There was something in his look. “Why are you really here, R.J.?”
He gazed down at her, and she knew . She knew the reason, even if he wouldn’t say it.
He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why?” The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy now.
“This guy hurt you. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“There is no this , I told you. That story wasn’t real.”
He stared at her and she couldn’t read him, as much as she wanted to. He looked like a protective older brother, but maybe there was more to it. The way he looked at her ... There was nothing brotherly about his gaze.
I just drove three hours to have a conversation with you.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, and she didn’t have time to analyze it now.
“Listen, I can’t explain everything because I’m in kind of a jam right now and—”
“What is it?” His brow furrowed and his entire muscle-bound body went on alert.
“It’s work-related. This case is a mess, and me standing out here with you is making things worse and—”
“Oh, yoo-hoo!”
They turned to see Scarlet trudging down the steps of the deck, a phony smile plastered on her face. Krista could tell she was pissed.
“R.J., so glad you’re here. Perfect timing, as always.” She rolled her eyes at Krista, her jaw tightly clenched. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve had a few changes to the plan.”
“What plan?” R.J. asked.
“What happened, Scarlet?” Krista asked.
She stopped beside them, hands on hips. “While you two were having your little pow-wow over here, Chad went on his lunch break.”
“ Shit. ”
“Who’s Chad?” R.J. wanted to know.
Krista checked her watch. “Where’s Adam?”
“I took him upstairs to sit tight with Dave. He doesn’t have the jacket, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Who’s Dave?” R.J. growled.
“Time for plan B,” Scarlet said, looking at Krista.
“Which is what?”
“I’m still working on it.” Scarlet punched R.J. in the arm. He frowned and Krista noted that he almost rubbed his bicep. “And since you screwed everything up, Mr. Flynn, you get to help.”
#
The Harrison-McKinley wedding was in full swing when Scarlet took a seat at the bar.
“Tanqueray and tonic with a twist.” She set her purse on the counter and looked at Krista. “What? We should relax. We’re on vacation.”
Krista snorted.
“We at least have to look like we are.”
“I’ll have a white wine spritzer,” Krista told the bartender.
Scarlet shook her head as Krista pulled out her phone. “Okay, R.J. just texted me,” Krista said. “Everything’s in place.”
“How’s my app working?” Scarlet asked. She didn’t like lending anyone her phone, but it was part of the plan. She’d downloaded an app that fed footage from the security camera that Krista had hidden in Chad’s room directly to her phone in real time.
“I assume it’s working fine, or he would have said something.” Krista checked her watch. “Now we just need Adam.”
“And Chad,” Scarlet murmured.
Krista shot her a warning look and turned in her stool to look out over the restaurant, where wedding guests were clustered around tables eating fancy canapés. Half of the room had been set up with a jazz quartet and dance floor, and a few festive couples were already out there.
“Where is he?” Krista whispered to Scarlet.
Scarlet assumed she meant Chad. “He offered to bus tables. He should be here by now.”
The bartender appeared with their drinks, and Scarlet beamed a smile at him. “Vince, you did say your friend Chad was planning to work tonight, right?” She nudged Krista with her elbow. “Krista was just wondering.”
Vince smiled. “He’s just taking a quick break.” He nodded at Krista. “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.”
Krista gave a coy smile and picked up her wine. “Thanks.”
Vince disappeared, and Scarlet scanned the
He gazed down at her, and she knew . She knew the reason, even if he wouldn’t say it.
He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m worried about you.”
“Why?” The butterflies in her stomach were going crazy now.
“This guy hurt you. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“There is no this , I told you. That story wasn’t real.”
He stared at her and she couldn’t read him, as much as she wanted to. He looked like a protective older brother, but maybe there was more to it. The way he looked at her ... There was nothing brotherly about his gaze.
I just drove three hours to have a conversation with you.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, and she didn’t have time to analyze it now.
“Listen, I can’t explain everything because I’m in kind of a jam right now and—”
“What is it?” His brow furrowed and his entire muscle-bound body went on alert.
“It’s work-related. This case is a mess, and me standing out here with you is making things worse and—”
“Oh, yoo-hoo!”
They turned to see Scarlet trudging down the steps of the deck, a phony smile plastered on her face. Krista could tell she was pissed.
“R.J., so glad you’re here. Perfect timing, as always.” She rolled her eyes at Krista, her jaw tightly clenched. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’ve had a few changes to the plan.”
“What plan?” R.J. asked.
“What happened, Scarlet?” Krista asked.
She stopped beside them, hands on hips. “While you two were having your little pow-wow over here, Chad went on his lunch break.”
“ Shit. ”
“Who’s Chad?” R.J. wanted to know.
Krista checked her watch. “Where’s Adam?”
“I took him upstairs to sit tight with Dave. He doesn’t have the jacket, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
“Who’s Dave?” R.J. growled.
“Time for plan B,” Scarlet said, looking at Krista.
“Which is what?”
“I’m still working on it.” Scarlet punched R.J. in the arm. He frowned and Krista noted that he almost rubbed his bicep. “And since you screwed everything up, Mr. Flynn, you get to help.”
#
The Harrison-McKinley wedding was in full swing when Scarlet took a seat at the bar.
“Tanqueray and tonic with a twist.” She set her purse on the counter and looked at Krista. “What? We should relax. We’re on vacation.”
Krista snorted.
“We at least have to look like we are.”
“I’ll have a white wine spritzer,” Krista told the bartender.
Scarlet shook her head as Krista pulled out her phone. “Okay, R.J. just texted me,” Krista said. “Everything’s in place.”
“How’s my app working?” Scarlet asked. She didn’t like lending anyone her phone, but it was part of the plan. She’d downloaded an app that fed footage from the security camera that Krista had hidden in Chad’s room directly to her phone in real time.
“I assume it’s working fine, or he would have said something.” Krista checked her watch. “Now we just need Adam.”
“And Chad,” Scarlet murmured.
Krista shot her a warning look and turned in her stool to look out over the restaurant, where wedding guests were clustered around tables eating fancy canapés. Half of the room had been set up with a jazz quartet and dance floor, and a few festive couples were already out there.
“Where is he?” Krista whispered to Scarlet.
Scarlet assumed she meant Chad. “He offered to bus tables. He should be here by now.”
The bartender appeared with their drinks, and Scarlet beamed a smile at him. “Vince, you did say your friend Chad was planning to work tonight, right?” She nudged Krista with her elbow. “Krista was just wondering.”
Vince smiled. “He’s just taking a quick break.” He nodded at Krista. “I’ll tell him you’re looking for him.”
Krista gave a coy smile and picked up her wine. “Thanks.”
Vince disappeared, and Scarlet scanned the
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