Читать книгу The Pregnancy Plot - Carol Ericson - Страница 11

Chapter Four

Jack Coburn had been right about this assignment and the need to watch over Skinner’s ex-fianceé. Someone had Nina in his crosshairs already.

Two vertical lines formed between Nina’s eyebrows, and she kicked the toe of her clog against a wooden post. “I figured it was just a matter of time.”

He jerked his head up. Nina knew about Tempest?

The patrol officer tipped his hat back. “You have an idea who did this, Ms. Moore?”

“You can call me Nina, and yes. It has to be my stepsister, Lou.” She swept her arm across the bay as if the mysterious Lou lurked somewhere out there on the water.

“Oh, yeah, Lou.” The officer nodded in a way that made Jase feel completely out of the loop. “I remember her. Do you have any proof she did this?”

“None at all, except that someone in town mentioned they’d seen her around. So, she’s back on the island.”

“Watch your back, Ms.—Nina.” The officer smacked the side of Nina’s boat and jumped onto his own.

Jase watched the Harbor Patrol boat for a minute as it maneuvered away from the dock, and then turned to Nina. “Why would your stepsister be putting holes in your boat?”

Keeping her gaze on the retreating patrol boat, she crossed her arms over her waist and her sweater outlined a small bump below, the first visible sign of her pregnancy—at least to him. Nina’s lean runner’s frame would probably take a while to show evidence of her condition, but she had to be at least four or five months along, judging by the last time she saw Skinner.

He’d seen pictures of Maggie pregnant at about the same stage as Nina, and she’d had a distinctive rounded belly, but then Maggie was smaller and more rounded in general than Nina.

When Nina swung her head around, his gaze jumped to her face.

“My stepsister, Lou, is a disturbed person. She’s had some problems with drugs and alcohol, but her issues go beyond that. When her father married my mother and Mom and I came to live with them when she and I were both children, she had a fit. It only got worse from there. I knew when Dad, Bruce, left this B and B to me, she’d never let it go.”

“So, you think she’s bent on sabotage?” Noticing a tremble rolling through her body, he took Nina’s arm. “Let’s go back inside. You’re still chilled from your swim in the sound.”

She allowed him to steer her back toward the house. “Putting a hole in the bottom of my boat would definitely be something in Lou’s repertoire.”

“Is she capable of more? Would she do you physical harm? Not that plunging into the icy depths of that bay couldn’t have resulted in something worse than a bad chill.”

Pushing open the door, she paused on the threshold. “I don’t think she’d pull out a gun and shoot me, but she’d pull stunts that could have unintended consequences—just like putting a hole in a boat.”

“And I thought my family had issues.” He stomped his feet on the mat at the door.

“Oh?”

He had no intention of getting personal with her and mentally gave himself a kick for even mentioning his family. He’d used his nickname and a fake last name, just in case she decided to do a little research on the internet, because it wouldn’t be hard to find Jason Bennett—or his family.

“Do you want more tea?” He pointed to the flames simmering in the grate. “Looks like the fire died down.”

“I’m fine.” She stood in the entryway, making no move to go back to their cozy situation in front of the fire.

“Okay, I’ll be heading back to my motel. Do you want me to stoke that up for you before I go?” He made a move toward the fireplace, but she placed a hand on his arm.

“I’ll let it go, thanks.”

He strode past her anyway. “I’ll reposition those logs, so they don’t roll off the grate.”

He couldn’t help it. Nina’s pregnancy gave him an overwhelming urge to do things for her—all the things he never got to do for Maggie. He prodded the logs and then snagged Nina’s mug and deposited it in the kitchen sink next to his.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he grinned because women had told him in the past he had an irresistible grin and he needed to be irresistible right now. “Let me know when you’re done checking me out and I can get to work for you around here.”

“Oh, I’m done. Anyone who rescues me from drowning deserves a chance.” She sized him up beneath lowered lashes. “You can start tomorrow.”

