Page 27 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

In the kitchen, she put an English muffin in the broiler. While it cooked, she scrambled herself an egg, then buttered the muffin, put the egg on top, and added a slice of cheese.

She returned to the dining room with her breakfast sandwich to find Garrett had opened a laptop.

While she ate her breakfast, he focused on the screen. Neither of them spoke.

She missed the easy camaraderie they’d shared the previous day. For reasons she didn’t understand, someone had driven halfway up the mountain in the middle of the night to watch her house.

And Garrett seemed to blame her for that.

It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense.

She barely tasted the breakfast, but the calories kicked her brain into gear. Who cared what Garrett thought of her? He needed to get her house prepared to sell, and he didn’t have to like her to do that. She’d worked in restaurant management long enough to learn that people didn’t have to like her to work for her. In fact, sometimes it was easier when they didn’t.

She finished the sandwich, carried the plate into the kitchen, and returned to the table. “Look?—”

“—I’m sorry.”

They’d spoken at the same time. She sat and nodded for him to continue.

He blew out a long breath. “I’m not being very nice.”

She knocked on the table. “You brought me furniture.”

The tiny smile transformed his face from good looking to gorgeous. She was sorry when it faded. “I’m just worried, that’s all. Trying to figure out what’s going on. But seeing as how I know absolutely nothing… It’s frustrating.”

“I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

“Are you?” When she didn’t respond, he said, “I think you’d be safer back at the hotel.”

Maybe.

But Dad had bought this house for a reason. She assumed that reason had something to do with the reception she’d gotten in town the day before—and her middle-of-the-night visitor. She also assumed this house was the key to finding her mother. If she left it empty, would its secrets be safe?

Or was somebody else also looking to uncover those secrets? Maybe Aspen’s presence had opened the proverbial can of worms, and now everybody in town knew that the worms were hidden somewhere on this property.

If that even made sense.

“I’m sorry I encouraged you to stay here last night,” Garrett said. “You need to go back to the hotel. I’ll wait while you gather your things and?—”

“No.” Terrified as she was to stay… “I’m not leaving.”

His smile seemed forced. “It’s not going to be a problem. Even if we were to do all the renovations I want, it won’t cost you a hundred and fifty grand, and you’ll get plenty of money out of this house. You can afford to stay in the hotel, or… Why don’t you find a rental property? I have a friend who owns condos in the community where I live. I could ask him?—”

“It’s not about the money. I need to stay here.”

“That’s insane. Why would you?—?”

“I am not insane.” Her heart raced at the word, and she pushed to her feet. “Look, I don’t know who you think you areto come in here and tell me what I should do. Just because you don’t understand my reasons doesn’t mean I don’t have good ones.”

His hands went up, palms out. “I didn’t mean?—”

“My life is none of your business.”

Both his arms dropped, his shoulders along with them. “You’re right.” Silence settled between them, but she wasn’t about to break it. The nerve.

After a staring contest—his pale blue eyes were enchanting, so it really was no chore—he blinked. “Are those reasons really worth the risk, if somebody’s stalking you?”

It was a fair question, and she considered it as she took her seat again. Was it worth the risk?

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