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He saw past the smoke screen she was trying to throw out. He didn’t trust her suddenly friendly smile one bit. “What makes you think I need you?”
“For starters, I’m another pair of eyes.”
“I don’t need another pair of eyes. I’ve got the boathouse wired. If anyone tries to get in, I’ll know it.”
She slanted a sour glance his way. “Like you knew when I tried to get into the cabin last night.”
“Something like that. Only this time, my intruder won’t be a beautiful, if irritating, woman.”
She rolled her eyes. “What a sweet talker you are. If Tad is involved, he’s probably a little part in this. I can talk to him and convince him to help you get to the bottom of this fiasco. So, you need me, right?”
He shrugged. It probably would be better to keep her where he could keep an eye on her. With any luck, the proximity might ease his way into her bed. “I know when I’m fighting a losing battle. You can stay as long as you promise to keep out of the way. And obey my orders.”
“Of course.”
Samantha jotted down a name on her short list of suspects with a sigh. She was grasping at straws, and she knew it. A cranky secretary and a grumpy gardener weren’t much of a line-up. She had to admit, a born detective, she wasn’t, but she had to try. She absentmindedly sketched a crooked maze. That’s what this whole mess was.
Jake’s footsteps rumbled in the loft. He’d disappeared there after supper. Whatever he was up to probably wasn’t suitable for her brother.
She picked up the list and headed for the ladder to the loft. If Tad was involved in this mess, she had to find out as soon as possible to help him. Jake might believe him a criminal, but she knew he was just a fun-loving kid.
She stopped at the bottom of the ladder and looked up. Images of her earlier panic attack flashed through her mind. A cold sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She had to keep her fears at bay if she was going to help her brother.
She put her hand on the ladder and closed her eyes, visualizing her dewy meadow. She imagined herself walking among the wildflowers, and her tight muscles began to relax. She climbed, silently repeating her new mantra—Jake Ramsey is my partner. I hope I can trust him.
And then, suddenly, she was at the top. She didn’t risk a glance down, not wanting to push her luck. Instead, she quickly stepped into the bedroom.
Jake looked up from his seat at the computer. He frowned at the interruption and closed the laptop. “What’s up?”
She was taken aback by his continued secrecy. She knew all about his mission. There was no longer a need for him to hide what he was doing. “I thought we should talk about how we’re going to conduct this stakeout.”
“We?” He yawned, stood, and stretched.
She frowned at his less-than-cooperative tone. “Yes,we. I’m your assistant, remember?”
“I agreed you could stay, but I never accepted your offer of help. I told you that I work alone, and I also told you before my room is off-limits.”
She frowned. He was the most hardheaded man she’d ever known. “There’s no need to keep secrets anymore. If I’m going to help you, I need to know what’s happening. I’ll be a good assistant. You wait and see.” She thrust the paper at him. “Here, I made a list.”
“A list of what?” He yawned and took the paper.
“Other suspects.”
He glanced at the paper and cocked an amused glance her way. “You think Mrs. Johnson and Ned, the gardener, are part of a den of industrial espionage agents?”
She sighed. “It’s a long shot, but you must admit, they’re not the friendliest people on the planet.”
“Mrs. Johnson retired late last year, long before the losses began. She’s now being cranky down in Florida, I believe. Ned doesn’t have the access needed to pull off the thefts.” He looked up and grinned. “The maze you drew is a nice touch, though.”
“I tend to doodle when I’m tense.” She snatched the paper back. “Let’s get back to the business at hand. What can I do to assist you?”
“I know one sure tension reliever, but I don’t think you’re ready for that yet.”
She backed away. “You’re right. I’ve decided we need to keep this on a business-like footing. What happened this morning was an aberration. Two stressed people in close quarters.”
A nerve pulsed in his jaw. He reached out to snag her. “Let’s put your theory to the test.”
He silenced her shriek with a kiss.
