Page 115 of The Body in the Backyard

“That was just in case. Game face, Thorn,” Nick said as he reached for the door handle to the spa entrance.

“Wait. What’s the plan?” Riley demanded.

He winked. “Part of danger boot camp. Learning to adapt to unpredictable situations.”

“Nick!” she hissed, but he was already pulling her into the room. There were two employees manning the front desk, both female. Women with shiny faces and thick robes orbited around the space, admiring spa accessories and looking blissful. Weird instrumental music with flutes and drums seeped softly from invisible speakers.

“How can I help you?” one of the women at the desk asked with a serene smile.

Nick wondered if working in a spa was relaxing or if the employees got in their cars at the end of the day and blasted death metal music.

“My wife and I are staying here and were wondering if we could get a tour. We just moved to the area and are particular about our spas,” Nick said with a friendly smile as he helped himself to the dish of Hershey’s Kisses next to the card reader. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

Riley pasted what Nick could only assume was a spa fan girl smile on her pretty face. “Yah! I’m from Sweden. Ve invented Swedish massage.”

He gave his beautiful psychic girlfriend a subtle impressed nod. Riley Thorn had come to play.

“Of course. We’re always happy to introduce new couples to our facility. What’s your room number?” the woman said, showing no signs of not believing Riley’s accent.

Nick blanched. “Shoot. I can’t remember. That workout in your gym wiped my brain clean. We’re the Wests if that helps. I’m Matty, and this is Helga.”

“Certainly, Mr. and Mrs. West. If you’ll wait over there, I’ll have a hostess show you around.”

They sidled off and pretended to admire a display of chocolate-flavored lip balms. “You invented Swedish massage?”

Riley shrugged smugly as she picked up a tube of some kind of cocoa-scented face goop. “What? I wanted you to feel like you were finally getting your shot with the hot foreign exchange student.”

He shook his head. “One of a kind, Thorn. One of a kind.”

“That’s Helga to you. So how are we going to question Bella if we have a spa tour guide tagging along?” Riley asked in a hushed tone as a man and woman with matching robes and shiny, blissed-out faces wandered in.

“One of us will have to make an emergency pit stop at the restroom,” Nick decided.

“Ugh. Can’t you just fake an important phone call?”

“Strangers are willing to wait around while you take a call. They don’t want to hover outside a bathroom door when they know a toilet is about to be violated,” he explained.

“Valid.”

A six-foot-tall dude with gray hair and one of those cool Vandyke beards strolled up. He was wearing a spa uniform. “Mr. and Mrs. West?” To Nick’s ear, he sounded a hell of a lot like the cartoon cat Puss in Boots.

Nick didn’t consider himself well-versed on what constituted an attractive man, but judging from the hungry looks every woman in the room was throwing his way, Silver Fox was hot. Even Riley was noticing.

Maybe he should forget about the Nick Charles mustache and go for the beard?

Nick clamped an arm around her waist. “That’s us.”

“I’m Hector. I’ll be your guide today,” he said with a smile that made crinkles next to his crystalline blue eyes appear.

Hector held out a hand to Nick. He reluctantly released Riley and shook. The guy had a grip like Sylvester Stallone inOver the Top. “That’s a strong hand you’ve got there, Hector.”

The man released him. “It comes from years of massaging sore muscles.” His attention shifted to Riley. “A pleasure,” Hector said, taking Riley’s hand in both of his.

Her cheeks turned a distinct shade of pink. “Hi,” she squeaked, forgetting her accent.

Hector released her hands and gestured toward the door. “Please, follow me.”

Behind his back, Nick nudged Riley.“Hi,”he mouthed, pretending to toss his hair flirtatiously.