actually done anything harmful to me.” “Not yet.”
She propped a hip on the back of the couch. “Look, I don't have a death wish or any other kind of awful wish for that matter. I will take reasonable precautions, but I will define the term reasonable.”
“Oh, hell, Angelica, who are you trying to impress? I know your definition of reasonable. You’ll lock the door when you remember to, and you'll allow me to continue the phone tap without too much grumbling, and that’s about it.”
“The man is in Boston, Amarillo!”
“How do you know? He could have mailed this to you on his way out of town. He could be here by now.”
“Here at SwanSea?” She shook her head. “No.”
He reached up, grabbed her wrist, and with a tug pulled her down to him and positioned her so she lay across his lap and her head was in the crook of his arm. “We have to talk about this, Angelica. Now.”
She smiled faintly; the heat had already begun to grow in her as soon as her body had come into contact with his. “And that’s why you pulled me down here?”
“I want your complete attention.”
“You have it, believe me.”
“Okay, tell me, can you think of anyone who might be doing this to you?"
Her smile faded. “It can’t be anyone I know.”
“We have to consider the possibility.”
She sat up, abruptly stripping herself from his arms. “No, no! I tell you, it’s no one I know. ”
He pulled her back down to where she had been. He smoothed away the hair from her face, not because her hair needed attention, but more because he felt better touching her. And as long as he was holding her, he could trick himself into feeling more in control. “It’s a horrible thought, I know. For a while you were able to convince yourself that he was just some jerk who would eventually go away. By doing that, you were able to feel safe. But in this case, feeling safe is dangerous.”
She gazed up at him, her expression now completely solemn. “How can you be so sure this is going to turn into something more than mild harassment?”
“It’s a gut feeling.”
“Nico used to say he could take your gut feelings to the bank.”
A crease deepened in one cheek. “It’s you I’ve got to convince.”
She exhaled a long breath. “The answer to your question is no, I don’t know anyone who would want to call me and say those strange things or send me the note.”
“Okay, then, let’s go at this another way. Instead of looking at who could have sent you the note, let’s look at why. The note said, ‘Come back home now.’ So why would someone want you to go back home? What’s there?”
“Him? He’s probably still there.”
“Maybe.” He gazed thoughtfully down at her. “Coming at it from another angle, we could ask, what’s here that he doesn’t want you involved with?”
“Well, it’s not you, because the calls started the night before you came to see me at the office.” He nodded. “That pretty much leaves the ball.”
“The ball?”
“The ball is the reason you’re here. Didn’t he say during one of his calls that you should be a good girl and stay home?"
“Something like that. Seems like he definitely wanted me to stay back in Boston." She grimaced. “But you’re off the mark with the ball. For heaven’s sake, it’s for the Children’s Fund. Nothing could be more harmless or, I might add, more worthwhile.”
“When you have nothing to go on, Angelica, all theories are fair for consideration.”
“I suppose.”
“I’m going to run a check on all the guests.” She stiffened, but he was prepared for her displeasure with his decision. “Don’t worry, I will be ultra discreet. No one will know. No one will be offended. Trust me.”
She rested her head against his shoulder, seeking comfort and warmth, and thought about his request to trust him. He was the kind of mam who inspired confidence in others, and there was no doubt in her mind that she could trust him with her safety,
She propped a hip on the back of the couch. “Look, I don't have a death wish or any other kind of awful wish for that matter. I will take reasonable precautions, but I will define the term reasonable.”
“Oh, hell, Angelica, who are you trying to impress? I know your definition of reasonable. You’ll lock the door when you remember to, and you'll allow me to continue the phone tap without too much grumbling, and that’s about it.”
“The man is in Boston, Amarillo!”
“How do you know? He could have mailed this to you on his way out of town. He could be here by now.”
“Here at SwanSea?” She shook her head. “No.”
He reached up, grabbed her wrist, and with a tug pulled her down to him and positioned her so she lay across his lap and her head was in the crook of his arm. “We have to talk about this, Angelica. Now.”
She smiled faintly; the heat had already begun to grow in her as soon as her body had come into contact with his. “And that’s why you pulled me down here?”
“I want your complete attention.”
“You have it, believe me.”
“Okay, tell me, can you think of anyone who might be doing this to you?"
Her smile faded. “It can’t be anyone I know.”
“We have to consider the possibility.”
She sat up, abruptly stripping herself from his arms. “No, no! I tell you, it’s no one I know. ”
He pulled her back down to where she had been. He smoothed away the hair from her face, not because her hair needed attention, but more because he felt better touching her. And as long as he was holding her, he could trick himself into feeling more in control. “It’s a horrible thought, I know. For a while you were able to convince yourself that he was just some jerk who would eventually go away. By doing that, you were able to feel safe. But in this case, feeling safe is dangerous.”
She gazed up at him, her expression now completely solemn. “How can you be so sure this is going to turn into something more than mild harassment?”
“It’s a gut feeling.”
“Nico used to say he could take your gut feelings to the bank.”
A crease deepened in one cheek. “It’s you I’ve got to convince.”
She exhaled a long breath. “The answer to your question is no, I don’t know anyone who would want to call me and say those strange things or send me the note.”
“Okay, then, let’s go at this another way. Instead of looking at who could have sent you the note, let’s look at why. The note said, ‘Come back home now.’ So why would someone want you to go back home? What’s there?”
“Him? He’s probably still there.”
“Maybe.” He gazed thoughtfully down at her. “Coming at it from another angle, we could ask, what’s here that he doesn’t want you involved with?”
“Well, it’s not you, because the calls started the night before you came to see me at the office.” He nodded. “That pretty much leaves the ball.”
“The ball?”
“The ball is the reason you’re here. Didn’t he say during one of his calls that you should be a good girl and stay home?"
“Something like that. Seems like he definitely wanted me to stay back in Boston." She grimaced. “But you’re off the mark with the ball. For heaven’s sake, it’s for the Children’s Fund. Nothing could be more harmless or, I might add, more worthwhile.”
“When you have nothing to go on, Angelica, all theories are fair for consideration.”
“I suppose.”
“I’m going to run a check on all the guests.” She stiffened, but he was prepared for her displeasure with his decision. “Don’t worry, I will be ultra discreet. No one will know. No one will be offended. Trust me.”
She rested her head against his shoulder, seeking comfort and warmth, and thought about his request to trust him. He was the kind of mam who inspired confidence in others, and there was no doubt in her mind that she could trust him with her safety,
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