His uncharacteristically awkward stammering might have amused her had he not looked so grim. She motioned toward the couch. “Have a seat. Can I get you anything?”
“No. Thanks.”
“Are you sure? If you haven’t had dinner, I’ve got some…”
“I’m not hungry.”
That sounded even more serious, since Casey had the typical young man’s hearty appetite. “What is this about?” she asked a bit nervously now.
Ignoring her invitation to sit, he paced to the fireplace, staring down at the dark grate. She hadn’t bothered with a fire that evening, and the room felt suddenly cold and dark, as if he’d brought the chilly night in with him when he’d entered. Seeming to sense Casey’s mood, Buddy sat on the hearth rug and gazed up at him, spine straight, his tail still.
Casey didn’t seem to be in any hurry to start the conversation he said they needed. She perched on the edge of a chair, her fingers locked in front of her as she waited for him to answer her question.
When he finally spoke, his words caught her by surprise. “My family has had more than our share of drama through the years,” he said, causing her to frown. That was hardly the way she had expected him to lead off.
“I suppose most families have,” she offered tentatively.
“I told you about my dad and his siblings being separated and then finding each other again years later.”
Even though he wasn’t looking at her, she nodded.
He must have seen her from the corner of his eye, because he continued, “My aunt Michelle—the one who was adopted by the wealthy family and initiated the search for her siblings?”
“Yes, I remember you telling me about her. She married the private investigator.”
“Right. Tony D’Alessandro. Anyway, Michelle was kidnapped when she was just a little girl and held for ransom for several days by a former family employee.”
Shocked, she said, “What a terrifying ordeal that must have been for her. Was she hurt?”
“Not physically, no. But you can imagine that it was a horrifying event that haunted her for a long time.”
She wasn’t sure what this had to do with her, but she nodded somberly. “It must have.”
“That wasn’t the only traumatic event that members of my family have endured. My aunt Lindsey had a similar kidnapping experience several years later. My uncle Jared was once wrongly accused of robbery and was thrown in jail until he could prove his innocence. My parents met when my grandfather, a prosecuting attorney, hired my dad to protect my mother from some gang members who want
ed to snatch my mom for leverage against Granddad in a big court trial.”
Her head was spinning a little from all those dramatic details. “Your family has endured a lot,” she conceded, her voice rising a bit in question.
“That history has left us—some of us, anyway—a little paranoid. And then there’s the fact that several of my close relatives, including my dad and my cousin, Andrew, are private investigators and security consultants. Put a mystery in front of them and they seem compelled to dig into it. Especially if they think one of the family is in a position to be hurt by it.”
She was growing more confused by the minute. “I don’t—”
“Apparently, Aaron’s been calling Molly during the past week, trying to find out how I’ve been doing and what was keeping me here so long,” Casey cut in bluntly. “Molly’s a sweetheart, but sometimes she talks too much. She mentioned that I’ve been seeing you, and I think she told him that I was pretty obviously infatuated by you.”
Feeling her cheeks warm a little, Natalie looked back down at her hands. “So your cousins rushed out here to save you from me?”
Casey drew a deep breath and blurted, “Molly told them you lost your job with the law firm. I don’t think she meant to let it slip, but Aaron’s pretty good at weaseling information out of people, almost before they realize it. Anyway, Andrew did a little snooping, I guess, and…well, I’m very sorry, Natalie, but he told me what happened to you in Nashville.”
Natalie felt her eyes go wide, the blood draining from her face. “He had no right to do that!”
Casey turned toward her then, holding up both hands, palms outward. “I know, and I told him the same thing. That’s why I had to get away from them for a while. I was so mad I wasn’t in the mood to deal with them.”
She pushed herself out of her chair and began to pace in agitation. Buddy swiveled his head to watch her. This was so not the way she had wanted Casey to hear about what had happened to her, without even a chance for her to tell her side of the story. “Why would they investigate me, just because you and I have spent a few days together? What did they think I was going to do to you?”
He pushed his hand through his hair in a weary gesture. “It’s hardly an excuse, but they’ve been worried about me. None of them really understood why I felt the need to take off when I did. It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever been irresponsible, other than the pranks we played as kids. My mother thinks I’m on the verge of a breakdown, which is ridiculous. So…they heard I’ve been spending time with a woman who has a few secrets and they overreacted. I’m not defending them, I just know how they think.”
Clutching her arms against a chill that was as much emotional as physical, she muttered, “When they found out what secret I’ve been keeping, they must have totally freaked out. I must really be out to con you, huh?”