the lane carrying the empty toboggan. A.J. was behind him with a child on each arm, Lauren next to him.
"I hope Derek didn't commit suicide," Brett said. "I hope he just wanted to talk to you, and the fire was an accident--just one of those dumb things. From everything I hear, Lowell Whittaker's the type to leave flammable stuff around."
Would he put a volatile, highly flammable liquid into a kerosene lamp and just leave it for anyone to light? Rose shuddered at the thought. "Given what else he's done, I suppose anything's possible."
"He puts a whole new spin on the term 'gentleman farmer.'" Brett gestured toward Nick as he loaded the toboggan into the back of A.J.'s SUV. "Who's that? Got a new boyfriend, Rose?"
Rose squinted at Brett in the strong midday sun. "That's Nick Martini, my brother Sean's business partner."
"What's he doing out here? Is Sean with him?"
"Sean's not with him, no," she said carefully.
"Wait, is this the guy who was with you yesterday when you found Derek?"
"Nick was there, but we weren't together."
Brett blew out a breath, shaking his head. "What a mess. Well, I should go. I told the police I'd meet them up where I saw Robert. I'll leave you to your family."
Rose watched him cross the road and head past the trail up to the falls. She was still looking in his direction when she felt Nick next to her. "I'm walking back to the lodge," she said. "You can ride with A.J., Lauren and the kids--"
"I'll walk with you."
She didn't argue with him. A.J. muttered something to her about hoping she knew what she was doing and headed off with Lauren and their now tired children.
"I think I'm getting used to the cold weather," Nick said as he started up the road. "Feels good in its own way."
"The low humidity today helps," Rose said.
She walked with him up the quiet road, telling him about Brett's encounter with Robert. Nick stopped abruptly and took her by the arm, not ungently. "Do you ever ask yourself if you're too brave by half?"
"I'm not reckless, Nick." She faced him as he continued to hold on to her. "Black Falls and my family have had their problems this past year, but I've never felt unsafe here."
"Problems? A woman was blown up in the lodge parking lot--"
"A killer, killed by the man who hired her to murder people, including my father. Yesterday..." She pulled her arm free of Nick's grasp, aware of her reaction to him, the same mix of physical and emotional sparks that had landed him in bed with her eight months ago. "We don't know what happened to Derek."
"A kerosene lamp exploded and burned him to death."
The raw words rocked her back onto her heels.
Nick didn't relent. "You're an amazing woman, Rose, as well as brave, but you're fighting demons. You won't let anyone help you. Your brothers, your friends--me."
"I don't even know you, Nick."
He took her scarf, hanging loosely down her front, and tied it warmly under her chin. She felt the brush of his bare hands on her skin. "Maybe that's why I'm here," he said. "So you can get to know me."
Her breath caught but she shook her head. "You're here because of Jasper. If he hadn't died last June..." She didn't finish, shaking off any thought of the tragic death of the arson investigator. "What if Lowell Whittaker filled the kerosene lamp with Coleman fuel with the plan of killing his wife? I could see Vivian walking into the shed, lighting the lamp--"
"I never wanted to hurt you," Nick said next to her.
She pretended not to hear him. "Fire scenes are difficult forensically. We might never know how the Coleman fuel--assuming that's what caused the fire--got into the lamp."
"Rose. Stop ignoring me."
She plunged down the road, feeling the scarf rub against her chin, but stopped after a few yards, turning back to him. "You didn't hurt me, Nick," she said. "We had a good time together that night. Let's not beat ourselves up over it."
"Easy to say." He walked up the road to her. "You were still dealing with your father's death and Elijah's
"I hope Derek didn't commit suicide," Brett said. "I hope he just wanted to talk to you, and the fire was an accident--just one of those dumb things. From everything I hear, Lowell Whittaker's the type to leave flammable stuff around."
Would he put a volatile, highly flammable liquid into a kerosene lamp and just leave it for anyone to light? Rose shuddered at the thought. "Given what else he's done, I suppose anything's possible."
"He puts a whole new spin on the term 'gentleman farmer.'" Brett gestured toward Nick as he loaded the toboggan into the back of A.J.'s SUV. "Who's that? Got a new boyfriend, Rose?"
Rose squinted at Brett in the strong midday sun. "That's Nick Martini, my brother Sean's business partner."
"What's he doing out here? Is Sean with him?"
"Sean's not with him, no," she said carefully.
"Wait, is this the guy who was with you yesterday when you found Derek?"
"Nick was there, but we weren't together."
Brett blew out a breath, shaking his head. "What a mess. Well, I should go. I told the police I'd meet them up where I saw Robert. I'll leave you to your family."
Rose watched him cross the road and head past the trail up to the falls. She was still looking in his direction when she felt Nick next to her. "I'm walking back to the lodge," she said. "You can ride with A.J., Lauren and the kids--"
"I'll walk with you."
She didn't argue with him. A.J. muttered something to her about hoping she knew what she was doing and headed off with Lauren and their now tired children.
"I think I'm getting used to the cold weather," Nick said as he started up the road. "Feels good in its own way."
"The low humidity today helps," Rose said.
She walked with him up the quiet road, telling him about Brett's encounter with Robert. Nick stopped abruptly and took her by the arm, not ungently. "Do you ever ask yourself if you're too brave by half?"
"I'm not reckless, Nick." She faced him as he continued to hold on to her. "Black Falls and my family have had their problems this past year, but I've never felt unsafe here."
"Problems? A woman was blown up in the lodge parking lot--"
"A killer, killed by the man who hired her to murder people, including my father. Yesterday..." She pulled her arm free of Nick's grasp, aware of her reaction to him, the same mix of physical and emotional sparks that had landed him in bed with her eight months ago. "We don't know what happened to Derek."
"A kerosene lamp exploded and burned him to death."
The raw words rocked her back onto her heels.
Nick didn't relent. "You're an amazing woman, Rose, as well as brave, but you're fighting demons. You won't let anyone help you. Your brothers, your friends--me."
"I don't even know you, Nick."
He took her scarf, hanging loosely down her front, and tied it warmly under her chin. She felt the brush of his bare hands on her skin. "Maybe that's why I'm here," he said. "So you can get to know me."
Her breath caught but she shook her head. "You're here because of Jasper. If he hadn't died last June..." She didn't finish, shaking off any thought of the tragic death of the arson investigator. "What if Lowell Whittaker filled the kerosene lamp with Coleman fuel with the plan of killing his wife? I could see Vivian walking into the shed, lighting the lamp--"
"I never wanted to hurt you," Nick said next to her.
She pretended not to hear him. "Fire scenes are difficult forensically. We might never know how the Coleman fuel--assuming that's what caused the fire--got into the lamp."
"Rose. Stop ignoring me."
She plunged down the road, feeling the scarf rub against her chin, but stopped after a few yards, turning back to him. "You didn't hurt me, Nick," she said. "We had a good time together that night. Let's not beat ourselves up over it."
"Easy to say." He walked up the road to her. "You were still dealing with your father's death and Elijah's
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