Silent Sabotage

by Susan Sleeman

  “But He has a purpose for it and the damage could have been far more extensive.”

  Archer was right. She’d been looking at all the trials that had come into her life as do-or-die situations, when she needed to start seeing the gray areas. Areas such as Archer’s rescues yesterday and last night that had allowed them to escape unscathed. “I suppose you have a point... I need to remember what I have to be thankful for even when bad things keep happening.”

  She moved on to the guest bedrooms and found most of them habitable. “I’ll have to get the floors dried out and get rid of the smoke smell, but we should be open again soon.”

  “You’re not still planning on taking guests tomorrow, are you?”

  “If I work hard today and the electrician has good news for me, I might be able to get this place ready on time.”

  He quirked a brow. “Are you sure you’re up to that?”

  “Up to it?” She pondered his question. “Hard work could be just the thing to keep my mind off the threats.” She swung her flashlight toward the third-floor stairway. “This is the part I really dread seeing.”

  With each step, her last climb up the stairs last night came rushing back.

  The smoke. The darkness. The fear that Birdie hadn’t made it.

  Emily swallowed hard and stepped into her bedroom. Her eyes went to a charred path starting at the sofa and running up the wall. From there, flames traveled into the ceiling and burned clear through the roof, revealing the blue tarp the firefighters had affixed outside.

  She could almost see the flames. Feel them. See Birdie lying deathly still on the floor. Emily’s heart had nearly failed when she’d stepped into the room. Dear, sweet Birdie in trouble because Emily had come back to Bridal Veil. But again, as Archer pointed out, it could have been worse.

  A new thought sent a shudder through her and a chill seeped into her bones. “What if Birdie had run into the arsonist? I could have lost her.”

  “But you didn’t.” Archer moved up behind her and settled his big hands on her shoulders.

  The warmth traveled through her body, chasing out the chill and searing her like the flames that had torched this room. She should pull away, but she liked his touch. Liked the comfort.

  Ha! Imagine that. She’d recently told Archer she didn’t want any man to touch her. Now she didn’t want to break away.

  During a sleepless night thinking about him as he slept on the sofa in the other room, she’d decided that she was getting too attached to him, and she promised herself that she would keep her distance today.

  Now here she was. Not even nine o’clock and her mind had traveled to how much she was starting to like having him around. Even more, she was starting to think she could trust him, but her emotions were a jumbled mess right now, and she wasn’t sure if she was seeing clearly. It felt so similar to her mother saying yes to yet another man who wasn’t right for her.

  Emily stepped away. “I should get going. I have a lot to do to get ready for my guests.”

  She left the room, vowing to shake off her developing feelings for Archer before she let them blind her into doing something stupid, or worse yet, forget she was fighting for her life.

  NINE

  Despite Archer’s protests, Emily had insisted on cooking a hearty breakfast for him and Birdie before they began their day. He’d offered to help with the meal, but she refused. Something was up with her this morning. The change started upstairs in her room. Continued as they ate. Her warm, caring nature was present only for Birdie, who seemed stuck in her early years when Emily came to live at the B and B.

  Emily occasionally looked at him, but her expression was blank and reserved. Only when he’d rested his hands on her shoulders in her room did she relax for a moment. She even seemed to like his touch. Until she suddenly didn’t and slipped away, not willing to look at him.

  He sipped on his piping-hot cup of coffee, his mind wandering, his gaze landing on her as she finished eating scrambled eggs.

  Might as well put the padlock on the door now.

  Her words from the night of the fire continued to rumble through his head. He couldn’t get rid of them. Not when he had the means to step in and help her but was choosing not to do so.

  His large trust fund sat untouched, and he could easily give her the money to make her needed repairs. For that matter, he could give her enough money to ensure the business never failed.

  Not like he was using the money. At least not much of it for himself. He did his best to live on his deputy’s salary, but he had to admit that sometimes his income didn’t stretch to some of the nicer things he’d grown accustomed to having. So from time to time, he dipped into the fund, but he didn’t even come close to spending the interest on his account. He gave a lot of the money to charities every year and considered forming his own nonprofit organization, but he hadn’t settled on a cause yet.

  “I’m stuffed,” Emily said as she pushed away her plate and looked up.

  He forced himself to meet her gaze. She diverted her eyes, but not before a little smile flitted across her lips.

  She really was acting odd this morning. Was it because, despite her good intentions, her interest in him was growing, and like him, she didn’t want to feel anything?

  Or...worse, had she Googled him, discovered he was loaded and now she was putting on this shy act to try to snare him?

  He just didn’t know. Couldn’t know. Never could with women.

  She got up to grab the coffeepot. He set down his cup and she filled it, standing well away from him as if touching him was like getting the plague.

  She was such an enigma. A strong, confident, some would say stubborn woman, but then she could give him a smile so sweet and innocent that it made his heart ache. A personality in direct opposition to the gold diggers once circling his world.

  He curled his fingers around the warm cup and his thoughts turned to wondering what it would it be like to have breakfast with her on a regular basis.

