“Fine. I still think Christine took the emerald. She’s the only one who got close enough to it,” Aaron said. “She was the only one who had the chance to swipe it while you were sleeping.”
“Christine doesn’t have it,” Travis insisted. She didn’t have any of the telltale signs that a person demonstrated when they were hiding something. “I have to go and tell her I’m leaving.”
“She doesn’t deserve the courtesy,” Aaron said. “But keep me posted.”
His friend ended the call abruptly. Travis stared at his cell phone before putting it into his pocket. He should have known babysitting a jewel was too easy. The guilt he felt was overwhelming. Aaron had trusted him and now he would never forgive him.
Travis stepped into the bank and scanned the area. There were no customers. He waved at Laurie at the teller window and looked for Christine. He saw her sitting in her office talking on the phone.
He paused as he watched Christine. She looked happy and relaxed. Beautiful and radiant. She was smiling as she listened to the caller. It was a different smile than the one she gave him. When she looked at him, he felt special. He felt connected to Christine. After a lifetime of being alone, he wasn’t ready to walk away from her.
“Travis?” Harold, the portly security guard, interrupted his thoughts. Travis turned and saw Harold beckon him with the curl of his finger. “I want a word with you.”
Travis shoved his hands into his leather jacket and strolled toward the older man. “Why do I have the feeling that I’m in trouble?” he asked with a smile.
Harold did not return the smile. His eyes narrowed as he gave Travis a hard stare. “You may not be used to living in a small town, but you need to be careful.”
Travis went still. “What are you saying?” Did Harold overhear his phone conversation? Did he know there had been another reason for following Christine to Cedar Valley?
Harold looked around and lowered his voice. “You were at Christine’s house last night. And this morning.”
Busted. He knew he had pushed his luck. He should have returned to the bed-and-breakfast before dawn, but he found a sleepy and satisfied Christine irresistible. He had to curl Christine against him. He hadn’t meant to fall back to sleep.
He was going to have to bluff his way through this. He didn’t understand small-town etiquette but he was pretty sure he’d just made life a little complicated for Christine. “And?” Travis asked.
Harold held Travis’s gaze. “Your bed was untouched at the bed-and-breakfast.”
“How do you know that?” Travis looked around. The citizens of Cedar Valley were better at spying than he gave them credit for.
“Listen, we’re happy that Christine has found someone,” Harold said. “But information is power in Cedar Valley. Someone could give this relationship a slant and Christine would have a fight on her hands.”
“Why would anyone care?” Travis’s voice rose and he immediately snapped his mouth closed. He took a deep breath. “We are talking about two single adults in the privacy of someone’s home.” Well, there was that moment on the porch.
“City guys. They just don’t get it.” Harold shook his head and leaned forward. “When a young woman sows some wild oats, the ex-boyfriends stir up trouble.”
“Darrell.” The guy looked weak but he was the kind of man who would hold a grudge. “What is he saying?”
“That she had a hidden wild streak that’s out of control,” Harold said. “And when a bank manager taps into her wild side, people get nervous and they check their bank statements a little more closely.”
“I got it, Harold. Thanks for explaining it.” It was for the best that he was leaving now so he could protect the reputation she’d worked so hard to build. “I’ll make sure Christine doesn’t get in trouble because of something I did.”
* * *
CHRISTINE HUNG UP the phone and automatically glanced at the door of the bank. Excitement fizzed inside her when she saw Travis chatting with Harold. When she rose from her seat, she felt almost dizzy with joy.
Oh, no. Christine pressed her lips together but the smile broke free. She was falling hard for Travis Cain.
She had to hit the brakes on these feelings. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. She wasn’t going to get distracted by a guy when she needed to focus on her goals.
Christine saw Faye Lamb and her daughter, Bonnie, enter the bank and walk past Travis. She frowned and looked at the calendar on her desk. It wasn’t Monday. Christine walked out of her office and flashed a big smile at Travis before she approached the two women.