to walk toward the kitchen.
"Of course."
"And Greg has been the perfect gentleman, has he, chivalrously giving up the bed to you?"
"Well, not exactly. You see, we had some unexpected company last night."
Tim stopped in the kitchen and looked down at her. "Last night? In that storm? Who in the hell was out in that?"
"Two state police officers, looking for a dangerous suspect for questioning—Brandi Martin."
Tim sat down rather abruptly at the table and muttered several unprintable phrases just as Greg walked through the door.
"I resent that last remark. I know for a fact that my parents were married for several years before I was born," he said calmly, unzipping his jacket.
"I wasn't talking about you, counselor."
"Well, that certainly relieves my mind, let me tell you. Whose ancestry are you discussing?"
"I want to hear about your visitors last night."
"Oh, them," Greg said nonchalantly, pulling off his boots and walking over to the counter, where he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I don't know about you guys, but I could use something to eat. How does soup and sandwiches sound?"
"Greg, I'm serious," Tim said in an irritated tone.
"So am I. I really burn up energy when I'm skiing. Anyone else hungry?"
Brandi tried to hide her smile as she got up and began to help Greg with the meal. She'd never known anyone to give Tim Walker a hard time before—besides herself, of course. She was enjoying it immensely.
Greg glanced over his shoulder. "We could make a deal. Walker. Fill us in on any information you picked up and I'll do the same."
"Damn. I forgot about you and your negotiating skills, Duncan," Tim said with a grin. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Brandi felt left out of the male camaraderie for the moment and yet felt a warmth pervade her at the obvious closeness of the two men. She had a tremendous respect for Tim Walker and his judgment. There was no denying the close bond between these two men.
Within minutes they were seated and in front of them were steaming bowls of soup and a platter piled high with sandwiches. Without thinking about it, Brandi had sat next to Greg, across from Tim.
Greg nodded toward Tim. "Any information?"
"Some, but nothing conclusive. Whatever is going on up there is either supersecret or without sanction by the government. My guess is that it's both. I had to put my reputation on the line to convince some high-ranking people that what I described had actually happened."
"So what's next?" Greg asked.
Tim paused long enough to take a couple of bites of his sandwich. "Well, that's what I was going to discuss with you before I heard about your visitors," he said to Greg. "I don't want to take Brandi back to Denver with me. I thought she'd be safer staying here with you, if you would be willing to spend some extra time. Now I'm not too sure about that idea, either."
Greg smiled at Brandi. "We've been discussing that this morning. The two men who were here last night had not seen a picture of Brandi, so I introduced her as my wife, Beth."
Tim raised one brow slightly. "Your wife, Duncan? Couldn't you have been more original than that? What about your daughter?"
"Very funny." He glanced around at Brandi, who was studiously eating her soup without looking up. "Although you're probably right, I could pass as her father just as well."
Brandi choked and looked up at the two men.
"I asked her to marry me last night, but she was too polite to point out the difference in our ages."
Tim stared at his friend in disbelief. Brandi wished she could hide under the table. She couldn't remember ever having been so embarrassed. How dare he bring up his proposal so casually, and in front of Tim?
"You want to marry Brandi?" Tim said in a surprised voice.
"Well, I thought I did, but after she carefully enumerated all of her many faults, she's almost convinced me that I had a rather lucky escape." He winked at Tim.
Tim's gaze fell on Brandi's crimson face. "You turned him
"Of course."
"And Greg has been the perfect gentleman, has he, chivalrously giving up the bed to you?"
"Well, not exactly. You see, we had some unexpected company last night."
Tim stopped in the kitchen and looked down at her. "Last night? In that storm? Who in the hell was out in that?"
"Two state police officers, looking for a dangerous suspect for questioning—Brandi Martin."
Tim sat down rather abruptly at the table and muttered several unprintable phrases just as Greg walked through the door.
"I resent that last remark. I know for a fact that my parents were married for several years before I was born," he said calmly, unzipping his jacket.
"I wasn't talking about you, counselor."
"Well, that certainly relieves my mind, let me tell you. Whose ancestry are you discussing?"
"I want to hear about your visitors last night."
"Oh, them," Greg said nonchalantly, pulling off his boots and walking over to the counter, where he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I don't know about you guys, but I could use something to eat. How does soup and sandwiches sound?"
"Greg, I'm serious," Tim said in an irritated tone.
"So am I. I really burn up energy when I'm skiing. Anyone else hungry?"
Brandi tried to hide her smile as she got up and began to help Greg with the meal. She'd never known anyone to give Tim Walker a hard time before—besides herself, of course. She was enjoying it immensely.
Greg glanced over his shoulder. "We could make a deal. Walker. Fill us in on any information you picked up and I'll do the same."
"Damn. I forgot about you and your negotiating skills, Duncan," Tim said with a grin. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
Brandi felt left out of the male camaraderie for the moment and yet felt a warmth pervade her at the obvious closeness of the two men. She had a tremendous respect for Tim Walker and his judgment. There was no denying the close bond between these two men.
Within minutes they were seated and in front of them were steaming bowls of soup and a platter piled high with sandwiches. Without thinking about it, Brandi had sat next to Greg, across from Tim.
Greg nodded toward Tim. "Any information?"
"Some, but nothing conclusive. Whatever is going on up there is either supersecret or without sanction by the government. My guess is that it's both. I had to put my reputation on the line to convince some high-ranking people that what I described had actually happened."
"So what's next?" Greg asked.
Tim paused long enough to take a couple of bites of his sandwich. "Well, that's what I was going to discuss with you before I heard about your visitors," he said to Greg. "I don't want to take Brandi back to Denver with me. I thought she'd be safer staying here with you, if you would be willing to spend some extra time. Now I'm not too sure about that idea, either."
Greg smiled at Brandi. "We've been discussing that this morning. The two men who were here last night had not seen a picture of Brandi, so I introduced her as my wife, Beth."
Tim raised one brow slightly. "Your wife, Duncan? Couldn't you have been more original than that? What about your daughter?"
"Very funny." He glanced around at Brandi, who was studiously eating her soup without looking up. "Although you're probably right, I could pass as her father just as well."
Brandi choked and looked up at the two men.
"I asked her to marry me last night, but she was too polite to point out the difference in our ages."
Tim stared at his friend in disbelief. Brandi wished she could hide under the table. She couldn't remember ever having been so embarrassed. How dare he bring up his proposal so casually, and in front of Tim?
"You want to marry Brandi?" Tim said in a surprised voice.
"Well, I thought I did, but after she carefully enumerated all of her many faults, she's almost convinced me that I had a rather lucky escape." He winked at Tim.
Tim's gaze fell on Brandi's crimson face. "You turned him
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