Caught in the Frame (Ponderosa Pines Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) by ReGina Welling (novel24 .TXT) 📕

Nate, and let him know that she was the author of ‘Babble & Spin’. She only hoped he wasn’t too mad at her for keeping the secret in the first place.

Just about to power down her laptop, an errant thought struck Chloe. She checked her watch; Lila and Javier were occupied with couples-only wedding tasks, so she had at least an extra half hour to herself, and decided to put it to good use.

What’s your end game, Hannah Frank?

She opened several browser tabs and searched a few keywords related to Hannah Frank, HF Designs, and the scandal that had ejected her from Hollywood’s inner circle.

If there was one area in which the woman excelled, it was public relations; the entire first two pages of every phrase Chloe searched turned up links to Hannah’s wedding planning website, her Twitter and Facebook accounts, and several newer reports touting her many achievements. Since most people didn’t bother to click any further, prospective clients were likely to miss the scathing articles and reviews that followed. Chloe wasn’t most people; gossip was her bread and butter, so she scoured Hannah’s Facebook page and found even more evidence of a cover-up.

Her company, HF Designs, had undergone an overhaul; it used to be called Hannah Frank, Inc. Still based out of Los Angeles, the new site merely hinted at celebrity clients, focusing mainly on showcasing Hannah’s exceptional event planning skills. She was obviously focused on rebuilding; Lila LaRue didn’t qualify as a celebrity in most circles, but her vast resources would enable Hannah to display recent work on a Hollywood-worthy wedding. If only she could edge her way into the planning process.

The question was, why was she ousted in the first place? Sure, celebrities could be fickle, but a scandal of the caliber Lila described had to be based on more than just a minor infraction. With a little more time for research, Chloe was sure she could turn up something juicy—time being the one thing she lacked right now. Switching tactics, Chloe tapped out a hurried email request to Wesley, her editor back in Ponderosa Pines, whose research skills rivaled her own. In a series of short sentences, she told him what she needed, gave him the links to the sites she’d already searched and asked him to do the legwork.

Lila had a lot going on at the moment; this was something Chloe could do on her own. Well, with a little help from her friends, anyway.

* * *

“How much do you love me?” Chloe asked with unusual sweetness.

EV grimaced and quirked her right eyebrow. “Enough. What do you want?” She sipped a cup of Irish tea, her hair blowing in the cool breeze wafting against the suite’s west-facing balcony as a dazzling sun set over the horizon. In the distance, a brilliant blue lake kissed the shining rays, coloring the sky in pink and purple stripes. EV tore her eyes away from the scene reluctantly, and shot an inquiring look at her friend. Chloe was distracted, barely noticing the picturesque view that lay before her.

“A small favor. Could you get Lila away from the suite for a few hours around dinner time—distract her so I can have some alone time with Nate.”

“Seriously? You guys are like bunny rabbits.” She rolled her eyes, but behind her rueful facade she was genuinely happy. EV had never seen Chloe this ecstatic about a man; it was a good look for her. But, for crying out loud, how much alone time did those two need?

Chloe swatted her arm playfully. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I need to talk to him is all. It’s time I told him my secret. He should at least know what I do for a living—if you can call it that—if we’re going to pursue a real relationship. And I trust him. I just hope he understands why I didn’t say anything before.” Whether she was required to or not, lying was lying, and she knew Nate valued honesty above all other virtues.

“I’m guessing he’ll get it. I’d be more concerned that he’s pissed about you referring to him as Inspector Hottie all the time.”

“Yeah, on second thought, maybe I’ll just keep my lips zipped.” Chloe had heard Nate complain about the term of endearment several times, and was mildly ashamed at the fact that she had continued to do so mostly just to irritate him. She figured he deserved it, after letting her believe he was dating a woman who turned out to be a co-worker and friend. Jealousy did not become her, and Chloe’s angry response had set them back even further before Dalton had clued her in on the truth.

“Well, maybe butter him up a little bit first, then. I’ll take care of your mother.” After Lila’s reaction to the warning about her fiancé, EV wasn’t keen on the idea of spending the evening with the two of them alone. “You’ll owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah. Add it to my bill.” Chloe waved a dismissive hand.

Chapter 14

Was it really hacking into the system if he was the one who designed it? Gray area, but when family is on the line, you do whatever it takes. Javier’s fingers flew over his laptop keyboard while he tamped down the twinges his conscience kept throwing at him. Baylee’s last text before silencing her phone said she was in place, so he keyed in the sequence to unlock Remy Vincent’s room remotely, and started the countdown on his watch.

They’d given themselves a five minute window. Javier pictured Baylee slipping through the door, flipping on the light, rifling through Vincent’s things to find something—anything—that would prove he was the identity thief responsible for framing Tomas and destroying his life.

Four and a half minutes left.

He marked the time, starting the countdown to the next stage of the plan. Baylee had one minute to orient herself, then be ready for the room safe to unlock in four, three, two—Javier tapped the enter key. Now she would