Page 28 of Allie's Shelter

“Oh. Okay.” Allie’s cheeks turned pink. “Did I pass?”

“With flying colors.”

There was too much wicked in Eva’s grin for any man’s sanity. “Come on,” he barked. “We have a job to do.”

“Can I listen in?” Allie’s expression wavered between worry and hope as she stood there with a carton of eggs in her hands.

“Not this time.” He motioned Eva to head into the office ahead of him, weary of her theatrics, as he sent Allie his most reassuring smile. Anything to erase her obvious disappointment in his answer. “It’s a security thing. I’ll keep you in the loop.”

“This is ‘need-to-know’?”

“Something like that.” And she didn’t need to know exactly how he’d wound up with her case. Not yet. “I’ll share the details as soon as I can. Trust me.”

Chapter five

Allie did trust him, but she desperately wanted to know what was happening. It was her life on the line, after all. Though he was now in danger just because she was with him, he seemed confident he could take on anything and win.

Maybe he could. She’d always marveled at his confidence. He’d held himself separate from the problems of growing up on the wrong side of town in a broken home that defined dysfunction. She’d watched him struggle, admiring his increasing independence as he took on responsibilities children shouldn’t have to bear.

She smiled at the empty doorway, feeling better than she should after Eva’s declaration about Ross’s personal attachments or lack thereof. It was the last thing she should be thinking about, but knowing he wasn’t involved with anyone, she promised herself the next time he aimed his hot gaze at her mouth, she’d leap at the invitation.

Putting the eggs in the refrigerator, she fanned her overheated face with the door. This was no time to indulge in her favorite fantasies. Attached or not, town gossip aside, she and Ross didn’t have a future. While she’d long since forgiven him for never writing to her, her heart hadn’t recovered from the pain of his abrupt rejection.

She could make excuses for him, knowing how hellish his home life had been during his senior year in high school, how desperate he’d been to get away. But that didn’t mean she had to repeat her mistake of falling for him again. She wouldn’t repeat the cycle of waiting by the phone and rushing to the mailbox hoping to hear from him.

Her heart bumped along through the memories. The friendship, that sweet, uncertain first kiss, the giddy tumble under a starry sky when she knew she loved him. It annoyed her when she recognized the happy kick of her pulse at the idea of being with him once more.

If they had time for anything in the midst of this ridiculous turmoil it might be a fling for old time’s sake. A chance to have the closure they’d never thought they’d needed after graduation. They were grownups, they could handle a flirtation or even something more and walk away unharmed. Allie shook that dangerous rationale right out of her head.

Think of something else…anything else.

Finished with the groceries, she resisted the urge to consider dinner plans. She had to stop thinking like this was some sort of romantic retreat. This was basically protective custody and old feelings wouldn’t help either of them resolve her immediate problems.

She washed a Honeycrisp apple, wondering if he’d specifically requested her favorite variety or if it was coincidence. “Not the point,” she scolded herself. It seemed her mind was determined to latch onto anything but the pertinent facts.

Crossing the kitchen, she settled on the wide seat under the bay window. As she crunched on the apple, she reviewed the simple fact that she was in way over her head.

Bradley Roberts had groomed her to stand out on the job and in the community. With his guidance she’d become a rising star in the company, awarded for her successful efforts with the local community and the industry at large. Somehow he’d used that against her, making her look guilty for stealing from the charitable fund. It was a logical move on his part to send people after her and the evidence, but now someone had falsely tied her to his murder.

Here, at the absolute lowest point in her life, in walks the one man she never stopped wanting. Distraction, coincidence, or reluctant hero? Unable to make up her mind on that, she went back over her new circumstances.

Her alibi would never hold up in court because she didn’t really have one. It was a worry she couldn’t change, so she left it behind and examined the newest details in her ever-changing situation, hoping for a revelation.

Those mysterious withdrawals bothered her almost as much as the terrible theories of corruption and greed racing through her mind. No one at her company wanted her to blow the whistle on the issues with the new product. If the lack of communication was a clue, the law office she’d contacted didn’t want any part of this either. Which left her wondering who—other than Bradley—had the ability to drain the charity fund and manipulate her personal bank account. If she figured that out, maybe Ross and his team could help her avoid a prison sentence.

Maybe she was as naive as Bradley had once said. She did make a habit of looking for ways to help, to pitch in, to be a part of the solution whenever there was a problem. She did look for the best in people and organizations. Her positive outlook was a character trait that served her well in her chosen field and earned her praise and high ratings in her performance reviews.

A bitter laugh escaped, edging toward hysterical, as she imagined her next review with theft and embezzlement added to her list of accomplishments on the evaluation.

Aunt Ruth had often called her resourceful. Allie wondered what her aunt would call her when she returned from her cruise to a bloodstained crime scene. Sitting here, watching clouds scuttle across the blue sky, she didn’t feel so resourceful. She felt nearly defeated.

The money accusations were bad enough, though the recent string of withdrawals might help clear her. If she turned the stolen data over to Ross, maybe he would know who could help her prove her boss had been taking kickbacks for years.

She frowned as she mentally reviewed the information on her thumb drive. If he’d been taking them for years, there was no reason to be obvious about draining the charity account now. He should have loads of money stashed somewhere, even beyond the offshore nest egg with her name on it.

Why didn’t whoever killed him know that? What did anyone hope to gain by implicating her? Leverage or motive?

Lost in thought, frustrated by the unanswered questions and her inability to find the right angle, she didn’t realize Ross had joined her until he touched her shoulder, making her jump at the contact.