Page 9

CHAPTER SEVEN

B rooklynn needed to move. She told herself to sit up, to push away from Ford. To take care of herself.

To quit being such a nuisance.

But his chest was so broad and strong, the skin of his neck so warm against her cheek. Here, she found safety.

Which made no sense at all, considering that when he wasn’t smirking at her he was scowling. He obviously didn’t want her there. He certainly didn’t want her in his arms. He was kind, and he’d seen her distress. This was nothing more than that.

She pushed away, swiping at her leaky eyes. “Sorry. I’m okay.”

He stood and held his hand out for her.

She took it, allowing him to pull her up, enjoying the warmth of his touch.

Before releasing her, he gave her a narrowed-eye once-over, maybe trying to decide if she was going to collapse again.

She straightened and smiled. “I’m fine. Really. It was just…too much.”

“Lenny.”

“And…everything.”

“He’s still here, searching the property. I closed the curtains downstairs, but there’re a lot of windows in this house.”

“I’ll be careful. Do you think he’ll leave after he searches?”

Ford’s only response was a shrug.

“I can’t leave until he does.”

“You’re not going to try to get to your truck again. Can someone pick you up?” Even as he posed the question, his eyes narrowed. “No. That won’t work. They could be watching the house.”

They. Meaning…the smugglers, or Lenny.

An impossible situation.

He waited a few beats, then issued a short nod as if he’d just made a decision. He swiveled and headed down the hall toward his room. He passed that door and stopped at the next one, which he opened.

“You can stay in here.”

“What? No, I can’t?—”

“Where are you going to go?”

“I just… I think…”

His eyebrows lifted, accompanied by that almost constant smirk.

“My aunt and uncle’s.”

“They going to pick you up? They can keep you safe?”

“No, they can’t pick me up, but if I can get to their vacation house, I’ll be safe there.” Except it was too far, and she didn’t want to ask them to drive back downstate to get her. “I just need to figure it out. I just need a little more time.”

“Will they be able to protect you from the people chasing you?” Far from gentle, his tone was frustrated. “What if the smugglers are watching the house? What if they follow you? What about the stalker.”

“He’s not a…” Her voice faded.

“Does Lenny know about this aunt and uncle?”

Unfortunately, Lenny knew too much about her. Back when they were together, before she understood what kind of person he was, she’d shared everything about her family.

No place in Shadow Cove would be safe. Peggy and Roger’s house wouldn’t be safe. Even their island-camp wouldn’t be safe, not from Lenny.

She’d need to find a hotel somewhere, and not close by, either.

As a cop, Lenny could get far more information than most, especially in the town where he lived and worked.

He was well-respected and well-loved by the locals.

Very few people understood the kind of person he really was.

Brooklynn hadn’t even shared the truth about their relationship with her family, much less friends.

So. A hotel far away, too far to be able to manage the gallery…

The gallery!

“Oh, no.”

“What?”

“I forgot…” She pulled her phone from her pocket but hesitated. If she powered it up, and if Lenny was still tracking it, then he’d know she was here. He’d find her.

Ford’s hand slipped over hers. “Don’t. You can use mine. It’s in my office.”

She looked up at him, and he let her go, stepping back. He seemed as surprised by his sudden touch as she was.

He continued down the hall, deeper into the house. “Don’t just stand there. Come on.” He didn’t even look over his shoulder when he issued the command.

Wasn’t like she had that many choices. She hurried to catch up with him. At the end of the hall, he pulled a tall cabinet door she would have assumed opened to a linen closet.

But he flicked a switch, lighting a narrow spiral staircase.

A secret passageway.

Add that to the house’s mysteries, of which there were clearly many.

Ford started down, so she followed.

“How long have you been here?” She aimed the words at his back.

“Few weeks.”

“How did you find all the hiding places?”

He reached the bottom and opened a door.

She followed, stepping into a cedar-lined closet facing a row of hanging coats. She closed the door behind her, and it disappeared into the wall, hidden from sight.

She stepped past the coats and into a bedroom she hadn’t seen before. The bed and bureau were covered with sheets

Ford hadn’t answered her question.

She followed him into a hallway. “Did you just poke around? How did you know that was there?”

“The owner told me.”

“Who was that? Like, a distant relative of the Ballentines?”

He didn’t answer.

She tried a different question. “Are there more secret passageways?”

Not only did he not respond, he picked up speed.

