thing. “I can give you some names,” Quinn offered reluctantly. “Talk to some people I used to know.”
Not that he could guarantee those people would talk to him.
“You’ve heard of the White Wolf Run condominiums, right?” Alex asked. “Jeff Gaines happens to be a close friend of mine.”
“Really?” Quinn’s voice was stripped of emotion.
Apparently, Porter had not only done his homework, he’d done the extra credit. O’Halloran Security had put in a bid on that job.
A wave of frustration battered Quinn’s resolve. This was the difference between the haves and the have-nots. When you belonged to the first group, all you had to do was open your wallet to get your way.
“I can put in a good word for you,” Alex said.
The underlying message was clear. If Quinn agreed to work for him.
The confidence in Porter’s voice rankled. And brought back that pride versus the paycheck issue again. Designing a security system for the White Wolf Run condos would boost Quinn’s income enough to wipe out some of his start-up debt, install an air conditioner in the sweltering office and allow him to replace outdated equipment. It would also go a long way in securing his business’s reputation in the area.
And your own.
Quinn ignored the mocking voice that infiltrated his thoughts.
“How does your sister feel about someone invading her personal space?” He wasn’t agreeing to anything yet. Just…inquiring.
“It doesn’t matter because Abby isn’t going to know why you’re there. Or that I hired you.”
Quinn’s internal alarm system went off. “What do you mean she isn’t going to know why I’m there?”
“She can’t find out that I’m involved in this. We had a bit of a disagreement when she turned in her resignation. Abby refuses to accept any help from me. She can be a little…stubborn.”
Apparently a Porter family trait.
“What a shock,” Quinn muttered, silently adding that bit of information to what he’d learned about Alex Porter’s younger sister so far.
Impulsive. Temperamental. Stubborn—Quinn translated that as spoiled. Oh, and what was the other word Alex had used to describe her?
Fragile.
All of them added up to one thing.
Trouble.
“Abby is focused on getting the place ready for her grand opening in August,” Alex continued. “Her carpenter, Daniel Redstone, just won an all-expense-paid, two-week vacation with a professional fishing guide. You’re going to take his place.”
“How lucky for Daniel,” Quinn said dryly.
“A person makes their own luck.” Alex dismissed his comment. “You’ve helped Redstone out in the past when you were short on cash. That makes you an obvious replacement for him. No one will think twice about it. Neither will Abby. You’ll be able to keep an eye on her and in between pounding nails and painting the outhouse, you can install a security system.”
“You are…” Quinn paused. With so many issues to choose from, it was difficult to pick a winner.
“Thorough.” Alex filled in the blank.
Quinn had been leaning more toward arrogant. Or smug. But he guessed that description fit as good as any.
“Two weeks. Until Daniel comes back.” It was all Quinn was willing to spare. Other than Faye, he only employed two part-time employees. Both men were responsible and would appreciate the extra work, but Quinn didn’t want to look as if he were shirking his responsibility. People already told him that he resembled his father. The last thing Quinn wanted to do was act like him.
“Two weeks,” Alex agreed. “24/7.”
“You have got to be kidding.” There was overprotective and then there was downright paranoid.
“That’s my offer.”
“The person harassing you hasn’t bothered your sister.” Quinn raked a hand through his hair. “Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?”
“I told you.” Alex’s voice was as cold as spring water now. “I’m not taking any chances when it comes to Abby’s safety.”
“You want me on-site. Round the clock. For two weeks.”
“That’s right.” And before Quinn had a chance to turn him down flat, Alex proceeded to tell him what he would pay for the inconvenience. “Do we have a deal?”
Everything inside Quinn warned him to walk away. But he couldn’t. Not if it helped O’Halloran Security succeed.
“We have a deal.”
Quinn reminded himself that he’d walked through the fire before. Only this time he had an advantage. He knew how to avoid getting burned.
Chapter One
Abby Porter didn’t realize she had company until Mulligan’s tail began to thump a welcoming beat against the ground.
Swinging her feet over the side of the chaise longue, she began a hasty search for the sandals she’d kicked off. She’d located one and was in the process of looking for its mate when Mulligan lumbered to his feet.
As the dog trained his gaze on the corner of the house, Abby ignored the shiver that sowed goose bumps up her arms.
Thank you, Alex.
Her older brother’s scare tactics were finally getting to her. All part of his plot to get her to come back to Chicago where he could keep a protective eye on her.
“Not a chance,” she muttered, tamping down her unease. If she was going to be an innkeeper, she had to get used to people coming and going.
“Who is it, Big Guy? Who’s here?”
In response, Mulligan let out a friendly woof. Which told Abby absolutely nothing. The dog’s instincts weren’t exactly an accurate barometer when it came to assessing a potential threat. A week ago, she’d had to intervene before he got up close and personal with a porcupine during their morning walk around Mirror Lake. Mulligan loved everything, from the squirrels that scolded him from the branches of the oak trees to her reliable, good-natured carpenter Daniel.
Relief swept through her, causing the goose bumps tracking her arms to subside a little, when Abby remembered that Daniel Redstone was supposed to stop by to pick up his paycheck before he left on vacation.
For some reason, he’d expected Abby to be as excited as he was when he’d won an all-expense-paid trip with one of the best professional fishing guides in the state of Wisconsin.
Abby hadn’t been excited.
The
