Jan’s still the chick he’s chasing.” His tone was thoughtful. He looked toward the screen door. Was he staring at the door or at the property that stretched beyond the B and B grounds?
Cole wanted access to the Arnold place. Nick had thwarted him. Last night, someone shot at Nick and someone trampled grass near the site of the original trading post. Maybe it was a leap too far, but I decided to push my chips into the pot.
My tone was casual. “Did you find what you were looking for at the Arnold place last night?”
He swung toward me, looking like he’d been sucker punched—eyes wide, mouth open, face slack. He moved toward me, stopped a scant foot away, glared down. “What are you talking about?”
I described my adventure at length, finishing, “. . . somebody covered me with a plastic bag and threw me in the pond.” If Cole had tossed me from the bridge, I would have expected his bland con-man expression.
Instead, his face was grim. He asked sharply, “What time did this happen?”
“Late. After midnight.”
He took a step toward me, his face intent. “What did you hear?”
I couldn’t know if he was clever enough to pelt me with questions, thereby underlining his lack of knowledge, or if he was desperately interested in what I knew. Whichever, it wasn’t my intent to placate him. “Mine to know, yours to wonder. Unless you were there.”
“If somebody was over there last night, it wasn’t me.” His flat voice had an ugly sound. “Why were you nosing around?” His gaze was sharp and suspicious.
“I saw lights. I was curious.”
“Maybe you’d better not be so curious.”
I folded my arms, returned stare for stare. “I’ll do what I want to do.”
Antagonism flickered between us.
Jan pushed through the door from the dining room. She stopped and stared at Cole. “You aren’t welcome here, Cole. Please leave.”
Cole took his time turning away from me. His face was cold and hard. “I want to see your mom. She’s on the committee. I need to put up the trading post over here now.”
Jan folded her arms. “You’re kidding, aren’t you? Do you think she’ll have anything to do with you and that stupid celebration now?”
Cole slammed his hand on the kitchen counter. “She’s got to help me out.” The door from the back porch banged open.
Nick stepped inside. “I thought I heard your loud, obnoxious voice.” Nick, as usual, was unshaven. He looked seriously poor in a ratty red polo and worn jeans with one knee shredded and the other grass-stained. His eyes moved from Cole to Jan. “Is he bothering you?”
“Cole, please leave.” Jan’s voice shook.
Nick’s chin jutted. He stepped toward Cole, lifted a hand with fingers curled and thumb stiff and gestured toward the door. “Get out.”
Cole’s shoulders tightened. “Since when do you own this place?”
“Jan wants you out of here.” Nick’s voice was dangerously soft.
“So you want to keep Jan happy.” Cole’s tone was considering. “You’ll do anything to make her happy, right?”
Nick glared. “What’s it to you?”
Oddly, Cole gave a short bark of laughter. “I think that’s nice. I like romance. You screwed everything up for me with Arlene, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish you luck with Jan. I guess you’d do a lot to keep her happy.”
Nick stiffened, sensing a threat, uncertain what might be coming. “If you bother Jan, I’ll beat the hell out of you.”
Cole’s laugh was derisive. “Sure, you and those furry little spiders you hang out with. Gee, I’m scared.” His amusement slipped away, replaced by a combative look. “I got some business to see to, then I’ll be in touch, Phidippus.” He swung around and strode toward the door.
Nick’s hands balled into fists and he lunged after Cole.
I moved fast and grabbed Nick’s arm. “Don’t be dumb. He’s goading you.”
Nick skidded to a stop, glared down at me. “You’re always in the way.”
I didn’t take his
Cole wanted access to the Arnold place. Nick had thwarted him. Last night, someone shot at Nick and someone trampled grass near the site of the original trading post. Maybe it was a leap too far, but I decided to push my chips into the pot.
My tone was casual. “Did you find what you were looking for at the Arnold place last night?”
He swung toward me, looking like he’d been sucker punched—eyes wide, mouth open, face slack. He moved toward me, stopped a scant foot away, glared down. “What are you talking about?”
I described my adventure at length, finishing, “. . . somebody covered me with a plastic bag and threw me in the pond.” If Cole had tossed me from the bridge, I would have expected his bland con-man expression.
Instead, his face was grim. He asked sharply, “What time did this happen?”
“Late. After midnight.”
He took a step toward me, his face intent. “What did you hear?”
I couldn’t know if he was clever enough to pelt me with questions, thereby underlining his lack of knowledge, or if he was desperately interested in what I knew. Whichever, it wasn’t my intent to placate him. “Mine to know, yours to wonder. Unless you were there.”
“If somebody was over there last night, it wasn’t me.” His flat voice had an ugly sound. “Why were you nosing around?” His gaze was sharp and suspicious.
“I saw lights. I was curious.”
“Maybe you’d better not be so curious.”
I folded my arms, returned stare for stare. “I’ll do what I want to do.”
Antagonism flickered between us.
Jan pushed through the door from the dining room. She stopped and stared at Cole. “You aren’t welcome here, Cole. Please leave.”
Cole took his time turning away from me. His face was cold and hard. “I want to see your mom. She’s on the committee. I need to put up the trading post over here now.”
Jan folded her arms. “You’re kidding, aren’t you? Do you think she’ll have anything to do with you and that stupid celebration now?”
Cole slammed his hand on the kitchen counter. “She’s got to help me out.” The door from the back porch banged open.
Nick stepped inside. “I thought I heard your loud, obnoxious voice.” Nick, as usual, was unshaven. He looked seriously poor in a ratty red polo and worn jeans with one knee shredded and the other grass-stained. His eyes moved from Cole to Jan. “Is he bothering you?”
“Cole, please leave.” Jan’s voice shook.
Nick’s chin jutted. He stepped toward Cole, lifted a hand with fingers curled and thumb stiff and gestured toward the door. “Get out.”
Cole’s shoulders tightened. “Since when do you own this place?”
“Jan wants you out of here.” Nick’s voice was dangerously soft.
“So you want to keep Jan happy.” Cole’s tone was considering. “You’ll do anything to make her happy, right?”
Nick glared. “What’s it to you?”
Oddly, Cole gave a short bark of laughter. “I think that’s nice. I like romance. You screwed everything up for me with Arlene, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wish you luck with Jan. I guess you’d do a lot to keep her happy.”
Nick stiffened, sensing a threat, uncertain what might be coming. “If you bother Jan, I’ll beat the hell out of you.”
Cole’s laugh was derisive. “Sure, you and those furry little spiders you hang out with. Gee, I’m scared.” His amusement slipped away, replaced by a combative look. “I got some business to see to, then I’ll be in touch, Phidippus.” He swung around and strode toward the door.
Nick’s hands balled into fists and he lunged after Cole.
I moved fast and grabbed Nick’s arm. “Don’t be dumb. He’s goading you.”
Nick skidded to a stop, glared down at me. “You’re always in the way.”
I didn’t take his
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