fun. I’m sure you figured there’d be no harm done—you mastermind your perfect heist, Frank follows in dad’s footsteps by pulling it off, your daughter claims five percent of the take in a legitimate finder’s fee, and the owner gets their gems back.”
“No one was supposed to get hurt,” Tilly breathed, looking stricken.
“Someone always gets hurt, Mom. They don’t make stealing illegal just to spoil your fun.” Sighing, Ana pinched the bridge of her nose. “When were Frankie and Eric supposed to show up here?”
“Not for a week.” Tilly met her gaze with unusual somberness. “We knew the insurance company would bring you in on this, and we didn’t want any lines being drawn between there and here and you.”
“Thanks,” Ana said sourly.
“Frank’s not even supposed to call until he gets down to Florida. He and Eric planned on stretching the trip out over a few days.”
Crossing her arms, Ana snapped, “No matter how clever you are, you went into this knowing I could face prosecution along with you. By not turning you in, I could be seen as an accessory after the fact. And if I took the finder’s fee and Frankie’s involvement ever got out, I’d have a hell of a time arguing that I wasn’t a participant in a multi-million dollar fraud against the insurance company.”
“Jake would never let that happen,” Tilly argued.
“He isn’t God, Mom,” Ana muttered, her stomach knotting at the thought of facing her high school sweetheart again. Jake Monroe—a man she’d never gotten over. “I’ll have to talk to him. Maybe Eric’s contacted him. I’d expect it, considering how protective Jake is.”
“Will you be staying in Whisper Creek until this is worked out?”
“I’ll be staying tonight, at least. If Terence survives—God willing—I’ll be heading back to Manhattan to see him. And if I sniff out any leads on who Terence might’ve brought in as the fourth, I’ll take off to pursue those. How’s the Wi-Fi at the house?”
“Still not good. I use the computer here at the shop when I need reliable internet access.”
“Then I’ll stay at Victoria’s Inn.”
Picking up her briefcase, Ana exhaled harshly. “Let me know if you hear anything.”
“Anastasia.” Her mother’s voice stopped her when she reached the door. “You’ll watch out for Frankie, won’t you? He’ll be all right?”
“I’ll do my best, Mom.” But she couldn’t make any promises. She couldn’t even be sure she wouldn’t go down with them.
Reaching for her sunglasses on the top of her head, she stepped outside.
And found a deputy U.S. Marshal waiting next to her car.
A na’s breath caught and her heartbeat accelerated with a mixture of surprise and guilt.
The deputy was a tall and leanly built man with cool blue eyes and a firm mouth. His chiseled face was impassive and his arms casually crossed. His long legs were braced slightly apart, anchoring him to the asphalt as he assessed her from head to toe from beneath the brim of his hat.
“Deputy,” she greeted him, regaining her composure.
“Anastasia.” His voice was whisky-rough and it spoke her name like a caress. “What brings you back?”
“Pit stop during a work assignment.” She shoved her free hand into her pocket to hide how it trembled. Wondering if he had more news than Tilly did, she asked, “Where’s Eric?”
Jake’s lips pursed. He had a gorgeous mouth. Neither too full or too thin and perfectly sculpted. That mouth knew every inch of her body. She still had dreams about what he could do with it. “He headed down to Florida with your brother.”
She nodded and somehow refrained from shifting on her feet. “I never did like Florida. Too much humidity for me.”
“How long are you gonna be in town?”
“A few days, at most.”
He adjusted his weight, his body moving with sleek fluidity. “So why are we wasting time talking about nothing?”
She stared at him, absorbing
“No one was supposed to get hurt,” Tilly breathed, looking stricken.
“Someone always gets hurt, Mom. They don’t make stealing illegal just to spoil your fun.” Sighing, Ana pinched the bridge of her nose. “When were Frankie and Eric supposed to show up here?”
“Not for a week.” Tilly met her gaze with unusual somberness. “We knew the insurance company would bring you in on this, and we didn’t want any lines being drawn between there and here and you.”
“Thanks,” Ana said sourly.
“Frank’s not even supposed to call until he gets down to Florida. He and Eric planned on stretching the trip out over a few days.”
Crossing her arms, Ana snapped, “No matter how clever you are, you went into this knowing I could face prosecution along with you. By not turning you in, I could be seen as an accessory after the fact. And if I took the finder’s fee and Frankie’s involvement ever got out, I’d have a hell of a time arguing that I wasn’t a participant in a multi-million dollar fraud against the insurance company.”
“Jake would never let that happen,” Tilly argued.
“He isn’t God, Mom,” Ana muttered, her stomach knotting at the thought of facing her high school sweetheart again. Jake Monroe—a man she’d never gotten over. “I’ll have to talk to him. Maybe Eric’s contacted him. I’d expect it, considering how protective Jake is.”
“Will you be staying in Whisper Creek until this is worked out?”
“I’ll be staying tonight, at least. If Terence survives—God willing—I’ll be heading back to Manhattan to see him. And if I sniff out any leads on who Terence might’ve brought in as the fourth, I’ll take off to pursue those. How’s the Wi-Fi at the house?”
“Still not good. I use the computer here at the shop when I need reliable internet access.”
“Then I’ll stay at Victoria’s Inn.”
Picking up her briefcase, Ana exhaled harshly. “Let me know if you hear anything.”
“Anastasia.” Her mother’s voice stopped her when she reached the door. “You’ll watch out for Frankie, won’t you? He’ll be all right?”
“I’ll do my best, Mom.” But she couldn’t make any promises. She couldn’t even be sure she wouldn’t go down with them.
Reaching for her sunglasses on the top of her head, she stepped outside.
And found a deputy U.S. Marshal waiting next to her car.
A na’s breath caught and her heartbeat accelerated with a mixture of surprise and guilt.
The deputy was a tall and leanly built man with cool blue eyes and a firm mouth. His chiseled face was impassive and his arms casually crossed. His long legs were braced slightly apart, anchoring him to the asphalt as he assessed her from head to toe from beneath the brim of his hat.
“Deputy,” she greeted him, regaining her composure.
“Anastasia.” His voice was whisky-rough and it spoke her name like a caress. “What brings you back?”
“Pit stop during a work assignment.” She shoved her free hand into her pocket to hide how it trembled. Wondering if he had more news than Tilly did, she asked, “Where’s Eric?”
Jake’s lips pursed. He had a gorgeous mouth. Neither too full or too thin and perfectly sculpted. That mouth knew every inch of her body. She still had dreams about what he could do with it. “He headed down to Florida with your brother.”
She nodded and somehow refrained from shifting on her feet. “I never did like Florida. Too much humidity for me.”
“How long are you gonna be in town?”
“A few days, at most.”
He adjusted his weight, his body moving with sleek fluidity. “So why are we wasting time talking about nothing?”
She stared at him, absorbing
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