Page 203 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

“Tate would never agree to it. And besides, I don’t love him anymore.” Shayna pulled away and wiped at her eyes. She glanced at Becca, a calculating look that seemed out of character with her sadness. “I want Max.”

Becca blinked, and a sharp pain of something she was ashamed to identify as jealousy shot through her. “Max?”

“He loves me, too. We’re going to go away together.”

Becca had known there was something there after hearing Tate warn Max off, but she’d hoped she’d misread the situation. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m only telling you this so you can avoid embarrassment. I’ve seen the way you’ve been throwing yourself at Max, and he’s been mortified about it.”

“There is nothing between me and Max,” Becca said through stiff lips.

“Oh, I know.” Shayna gave a tinkling laugh. “But I like you, and I don’t want to see you hurt. Max likes to flirt. Poor thing, he can’t help it. But it means nothing. He loves me.”

The room felt hot. Suffocating. Becca rose. “I think I’ll get some air,” she said. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of Shayna. Escaping the room, she rushed out the door and around the corner of the manor to the garden. The cool serenity welcomed her, and she followed the path through the woods to the folly. She went to her favorite spot near the ruined fountain.

Sinking to her knees in the soft grass, she prayed for God to take away the feelings she was developing for Max. This morning’s reality check had been a hard one. She stayed in that position so long that when she finally tried to get up, her knees locked. Glancing at her watch, she realized she’d been out here nearly an hour.

Staggering to her feet, she heard a sound. Peeking over the top of the bushes, she stared into the brick ruins that were the far border of the folly. A man was backing out, looking around in a stealthy way.

Tate.

Becca watched him as he pulled the door shut behind him then walked confidently toward the house. What could be in those ramshackle ruins that would entice him to risk a broken bone or worse? Though Gram had always warned the children to stay out of the old ruined house because the walls could fall in at any time, they had played here anyway. She wouldn’t risk it now. Over the years, some of the walls had crumbled even more. It looked much more dangerous than she remembered.

If Tate had gone in there, it must be safe for her to explore as well. With a final regretful look at her watch, she knew it would have to wait. She was already late for work this morning.

If only there was a way where she’d never have to see Max again. She didn’t want to face him after the things Shayna had said. Did Max really feel she’d been chasing him? Becca’s face burned. From now on, she’d be cool and distant, an ice princess. He’d soon see she had no romantic interest in him.

She’d known the minute she saw him he wasn’t to be trusted. He looked like a pirate, and he’d deliberately tried to get past her defenses. A thought struck her. Maybe he had flirted with her to try to discover who she was. He’d been using his charm to coax the truth out of her.

The thought made her mad, and she practically stomped to the office.

“I thought maybe you weren’t going to show,” Max said.

“I’m here. What do you want me to do first?” Her tone was clipped, but she didn’t care. Let him wonder what was eating her. She’d endured his bad moods often enough.

“I’d hoped you were going to tell the others who you were this morning.”

“I was going to, but—,” she broke off. There was no way she was going to implicate Gram in anything.

Max shot her a quizzical look but didn’t say anything else. He pointed to the desk. “I printed out the first five chapters, and I’d like you to go over them for continuity and accuracy of research. They’re on your desk. If you like, you can take them to your room and rest while you read.”

His kind tone almost melted the ice around her heart. Almost but not quite. She could still hear Shayna’s earnest voice in her head saying her behavior had mortified Max.

She held onto her cool reserve. “I think I’ll do that. You won’t have to put up with my company that way.” She grabbed the pages and sailed off like she didn’t have a care in the world.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Molly coaxed Max into going to church with Gram and Becca, and he discovered he was actually enjoying the sermon. He found himself watching Becca, wondering what made her tick. She intrigued him.

On Monday evening Max picked up Molly from town then got back to work. Becca had been prickly for two days, and he didn’t know what to make of her. Maybe the kiss they’d shared that night had rattled her as much as it did him. He wasn’t sorry to see her pull away when all his senses were shouting for him to be cautious as well.

Shadows were gathering in the twilight outside, and his stomach rumbled. Dinner was a little late tonight. Mrs. Jeffries must have been upset over something. Maybe her son had made another appearance and upset her.

He saved his file and stood, stretching his back muscles. Becca had given high praise to his chapters, and he’d plunged full speed into his work. He told himself he didn’t care what she thought of them, but the reality was that her words of praise for his writing had meant more than she knew. She was different from anyone he’d ever met before. Maybe it was her faith.Watching her in church and at home had been a mesmerizing experience.

Mrs. Jeffries appeared in the doorway. She looked pale and somber. “Dinner is ready,” she said in a monotone voice.

“Are you all right, Moxie?”

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