gaze at him with fear in her eyes.
“Do you want me to fly back?” Ian asked.
Cole rolled his eyes. That was always Ian’s solution, to glue himself to Cole’s side, as if that would magically fix everything. “No, stay in Chicago. Someone needs to make sure this business doesn’t collapse.”
“Fine,” Ian agreed. “But if you need me to come, don’t hesitate to ask.”
After he’d hung up the phone, Cole reached up to rub his temples, hoping to ward off an oncoming headache. This was total insanity. Nothing seemed to be going his way. Joe Gideon refused to tell the truth and back up Cole’s alibi. Teresa was taunting him from the grave with her damn restraining order. The sheriff and everyone in town wanted him behind bars. His business was suffering because of all the bad press.
How on earth had he wound up here? It was as if he’d fallen into a deep, dark hole, and every time he managed to claw his way out, someone came up and stomped on his fingers, sending him flying back into the abyss.
A buzzing sound snapped him from his dismal thoughts, then brought a rush of anger when he realized someone was at the gate. No doubt the sheriff, coming back with more questions. More accusations.
Shoulders stiff, he marched into the security room and studied the monitor, then swallowed when he recognized Jamie’s car. The window was rolled down, and she was looking up at the camera, her lavender eyes flickering with the compassion he’d come to associate with her. Then her voice crackled through the speaker. “Cole? Will you let me in? I just wanted to talk.”
Releasing a ragged breath, he buzzed her in and headed for the front door. As he waited, he raised his guard, refusing to be blindsided again. He doubted Jamie just wanted to talk . Finnegan had only left fifteen minutes ago, after Cole refused to answer any more questions without his lawyer present. And now Jamie was here, hoping to chat?
Cole’s jaw tensed as he heard her footsteps on the porch. Finnegan had sent her. No doubt about that. And he had no intention of enduring another interrogation, not even from the woman who’d passionately kissed him back last night. Actually, especially not this woman.
To his surprise, when he opened the door and gestured for her to come inside, the first thing she said was, “Are you all right?”
He blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Are you all right?” she repeated as they headed for the living room. Her gaze flicked to the bottle of Scotch on the table, and she answered her own question with a rueful expression. “I guess not.”
“What are you doing here, Jamie?” He couldn’t hide the weariness in his voice, or the heaviness of his body as he trudged to the sofa and sat down.
Setting her purse on the hardwood floor, Jamie joined him on the couch. The sweet fragrance of her perfume wafted in his direction, and he suddenly noticed that she wasn’t wearing the business attire she’d had on this morning. She’d changed into a pair of faded blue jeans and a black v-neck T-shirt, which made her look younger, softer.
“I was at the station when Teresa’s lawyer came in,” she admitted.
“So you know,” he said flatly.
Jamie met his eyes. “Did you threaten her?”
Frustration roiled in his belly. “Honestly? I don’t really remember. I may have told her to stop pushing me or she’d regret it, but I didn’t say I was going to kill her. I just wanted to put an end to that foolish court case.”
“That’s what I figured,” Jamie said softly. “I don’t believe you meant it as a threat to her life.”
He searched her face, seeing nothing but sincerity there. “You’re probably the only one who thinks that,” he said with a sigh. “Finnegan is convinced I’m a murderer. I’m sure the people in town think so too.”
Something flickered in her expression, causing Cole to narrow his eyes. “What is it?”
“I ran into Valerie Matthews at the diner earlier,” she said. “I
“Do you want me to fly back?” Ian asked.
Cole rolled his eyes. That was always Ian’s solution, to glue himself to Cole’s side, as if that would magically fix everything. “No, stay in Chicago. Someone needs to make sure this business doesn’t collapse.”
“Fine,” Ian agreed. “But if you need me to come, don’t hesitate to ask.”
After he’d hung up the phone, Cole reached up to rub his temples, hoping to ward off an oncoming headache. This was total insanity. Nothing seemed to be going his way. Joe Gideon refused to tell the truth and back up Cole’s alibi. Teresa was taunting him from the grave with her damn restraining order. The sheriff and everyone in town wanted him behind bars. His business was suffering because of all the bad press.
How on earth had he wound up here? It was as if he’d fallen into a deep, dark hole, and every time he managed to claw his way out, someone came up and stomped on his fingers, sending him flying back into the abyss.
A buzzing sound snapped him from his dismal thoughts, then brought a rush of anger when he realized someone was at the gate. No doubt the sheriff, coming back with more questions. More accusations.
Shoulders stiff, he marched into the security room and studied the monitor, then swallowed when he recognized Jamie’s car. The window was rolled down, and she was looking up at the camera, her lavender eyes flickering with the compassion he’d come to associate with her. Then her voice crackled through the speaker. “Cole? Will you let me in? I just wanted to talk.”
Releasing a ragged breath, he buzzed her in and headed for the front door. As he waited, he raised his guard, refusing to be blindsided again. He doubted Jamie just wanted to talk . Finnegan had only left fifteen minutes ago, after Cole refused to answer any more questions without his lawyer present. And now Jamie was here, hoping to chat?
Cole’s jaw tensed as he heard her footsteps on the porch. Finnegan had sent her. No doubt about that. And he had no intention of enduring another interrogation, not even from the woman who’d passionately kissed him back last night. Actually, especially not this woman.
To his surprise, when he opened the door and gestured for her to come inside, the first thing she said was, “Are you all right?”
He blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Are you all right?” she repeated as they headed for the living room. Her gaze flicked to the bottle of Scotch on the table, and she answered her own question with a rueful expression. “I guess not.”
“What are you doing here, Jamie?” He couldn’t hide the weariness in his voice, or the heaviness of his body as he trudged to the sofa and sat down.
Setting her purse on the hardwood floor, Jamie joined him on the couch. The sweet fragrance of her perfume wafted in his direction, and he suddenly noticed that she wasn’t wearing the business attire she’d had on this morning. She’d changed into a pair of faded blue jeans and a black v-neck T-shirt, which made her look younger, softer.
“I was at the station when Teresa’s lawyer came in,” she admitted.
“So you know,” he said flatly.
Jamie met his eyes. “Did you threaten her?”
Frustration roiled in his belly. “Honestly? I don’t really remember. I may have told her to stop pushing me or she’d regret it, but I didn’t say I was going to kill her. I just wanted to put an end to that foolish court case.”
“That’s what I figured,” Jamie said softly. “I don’t believe you meant it as a threat to her life.”
He searched her face, seeing nothing but sincerity there. “You’re probably the only one who thinks that,” he said with a sigh. “Finnegan is convinced I’m a murderer. I’m sure the people in town think so too.”
Something flickered in her expression, causing Cole to narrow his eyes. “What is it?”
“I ran into Valerie Matthews at the diner earlier,” she said. “I
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