it to find Cy standing there ready to finish what it appeared he wanted to start earlier. Of course, that was just a dream.
    Gemma climbed onto the big four-poster bed and slid under the covers. Well, a little dreaming never hurt anyone—so long as you realized it was nothing but a dream. Gemma closed her eyes and dreamt of the kiss she had hoped to receive. The way his lips would dance along hers before taking her mouth possessively and with such eagerness, robbing her breath.
     
    Cy checked his watch and slid on his sneakers before heading out the door. He quietly went down the stairs and unlocked the door. He drove in silence out past the Ashton Farm and turned into the next drive. He gave a nod to the man at the gate who buzzed him in.
    He traveled the long drive and passed the dark massive house before turning down a side road and heading farther into the property. A two-story brick Federal house with black shutters stood at the end of the road. Lights warmed