money hidden under the floorboards of my bedroom. That’s how I learned of the murder. Jeffrey and Ella lived there. Jeffrey lived there until he died two years ago. If he killed his wife over the money, why hide it?”
“Maybe he didn’t know where it was.”
“Obviously, he didn’t. So, why kill her before knowing?”
“You must be a good deputy,” Kadin said. “Those are all the questions I’d ask. The key is asking them all, no matter how unlikely the motive seems. Even if he knew of the money, that could be enough motive. He may not have found it, that’s all. People have killed for less.”
She glowed and felt strange for doing so, because the way he instructed her felt like father-daughter advice. He shared from his vast experience. That she appreciated, but seeing him as a father figure gave her a panicky feeling. She did not want to be close with her biological father, did she? How drastically would that change her life? Her plans?
She had parents. Biological parents she didn’t even know couldn’t take their place. And she had plans of her own for her future. She was just curious. That’s all. Besides, her life had no room for obligatory relationships.
She uncrossed her legs and switched to her left one on top, a movement Jamie caught with manly appreciation, much more pleasant than her uncertainty over Kadin and what he represented.
“Let me have some more time with these documents,” Kadin said. “How long are you in town?”
“Just for the night. I have a flight late tomorrow afternoon.”
“Good. Let’s meet in the morning. Do you have a car?”
“I took a cab.”
“I’ll have one of my drivers take you to wherever you need to go, and to the airport tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” She felt special. He had drivers and cars. This operation was much more sophisticated than she thought. She glanced at Jamie, and he was the new security officer. A truly capable-looking man, if one judged by form. Few, if any, could likely overpower him. If the intelligence in his eyes was any indication, few, if any, would outsmart him, either.
Turning back to Kadin, she saw him take note of their exchange again and grew flustered.
“I should get going.” She stood.
Jamie stood right after her, and his looming body, even against her height, stimulated her pheromones.
“I’ll leave you two to...whatever it is you’re doing.” Kadin eyed them, teasing, as he stood.
She faced him, smoothing her shirt even though it needed no smoothing. “What time tomorrow?”
“Whenever you get here. I’ll clear my schedule. It’s not every day I get a forty-year-old murder case.”
She smiled back, feeling his passion for solving cases, especially those that didn’t haunt him. He’d offered to help for that reason, and that reason alone. He hadn’t picked up on any father-daughter vibes.
“Good to meet you, Reese.”
She shook his hand. “You, too.” She watched him leave and then the energy in the office changed. She was alone with this hot, sexy man. His presence engulfed her senses. If she touched him he’d burn her.
Where had this instant attraction come from? Was it the slope of his nose, the line of his jaw? His tall, muscular build? Or was it what she’d seen in his eyes? He was intelligent, yes, but he also exuded uncrushable confidence. Most likely what aroused her was the entire package. He physically stimulated and mentally intrigued her.
“Will you join me for dinner tonight?” he asked.
What an irresistible invitation. His lightness in flirting with her contrasted sharply with darkness lurking somewhere behind his magnetizing eyes. His mystery drew her as much as his physical perfection. How could she refuse? She wouldn’t. Dinner with him excited her.
“I’ll meet you in the Butte Hotel lobby at six. There’s a restaurant there,” she said.
“There’s also a restaurant across the street. I’ll meet you in the lobby and then we can walk there together.”
She’d seen that restaurant, the nicest one in Rock Springs. And something about him made her feel free to say, “Looking forward to it.”
A man like him wouldn’t fence her in. She had no desire for commitment at this point in her life. Their geographical distance assured her he’d be a pleasant encounter and nothing more.
* * *
Jamie wasn’t prepared for Reese in a dress. She emerged from the elevator with a jacket draped over her arm, blond hair up in a stylish bun and a light application of makeup accentuating her golden-brown eyes. She’d had her hair in a ponytail earlier. The black sleeveless jersey dress flared from the waist down and swayed as she walked toward him in spiky ankle boots. The modest bodice covered her chest to the rounded neckline. A simple silver cuff bracelet and silver hoop earrings finished the outfit. But he didn’t pay much heed to that. He’d like to get her hair down and see her only in those boots. He might let her wear the bracelet.
She stopped before him with a coquettish look.
“You look beautiful.” He had to say it. She did. And he was glad he’d worn a suit and tie.
Her luscious mouth curved in a smile. “I went shopping. I didn’t pack for a date.”
He offered his elbow, unable to stop looking at her.
She slipped into her jacket and then slid her hand under his elbow and onto his forearm.
Jamie’s blood heated as he walked with her across the street to the steak house. He couldn’t tell if his eagerness to start fresh with a normal life overshadowed his attraction to her. The first encounter with her had sizzled with chemistry. She’d felt it, too. He had seen it in her eyes. But he’d be making a mistake if he grabbed the first beautiful woman to step into his life if it turned out later she wasn’t The One.
With Dexter Watts dead, Jamie had no further obligation to Stankovich—the terms of his service were complete. Valdemar may not see it the same way, but Jamie had done all he’d asked, and Jamie had ensured his nemesis had nothing more to hold over him. That part of his life was over. He looked forward to the next part, the best part, but he intended to get it right this time.
His days of pushing the envelope and working for the wrong people were over. He’d take his life back working for Kadin, a good man with an honorable cause. He could still travel and see the world the way he loved, but he’d have his integrity intact. And a family with the right woman.
He didn’t know if Reese would be part of that journey. It sure felt promising, though.
“How does a town get the name Never Summer?” he asked as he opened the door for her.
“It’s surrounded by fourteen-thousand-foot mountains.” She stopped inside the restaurant lobby. “And ten thousand feet above sea level doesn’t allow for a lot of warming.”
“Why would anyone
