LITMIR.BIZ

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wasn’t bad looking, but his cocky, self-absorbed attitude put Laura off. They had a brief history, one she never wanted to repeat.

      “I just heard the report. Do you have any idea what that gas leak might have done to you if you’d flipped on the light? This is attempted arson as far as I’m concerned.”

      “No. The gas leak was an accident. The break-in…” She shrugged.

      Seeing Burke, Ken placed his arm over Laura’s shoulder.

      Biting back her annoyance, Laura shrugged it off. “I’m very tired, Lieutenant Springer. If you have business here, then get on with it. Otherwise, please leave.”

      Burke’s gaze locked with Ken’s. The fireman reached into his back pocket and once again flashed his ID. “And your business here is…?”

      “Mine,” Laura said firmly.

      Anger sharpened Ken’s features as he glanced at Laura. “You don’t need help from a civilian, Laura. I’ll handle this.”

      “I want him here,” she said firmly. “Remember that you’re in my home.”

      Ken held her gaze, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “I’m going to take a look around.”

      As he strode off, Burke glanced at her. “Old boyfriend?”

      “I went out with him twice—and that was two times too many.”

      “But he’s never given up trying to make himself part of her life.” Elena shook her head sadly.

      Burke nodded, but before he could comment, the police officer came up to Laura. “I just wanted to tell you that I’m leaving now. We’ll be increasing our patrols in this area, but stay alert and call us if you have any problems.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a card.

      After the man left, Laura saw that Ken was still walking around the house, looking through her things. Annoyed, she strode up to him. “It’s not arson, Ken. Not even a match was lit in here. Perhaps you should go work on one of your cases.”

      “How do you explain what’s happened?” he countered harshly.

      Elena came up and joined them. “I didn’t mention this to the officer because it’s just speculation, but the break-in is more than likely the work of my brother-in-law,” she stated. “He’s been hoping to get his hands on the deed to a piece of property my husband left me, or the original will. He filed a lawsuit, but no hearing has been scheduled yet.”

      Laura looked at Elena with dawning understanding. “You’re right. This would be something he’d do.”

      “You shouldn’t have to put up with this from anyone,” Ken said. “Tell me where I can find him and I’ll go over and take care of this for you.”

      “No, Ken, you won’t,” Laura said firmly. “I’ll handle this myself. I appreciate you coming by, but as you can see, this has nothing to do with the type of case you handle for the county.”

      Ken looked at Burke, his expression venomous. “Then it looks like it’s time for us to go.”

      “Burke, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to stay for a while. You can help us get things organized here,” Laura said, more to make a point than anything else.

      “If you want—” Ken said.

      “Ken, go,” she interrupted. “You’re working now. He’s not.”

      “Unemployed?” Ken sneered.

      The cold, level look that passed between the men made a shiver course up Laura’s spine.

      “Call if you need me. This is my new cell number,” Ken said, handing Laura his card.

      She took it, then set it down on a coffee table. “Goodbye, Ken.”

      The tall fireman left wordlessly.

      Laura exhaled softly as soon as Ken had gone. “Ken Springer is harmless, but he’s such a pain. I’ve tried to tell him I’m just not interested, but he keeps finding a reason to come around.”

      “Nothing but a solid hit with a two-by-four deters a man of that kind,” Elena said.

      Burke laughed. “Listen to your godmother,” he said, looking at Laura. “I think she’s right on target.”

      His generous lips curved sensually when he smiled, and Laura felt a sudden jolt of awareness—the earthy kind that reminded her that he was all-male, and she a woman who enjoyed her femininity. She took a breath, trying to tone down her reaction to him for the sake of her own peace of mind.

      A man as confident as Burke surely knew the effect he had on women. He’d undoubtedly grown to accept it as natural—something that was as much a part of him as his broad shoulders and six-foot frame. The last thing she intended to do was feed his ego by letting him sense her reaction to him.

      “Why don’t you both go through the house one last time and make a list of all the repairs that’ll have to be done? We’ll need it when we file the insurance claim,” Elena said.

      “Good idea,” Laura answered.

      “You should look at the back door,” Burke said to Laura. “That’s one of the first things you’ll need to get fixed.”

      Laura went into the kitchen and studied the damage. The door frame had been splintered and the lock damaged by a vicious kick. A partial boot print was still on the door. This had clearly been the point of entry. “I never thought of that door as flimsy, but I’ll make sure I get a solid-core one now.”

      They methodically checked out each room in the house, Laura adding to the list of things to do. As they worked, she was acutely aware of everything about the man beside her. She stole fleeting, furtive glances at him, taking in his square-cut jaw and his absolutely delicious mouth.

      A guy like this is used to leaving a trail of brokenhearted women behind him. Be careful. Don’t add to the number.

      The sun had sunk well below the horizon by the time they rejoined Elena in the living room. They’d been able to close the doors and windows and turn on the lights, but the house had grown decidedly chilly.

      “It’s going to take awhile to get things back to normal,” Laura said with a sigh.

      “Don’t be so pessimistic,” Elena chided. “Once we clear up the mess, everything will look one hundred percent better. We’ll have a claims adjuster come over tomorrow, then the repairmen can come to fix the heater, replace the door and put in better locks. The damaged furniture can go out to be repaired, or we can go shopping for some new pieces. Before you know it, we’ll be back at home and it’ll be like nothing happened.” Elena stood, wavered, then sat down heavily.

      Seeing it, Laura felt her stomach fall. “Are you all right?” She should have expected this. The whole thing had been a total shock for Elena.

      “I’m fine. It’s nothing. I just took my pills a little late today and I’m a little woozy.”

      “Let’s just sit here for a bit then,” Laura said, watching her for signs of a serious problem with her heart.

      Burke sat on an easy chair that had been slashed but not completely depleted of stuffing. He leaned back, projecting an ease that helped Elena relax. For several minutes he made small talk, discussing the neighborhood and the upcoming growing season. Elena bragged about Laura’s rose garden, promising to show him around in full daylight to point out the buds and new season’s growth.

      Burke seemed interested in everything about them, though Laura couldn’t tell if it was genuine or if he was simply being charming and polite.

      Finally, after the tension washed out of Elena and she had relaxed again, Burke turned the conversation back to business.

      “Tell me about this brother-in-law of yours, Doña Elena,” he said, his voice calm but authoritative.

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