“I’m hiring you to handle a significant matter. If this sister exists, it will change both of our lives, so yes, I did some research on you.”
“Well, it’s definitely a challenging case, but if she’s out there, I’ll do everything in my power to find her. Just be forewarned of one thing. If I do locate her and she doesn’t want you to have her contact information, I can’t give it to you.”
Abby almost dropped her sandwich. “That hardly seems fair. What kind of backwards law is that?”
“Technically it’s not, but it should be. It’s strictly ethics based—my ethics—and any investigator worth his or her salt will tell you the same thing. You have no idea how many cases I’ve turned away because an abusive husband is trying to find out where his wife ran off to with the kids. That’s why most investigators run a background check on their clients first.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Abby hated to think Clay could possibly unearth the answers she wanted and then not share them with her. “Kay speaks highly of you, and although I just met her today, I’m taking her word for it. But it still doesn’t explain why I couldn’t find you online.”
Clay grinned, his left brow rising a fraction. “Kay’s been a second mother to me and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. I swear I spent more time at her house than I did at my own when I was growing up. Now that I think about, it still holds true today. To help ease your mind, I’m a retired Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms field agent turned private investigator. The reason I’m not online is because I don’t advertise. I rely solely on word of mouth. Did Kay happen to mention anything else while she was at it?”
Abby swore she saw a slight tinge of color spread across Clay’s face, and she wasn’t sure if it was the jalapeño chowder or the question itself. Either way, she found it endearing.
“Kay made a point to tell me you’re single.”
“I had a feeling she did.” The edges of his mouth curled upward as he kept his eyes on his lunch. “I love her to death, but she’s a bit of a matchmaker.”
“How’s my favorite customer this morning?” The woman who had greeted Abby when she first arrived stood at the edge of the booth, patting Clay’s shoulder. Her laugh lines deepened as she grinned. “If you talk to your momma today, tell her to stop in. I made her favorite rum-vanilla cream pie.”
“Will do.” Clay turned to Abby. “Abby Winchester, this is Maggie Dalton, The Magpie’s infamous owner.”
“Infamous!” the woman howled. “I’m a lot of things, but none of them infamous. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Abby. I hope you enjoy your stay in Ramblewood.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” Abby shook the woman’s hand. “Did you say rum-vanilla cream pie? Sounds scrumptious.”
“Oh, honey, let me cut you a slice.” Maggie rushed off to the kitchen before Abby could object, which was fine by her. She was never one to turn down a slice of pie.
“She seems nice.” Abby reached into her bag and handed Clay a prewritten check, confident Kay had sent her in the right direction. “This is your retainer. And, yes, I’m paying you now because you won’t find anything derogatory about me when you do your background search. I added a little more than what we discussed over the phone because I don’t want the possibility of extra expenses causing any delays.”
Clay took a sip of coffee and folded her check in half, tucking it into his shirt pocket. “I won’t know what we’re looking at until I start digging around. When we spoke on the phone, you mentioned you’d only be in town for two weeks. I can’t promise I’ll have anything by then. There are quite a few unknown factors in this case, but I’ll give you a status update every couple of days.”
“Here you go.” Maggie placed two slices of pie in front of them. “It’s on me, welcoming you to town.”
Abby smiled. “Thank you.” The scents of vanilla bean and rich custard wafted upward. If she could, she’d bottle the scent and bathe in it. She ran the side of her fork through the tip of the slice and lifted it to her mouth. Whipped cream melted into rum, with a slight tang that danced across her tongue.
“Oh, Maggie.” Abby’s eyes closed in bliss. “This is amazing. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Enjoy.” The woman left them to their dessert.
“Uh-oh,” Clay teased. “The Magpie has claimed another victim. You will forever crave Maggie’s pies from this point forward.”
“I swear.” Abby waved her fork above the pie, taking another bite. “This is better than sex.”
“I’ll admit, it’s pretty darn good, but darling, if you think pie is better than sex, you’re doing it all wrong.” He winked.
Abby folded her arms across her chest and laughed. “You may just have a point there.”
She finished her pie, then dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. “I’m staying at Mazie’s Bed and Biscuit if you need me. I wrote my cell number on the inside of the folder even though I’m sure you already have it on your phone. I’ll leave you to your work.”
She swung her legs out from under the table, holding on to her skirt for dear life. Note to self, wear booth-appropriate clothing for future meetings. When she pulled her wallet from her bag, Clay rose and placed his hand on hers. There was that damn surge through her body again.
“Lunch is on me.” Clay’s hand lingered, giving hers another gentle squeeze. “I’ll be in touch soon.”
Abby fought the urge to reach up and give him a thank-you kiss, but thought better of it. No need to embarrass herself. His touch felt warm and comfortable, and after the past month, she needed human contact. She needed a hug, dammit—but she’d settle for this—for now.
* * *
THE CURVE OF Abby’s toned calves caught Clay’s eye as she headed for the door. How in the world she teetered on heels that high was beyond him. However, he appreciated the way they made her legs seem endless. The short skirt she wore added to the effect. What she lacked in height, Abby Winchester made up in confidence.
Although she was a bit too fancy for these parts, she definitely made the blood pump through his veins a little faster. But Abby was a client, and he knew enough not to mix business with pleasure. He’d made that mistake once and he’d have to live with the aftermath of it for the rest of his life.
Kay had sent Abby his way and now he wondered if it was because she thought he was the man for the job or if she thought he was the man for Abby. He didn’t understand why the Langtrys had a sudden interest in his love life. It wouldn’t be fair for any woman to get involved with him, not when he had nothing left to give.
Regardless of Kay’s reasons, Clay had a job to do, and until it was complete, he wasn’t going to lose sight of who Abby was. A client. He just wished she hadn’t run off so quickly after they had finished their pie. Another cup of coffee would have given him the opportunity to ask her a little more about her family and herself...purely for investigative purposes.
Clay had to admit, this was definitely his most difficult locate case since he’d become a private investigator. Nothing like zero
