The Calamity Janes: Gina and Emma: To Catch a Thief

She gave Nell’s hand a squeeze, then went after Caitlyn and Rafe. She found them both watching an intricate labyrinth of miniature train tracks as half a dozen tiny engines sped around them on what appeared certain to be a collision course. But of course it wasn’t. At the last second Rafe touched the controls and switched the tracks, sending the various trains safely past each other.

“Do you collect trains?” Gina asked him.

He shook his head and shut down those on the display. “Never had one.”

“Why not? It’s obvious you want one.”

“As a kid, there were better uses for our money. Now I don’t have the time to fiddle with a hobby.”

“You know what they say about all work and no play, don’t you?”

He regarded her seriously. “That it gets the job done?”

She groaned. “No, that it makes for a very dull guy.”

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. “You think I’m boring?”

She knew exactly how he intended to prove otherwise, and a part of her wanted him to demonstrate, but there was Caitlyn to consider, and Nell. “Not boring, just limited. Under other circumstances, I might be tempted to try to change that.”

“Oh? How?”

“Let me think about it,” she said. “Maybe one of these days I’ll give you a list of my recommendations. Will you pay any attention to them?”

“I might,” he said solemnly. “What would my reward be?”

“More fun,” she said at once.

He grinned. “You’ll have to provide more incentive than that.”

“Such as?”

“Will I get the girl?”

Gina shuddered at the penetrating look in his eyes. “I suppose that depends.”

“On?”

“How badly you want her.”

“I’m beginning to wonder about that myself.”

He said it in a way that made Gina’s breath hitch in her throat. She was thankful Caitlyn chose that moment to reach for her hand and give it a tug.

“Aunt Gina, since you’re buying me a toy, why don’t you buy one for Mr. O’Donnell, too?”

“His toys are too expensive,” Gina said.

“That’s right,” Rafe agreed, his gaze locked with hers. “In fact, something tells me they’re priceless.”

6 (#ulink_d7a38ef1-731e-588c-9360-3aa9d1c009f2)

There had been times in her life—even after enduring Carlo’s possessiveness—when Gina had deeply regretted the lack of a man who’d be there when she woke up and when she went to bed at night, a man who cared more about spending time with her than about his career. Now it seemed she had one.

It wasn’t nearly as much fun as she’d anticipated.

Rafe O’Donnell was everywhere she turned, his expression remote, his gaze cool. The nonstop surveillance wasn’t exactly what she’d dreamed of. In fact, it was all too reminiscent of Carlo. The fact that Rafe was so blatant about it grated on her nerves. She hated that everyone in town knew he was there to keep an eye on her for some reason that neither of them had revealed.

Other than her one conversation with Tony, Gina had refused to discuss Rafe’s presence with her friends or her family. Only Lauren knew part of it—that she had to give a deposition when she got back to New York and that she wasn’t looking forward to it. Cassie, Karen and Emma were studying her almost as intently as Rafe was, but their motive was concern, his was distrust.

He’d been at it for nearly two weeks now, though he’d stayed true to his word and remained mostly in the background ever since that chance meeting at Henderson’s Toy Store over a week earlier. For some perverse reason Gina found that even more annoying and nerve-racking than having to deal with him. She was constantly on edge, continually reminded of the times they’d kissed and just how much she wanted him to kiss her again. For a few minutes in his arms she’d been able to forget why he was here. In fact, she’d forgotten almost everything, including her name.

His unexpected admission that he, too, had been affected by those kisses, had thrown her. Not that it made any real difference. He might be attracted to her, but he wasn’t happy about it. In fact, Rafe didn’t strike her as the kind of man who would violate his own ethical standards on a regular basis. Kissing a suspect, no matter how unjustly accused, was bound to be a breach of those ethics. No wonder he was keeping his distance.

Right now, for example, he was sitting in the booth next to hers at the diner, sipping coffee and pretending to read the morning paper. She knew it was only pretense, because his gaze rarely shifted away from her long enough for more than a glimpse of the headlines. She sighed heavily.

“You might as well come over here and join me,” she said finally. Maybe they could discuss this like two reasonable people and find a way to peacefully coexist, since it was evident that nothing was going to make him go away.

He stared at her, clearly surprised by the invitation. “You sure about that?”

“Lately I don’t seem to be sure about much of anything, but you’re getting on my nerves over there, so, what the heck?”

A grin came and went so quickly she thought she’d imagined it. It was probably a good thing he didn’t smile too often. She had a hunch the effect could be devastating, even more devastating than the rare hint of vulnerability she’d seen on his face as he and Caitlyn had played with the toy trains. Wondering what that was about had kept her awake for several nights, despite repeated lectures to herself that Rafe’s past was none of her concern.

Carrying the paper and his cup of coffee, Rafe slid into the booth opposite her. Gina tried to pretend he was someone who’d come into her restaurant for a good meal, someone deserving of friendly conversation. She’d certainly been forced to be polite to a lot of arrogant, exasperating people over the years. What was one more?

“Still enjoying your visit to Winding River?” she asked politely, as if he were just another tourist instead of a man with an agenda.

“It’s been interesting,” he said.

“Finding much to do?”

He regarded her with amusement. “You know the answer to that, since I’ve pretty much been doing whatever you’re doing. Are you bored?”

“I’m never bored when I’m home, especially with so many of my friends around.”

“If you’re so fond of this place, why did you leave?”

“I wanted to be a chef, a really good one. Tony ran out of recipes.” It was a simplistic answer, but true enough.

“So you left here and went to New York?”

“Not right away. I trained all over at a series of culinary institutes here and in Europe,” she said.

“Must have been expensive.”

She had a hunch his interest in the cost had less to do with curiosity than with his desire to build a case that she’d needed Café Tuscany money to pay off old debts. She leaned forward and met his gaze evenly.

“I was very good. I received several scholarships,” she told him.