“Awesome.” He stuck out his hand and she gripped it. “I’ll be back around eight o’clock.”

Her blue eyes widened. “Make it ten.”

“You got it...boss.”

When he reached the curve in the road that led back to the town, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called Coburn.

“What do you have for me, Jase?”

“I met Nina Moore and she hired me as her handyman. I start tomorrow.”

Coburn chuckled. “Must be that killer grin of yours. Is she suspicious about anything? Did she mention the father of her baby?”

“The father?” Jase glanced over his shoulder at the empty road. “She didn’t even mention the baby. She’s, uh, not really showing, so the subject never came up.”

“She’s gotta be five months along and she’s not showing?”

“Yeah, your wife had twins, so I think that’s a different case.”

“Probably. What do I know anyway?” Coburn coughed. “You okay with this assignment?”

Jase chose to ignore Coburn’s implication. Jack made it his business to know the personal histories of all Prospero agents, and sometimes Jase thought he used those histories just to test them, to mess with their minds.

“I’m never okay with babysitting assignments, Coburn, but you might be onto something here.”

His boss sucked in a breath. “Oh, yeah?”

“Someone drilled a hole in Nina’s boat and she discovered it while she was on the water.”

“Is she okay?”

“Chilled but fine.”

“You think it might be our friends at Tempest?”

“If they’re trying to kill her, sinking her boat on a well-traveled bay is a long shot. Seems Nina has some crazy family members in the mix, too.”

“Great. Just keep doing your job, Jase—watch Nina Moore and protect her if necessary.”

“Got it, boss.”

Jase ended the call and tapped the phone against his chin. He’d have no problem either watching or protecting Nina Moore. He’d do whatever it took to safeguard Nina and the baby—Simon Skinner’s baby.

* * *

NINA STRIPPED OFF her clothes and turned sideways in front of the mirror as the bathtub filled with warm water. She massaged her bump with the palm of her hand and smiled. Her little guy was growing by leaps and bounds.

Had Jase noticed her pregnancy? No way. Any hint of a pregnancy would’ve doused those scorching looks he’d been sending her all afternoon. She’d been enjoying those looks so much she hadn’t wanted them to end.

What did that say about her? Carrying another man’s baby and getting hot and bothered by a stranger with a to-die-for grin. Simon had vanished from her life, but it didn’t mean he didn’t plan on charging back into it.

And she needed to be prepared when he did.

She stood on her tiptoes and checked the lock on the bathroom window. When the Harbor Patrol officer had told her about the hole in the boat, her suspicions had immediately turned to Lou, since any mischief connected to the B and B would have Lou written all over it.

But had Simon followed her here? He knew about the B and B, of course, even though he’d never been here. She rolled her shoulders and stepped into the warm water, inhaling the fragrant steam from the lilac bath salts.

She’d found a good doctor in town, a family practitioner rather than an ob-gyn, but Dr. Parducci had come highly rated and regarded.

She sank into the warm water, stretched out her legs and closed her eyes, determined to relax. Dr. Parducci had told her to relax and not dwell on anything stressful.

Her eyes flew open. Like Lou. That had been the most unwelcome piece of news when she’d returned to Break Island. Had Lou known she was coming back to claim the B and B? Lou had no interest in the place, but she’d been livid when Bruce had left it to his stepdaughter instead of his daughter.

What did she expect? Her father had loved this place. Turning it over to Lou would’ve resulted in a quick sale and money blown on drugs, booze and a good time.

Nina closed her eyes again and swirled her hands in the silky water, willing her mind to happier thoughts.

Jase Buckley—now, there was a happy thought. Something about that man attracted her like a magnet. It could be his general drop-dead gorgeousness. She slipped farther beneath the water and blew bubbles.

Or it could be that for some reason, in some weird way he reminded her of her baby’s father.

* * *

NINA ZIPPED UP her jacket to her chin and made the last turn into town. The brisk walk from the B and B into the town center had done her good. The fifteen-minute walk had cleared her head and relaxed her more than the warm bath had.

