Page 10 of Fatal Deception

She didn’t bother to argue with him. Not when he was right. Even if there wasn’t trouble, even if it was isolated out here, she had guns and cash and all sorts of things that could be easily swiped by some very intrepid thief wandering off the beaten path. She was alone out here, and lots of people knew it.

But they were good people,herpeople. And they weren’t the ones playing these pranks now.

You hope.A horrible little thought, that voice in her head, the voice of doom.

She led Copeland straight from the front door into the kitchen and pointed to the kitchen table. “Go on and sit. It’ll just take a few minutes to throw things together.”

She moved to the sink to wash her hands, but Copeland just followed her, not taking instruction.Go figure.

But he held out his hands, like he was going to wash his too. “Put me to work. Or is that not the polite thing to do?” he asked with a grin she wouldnotbe fooled by. He was being irritating.

Notcharming.

“Guests sit,” she said primly.

“I’m not a guest. I’m a cop.”

She didn’t know why that made her laugh, but he washed his hands, and she figured she’d eat faster if he helped. Then she’d feel steadier. Then she could deal with this better, more clearly.

“I’ve got some roast beef. We’re going to make sandwiches.” She grabbed a bread knife and handed it to him, then pointed at the loaf of bread she’d set out to thaw that morning. “Cut some slices of bread.”

“Sure.”

She moved to the fridge, getting out the meat from Natalie and a block of cheese. The little tub of mayonnaise that had maybe enough for one sandwich. She didn’t have much to offer in way of beverages. She hadn’t gone to the store since Franny left, so she was out of milk, beer and soda. There was a bottle of wine in the pantry, but she wasn’t about to suggestthat.

Water would have to suffice. She sliced the cheese, then brought the sandwich fixings over to the counter, where Copeland had sliced the bread, but she stopped short at the mess he made of her loaf.

The bread slices were all over the place. One so thin it wasn’t even a full piece. One so thick it could have been three pieces.

“What on earth did you do?”

He scowled at her. “Normal bread comes pre-sliced.”

She shook her head. “Better bread comes homemade.” She put the plate of sandwich stuff next to the atrocity he’d made of the bread, then handed him a plate. “Assemble at will.”

He slapped everything together in the most haphazard manner she’d ever seen. Even Rosalie had more kitchen sense than this man.

“Don’t you live on your own?” she asked, appalled.

“Sure, but out in Fairmont. Where they have takeout.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You can’t look like that and eat takeout for every meal.”

His eyebrows raised in unison with the corners of his mouth. “Look like what exactly?”

She felt her entire face heat. What an idiotic thing to say. “You know. Like…” She waved a hand at him, but she knew he wasn’t going to let her off the hook. “Fit,” she finished lamely.

“Fit?”

She huffed, went back to assembling her sandwich and decidedlynotlooking at him. “Yes, fit.” Once she was done, she sailed to the table with her nose in the air. She wouldnotbe embarrassed in her own home.

At least while he was in it. She’d wait until after he left to curl up in a ball and curse her dumb mouth.

Copeland took the seat next to her, when he could have taken the seat on the opposite side. She kept her gaze expressly on her plate.

“Kind of a big place for one person.”

Audra shrugged. “It’s rarely just one person. Franny travels some, and it’s an adjustment not to have Rosalie underfoot, but they’re right next door. We miss having Vi and Magnolia around, but we all get together plenty.”