That might be true, but she was here for the duration, judging from how she’d taken over the medicine cabinet. Jake thought back to their sweet interlude this morning when she came in his arms and grimaced. She’d regretted it the minute he’d backed away from her.
“I know it. She didn’t know I was here. I’ve decided to let her stay and lick her wounds privately.”
“What wounds?”
“Let’s just say that Grayson St. James wasn’t the injured party, no matter what kind of sob story he tells you.” He scowled, thinking about the incident Samantha had described.
“So, what happened? What did that boy do to my baby?”
Jake hesitated. Samantha would never learn to trust him if he betrayed her confidence. He’d handle St. James personally when they returned.
“I can’t tell you. I promised.”
“Promised?” Samuel shouted, adding sourly, “Damn it all, I’m your employer and ordering you to tell me.”
“I can’t.” He patiently waited for his boss to finish sputtering. “Sorry.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. She has you wrapped around her little finger.”
Jake sighed at the grudging amusement in Samuel’s voice. “Not true. I’m the one in charge around here.”
“Right. Keep me apprised of the situation. That fool stake-out you insisted on come up with anything yet?”
“No.” Jake relaxed, satisfied by his dismissive tone. Big Sam had enough to worry about without fretting over Tad’s involvement. He’d just as soon downplay things until he knew the truth.
“Told you it was all a mares’ nest. Wrap things up soon and bring my daughter back. And, Ramsey?”
“Yes, sir?”
“You take good care of my little girl. Let nature take its course.”
Jake frowned at the phone. Cryptic messages weren’t usually his boss’s style. “What?”
“Simple. I’m through playing Cupid, boy. One lesson I learned while I spent the morning canceling the wedding and worrying about my daughter is that I’m lousy at it. From now on, she can find her beaus.”
When Samantha returned, Jake sat on the sofa reading a paperback mystery novel. His foot was propped up on the coffee table, and an ice pack draped over his knee.
She felt a troublesome pang of guilt again at the damage she’d done. He’d already rejected her herbal remedy. What else could she do for him?
“Do you want me to take you into town to see a doctor?”
“Don’t bother. I know what to do for it.”
After putting away her groceries, she turned to face him. There was a vigilant expression on his face that set her on edge. She bit her lip. Maybe Kathy was right. She’d probably shaken him up last night.
“I’m sorry if I scared you last night.”
“I wasn’t scared.”
She should have known he wouldn’t admit to it. A bad-boy smile played around his lips again. It had been the wrong approach to take. She decided that it would be better just to come out with it.
“I know why you’re here.”
He went still, eyeing her warily. “What do you mean by that?”
She frowned at his innocent act. She doubted he’d been innocent since he was a baby in his cradle. “Come now. You’re here on business. You’re doing surveillance.”
His foot came off the coffee table with a thump, the ice pack dropping to the floor. “Who told you that?”
