Page 168 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

To his amazement, she smiled, the amusement stretching to her eyes.

“What’s so funny?” He’d never understand women. Laura had been just as perplexing.

“I guess you wouldn’t want to get rid of me yet. I haven’t even messed anything up yet.”

“Are you planning to?”

“No, of course not.” Her smile vanished, and she took a deep breath. “I was just scared. I’m fine now.” Becca brushed the dirt from her jeans and started to clamber down to the sand.

“About as fine as a nor’easter about to blow,” he muttered.

“Very funny,” she snapped. She turned her back on him and scurried to the cave opening. Sitting on the edge of the opening, she half-slid, half-fell onto the boulder imbedded in the sand. Easing off the rock into the shale, she started down the slope to the sand.

“Wait for me,” Max called. “I’ll help you down.” He’d never met such an accident-prone woman.

She ignored him. Typical. His scowl deepened as he followed her out into the sunlight. Slipping and sliding, he made his way down the face of the rock to find her watching the waves roll in. She stood with her hands on her arms as though she was cold.

He eyed the massive boulder sitting at the base of the rock rise. “There hasn’t been a rock that size fall around here since I’ve lived here,” he said.

“I saw someone up there. He tried to hit me with it.”

“And I’m the Pope,” he said. “Get real. You haven’t been here long enough to make any enemies. Unless someone followed you from the mainland.” He saw her pale. “Are you here hiding out? Is that it?”

She flushed and looked away. “I don’t have any enemies.”

His suspicions rose. Whywoulda beautiful young woman—and she was the loveliest girl he’d seen in years—sequester herself clear out here? There was more to her story than she’d told him.

“No enemies, huh?” He grabbed her hand “Come on, let’s go take a look.” She came with him unresistingly.

Max stooped to look at a depression in the rocks. “Here’s where it set.” He pointed to a rounded depression amid other smaller rocks and boulders. He went down on one knee and examined the area around the hole. What he saw nearly left him speechless.

He ran his fingers over scratches on a rock. “Looks like someone pried on the boulder. Look.”

His suspicions rose even more when he looked at her face and saw the fear there. “Who do you think is after you?”

“No one.” She shook her head violently. “It surely had to be a man to move something that big.”

He shook his head. “Even a child can move a boulder if you’ve got the right fulcrum point on it.” He glanced down the hill then turned back to her. “You said it was a murder attempt. You didn’t just pull that out of a hat. Who is after you?”

She shook her head slowly. “I have no idea.”

From the stubborn look on her face, he knew he wouldn’t get any information out of her. “I have work to do,” he said, taking her arm. “We’d better get to it.”

Hurrying along beside Max,Becca didn’t trust him. His appearing seemed too coincidental. Her legs still felt shaky, but she managed to keep up with him as they moved toward the house. She wanted nothing more than a hot cup of tea and a chance to sit and reflect over what had just happened.

Mrs. Jeffries met them at the front door. “Mrs. Baxter telephoned. She’s moved her arrival up a couple of days. She’ll be here in three days.”

Becca’s legs went even weaker. How did she avoid her grandmother until she could see her in person? Her stomach roiled in distress, and she licked dry lips.

“Good,” Max told Mrs. Jeffries. “Would you fix a pot of tea? I think Becca could use one.”

His perception pierced Becca’s desperation, and she glanced up at him.

“You’re pale,” he said. “I think you should take the rest of the day off and rest.”

Just what she needed. Maybe she could talk to the other residents and see what they all remembered of the night her parents’ boat exploded. “Thank you,” she said. “I am pretty rattled.”

Nick Adams was just stepping through the doorway and heard her final comment. “What’s Max done now? He’s alwaysdriving people away, but you have to remember he’s a softie at heart.”

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