When Angie came out of the station ten minutes later, he could tell by the angry set of her shoulders and the red in her cheeks that her talk with the chief hadn’t been productive. A good thing for him but he felt bad for her. He fell into step with her.
“What are you still doing here?” she snapped as she stalked down the road.
He liked the way her nose wrinkled up when she was irritated. “I’ve nothing else to do today because of the storm.”
“Lucky me.”
“I take it the chief is still being difficult?”
She slanted him a withering glare. “The man is insufferable and chauvinistic. He had the gall to suggest I was making everything up”
Jason grimaced at the hurt underlining her words. He wasn’t sure why the chief would be so dismissive. He could only guess Decker didn’t want Detective Carlucci intruding on his territory. Which was good for Jason. Not so good for Angie’s ego.
She stopped and glanced around as if suddenly realizing she didn’t know where she was going. The disconcerted expression on her lovely face made Jason yearn to take her in his arms and soothe away her troubles. Instead, he stuffed his hands into his pockets to keep from reaching out to her.
Her mocha-colored eyes met his. “Can you give me that ride back to the cottage?”
“Of course,” he said and steered her toward his parked Jeep.
He opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated, glancing down at her soaking clothes.
“Don’t worry about getting the seat wet. It happens all the time.”
“Thanks,” she replied and slid in.
Once they were headed out of town, Jason decided the storm might just be the catalyst to chase Angie off the island. “Too bad about the storm. Maybe now would be a good time to head home before this baby turns into a full-blown hurricane.”
She frowned. “Are you trying to get rid of me, too?”
“Not a lot to do during a storm,” he said, not liking how dejected she sounded or that he wanted to make her feel better.
Pointing to the ocean, she said, “They don’t seem to be bothered by the storm.”
He glanced at the day cruisers and fishing boats dotting the water’s surface. “Idiots.”
As they passed the marina, she turned to him. “Can I hire you for the day?”
He hesitated. Apprehension ruffled his nerves. “What do you have in mind?”
“You said the road we followed the red truck to led to a private cove, right?”
His gut clenched. The eager, determined expression in her lovely brown eyes didn’t bode well. He had to respect her tenacity even if he disapproved. “You really need to just let this go.”
He snapped his fingers. “I know. How about I take you treasure hunting? If you don’t mind trudging around in the mud and rain. This island is full of places where old pirates buried their loot, or so the Chamber of Commerce keeps saying.”
“I’d rather take a boat tour of the island, including that cove. But if you’re not available, I’ll find someone else,” she said pleasantly.
No way. Anxiety twisted in his chest. He couldn’t allow her to involve anyone else. And by the challenge in her expression, she knew he’d surrender. But not for the reason she believed. This wasn’t about his ego, this was about the mission and her safety.
If she was determined to take a boat ride, then he’d accommodate her. Taking a recon of the cove wasn’t a bad idea and at least he’d have Angie with him so he could keep her out of danger. Though he had a feeling he was the one in trouble. “After the storm passes.”
“How long will that be?”
“Could be hours. Could be days.” Maybe she’d leave by then. One could hope.
“I’ll wait.”
He was afraid she’d say that.
The next morning, Jason showed up on Angie’s doorstep before sunrise with the news that a break in the storm, which was predicted to last a few hours, made decent enough conditions for a boat tour around the island.
Sitting on the bench along the back of Jason’s boat, Angie tried to keep her gaze trained on the shoreline of the other side of the island, but found herself watching Jason instead.
He stood at the wheel, his long legs braced apart, his hand masterfully steering the vessel. Today he wore navy cargo pants and a red windbreaker with the logo of his company emblazoned on the front. She appreciated the look of him but she admired the way he carried himself more, emitting self-confidence and strength. She liked his easygoing manner, yet he’d been protective. Who said chivalry was dead?
There was nothing about Jason that suggested he’d be a man easily intimidated by her career. On the surface, Jason was a man she could see herself falling for. But—she still didn’t understand what motivated him or why he was so determined to be her crime-fighting cohort.
Especially after refusing to talk with Chief Decker. There had to be a reason. But what?
Worry churned in her stomach. Was she making a mistake by trusting Jason?
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