She crossed her arms against her chest, a poor attempt at a shield from all this mess. Still, it made her feel better, if only temporarily.
“You have nothing to hide.”
“Everyone has secrets.” And she had so many parts of her past that she wanted, more than anything, to wish away.
“You look pretty squeaky clean on the internet.”
Her secrets weren’t internet worthy. They just made for grief and nightmares and a difficulty in trusting in picket fences anymore. “Well, having our friends hurt is wounding, too.”
“I’m not giving up until this bastard is found and stopped.” His large hands clenched into strong fists along the arms of his chair.
Very large hands.
Lord, she didn’t want to think about clichés about the size of hands and feet right now. She kept her eyes firmly off his boots, damn it.
But the way those hands then unfurled and carefully handled the thin tablet had her envisioning nimble touches and more...so much more.
There was no denying the conviction in his voice, and she couldn’t help admiring that. He truly was here to help, and her adopted town needed that help. The people here deserved the best. They’d done so much for her, welcoming her and her children with open arms. She should be helping rather than being so caught up in her own concerns.
This town had welcomed her wholeheartedly and she wanted to feel a part of things, to make a contribution however she could. And she really only had one thing to offer.
She tipped her chin and, before she could change her mind, blurted, “Mr. St. Cloud—um, Max—you can stay at my B and B free of charge, as my thanks for helping out the town.”
She might not have as much as some residents of this wealthy town, but she had her pride and she could offer something to help out Royal in its time of need. She was not going to fall victim to some smooth-talking player. For the next few days—or even weeks—she could hold strong.
Besides, it wasn’t like she was his type of female.
“Thank you very much, Natalie. I will gratefully accept.”
He smiled.
And holy hell, that gave her pause. His smile lit his eyes and made her stomach flip in a way she’d forgotten was possible.
What had she gotten herself into?
* * *
Cell phone in hand on his way to his rental vehicle, Max charged through the Texas Cattleman’s Club parking lot. The old-world men’s club dated back to around 1910, and was a large, rambling single-story building made of dark stone and wood with a tall slate roof. He needed to touch base with Chelsea and report on his progress with interviews this afternoon.
And let her know he wasn’t going to be staying with her after all. He’d made—his mouth twitched—alternative plans. He unlocked the rented Lexus SUV—a larger car was a must to transport his gear.
Natalie’s offer had stunned the hell out of him, but he hadn’t even hesitated. Would seducing a suspect jeopardize his investigation? Sure.
Lucky for him, she wasn’t a suspect.
Thumbing speed dial for Chels and setting the phone for hands-free talking, Max steered past the stable, pool and tennis courts, all TCC member perks. And all freshly maintained. Chels had told him part of the clubhouse roof and many of the outbuildings had been damaged in a massive tornado a few years back. The group now took special care to reinforce the roof and had added some height to the ceilings so the main building seemed airier than before.
For a club steeped in tradition, a lot had changed in the TCC lately. He might not be a member, but he’d done his research since this group seemed to be the focus of the hacker’s attacks. Colors had been brightened. It wasn’t such an “old boys’ club” anymore, especially because women were now full members.
He accelerated out of the lot and headed toward town, toward the B and B, just as Chelsea answered his call.
“Max!” Her voice chimed through the car’s speaker as he drove. “Hello, my friend. How did the fact gathering go after I left?”
“Interesting... Nothing conclusive yet, but lots of pieces to review and leads to follow once I get my gear set up.” He’d come straight from the airport.
“I can’t thank you enough for dropping everything and coming here personally to help.”
Chels’s voice filled the car as he made his way down the road. His eyes darted from the asphalt in front of him to the dusty town.
“That’s what friends are for. We go way back. I still owe you for teaching me about which fork to use,” he joked, tapping his brakes to let a minivan out of a parking lot. She’d taught him more than that. She’d helped him learn the nuances to moving in circles of society he needed to build his business.
She’d also given him the nod to be himself and not let those societal boundaries contain him. Heaven knows, she was an edgy original herself. They really could have been siblings, as they were made from the same mold in many ways.
Slowing, he drove past a school yard teeming with children living idyllic lives of normalcy so different from his. Adults rushed to organize their students into an efficient line for parent pickup. Each little face trusted that their parents or a car pool member would arrive right on cue.
Even from a passing glance, he saw the effort it took to contain the wildness of the children bursting with excitement to return to their home lives and after-school activities—activities that did not include Dumpster diving.
“But you surely have higher-paying clients—especially since you’re doing this pro bono, in spite of our offers.” She exhaled a hard sigh and he could envision her shoving back her thick honey-blond hair impatiently. “And this feels, perhaps, below your pay grade. You could have sent one of your staff.”
“This is sensitive. The info this bastard is sharing hurts you and your friends. I trust my staff, but I don’t want you exposed any more than is needed.” The criminal had made this personal by launching slanderous attacks on Chels’s friends here. Someone had infiltrated their personal data and found dirt for blackmailing—everything from revealing a man’s love child, to concocting the appearance of an affair to destroy a marriage, to dabbling in land documents to threaten land holdings. Nothing was secret or sacred to whoever had it in for the people of this town.
Anger rippled through Max as he turned off the main road, eyes squinting in the glare of the September sun.
“Thank you.” Her voice wobbled, full of emotional appreciation. She’d always hated to feel like an imposition, and he never wanted his old friend to feel that way.
His pal had always been an in-your-face, indomitable spirit, ready to kick ass for a cause one moment and outrageously issue a skinny-dip dare in the next. That someone had his friend so afraid and off balance...pissed him off.
“No thanks needed, Chels. I’m here for you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to see this through.”
“You’re a good friend. I look forward to catching up with you while you’re staying with me.” Even over the phone, he could picture her smile. Loyal. Genuine.
And now he had to figure out how to tell his pseudo sister that he’d made other arrangements for his stay in town.
“Um, about that. I really feel bad about putting you out, so I made arrangements to stay at this nice little B and B called the Cimarron Rose.”
Silence