Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Dana Mentink (good fiction books to read .txt) 📕

air seemed to suspend the moisture from last night’s intense rain. The cold and humidity were no match for the layers he wore today. This time, he was going to be prepared if he needed to dunk for cover. He hustled to the employee lodge office where the front door was propped open.

A low male voice spoke urgently. “I think we both know this place is hanging by a thread. It’s time to call—”

“I’ve already told you I can’t let Aunt Linda down. She’s counting on me.” Nora’s voice was easily recognizable.

“Please remember you’re not the only one in the world that cares about her.”

Henry knocked on the doorframe and stepped into the office where Bobby and Nora faced off from opposite sides of the office countertop. A raft made out of paperclips caught his attention. Since he’d last visited, a new set of people had been added, made out of brads and clips, with mechanical pencils as their spines. “Nice decorations.”

Nora’s cheeks flushed. She’d frequently told him she found it impossible to stay still, and her creativity spilled over into unusual areas, like office supplies, during any downtime. Once again, he wondered why she wasn’t teaching elementary in the schools yet. Maybe it had something to do with what Bobby had been trying to tell her, but his urgency had sounded odd to Henry. Bobby knew the upcoming visit from the travel reporter would mean a lot of publicity, but was the rafting company in such dire straits? Or was Bobby trying to make a play for the company—and maybe Nora’s aunt—while they were in a vulnerable position?

Bobby shifted uncomfortably under Henry’s gaze but gave a nod as a way of greeting. Henry’s father may have pushed him too hard to follow his legacy as a lawyer, but he’d learned a lot from his dad. At the moment, the lesson of keeping enemies close came to mind. Suspected enemies, in this case. He was using the same philosophy today for the team trip on the river.

Nora wouldn’t understand. Perry had opened the cold case wide, so Henry didn’t find the man’s behavior nearly as suspicious. Zach, though, needed to be on today’s trip. If he slipped up, Henry would be watching.

“Hey, Bobby,” Henry said, “did Nora tell you we are taking a team out on the river?”

“Yes. I don’t understand what’s taking so long to wrap up the scene and let us out there, but sure. Whatever it takes to get on the water.”

Nora and Henry shared a look. So she hadn’t shared with Bobby that Dexter and Tommy’s murder were connected in some way. That was actually to their benefit. Perry said he would wait twenty-four more hours to see if they could turn up any other leads before he needed to call in the FBI for assistance. Once the FBI was involved, Henry would be officially off the case. Today was Henry’s last chance to help.

“We could use another rafting guide,” Henry said on the fly. “Another guide would mean that we could spread out more as a team, cover more ground.”

Nora’s eyes widened. “Who all is coming?”

“Can you do without Bobby here for a day?” He tried to communicate with his eyes that it wasn’t a good time to ask who was coming. By the way Nora’s eyebrows jumped, he was a little worried how she would interpret his expressions.

“Are you feeling okay?” she asked. “You look like you’re going to be sick. Do you need breakfast?”

Henry released a breath. He’d never been good at subtlety and subtext. He produced a brown bag. “Actually, no. I brought you breakfast from town.” He set the bag on the countertop. She pulled out the enclosed scone and to-go thermos of tea with a gasp.

“Tea and a cinnamon scone? Thank you.” Her eyes flickered to his, and a soft smile formed. So, she still thought of tea and scones as the ultimate comfort then. For some reason, the knowledge that some things hadn’t changed was reassuring. Nora broke off a chunk of the scone and offered Bobby a portion, which he declined. “If you’re willing to be a guide,” she said, “it’s up to you. We were talking about giving the trainees the day off anyway. What’s left of them, that is.” She turned and offered Henry a portion of the scone, as well.

“No, it’s for you. What do you mean ‘what’s left of them’?”

Bobby’s shoulders drooped. “We’ve just found ourselves short-staffed for raft season now.” Bobby and Nora exchanged a look that held its own secret code.

Henry’s chest tightened. There was camaraderie between the two of them. Nora needed help with something, that much was obvious, but Henry was no longer her confidant. Asking others for help had always been her last resort anyway. So, whenever she had asked him for help, she’d done it so rarely, he’d have done anything he could to answer her requests. And if he couldn’t help, he’d encouraged her to ask someone who could. Was that all Bobby was doing? Taking the place that was once his and encouraging her to ask for help?

“I guess we’re both yours for the day,” Nora said.

Despite the exhaustion from yesterday, he’d tossed and turned all night remembering the closeness and the way Nora had stared into his eyes. He could see she’d truly forgiven him. It was like a heavy weight he hadn’t known existed had finally been released. Then, when she’d transitioned into saying she was ready to move on, that weight had unexpectedly shifted and punched him in the gut.

As much as he wanted to deny it, some part of him had always imagined that if they’d ever worked past their hurts, he’d feel free. His heart hadn’t let him sleep until he’d admitted to himself it was a lie.

Bobby walked past Henry and slapped him on the shoulder, jarring him out of his thoughts. “I’ll go grab my gear. A little time out on the water is just the medicine I need.