Page 3 of Vanished in the Mist
“Not unless my partner in crime is a high school teacher named Cassidy Tate.”
The mad-as-hell brunette suddenly grew still, her brow wrinkling in confusion. “Cassidy Tate? How do you know her?”
“Remember the part where you accused me of breaking into this cabin? If you think back, instead of trying to get your gun to shoot me again—”
“I didn’t shoot you.”
“Not for lack of trying.”
She rolled her eyes.
He prayed for patience. “I didn’t kick down the door. I used a key. The one Mrs. Tate mailed to me last week when she hired me.”
The woman blinked, her eyes widening. “Cassidy hired you? To do what?”
“You know her?”
“Not as well as I thought I did. She’s my sister.”
“Ah. That explains it.”
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Explains what?”
“She was stubborn and feisty on the phone, calling several times over the course of three weeks insisting that I consider her proposal. Somehow, she convinced me to help her, free of charge in exchange for lodging and food. That stubbornness must run in the family.”
She swore.
He couldn’t help smiling. The salty words coming out of that pretty mouth weren’t the way he’d have expected this beautiful woman to speak. She was nearly as tall as he was, which put her at close to six feet. Her slim, athletic body, delicate facial features and long, thick brown hair were an appealing combination. The only things destroying her supermodel potential were her generous breasts, which were currently burning a hole in his chest. She didn’t have that waiflike half-starved look that so many models had. And he most definitely approved.
She was gorgeous, especially when she wasn’t trying to punch or shoot him. She’d stopped struggling and her face was turning a delightful pink. She was either still mad and planning her next attack, or she was embarrassed about something.
“Why did Cassidy call you?” She was markedly calmer now as she waited for his reply.
“She wanted me to come here to search for a missing girl.”
The woman groaned. “What’s the girl’s name?”
“Tanya Jericho.”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and her brow wrinkled as if she were in pain. Then her body went lax and soft beneath him as all the fight drained out of her. “I’m guessing you’re the doozy she mentioned in her note.”
“Doozy?”
“Will you please let me up? You’re right. There’s been a misunderstanding.”
Her soft curves were starting to do alarming things to him now that she wasn’t trying to kill him. He was eager to let her go before she noticed his body’s response. But he wasn’t even close to trusting her.
“You don’t have another gun in your other pocket, do you?”
“I wish.”
He smiled again. The woman was delightfully sassy. Too bad she was so bloodthirsty. “I’ll release your wrists on the count of three. Don’t try to pull any sucker punches when I let go.”
“Just get up already.”
He chuckled and rolled off her, then leaped to his feet and swiped the pistol off the floor before she could get it.
She stood and frowned, then shrugged as if she didn’t care even though she’d been clearly going for her gun.
