Colleen Coble by Rosemary Cottage

warmed. “Smart of them. Did they squawk when you joined the Coasties?”
    “Nope. They are proud of me.”
    “You’re lucky. My mother was scandalized when I told her I was going to be a midwife.”
    “You’re a nurse too, right? They should be proud you want to help people.”
    She shook her head. “I was besmirching the Lang name. They wanted me to go into the family business of banking.” She gave a mock shudder and laughed. “Numbers give me hives. Half the time I couldn’t tell you if my patients pay me or not. As long as I have enough money to carry the mortgage and buy food, I’m happy. When I hold that newborn in my arms, I can feel God smiling at me.”
    He could barely take his eyes off her. The sunlight brought red lights out in her hair, and she glowed as she talked about her life’s work. “And Ben? What did he think of your career?”
    Animation surged to her face. “He hated coming to the clinic. All those mothers and babies gave him hives.” She laughed. “But it was his fault. He told me to follow my dream and not let my dad’s expectations get in my way.”
    “I think you’re pretty special to do what you do. You get called out in the middle of the night and hold life in your hands.”
    “So do you. You and the rest of your team do some pretty heroic things.”
    His face heated at the admiration on her face. “It’s just part of the job. What are you going to tell your parents about Raine?”
    Her smile vanished. “I don’t know. I fear your first assessment is right. They will want to take custody. And they have a lot of money.”
    He shrugged even though her comment made his gut tighten. “My family is wealthy too, and my parents will spend their last dime to keep her with us.”
    “And Raine will be caught in the middle.” She rubbed her forehead. “It’s a terrible tangle, Curtis.”
    He liked the sound of his name on her lips. Liked the almost confiding tone she used, as if they were on the same side. And really, weren’t they? He had to believe she wanted what was best for Raine. “What about our investigation? I’m still not convinced anyone intended to hurt either of them.”
    “You said the boat seemed to head straight for Gina. Did she say anything in the days leading up to her death? Give you any indication she was worried?”
    “No.” The word slipped out before he allowed himself to think about it, and he knew it was because he didn’t want to think that someone had killed her. “I mean, I don’t know.” He thought back to the last couple of weeks. “Wait a minute.”
    “What?”
    “She drew up paperwork appointing me guardian. Gina hadnever thought that far ahead before. I wondered why she was worrying about it. I mean, she had to know I’d take Raine without a formal will.”
    “When did she do the paperwork?”
    He thought back to the day Gina had come to him to tell him what she was doing and to make sure he was cool with it. “Three days before she died. I thought she was just being careful, but maybe there was more to it than that.”
    “What did she do when Ben was here? Who did they see?”
    He shrugged. “I hardly kept tabs on them.”
    Her eyes were intense with interest. “Did she live with you?”
    “Nope. She and Raine lived in an upstairs condo out on the quay.”
    She straightened. “So people would have seen them. Could we go snoop around there? Ask her neighbors if they saw anything?”
    “Sure thing. I think it’s a good idea.” The breeze whipped her curls as she turned to watch the kiteboarding, and he couldn’t look away. There were six kites aloft, almost breathtaking in the sunlight, and he saw the interest on her face. “You ever been up on one?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t like high places.”
    He grinned. “I’ll take you up, and I promise not to let you fall.”
    “You would be deafened by the screams by the time we got down.”
    He cupped his ear. “What was that?”
    She laughed, a light melodic sound