LITMIR.BIZ

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the past. “I saw the picture in the paper of the new hospital wing named after your family. Nice.”

      “Yeah, nice.”

      The derision in her voice made him curious. “You don’t like hospitals?”

      “I don’t like my family putting their name on a building. It’s too…”

      “Pretentious?” he teased, expecting to ruffle her defensive feathers.

      “Exactly.”

      Interesting. This was a different side to the woman he’d known. He pulled up alongside her car. “You’ve changed.”

      She titled her head, her hand on the knob. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

      “I’m not sure yet.”

      She laughed and stepped out. When she opened the door to her car, he called out, “I’ll follow you. Make sure you get home safely.”

      “No need. I’ll be fine,” she said before slipping inside.

      True to his word, Gabe followed her.

      Kris thought that was sweet, really sweet. Her senses still struggled to accept how she’d reacted to his near-kiss earlier. One second they were following Frank and the next—wham. Gabe had been so close, she could breathe in his aftershave, could see the darkening stubble where his beard would grow in and his strong mouth drew her like a beacon on a stormy night.

      And being held that close felt so…right.

      Even more so than before. At age twenty, she’d been in awe of Gabe. He was older, handsome and the opposite of everything her parents expected for her.

      In retrospect, his “unsuitability” had been part of Gabe’s appeal. He’d been exciting, dangerous and forbidden. And for three glorious months that summer, she’d felt alive.

      Until her parents demanded to meet him.

      Then everything fell apart and Gabe had walked away, taking her heart with him.

      She’d nursed her wounds while she finished her education and then finally decided she had to get over Gabe. She’d dated several attractive, appropriate men and had even become engaged to a nice man whom her parents approved of.

      But she’d broken it off because even thinking about spending the rest of her life with Tom Roberts had given her anxiety attacks. Tom had liked her family’s prestige and power too much and he hadn’t wanted Kris to continue with her photography once they were married.

      She knew then that she was done looking for Mr. Right. God was going to have to bring the right man to her.

      She parked in her usual spot and got out, just as Gabe halted beside her and rolled down his window.

      “This is where you live?” His dubious expression was priceless.

      With a sweeping gesture at the two-story warehouse converted to loft apartments, she said, “Home sweet home.”

      “I’d have expected you to live in Beacon Hill near your parents.”

      She gave him a tight smile. “This is what I can afford and it’s a safe neighborhood.”

      He leaned an elbow on the window ledge. “What? Mommy and Daddy don’t pay?”

      Anger swept through her. This was exactly why she went by Kris Worth for her professional work, because people like Gabe expected her to live off her parents. “No. They don’t. Everything I need is close at hand. I have easy access to downtown and the park is within walking distance. And I have lots of space for my business. The other residents are a good group of people. We’re very close-knit.”

      “Interesting,” he commented with a bemused half smile.

      Uncomfortable with the focus on her, she asked, “What are you going to do about Frank? And Carl and Lena?”

      He shrugged. “Nothing tonight. I’ll look into the situation more tomorrow.”

      At least he wasn’t blowing her off. “Good. Let me know what you find,” she said and hurried inside.

      Before turning on her lights, she went to the front window of her living area. Gabe sat in his car, his gaze trained on the building. Probably waiting to see which floor was hers. If she didn’t turn on the light, would he come charging up to see if she was okay? The thought intrigued her and made her heart pound. What would she do if he did?

      She reached over to the table lamp and flipped on the light.

      Gabe drove away. Yep, he’d been waiting to make sure she got into her apartment safely. A pleased rush filled her. It was kind of nice having him worry about her like that. Of course, he was just doing his job, she reminded herself. Protecting people was what he did for a living. She was just one of those people.

      She took her camera to the back half of the apartment, which had been converted to a photography studio. She’d had walls removed, the floor redone with hardwood and had lighting equipment mounted in strategic places. The remodel had used her entire savings, but the space worked well. And she loved her life here.

      In one corner was her processing station. Gabe may not think there was anything more they could do tonight, but Kris knew otherwise. She hooked up the camera to the desktop computer and downloaded the pictures she’d taken.

      Within a few minutes she was viewing the shots of Frank and the mysterious man in the alley. She had a clear shot of Frank handing an envelope to the man. Another of the man sliding the contents into his hand. She zoomed the picture in.

      “Gotcha!” she stated to the photo. With satisfaction and anticipation, she grabbed the phone and called BPD and asked for Gabe, figuring he’d be back at his desk by now.

      She was told he was off duty. So he’d been investigating on his own time. She liked that. She insisted the desk sergeant get a message to him as soon as possible. He couldn’t promise her anything.

      Deciding she’d have to wait until morning to further the investigation, she readied herself for bed. Her sleeping area was cordoned off by a sliding divider. A four-poster bed, brought from her parent’s home, sat in the center of the room. A small vanity and chair sat beside the window that overlooked the courtyard behind the building. A flowered love seat with a fat tabby cat curled on a cushion took up the rest of the wall space. Just as Kris was crawling beneath the down comforter, the phone rang.

      “Yes?”

      “Kristina, it’s Gabe. I got a message you called. What’s wrong?”

      Kris smiled at the concern in his voice. “Nothing’s wrong. But I have something to show you. Can I e-mail some pictures?”

      “Can it wait until morning?”

      Anxious to show him her find, she hesitated. “I suppose. It’s just you said we needed proof that Frank was doing something illegal before you would question him, right?”

      “Right,” he replied cautiously.

      “Well, I think I have the proof you need.”

      “Kristina, listen to me. Don’t do anything or say anything about this until I get there in the morning.”

      Her eyebrows rose. “You want to come here?”

      “Yes.”

      “Okay.” A thrill of anticipation skipped over her skin. “First thing?”

      “First thing. And, Kristina?”

      “Yes?”

      “Make sure you lock your doors.”

      “I always do,” she answered before hanging up. But just to be sure, she double-checked. Sure enough, locked.

      Back at her bed, she snuggled beneath the covers, convinced that tomorrow she’d be able to put Gram’s mind to rest.

      Hopefully,

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