Page 84 of Capturing You

“I’m assuming a level of politeness you’ve yet to exhibit.” She gazed around the space. “Except you’ve more than made up for your rudeness with this lunch. Underneath all the grumpy bluster, you’re really very kind, aren’t you?”

“Just wanted to get outside, that’s all.”

Her smile was brighter than the sunshine. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Right. From the woman addicted to snooping.”

“It’s not like I’m telling anybody what I learn.”

“Are you going to stop?”

“What do you think?”

He sighed, and she laughed her lighthearted, all-is-right-with-the-world laugh. Frustrating woman.

Frustrating, and way too enticing.

* * *

Forbes needed to protect Brooklynn,not develop feelings for her.

He’d worked with his share of beautiful women, but none of them had elicited these feelings in him. He needed her to stop digging into his family’s life, into his business.

On the other hand, she had been helpful. She’d shared the photos she’d taken of the men at the old dock. She’d seen a resemblance between Bernie and Shane Dawson he’d never have noticed, giving him a new lead to investigate. And she’d found the ledger.

She could be a good resource, someone to bounce his ideas off of.

Forbes wasn’t accustomed to having anyone on his side. He was used to going it alone. He didn’t even tell Grandmother much. She’d lost her only son that terrible day, not to mention a daughter-in-law she’d loved and her granddaughter. Grandmother wasn’t fragile or delicate, but she was desperate to know who murdered them and why. He didn’t want to get her hopes up.

Brooklynn had no skin in the game. He could tell her what he knew with little risk. She’d already done so much for him. Between cooking and cleaning and finding the ledger…

He owed her more than a thank-you. He owed her information about what he was up to.

He owed her the truth.

The only person alive aside from his grandmother who knew his real identity was his therapist, and she’d known who he really was since he was eight years old.

The headmaster from his boarding school had known, but he’d died a few years past.

Forbes had never confided in anyone else.

It wasn’t such an easy thing to trust someone with the truth about who he was, knowing he would open himself up to questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. But Brooklynn wasn’t pushy. Nosy, but not pushy.

He could trust her.

“I need to tell you…” He lost his nerve and changed tack. “I don’t mind. The snooping, I mean.”

Her eyebrows rose, brightening her already-joyful expression. “It’s nice to have permission.”

“All I ask is that you show me anything you find.”

“Deal.” She pushed her plate away. “That was delicious.”

He dug in his jacket pocket and held out a foil-wrapped truffle.

“My hero!” She snatched it and unwrapped it. “This is exactly what I was craving.”

He’d noticed that she liked dessert after every meal. One cookie, one piece of chocolate. Never a lot, just a bite of something sweet. He’d had a fresh load of groceries delivered that morning, including a bag of chocolates and a package of cookies.