  He wanted to believe she wasn’t the kind of woman who cared only about money. Not like the women he’d once dated. But she desperately needed an infusion of cash, and she would do just about anything to save the business. Not for herself. No, it was a selfless act for her aunt, like most of her actions, but even more reason to pretend to care for him to get her hands on his cash.

  Maybe he should just give the money to her and be done with it. Then he’d know he could never trust her feelings toward him, and he could quit stressing about it. It would be simple. A bank transfer was all it would take. A few clicks of a mouse and keyboard, and she’d have the funds to save the B and B.

  Right. Do it.

  With that single little click, he’d lose all hope of ever getting to know the real Emily Graves. For her to get to know the real him. Could he abide by that decision?

  A loud knock sounded on the door, startling Birdie and Emily. Archer came to his feet, coffee sloshing over the rim of his cup.

  Emily shot him a look. “Maybe it’s Carothers.”

  “He’d call first.” Archer headed for the door, still holding his mug. “Hopefully, it’s the reinforcements I arranged.”

  She raised a questioning gaze to him. “The what?”

  He met her eyes. “You’ll see in a minute, but in case I’m wrong, wait here until I give the all-clear.”

  From the small window beside the door, he confirmed his suspicions. Most of the FRS team and their significant others stood on the porch holding construction tools and supplies.

  “It’s okay, Emily,” he called out and unlocked the door.

  She joined him, her footfalls hesitant, her gaze apprehensive. “I don’t like surprises.”

  “Don’t worry. It’s a good one.” Archer pulled open the door and hoped she wouldn’t think something was wrong because
standing before her were the very people who rescued her from Withrow.

  Jake held up a hammer, a broad smile on his face. “Point us to the work.”

  “What?” Emily shot a look at Archer. “Why’s your team here?”

  “To help fix the roof and clean the place up for your guests.” He stepped outside and clamped his hands on Cash Dixon’s shoulders. “This is Cash. He’s our bomb expert. But don’t worry, his job today is to help secure your roof, not blow it up.”

  Cash wrapped an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “My wife, Krista, isn’t so good with a hammer, but I hear the house will need cleaning, and man, I never understood the meaning of clean before I married her.”

  She jokingly elbowed him and smiled at Emily. “Doesn’t take much to be neater and cleaner than Cash.”

  Darcie stepped forward, her hand in Noah’s. “In case you don’t remember me, I’m Darcie and this is my fiancé, Noah Lockhart.”

  Noah shook hands with Emily. “Glad to be here.”

  “No Skyler or Brady?” Archer asked.

  “Skyler’s too wrapped up in a homicide to come during the day,” Darcie said, then looked at Emily. “And Brady pulled an eleven-hour shift. He and his fiancée, Morgan, plus Skyler and her hubby, Logan, will join us tonight if we’re still here.”

  “Are all the members of your team married or engaged?” she joked, but Archer could see something was troubling her. Maybe it was just the surprise visit but he detected something else, too.

  “Jake and I have managed to avoid the net.” Archer laughed as he always did when this subject had come up in the past, but today he didn’t feel good about his response and wanted to give Emily a straight answer.

  Maybe he should have, as his joke fell flat and an awkward moment ended the lighthearted exchange.

  “Okay, so enough with the introductions.” Jake shoved a tote bag into Archer’s hands. “The clothes and things you asked for.”

  “Yeah, man.” Cash smiled. “You better get changed, Archer. Your shirt has a wrinkle in it.”

  “I’ve been in the truck with this clown for over an hour.” Jake rolled his eyes and raised his hammer. “Point me in the direction of something where I can pound out my frustration.”

  Archer looked at Cash’s pickup filled with plywood and roofing materials. “Go ahead and pull the truck around the east side of the B and B, and we’ll get started on the roof.”

  “Wait.” The word exploded from Emily’s mouth, stilling everyone. She stared up at Archer, the earlier uneasiness weighing heavy in her eyes. “You should have asked about this first.”

  “If you’re worried about our qualifications to repair a roof, don’t be,” Jake said. “My foster dad was a contractor and I worked construction jobs with him for years. I could replace a roof in my sleep. Now, if we find structural damage you’ll want to hire a contractor, but we can handle a simple roof replacement.”

  “It’s not that.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if or when I can pay for these materials.”

  Darcie offered one of the comforting smiles that she was known for and laid a hand on Emily’s arm. “No need to pay. They’ve been donated.”

  “By who?” Suspicion darkened Emily’s tone.

  Darcie’s smile faltered and she dropped her hand. “A woman named Winnie Kerr. She’s a good friend who loves to help out when needed.”

  “She donated the old firehouse we all live in,” Archer added so Emily didn’t feel singled out. “She had it remodeled just for our team. We each have our own condo, and she continues to pay all the bills.”

  Emily narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms as she seemed to weigh her answer carefully. “I don’t take charity. I’ll pay her back.”

  Interesting response. What might she have said if Archer had offered to lend her the money?

  Darcie waved a hand. “Feel free to pay her back if you want, but she doesn’t expect it.”

  “So are we working or what?” Cash asked, sounding grumpy.

  “Don’t mind him.” Krista rolled her eyes. “He didn’t get enough coffee this morning.”

