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The man came to their feet at the same time.
“You don’t have to get up,” Bernie said. “Finish your meal.”
Gerard glanced around at the others. “I think we’re done.”
Bernie shrugged and crossed to the counter, where she dropped mail and documents that needed to be sorted and filed. She sifted through the stack that had gotten ridiculously deep until she found the business card and handed it to Remy.
“They sent a couple of their brokers out. I had a hard time getting rid of them. They didn’t want to take no for an answer. They need to close a deal on Bellamy Acres before they can begin construction. I think they assumed it would be an easy deal. Offer me enough money, and me being a widow, I’d be glad to sell.”
“I’ll have Swede check into the resort and the brokerage firm,” Remy said.
The guys gathered their dishes and carried them to the sink.
“Don’t worry about the dishes. I’ll take care of them,” Bernie said.
“No, ma’am,” Gerard said. “You cooked. We can clean.” He washed bowls and stacked them neatly into the dish drainer while his teammates cleared the table and helped put away the leftovers.
Unused to having others do the work for her, Bernie grabbed a towel and dried the dishes Gerard washed. Occasionally, Gerard’s arm brushed against hers, sending a burst of electricity through her system.
In no time at all, the bowls were stacked in the cabinet, utensils were in the drawer and the table was cleared and clean.
Bernie followed the men as they headed out the door and down the porch steps. All of them but one.
While most of the men piled into the vehicles parked between the house and barn, Remy paused at the bottom of the stairs. “When will you be back from the city?”
“No later than noon,” Bernie said. “If your men show up at twelve-thirty, I’ll have the trailer positioned in the field, ready to go.”
Remy nodded. “We’ll be there.” He turned to Gerard. “You need anything from the boarding house?”
Gerard shook his head. “I keep some basics in the storage compartment on my motorcycle.”
“And I’m sure I can find anything else you might need here to tide you over until we’re on our way back through town tomorrow,” Bernie said. “We can stop by the boarding house to gather anything else then.”
Gerard nodded.
“Then we’re out of here,” Remy said. “Call if you need anything or run into any trouble.”
“Will do,” Gerard said.
Moments later, the vehicles departed, taillights disappearing into the darkness, leaving Bernie alone with Gerard.
“I’ll be right back,” Gerard descended the stairs and crossed to where he’d parked his motorcycle beneath a tree.
Bernie shivered in the balmy night air, her thoughts pouring over the day’s events, starting with finding Gertrude dead on her front porch and ending with a man staying the night with her. The stuff in between was what nightmares were made of. Finding a human foot and receiving a death threat didn’t happen every day.
As Gerard turned around and strode across the yard in her direction, another shiver rippled through Bernie’s body. This time, it was not from the startling and frightening events of the day but the sudden quickening of her pulse at the sight of the Marine’s broad shoulders and confident stride, eating the distance between them.
The closer he came, the more ragged her breathing became until she found herself holding her breath.
Gerard climbed the steps, his large frame towering over her, a small backpack in his hands.
Bernie didn’t consider herself a small woman. At five-foot-ten, she could look most men straight in the eye.
Not Gerard.
With him standing so close, she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
He frowned down at her. “Are you okay?”
