Page 47 of Seaside Cowboy's Fairy Tale

He didn’t even blink. “Make it ahundredtimes better.”

To calm her raw nerves, she rolled down her window and took a deep breath of country air filled with the scents of grass and wildflowers. Then, to distract herself from the upcoming meeting and because she needed to, she turned her thoughts to the mystery she hadn’t been able to solve. While she wasn’t part of the investigation any longer, it didn’t mean she had to stop her search.

Besides, Ms. Mueller seemed the teensiest bit obsessed with Tex. Understatement. If she decided to take her suspicions about him to the police, even without any proof, Tex and Rachel had to be ready to defend his good name.

Tex and Rachel...

She did a sharp breath intake. Was there a Tex and Rachel? Or was the relationship between them a fairy tale she’d been telling herself?

Her fingers tapped on the console. And then there was something she found out that made her stomach clench. So she started with the easy part. “Fred Sersen met with Roger Leverett, the man who matched the thief’s description. Roger Leverett visited Fred Sersen at a lonely cottage in the middle of nowhere. The cottage was rented via a third party.”

“How do you know?” He turned his head to her before returning his attention to the road. “Oh no. You trailed them. You weren’t supposed to drive!”

She pressed her lips tight, her fingers drumming faster. “I was extra cautious. And I’m good at surveillance and staying unnoticed. I’ve done it for years. Anyway, the need for a clandestine meeting put me on guard.”

He slowed down as if he needed more time with her, even if for work purposes. “I don’t know Roger Leverett well, but he’s a reputable and affluent man. Why would he put himself at risk by stealing diamonds he might not be able to sell?”

She nodded. “I asked myself the same question. I sent word to a few informants I keep in touch with. Roger developed a gambling habit, and loan sharks are after him. He’s in a tight spot, and Fred might’ve taken advantage of that.”

Tex’s eyes narrowed. “It’s only suspicions, but I heard Fred Sersen’s wife loves diamonds and parties. He and I got into an argument last year when I snatched some investors he’d courted. I worried he might make a scene, so I didn’t invite them to the gala this year.”

“Here we go. She might hold a grudge at being snubbed, so might he. Oh, and if affluent people decide their precious jewelry might be in danger at your charity ball, they might not show up next year.” She swallowed hard. Sometimes she could be too blunt. No wonder she had difficulty making friends. Well, besides mice. “Fred Sersen has an entire list of motives now.”

“But no proof.” His hand moved toward hers, causing her heart to skip a beat, but then he returned it to the steering wheel. “It still doesn’t make sense. Fred is a meticulous man. The theft at the charity ball seemed to be on the spur of the moment, brazen, even sloppy. A crime of opportunity.”

“True. But then, why did two of the cameras stop working and not record the incident?” The conclusion was obvious, but she didn’t want to spell it out. “Someone working for you might be, well, working not only for you.”

“Someone betrayed me.” A shadow passed over his face, and he slowed down again. A little more, and it would be a crawl. Which she didn’t mind at all, despite her love for speed, as she’d gladly postpone the visit to what might turn out to be an alligator den. But something about the way he said it put her on guard. There was so much hurt in his voice.

This time, she nearly reached out to him but stopped herself. She told herself it was because he needed to concentrate on the road and a cow might jump out suddenly. As if cows were known for that. The truth was, she wasn’t good at all this emotional stuff. But she was good at being suspicious. “We might need to comb through everyone who had access to the cameras.”

“Okay. Jennifer set up new cameras this year. Supposed to be higher security.”

“Huh. Interesting.” Rachel wouldn’t let her initial dislike of Tex’s perky assistant affect her judgment.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Um, it’s not my business how much you pay your employees. But she recently bought an oceanfront property way over the asking price and put not just twenty but thirty percent down.” She named the amount that made her eyes pop. She loved the ocean, but why some people would pay that much for a view was beyond her. Then she sensed his silent question. “Yes, fine, I did some digging.”

“Okay, interesting indeed,” he seemed to say the words through his teeth. “I like to think I pay my employees generously. But not that level of generosity.”

He was clearly hurt. Perhaps she shouldn’t have spoken up. She touched his hand as the ranch house appeared in the distance. “It still doesn’t mean anything. She could have a rich aunt. Or maybe she won a lottery recently. Or... something.”

Live oaks grew along the driveway and shaded the house. At their approach, they waved thick arms laden with Spanish moss as if beckoning one of their own home—or warning Rachel away. Then Tex parked before the well-tended Cape Cod-style house. Stone chimneys stood like silent bodyguards on its sides, and dormers peaked like raised eyebrows on its roofline.

Her stomach clenched again.

Riiight. Even the house didn’t trust her.

She almost snorted at herself. Suspicious much?

Tex took her hand and kissed her palm, sending delightful tingles along her skin and easing her shoulders a fraction lower from her ears. “It’s going to be awesome. My mom is wonderful, and she’ll love you. No doubt.”

Rachel wasn’t so sure about his “she’ll love you” and “no doubt.” But she plastered on a smile. “Let’s do this.” Then she remembered the question she was supposed to ask a long time ago if she hadn’t been distracted so much by those baby blues. “What company provided security for the charity ball?”

He stared at her. “You don’t know? Yours. I mean, your former company.”

Her jaw dropped. Why hadn’t Irene mentioned that important tidbit?

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