  “I’ll be happy to make a pot.”

  Archer held up his cup. “She makes good coffee.”

  Emily flushed at the compliment and Darcie fixed a questioning look on Emily.

  Archer loved Darcie like a sister and never wanted to hurt her feelings, but she’d clearly spotted the uneasy vibe between him and Emily. And that meant Darcie would be a royal pest today and he’d have to take her aside and tell her to stand down before she embarrassed him or Emily.

  Emily suddenly took a step back, likely from Darcie’s intensity. “Before I start the coffee, has anyone heard about the shooting victim who is still in critical condition?”

  “I checked on him this morning,” Darcie said. “He came through surgery just fine and is in ICU.”

  “I’m glad to hear he made it through the surgery,” Emily said, but looked like an animal trapped in a car’s headlights. Not surprising. All eyes were on her and the team could seem intense to an outsider. Archer had even cringed under their scrutiny when he first joined the group.

  “We should get to work,” he said to draw their gazes.

  Emily nodded. “I’ll go put that pot on.”

  Darcie held out her medical bag. “Archer wanted me to check on you and Birdie so I’m coming with you.”

  Emily shot Archer a desperate look, then stepped toward the door.

  “Remember, Emily,” he called after her, “if you leave the house, you need to stay within eyesight at all times.”

  She nodded but kept going.

  Darcie spun to face him. “Something going on between the two of you?”

  “No.” Archer wouldn’t discuss his developing feelings with Darcie and certainly not in front of the whole group. “Come on, let’s get started.”

  He led the team to the charred side of the house, and Archer had to admit the place looked far worse in the light of day. Cash pulled up his pickup, and they started unloading ladders and equipment. Archer hadn’t seen the inside of a gym for two days now and could get behind a morning of solid backbreaking work. Sure, he still put Emily’s safety front and center, but what better place than a view from the roof to make sure no one snuck onto her property.

  He leaned a ladder on the side of the house and extended it to the full length.

  Once he reached the top, he surveyed the property for any threat. The sky was clear, the sun warm, and birds chirped in the trees. The area was free from danger. Blessedly free for once. But Archer was still antsy. He was used to a schedule. Things planned at certain times. Since he’d been with Emily, his time had been solely dictated by leads they located, and that left him unsettled.

  Another ladder came to rest next to him and footsteps sounded on the rungs.

  Jake soon reached the top. “Know what you’re looking at?”

  “A roof with a tarp on it,” Archer joked.

  Jake huffed a short laugh. “I meant the repairs. Any idea where to start?”

  “I’m guessing we remove the shingles.”

  “Wrong.” Jake’s expression sobered. “First we make sure the rafters aren’t compromised and it’s safe for the team to walk up here.”

  “Right. Safety. Your number one thing.”

  “I know you all get tired of hearing it, but we have a perfect track record and I wouldn’t want to ruin it in our off hours.”

  Archer couldn’t argue with Jake’s logic or his concern for his team.

  “I’ll check it out,” Jake said. “Then we’ll get started on those shingles. A flat shovel works best to scrape them off so I suggest you grab one.”

  Archer nodded and started down the ladder. At the bottom, he searched for gloves in a bin just as Emily stepped across the
grass with a checked tablecloth across her arm. Darcie followed with a large tray holding a pot of coffee and a large tin.

  Emily unfurled the fabric and it settled over a long picnic table painted white. She attached little clamps to the corners, then Darcie set down the tray.

  Emily opened the white tin and faced them. “I made muffins yesterday morning so they’re still reasonably fresh, and I just ground the beans for the coffee. So enjoy.”

  “You didn’t have to do all of this,” Krista said, putting down a large carton of nails she’d unloaded from the truck.

  Emily waved off the comment. “It’s the least I can do.”

  Archer watched as Krista joined Emily and Darcie. The trio soon started chatting like old friends. A cool breeze played over the area, rustling wisps of hair around Emily’s face. She’d changed into an old plaid shirt and holey jeans likely in preparation for the nasty job of cleaning up the house. As much as he was a neat freak, he loved seeing her rumpled. Somehow, it made the setting so real and homey, not fake like when his family gathered for lawn parties in the home they rented each summer, everyone wearing the latest designer fashions.

  He’d felt out of place there, but here—in a foreign environment—he surprisingly felt at peace. Contented. He’d spent enough time away from servants, maids and workers hired to do just about everything to see that by being raised in the lap of luxury he’d missed out on personal connections.

  Connections he continued to be hard-pressed to make due to his money. He’d often thought he should give it all away, but couldn’t bring himself to do so. It was his safety net in case he failed at the new life he was carving out for himself. He jerked on the gloves, grabbed a shovel, then climbed the ladder.

  “Good news.” Jake stepped across the roof toward him. “They contained the fire in time to leave the support structure intact. Just the sheathing and shingles need replacing so we’re good to go.”

  Jake waved him up. “Start with scraping the shingles free and tossing them to the ground. Be careful not to take anyone out when you do.”

  Archer set to work, putting his frustration into his arms and clearing a large section in a matter of minutes.