Page 28 of Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms
“It’s not just the rumors that could be a problem for me. Your town has a certain way of life that’s a bit outside my experience.”
“It’s quirky.” Her tone was matter-of-fact.
“Indeed. I always work alone, but in this case, I could use a partner.”
“Isn’t Maple your partner?”
“In a sense, but she does her work behind the scenes. I was thinking of you.”
Natalie’s eyebrows lifted. “You want me to be your partner? To help you recover a stolen necklace?”
“Yes.” I gave her a nod. “And I’ll give you a cut of my fee. It’s quite substantial.”
Her lips parted, and she gazed at me for a long moment. “What would I need to do?”
“Help me navigate a town that’s oddly fascinated with squirrels and has a statue of a pinup girl wearing a Santa Claus beard in the middle of town.”
She laughed. “That would be Lola. She gets bearded all the time.”
My brow furrowed.
Natalie waved her hand as if that didn’t matter. “Never mind. Weird town lore. And yes, the squirrels are a thing. Keep an eye on your wallet. They like to steal things.”
“See? You’re already providing me with vital intelligence.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, Jensen Lakes. I’ll help you find the necklace. If I can. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
“That’s all right, darling.” I winked at her. “I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”
A subtle shift in her expression betrayed her skepticism. Or maybe it was distrust. And one thing ran through my mind.
Who hurt you?
Because it was clear that she’d been hurt before. And whoever he was, I wanted to do murderous things to him.
I stood and offered her my hand. She took it, and I helped her to her feet. As much as I wanted to kiss the backs of her knuckles again, I didn’t. Charm wasn’t going to reach her. I wasn’t sure what would, but turning up the charisma wouldn’t win me any points.
So I shifted my grip to shake her hand instead. Businesslike.
“I look forward to working with you, Natalie.”
“You too, Jensen.” She slipped her hand from mine. “Where do we start?”
“I’ll show you what we know so far.”
And just like that, I had a partner.
CHAPTER 7
Natalie
Being an ED nurse, it was hard to surprise me. I’d seen things. But a British thief hunter who wanted my help to track down a stolen heirloom in my small town? I had not seen that coming.
He got out his laptop and set it on the dining table. I was getting warm, so I took off my hat, set it on the couch, and ran my fingers through my hair. I’d been planning to run a few errands while Nina and Annabel were out, but those could wait.
My skepticism remained. Was Jensen’s story actually true? There were a lot of unanswered questions, and the distinct possibility that he was not who he claimed to be.
But when he’d said he was an open book—that he’d tell me anything—I sort of believed him. And he got a few points for not asking me out again. He wasn’t hitting on me, so I didn’t have the sense that this was some elaborate ruse to get in my pants.