She hadn’t completely shrugged off her big-city addiction, and the thought of spending a quiet evening at home just sounded like a big bore.

The locals usually liked to gather at Mandy’s Café for dinner or at one of two watering holes that hadn’t become tourist traps—yet. The island had changed a lot since the last time she’d really spent time here. At least the crowds had allowed Mom and Dad to run a flourishing business, but Break Island didn’t offer the complete serenity she’d hoped for.

Maybe that was a good thing. The warmth and conversation that enfolded her as soon as she stepped across the threshold of Mandy’s felt like a friendly hug. And she could use a few of those.

She tripped to a stop when she saw Jase Buckley at the center of a lively group in the corner. Hadn’t he just arrived in town? She kept tabs on him out of the corner of her eye as she slid into a booth by the window. He must be a good writer, because he sure seemed to have the gift of the gab over there, spinning stories for an enthralled audience.

“Do you want something to drink, Nina?” Theresa Kennedy, one of her mother’s old friends, tapped a pencil against her pad of paper. Theresa’s family had owned Mandy’s for years.

“Just water, but I’ll take a cup of the chicken noodle soup right now.”

“You got it. So, are you really going to fix up the old place? We could use another B and B on the island.”

“I am, but I’m going to take my time, so I hope you’re not in any hurry.”

“It’ll go faster with my help.”

Theresa stepped back to allow Jase to sidle up to the table. “Are you going to help Nina get the place back on its feet?”

“Starting tomorrow.”

Theresa poked Jase in the chest with the eraser end of her pencil. “I hope that doesn’t cut into your writing time, Jase.”

Nina raised her eyebrows. Had the guy spilled his life story all over town? Perhaps the connection she’d felt with him had been nothing more than Jase being Jase. “I’ll have plenty of time, Theresa.” He winked. “A man’s gotta eat, too.”

“Oh, go on. You could come in here and I’d feed you anytime of the day or night. It would just be like having my son home again when he was studying for the bar. Anyway, I think it’s a good idea for you to lend a hand to Nina.”

“Nina needs help and I need work, so it’s a perfect fit.”

“Nina does need help.” Theresa cocked her head to one side like one of the birds from the island’s sanctuary. “But for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why she abandoned her exciting life in LA for this old place.”

“Sometimes we all just need a break. Maybe Nina needs a break.”

“Hello.” Nina waved her hands between Jase and Theresa. “I’m right here. No need to talk about me like I’m not.”

Theresa clucked her tongue. “I’ll get you that soup, Nina. Jase?”

“I’ll take some soup, too.” He patted the back of the banquette across from her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Her gaze flicked to the table of locals still bunched together. “Is your audience going to miss you?”

“Them?” He snorted. “They’re on to the next tall tale.”

“And you?”

“Tall tales? I’ve told my share.” He slipped into the booth across from her. “Did you finally warm up?”

“I did a little work around the house and then took a warm bath. That did the trick.”

“Any more news about your sister?”

“Stepsister. I was going to ask around town tonight if anyone has seen her today.” She rubbed her hands together when she spotted Theresa backing out of the kitchen with a cup of soup in each hand. “But not before I had some sustenance.”

Theresa placed the soup in front of them, along with a basket of crackers. “Do you want to order now?”

Nina didn’t have to look at the menu. “I’ll have the fish-and-chips.”

“I’ll have the same.” Jase tapped the edge of the plastic menu on the table. “And another beer, Theresa, that pale ale.”

“You got it. Just water for you, Nina?”

“That’s it.”

When Theresa took their menus and walked away, Jase asked, “You don’t mind if I have a beer, do you?”

“Why should I?” She blinked and then planted her elbows on the table. “You don’t think I’m an alcoholic, do you?”

“No.”

“Because I leave all the drinking in the family to my stepsister.”

