motions behind Mitchell’s neck.
Mitchell stroked her arm. “You need someone to look after you.”
No way was she going to answer that one. Her mind scrambled for ways to get Mitchell out of there. Say she was free for lunch after all? She didn’t think she could stand spending an hour with him.
She had to at least get him away from The Finder before he noticed it and started asking awkward questions. Maybe he wouldn’t have any idea what the boxy gadget did, and Camie could make up some nonsense. Erin certainly wouldn’t have known the difference. But Mitchell did work for a mining company, so he might have the technical background to recognize a radar unit.
If he thought her weak, she could use that. She leaned against him with a little moan. “Perhaps I’ve overdone it already today. Can you help me to that stool over there?”
Murmuring sympathy, he did so. At least she’d gotten him across the room.
Erin settled on the stool and blinked up at him in what she hoped was a delicate and feminine manner. “Thank you. Perhaps you could get me a glass of water?”
He turned toward the sink. “Oh, not that,” Erin said. “You know how awful the tap water is here. Full of nasty minerals.” She gave a little shudder.
“There’s a cooler down the hall,” Camie said. “Here, you can use my mug.” She thrust it at him.
“Why don’t you go,” Mitchell said, “and I’ll stay here with Erin. If she faints, I’ll be able to hold her better.”
“Oh no,” Camie said with wide eyes. “I’m not allowed to leave the machine shop unattended when people are in here.”
Mitchell sighed. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Camie hissed, “You batted your eyelashes at him.”
“I did not!” Erin considered. “Did I?”
Camie grinned. “It was great.” She ran across the room, grabbed The Finder, and tucked it into a corner under the table. She crossed back to Erin, her eyes on the door. “He’s definitely acting suspiciously.”
“He was in my office when I got there. Said he wants to talk to me later.” Erin stuck out her tongue. “I’d ask him to take me home, just to get him out of here, but I’m afraid he’d want to help me inside. I don’t want him in my house.” She couldn’t entirely believe that Mitchell was dangerous, that the charming man who had entertained her over dinner might have anything to do with her accident or the burglary. But the thought of letting him in her house made her feel as trembly as she’d been acting.
Camie glanced at the wall clock. “When he came in, he said something about a two o’clock meeting. It’s almost that now.”
The door opened, and the women smiled as Mitchell joined them and handed the water to Erin. She took a sip. “Mmm, thank you. I’m feeling better already.”
“Let me take you home.”
Damn. “Oh, that’s all right. I want to rest here a little longer. Then I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t want to be late for your meeting,” Camie said.
Mitchell glanced at his expensive watch and frowned. “I suppose I could be a few minutes late.” He gave Erin the wide, charming smile she was beginning to hate. “After all, what meeting is more important than your health?”
“Well aren’t you just the sweetest thing ever?” Erin gushed. She realized she had suddenly picked up a fake southern accent and warned herself to tone it down. “I would hate to make you late for an important meeting. I’ll just rest here for a little while. I promise, if I don’t feel well enough to drive, I’ll get a ride home.”
Mitchell frowned at his watch again, glanced at Erin, and sighed. “All right. I’ll call you tonight.”
Damn again. She didn’t want to keep coming up with excuses to avoid him. “I’ll probably go home and take a long nap, maybe just go to bed early. But you go ahead and call. I’ll turn the phone off before I sleep, so you won’t have to worry about waking
Mitchell stroked her arm. “You need someone to look after you.”
No way was she going to answer that one. Her mind scrambled for ways to get Mitchell out of there. Say she was free for lunch after all? She didn’t think she could stand spending an hour with him.
She had to at least get him away from The Finder before he noticed it and started asking awkward questions. Maybe he wouldn’t have any idea what the boxy gadget did, and Camie could make up some nonsense. Erin certainly wouldn’t have known the difference. But Mitchell did work for a mining company, so he might have the technical background to recognize a radar unit.
If he thought her weak, she could use that. She leaned against him with a little moan. “Perhaps I’ve overdone it already today. Can you help me to that stool over there?”
Murmuring sympathy, he did so. At least she’d gotten him across the room.
Erin settled on the stool and blinked up at him in what she hoped was a delicate and feminine manner. “Thank you. Perhaps you could get me a glass of water?”
He turned toward the sink. “Oh, not that,” Erin said. “You know how awful the tap water is here. Full of nasty minerals.” She gave a little shudder.
“There’s a cooler down the hall,” Camie said. “Here, you can use my mug.” She thrust it at him.
“Why don’t you go,” Mitchell said, “and I’ll stay here with Erin. If she faints, I’ll be able to hold her better.”
“Oh no,” Camie said with wide eyes. “I’m not allowed to leave the machine shop unattended when people are in here.”
Mitchell sighed. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, Camie hissed, “You batted your eyelashes at him.”
“I did not!” Erin considered. “Did I?”
Camie grinned. “It was great.” She ran across the room, grabbed The Finder, and tucked it into a corner under the table. She crossed back to Erin, her eyes on the door. “He’s definitely acting suspiciously.”
“He was in my office when I got there. Said he wants to talk to me later.” Erin stuck out her tongue. “I’d ask him to take me home, just to get him out of here, but I’m afraid he’d want to help me inside. I don’t want him in my house.” She couldn’t entirely believe that Mitchell was dangerous, that the charming man who had entertained her over dinner might have anything to do with her accident or the burglary. But the thought of letting him in her house made her feel as trembly as she’d been acting.
Camie glanced at the wall clock. “When he came in, he said something about a two o’clock meeting. It’s almost that now.”
The door opened, and the women smiled as Mitchell joined them and handed the water to Erin. She took a sip. “Mmm, thank you. I’m feeling better already.”
“Let me take you home.”
Damn. “Oh, that’s all right. I want to rest here a little longer. Then I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“You don’t want to be late for your meeting,” Camie said.
Mitchell glanced at his expensive watch and frowned. “I suppose I could be a few minutes late.” He gave Erin the wide, charming smile she was beginning to hate. “After all, what meeting is more important than your health?”
“Well aren’t you just the sweetest thing ever?” Erin gushed. She realized she had suddenly picked up a fake southern accent and warned herself to tone it down. “I would hate to make you late for an important meeting. I’ll just rest here for a little while. I promise, if I don’t feel well enough to drive, I’ll get a ride home.”
Mitchell frowned at his watch again, glanced at Erin, and sighed. “All right. I’ll call you tonight.”
Damn again. She didn’t want to keep coming up with excuses to avoid him. “I’ll probably go home and take a long nap, maybe just go to bed early. But you go ahead and call. I’ll turn the phone off before I sleep, so you won’t have to worry about waking
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