at romance,” he mumbled, taking off his fogged-up glasses to polish them. “Especially when it comes to beautiful women.”
Given his demonstrated expertise, this timidity was unaccountable. And while it was nice to be called beautiful, it would have been nicer if he’d been wearing his glasses when he’d said it. But as usual she was probably being too critical. Maddie snapped shut the brass padlock on the box and slipped the tiny key inside her purse.
She’d carried the box to the safe when her cell phone rang. She debated letting the call go to voice mail then rejected that idea. What if Al was having a heart attack in the middle of a job and her brothers weren’t around to call an ambulance?
“Excuse me, Rolf. I won’t be a moment.” She clicked the phone on. “Dad?”
“You weren’t where you said you were going to be,” a peeved English voice said in an upper-crust accent.
“You again!” She should simply hang up but, knowing Fabian, he’d only call back. “Don’t you have a life?”
“Where are you?” he demanded.
“Still at the Cuckoo.” With the phone pressed to her ear, she blocked the view of the safe’s digital number pad with her body and pressed the buttons to open it.
“Liar,” Fabian said. “You’re in your workshop.”
“So what if I am? It’s none of your business,” Maddie said in a fierce whisper. She placed the Rose’s box inside the safe next to the pendant setting. She shut the door and tugged on the handle to make sure it was locked tight. “I have to go.”
“What’s happening there? I hope you didn’t leave him alone with the stone.”
“Of course not. The Rose is back in the safe. You are way off the mark with your accusations. Goodbye.”
She turned off her microscope and the gooseneck lamp and disarmed the electronic lock on the alley door, letting Rolf out ahead of her. Outside, a light rain was falling, the droplets visible in the cone of the security light. Maddie paused in the doorway and glanced back into the workshop; everything was in order. She closed and locked the door, then reset the alarm. Only when she fell into step beside Rolf did she realize her skin was damp with perspiration. As much as she loved the Rose, she would be glad when the responsibility was off her hands.
She drove Rolf back to his hotel, chatting on the way about the university and Willa’s field trip to the outback. Rolf seemed distracted and slow to answer. But then he was jet-lagged. Finally she gave up and they rode in silence until she pulled under the porte cochere.
Rolf’s pale blue eyes glowed behind his glasses. “Tonight was wonderful. Thank you. For everything.”
Maddie smiled. Not many people she knew enjoyed dinner and a look through a microscope as much as she did. “I had a great time too.”
He leaned over and kissed her again, softly and briefly. Okay, his kisses didn’t leave her breathless but he liked her, and if she gave him half a chance she might like him too. At least she was making an effort. Grace would be pleased.
Rolf got out of the car, lifted his hand in a clumsy wave and pushed through the revolving glass door into the brightly lit lobby.
Maddie’s phone rang. “Hello?”
“You shouldn’t let him kiss you.”
“Oh my God! You are stalking me.” Maddie jerked her head around, searching the ornamental shrubs for a tall figure in a perfectly cut suit. Then she glanced in the rearview mirror. A sleek black sports car was parked behind her. “Is that you in the…whatever-it-is?”
“Maserati Spyder. Never mind that,” Fabian replied impatiently. “Are you absolutely certain it was the Rose that went inside the safe?”
“I put it in the locked box myself. The key is in my purse.” She slid her fingers inside the small zippered pocket in the lining of her purse just to be absolutely sure. The key was there.
“Go back to the shop and check.”
“I’ll do nothing of the kind. I’m going home to bed. I have a big
Given his demonstrated expertise, this timidity was unaccountable. And while it was nice to be called beautiful, it would have been nicer if he’d been wearing his glasses when he’d said it. But as usual she was probably being too critical. Maddie snapped shut the brass padlock on the box and slipped the tiny key inside her purse.
She’d carried the box to the safe when her cell phone rang. She debated letting the call go to voice mail then rejected that idea. What if Al was having a heart attack in the middle of a job and her brothers weren’t around to call an ambulance?
“Excuse me, Rolf. I won’t be a moment.” She clicked the phone on. “Dad?”
“You weren’t where you said you were going to be,” a peeved English voice said in an upper-crust accent.
“You again!” She should simply hang up but, knowing Fabian, he’d only call back. “Don’t you have a life?”
“Where are you?” he demanded.
“Still at the Cuckoo.” With the phone pressed to her ear, she blocked the view of the safe’s digital number pad with her body and pressed the buttons to open it.
“Liar,” Fabian said. “You’re in your workshop.”
“So what if I am? It’s none of your business,” Maddie said in a fierce whisper. She placed the Rose’s box inside the safe next to the pendant setting. She shut the door and tugged on the handle to make sure it was locked tight. “I have to go.”
“What’s happening there? I hope you didn’t leave him alone with the stone.”
“Of course not. The Rose is back in the safe. You are way off the mark with your accusations. Goodbye.”
She turned off her microscope and the gooseneck lamp and disarmed the electronic lock on the alley door, letting Rolf out ahead of her. Outside, a light rain was falling, the droplets visible in the cone of the security light. Maddie paused in the doorway and glanced back into the workshop; everything was in order. She closed and locked the door, then reset the alarm. Only when she fell into step beside Rolf did she realize her skin was damp with perspiration. As much as she loved the Rose, she would be glad when the responsibility was off her hands.
She drove Rolf back to his hotel, chatting on the way about the university and Willa’s field trip to the outback. Rolf seemed distracted and slow to answer. But then he was jet-lagged. Finally she gave up and they rode in silence until she pulled under the porte cochere.
Rolf’s pale blue eyes glowed behind his glasses. “Tonight was wonderful. Thank you. For everything.”
Maddie smiled. Not many people she knew enjoyed dinner and a look through a microscope as much as she did. “I had a great time too.”
He leaned over and kissed her again, softly and briefly. Okay, his kisses didn’t leave her breathless but he liked her, and if she gave him half a chance she might like him too. At least she was making an effort. Grace would be pleased.
Rolf got out of the car, lifted his hand in a clumsy wave and pushed through the revolving glass door into the brightly lit lobby.
Maddie’s phone rang. “Hello?”
“You shouldn’t let him kiss you.”
“Oh my God! You are stalking me.” Maddie jerked her head around, searching the ornamental shrubs for a tall figure in a perfectly cut suit. Then she glanced in the rearview mirror. A sleek black sports car was parked behind her. “Is that you in the…whatever-it-is?”
“Maserati Spyder. Never mind that,” Fabian replied impatiently. “Are you absolutely certain it was the Rose that went inside the safe?”
“I put it in the locked box myself. The key is in my purse.” She slid her fingers inside the small zippered pocket in the lining of her purse just to be absolutely sure. The key was there.
“Go back to the shop and check.”
“I’ll do nothing of the kind. I’m going home to bed. I have a big
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