her. Some irrational part of him wanted to think he was the only man she'd ever been interested in. “I'm trying to make a good start in this town. I don't want to antagonize the police department by trespassing on their territory.”
Katie jumped out of her chair, needing to be taller than Nick for once. She glowered down at him, her hands perched on her slender hips. “I am not Peter Ramsey's territory! I am not
anybody's
territory. This is Virginia, not the wild West.” She stepped back and shook her head. “You are absolutely amazing. Half the town thinks you're a cross between Al Capone and James Bond, and you're worried about something so stupid!”
“They think
what?”
Nick asked, his dark brows shooting up in surprise.
Katie planted her hands on top of her head and rolled her eyes. “Me and my big mouth. I'm sorry, Nick, but this is a small town—gossip is the number one pastime. You haven't been very forthcoming about your background, so, naturally, rumors have run rampant.”
“They think
what?”
“Well… there are lots of theories.”
Nick watched her shifting uncomfortably fromfoot to foot. It was amusing to see Katie Quaid squirm. She wasn't a lady who lost her composure easily. “Such as?” he questioned.
“ Oh… they range from you being a former agent for the CIA to being a retired international art thief to being a protected witness to being a ruthless mercenary.”
He broke up, laughing so hard he got a stitch in his side. “Me? Ruthless? A mercenary? A spy? Me?”
“Those are some of the more popular rumors.” She frowned at him. “That doesn't make you angry? I thought you'd be furious.”
“It's too funny! I'm the last guy—I mean, I may have a checkered past, but I was an Eagle Scout, for crying out loud!”
“Then what was that you said to your uncle about going back for a trial?” she demanded, letting slip the fact that she'd been eavesdropping on his conversation.
Nick sat back in his chair, trying to catch his breath. He rubbed his side and took a long swallow of his cola. “A couple of weeks before I moved down here I happened to be in a store when some goofballs tried to rob the place. I got shot, actuallythe bullet only grazed my shoulder. I have to go back to testify at the trial.”
Katie was torn between relief and sick fear. The thought of Nick getting shot in a holdup made her throat constrict. She sat back down and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “And what about your statement about knowing what the inside of a jail looks like?”
“A simple misunderstanding,” he said, giving her his most innocent look. He wasn't quite ready to tell her he'd been the entertainment for a “ladies only” night at a club and the place had been raided. Poor Katie, he thought, suppressing a chuckle, she'd had enough revelation for one day. She'd struck up one of her Southern- belle poses but looked annoyed and embarrassed instead of cool and serene. “Don't tell me you believed those rumors.”
She gave him a look. “I know better than to believe ninety- nine percent of the rumors that fly around a small town. Do you think I would have gone out with you if I believed you were some sort of thug?”
“I dunno.” He shrugged, playful lights dancing in his dark eyes. He leaned across the table to runhis finger down her nose. “Maybe you're one of those ladies who gets excited by that kind of thing.” Her icy glare made him laugh again. “You know, maybe these rumors will actually be good for business. I could center an ad campaign around them. ‘Eat at Nick's—it's an offer you can't refuse,’ “ he said in a rough voice.
Katie rolled her eyes, trying not to grin. She was relieved he was taking the rumors so well. The towns people didn't mean any harm. They were just curious. Deciding it was time to lay the topic to rest, she asked, “Do you want to see my sketches now?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, standing up and ambling toward the bedroom, fluffing
Katie jumped out of her chair, needing to be taller than Nick for once. She glowered down at him, her hands perched on her slender hips. “I am not Peter Ramsey's territory! I am not
anybody's
territory. This is Virginia, not the wild West.” She stepped back and shook her head. “You are absolutely amazing. Half the town thinks you're a cross between Al Capone and James Bond, and you're worried about something so stupid!”
“They think
what?”
Nick asked, his dark brows shooting up in surprise.
Katie planted her hands on top of her head and rolled her eyes. “Me and my big mouth. I'm sorry, Nick, but this is a small town—gossip is the number one pastime. You haven't been very forthcoming about your background, so, naturally, rumors have run rampant.”
“They think
what?”
“Well… there are lots of theories.”
Nick watched her shifting uncomfortably fromfoot to foot. It was amusing to see Katie Quaid squirm. She wasn't a lady who lost her composure easily. “Such as?” he questioned.
“ Oh… they range from you being a former agent for the CIA to being a retired international art thief to being a protected witness to being a ruthless mercenary.”
He broke up, laughing so hard he got a stitch in his side. “Me? Ruthless? A mercenary? A spy? Me?”
“Those are some of the more popular rumors.” She frowned at him. “That doesn't make you angry? I thought you'd be furious.”
“It's too funny! I'm the last guy—I mean, I may have a checkered past, but I was an Eagle Scout, for crying out loud!”
“Then what was that you said to your uncle about going back for a trial?” she demanded, letting slip the fact that she'd been eavesdropping on his conversation.
Nick sat back in his chair, trying to catch his breath. He rubbed his side and took a long swallow of his cola. “A couple of weeks before I moved down here I happened to be in a store when some goofballs tried to rob the place. I got shot, actuallythe bullet only grazed my shoulder. I have to go back to testify at the trial.”
Katie was torn between relief and sick fear. The thought of Nick getting shot in a holdup made her throat constrict. She sat back down and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “And what about your statement about knowing what the inside of a jail looks like?”
“A simple misunderstanding,” he said, giving her his most innocent look. He wasn't quite ready to tell her he'd been the entertainment for a “ladies only” night at a club and the place had been raided. Poor Katie, he thought, suppressing a chuckle, she'd had enough revelation for one day. She'd struck up one of her Southern- belle poses but looked annoyed and embarrassed instead of cool and serene. “Don't tell me you believed those rumors.”
She gave him a look. “I know better than to believe ninety- nine percent of the rumors that fly around a small town. Do you think I would have gone out with you if I believed you were some sort of thug?”
“I dunno.” He shrugged, playful lights dancing in his dark eyes. He leaned across the table to runhis finger down her nose. “Maybe you're one of those ladies who gets excited by that kind of thing.” Her icy glare made him laugh again. “You know, maybe these rumors will actually be good for business. I could center an ad campaign around them. ‘Eat at Nick's—it's an offer you can't refuse,’ “ he said in a rough voice.
Katie rolled her eyes, trying not to grin. She was relieved he was taking the rumors so well. The towns people didn't mean any harm. They were just curious. Deciding it was time to lay the topic to rest, she asked, “Do you want to see my sketches now?”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, standing up and ambling toward the bedroom, fluffing
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