LITMIR.BIZ

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she told him. “He thinks you’re sneaky.”

      Bobby didn’t seem the slightest bit surprised or dismayed by that assessment. “That doesn’t hold a candle to what I think of him,” he said as he stood up. “You ready for lunch?”

      “Can’t wait,” she told him.

      He drove into town and parked down the block from a beachfront diner. “It’s not fancy, but Earlene’s is the heart and soul of Trinity Harbor. You want to know what’s going on around town, this is the place to come. I’d advise you to stay away from the coffee, though. The acid will burn a hole in your stomach.”

      Jenna grinned. “What would you recommend?”

      “The iced tea and a burger are pretty safe bets.”

      “I’m surprised you eat here at all. Don’t you like the food at the marina?”

      He chuckled at that. “I like it just fine. Matter of fact, I cook most of it, but as you noticed, we’re closed on Mondays.”

      “You’re a cook? I thought you owned it.”

      “I do, and I’m a chef,” he corrected testily. “But let’s not quibble.” He led the way to a booth by a window that looked out on the river, then regarded Jenna seriously. “Any plan for the waterfront has to include Earlene’s.”

      “Of course,” Jenna agreed at once. Though the interior was a little shabby, the place had an undeniable charm that could only be acquired over time. The wooden floors had been worn smooth by sandy feet. The tunes on the jukebox were oldies. The soda fountain looked as if it came straight out of the set for the old TV sitcom Happy Days.

      When her iced tea came in an old-fashioned, curving soda glass and her plain white pottery plate came loaded with crispy fries and a burger topped with a bright red tomato slice that looked as if it had just been picked in the garden, Jenna sighed with pure contentment.

      Around them there was the steady hum of lively conversation and the occasional burst of laughter. She hadn’t missed the speculative looks when she had arrived with Bobby, but the attention had quickly drifted away.

      This was the kind of place she looked for in Baltimore and never found. She was sure they existed, but probably in parts of town her father would be appalled if she visited. In her neighborhood there were chic cafés and trendy restaurants, where lingering wasn’t condoned, much less encouraged.

      “I could really start to like it here,” she said, around a juicy bite of hamburger.

      “Don’t,” Bobby said tersely. “There is nothing for you in Trinity Harbor.”

      She bristled defiantly at his tone and the warning. “Have you made up your mind, then? Are you turning down my proposal?”

      He hesitated.

      “Well?” she prodded. “Can you look me in the eye and tell me it’s not exactly what you would have described, if I’d asked you how you saw the waterfront developing?”

      “No,” he conceded with obvious reluctance. “But that doesn’t change anything. The two of us working together is a bad idea.”

      “Why?”

      “It just is.”

      “Just what I like,” she said scathingly. “A businessman who has solid, rational reasons for his decisions.”

      “It’s my decision to make,” he reminded her with exaggerated patience.

      “Then don’t let it be a bad one,” she pleaded. “It’s too important. At least say you’ll think it over.”

      “I don’t know,” he said, his expression troubled.

      “Come on. What do you have to lose?”

      “My sanity,” he muttered.

      She chuckled at the plaintive note in his voice. “I swear, I will do my very best not to drive you crazy.”

      “Too late.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a rectangle of paper and slid it across the table.

      Jenna looked at it but didn’t reach for it. “What’s that?”

      “A check.”

      Hope stirred inside her. Was this the down payment on the deal? They hadn’t talked money, but maybe he’d decided on a nominal retainer. She swallowed hard and met his gaze. “For?”

      “The horse,” he said quietly. “It’s the amount you mentioned. It should cover the loss.”

      Her stomach fell. “You’re paying me off to go away?”

      He nodded. “That’s the idea.”

      Jenna shoved the check back across the table, spilling her tea in the process. She paid no attention as it ran straight toward her lap. “Forget it,” she said fiercely.

      She wasn’t about to let Bobby Spencer buy her off with a check to cover the cost of the carousel horse. She wanted a contract for the waterfront development and her blasted horse. Nothing less would do.

      And if she had to pack up Darcy and take up residence right here in Trinity Harbor until she got what she wanted, well, that was what she’d do.

      “I’m not going anywhere, Bobby. Get used to it.”

      He seemed completely nonplussed by her vehemence. “But your daughter—”

      “Is out of school for the summer,” she retorted. “I can have her down here with me by tomorrow.”

      “Your job—”

      She made a quick decision and met his gaze evenly. “ This is my job. Getting this contract is my chance to make something happen in my career. I’m not walking away from it without a fight.”

      The fact that her announcement made Bobby look as if he’d been punched right in the gut was just so much icing on the cake.

      “Where’s Jenna?” Maggie asked, when Bobby returned to his office after lunch.

      “Gone, I hope.”

      Maggie seemed surprised and a little disappointed. “For good? I thought she was made of tougher stuff than that.”

      “I should be so lucky,” Bobby said with a resigned sigh. “No, I imagine she’ll be back.”

      His secretary grinned. “Good. I liked her.”

      “That doesn’t surprise me. You’re cut from the same cloth.” He regarded her pointedly and added, “Neither one of you knows when to let well enough alone.”

      “Okay, I get it,” Maggie said agreeably. “By the way, Richard called from the paper. He’s on his way over. He heard about the theft.”

      “Why didn’t you tell him to talk to Tucker?”

      “How do you think he heard about it?” Maggie retorted.

      “Well, hell,” Bobby muttered. What good was it being the sheriff’s brother, if the man was going to blab your business all over town?

      “Think of it this way,” Maggie advised. “It could be worse. It could be your father on his way over.”

      “You have a point,” Bobby agreed, but his momentary cheer faded quickly.

      Why had King been so silent? Usually he liked to make his opinions known. His silence did not bode well. Either he was sick or he was up to something. Since King was healthy as a horse, it was more likely the latter. Bobby started to reach for the phone, then stopped himself.

      “Be grateful,” he muttered.

      Maggie eyed him curiously. “What?”

      “Nothing. When Richard comes, send him over to the kitchen. I’m going to experiment with a new crab recipe.”

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