She was practically running to keep up, a puppy eagerly chasing its owner.

The thought gave her pause, and she slowed. So what if she lost him? She’d find him again.

He disappeared into a room. It was the office where he’d been working before. They’d come from the opposite direction.

She stopped in the entry as he retrieved his cell phone from the desk.

“I just need to call the gallery to make sure it’s open and they don’t need me.”

He walked toward her, cell phone in his outstretched hand.

She reached for it. “And then I’ll figure out a ride.”

He closed his fingers around the phone and drew it back. “You’re staying here.”

“No. I’m…I’m going to go…”

He didn’t open his hand, just waited.

“Every problem has a solution. I’ll figure out the solution to this one.” Just saying the words brightened her spirits. God always made a way. All her life, He’d guided her. And He wouldn’t stop today. He was her protector, after all. Her strong tower. Her fortress.

She needn’t worry. She only needed to ask Him to open the doors she was meant to walk through. To pray that His will would be done.

It was a prayer He loved to answer.

As hope filled her heart, Ford’s frown turned to a grimace. “I told you the solution. Stay.”

“You don’t really want me here.”

“I’m not going to send you into danger.”

It said something about his character that he didn’t lie by protesting.

“If my safety were assured?—”

“Until then, you’re staying.”

“I have no choice in the matter?”

He muttered something under his breath. She picked up the words time and woman. She was pretty sure she heard irritating as well.

“I didn’t catch that.”

“You’re not a captive.” He opened his palm. “Take it. Call whoever you want. Do…whatever. You wanna get yourself killed or…stalked or whatever, be my guest. Or… don’t be my guest, if that’s what you want.” He jiggled the phone in his palm. “I’m just trying to help.”

Once again, irritation enabled him to string together multiple sentences. Apparently, if she wanted to get him to open up, all she needed to do was annoy the tar out of him.

Good to have a plan.

She took his cell, tried and failed to unlock it, then held it back out.

He snatched it, put in the code, making no effort to hide it. It was the digits in the corners of the keypad, beginning with three.

Easy enough to remember.

He handed it back. “Get that?”

“Thank you.”

He turned back into the office, paused with his hand on the door for two seconds, then continued—without shutting her out.

Monumental progress, that.

After unbuckling a tool belt from his waist that she hadn’t noticed before, he dropped it on a side table and settled behind the desk. He’d told Lenny he was there to make repairs. Apparently, the tool belt was part of his…costume, for lack of a better word.

She dialed the gallery.

“Light and Shadows. This is Jewel.”

“I’m so glad you’re there.”

“Omigosh, Brooklynn?”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t?—”

“I’ve been so worried about you! You wouldn’t believe the rumors. They said you witnessed a crime or something? And now you’re on the run?”

So much for her anonymous tip. News traveled too fast in small towns.

Brooklynn stepped into the office and settled on a leather chair, putting the phone on speaker so Ford could hear.

His gaze flicked up, and he gave her the teensiest nod, almost as if he approved.

“Say that again, Jewel?”

“A cop came in demanding to know where you were, said he thought you were in danger. He practically accused me of hiding you, like you’re some kind of criminal. He wanted me to unlock your apartment for him, but I refused.”

“Let me guess. Officer Taggart?”

“How’d you know?”

She’d hired Jewel a few months before, which was after Lenny had given up on her—or was convinced she really would seek a restraining order if he didn’t leave her alone. She’d never needed to fill her employee in on the ugly details of her previous relationship.

“What’d you tell him?”

“That I didn’t know where you were.” She sounded defensive. “Which I didn’t. And still don’t.”

“That was perfect. Even if you did, though, do me a favor. Never tell him anything about me, okay? Even if he claims it’s police business. If he says that, tell him you’ll talk to someone else, but not him.”

“Is that…? Did he do something?”

“No, no. I did witness something unusual, though I didn’t see any faces, and I have no idea what they were up to.” As Brooklynn said the words, she thought of her camera. Had those men seen it?

Could the photos help figure out what was going on?

She needed a way to study them—and her camera’s small screen wouldn’t do it—and then to send them along to the police.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Jewel said, “but after he left, I checked your apartment, just to make sure you weren’t there and hurt or something.”

Ford looked up, curious, she supposed, as to why her employee would do that. She hadn’t told him that her apartment was on the second floor above the gallery.

“That’s why I gave you the key,” Brooklynn said, “in case of emergency. I assume you didn’t see anything that worried you?”