Jase raised a spoonful of hot soup to his lips and blew on the puddle. “Just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable in case you’re a rabid teetotaler.”

She was no rabid teetotaler, whatever that meant, but the way Jase’s lips puckered made her plenty uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and busied herself with the wrapper on a package of crackers.

“Drink all you want. Be my guest.”

“I’d like to be your guest.”

Her soup went down the wrong way and she coughed. Pressing a napkin to her lips, she asked, “What?”

“You run a B and B, don’t you?”

“We’ve established that.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes. “But you’ve seen the condition it’s in. It’s hardly ready for prime time.”

“It would work out great for me—and you. I could stay in one of the rooms, do work around the place every day and get my writing done in a much better setting than my current location at The Sandpiper.” He crumbled a cracker into his bowl and then dusted his hands off over a napkin. “You could pay me in room and board instead of cash. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

“Although I already hired you, I still want to do a background check on you.” After months of being on edge, how had she allowed Jase to lure her into feelings of security already? She still needed to remain vigilant. Simon could be anywhere.

“Check away.” He thanked Theresa for the beer and took a swig from the bottle. “My life’s an open book.”

She wished she could say the same. Keeping her pregnancy a secret from Jase and everyone else in town was silly. They’d find out soon enough. She ran a finger along the inside of her tight waistband. Like in about two days when she made the switch to maternity clothes. She’d already done a little shopping in Seattle on her way to the island.

Theresa delivered their platters of fish-and-chips and conversation came to a dead halt as they busied themselves with lemons, vinegar and tartar sauce.

Nina bit into the crispy coating of the fish and closed her eyes as the salty, tart tastes flooded her mouth.

“I think this meal alone is worth coming all the way out here for.” Jase swept a French fry through a mountain of ketchup on his plate. “Is this why you returned to the old homestead?”

“Mandy’s fish-and-chips?” She laughed. “Yeah, that’s it.”

They finished their meal and split the check. How had Jase known that’s exactly how she’d wanted to handle it? If he’d insisted on paying, it would’ve felt too much like a date—and it already felt too much like a date.

When they hit the sidewalk, she thrust out her hand. “You’re coming by tomorrow to go over the necessary repairs, right?”

“Sure.” He took her hand but didn’t release it. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“Car?” She raised her eyebrows. “I’m not in LA anymore. I walked over here.”

His grip tightened on her hand. “Really? I’ll walk you home, then.”

As her eyes traveled over his shoulder to take in the dark curve of the sand dunes that marked the turn toward the B and B, she said, “That’s not necessary,” but her voice didn’t hold the conviction she’d wanted.

Would Simon track her down here? If he wanted to speak with her, he should just approach her like a normal person. But Simon hadn’t been normal the past few times she’d seen him—not normal at all.

He shrugged. “I don’t mind the walk.”

“It is a nice walk.”

They turned together and after two blocks the sidewalk ended in sand. He put his hand on the small of her back. “Be careful.”

She appreciated Jase’s solicitousness, but she didn’t understand it. Why was he so attentive? It was almost as if he knew about her pregnancy.

She stole a sideways glance at his perfectly chiseled profile. Idiot. Maybe he did know she was pregnant. Just because she hadn’t made the switch to maternity clothes yet, it didn’t mean people couldn’t tell. That woman in the elevator at the doctor’s office knew. She was pretty sure Carl and Dora Kleinschmidt knew.

She cleared her throat. “You never did tell me why you chose Break Island for your writer’s retreat.”

“Do I have to explain?” He spread his arms. “It’s isolated, beautiful, but has just enough tourists for some serious people-watching for inspiration.”

“I thought you were writing a fictional account of your experiences in Afghanistan—not many soldiers here to study.” Unless Simon was lurking around the corner.

“They don’t have to be soldiers. Human nature is human nature.”

A bush rustled beside them and a gust of wind showered them with grains of sand.

Then a figure stepped onto the path in front of them and a voice came out of the night. “Home at last.”