“Forget it, Harry. If you’re too much a sissy to go with me, I can go alone. No problem.”
Choking became a distinct possibility.
After several moments where she held her breath, waiting to see which way the chips would fall, Harry finally released her and stepped away. He picked up his coffee.
She eyed it warily. “Careful. I don’t want you to drown yourself.”
He drank the rest of the cup in one long swallow, glaring at her over the rim all the while. After he finished the cup, his expression grew crafty. “I have a deal for you, Charlie.”
“I’m listening.”
“Remove yourself from my business with Floyd and Ralph, and I’ll tell you what I’ve discovered concerning your father.”
Her breath left her in a whoosh and she gripped the edge of the table. “You’ve found out something already?”
He looked down his nose at her. “Quite a few somethings, actually, which is why I didn’t get to bed until the early hours of the morning, and why I was just rising when you arrived. Now, do we have a deal or not?”
Charlie weighed her options, decided lying would be the most expedient way to go, and said, “Whatever you say, Harry. Now tell me everything you know.”
CHAPTER 7
HARRY STARED AT her hard, but she didn’t so much as linch. Still, he knew without a shadow of a doubt she had no intention of backing away from Ralph and Floyd, despite her rapid agreement.
With a sound of disgust, he dropped into a chair and bent to pull on his socks. “You’re lying through your teeth and you aren’t even doing it well.”
“That’s absurd!” She pulled out a chair and sprawled into it. “I’m an excellent liar!”
He looked nonplussed for a moment, then laughed. “You’re something else, you know that, Charlie?”
He sounded…affectionately exasperated. But then what did she know? She’d never heard honest affection from a man before. And she’d certainly never known a man like Harry. “I like watching you dress, Harry.” He glanced up at her, startled, and she smiled. “I think I’d probably like watching you undress, more.”
A shoe dropped from his hand, thumping onto the floor. Harry swallowed, made a strangled sound. Charlie eyed him. “Thank God you’re not drinking coffee, huh?”
He stared, then jerked his gaze away from her. Furious, he yanked on the rest of his clothes, including a silk tie, then began pacing the kitchen. Glancing at her, he accused, “You’ve traumatized my cat.”
“I’m not the one who can’t swallow coffee.”
His eyes narrowed. He looked downright harassed, and he kept checking his watch. The dogs scratched to come in, and again he went through the chore of cleaning their feet. Afterward, the dogs cuddled up to him and got thoroughly petted. He even whispered to them, though she couldn’t hear what he said.
Charlie loved watching him with the animals. He was so big, so strong, but so incredibly gentle, too. She remembered the way he’d touched her, how he’d kissed her, and she was instantly jealous of the attention he lavished on his pets.
When Harry stood, Sooner and Grace came over to her for a few pats. Harry watched, his brows down, and he warned, “Don’t try to ingratiate yourself with my dogs. I already explained to them how conniving you can be.”
She gave each dog an extra hug. “Yeah, well, since they know you, they’ve probably realized you’re just being unreasonable.” The dogs didn’t agree or disagree, they just went off to sleep.
Charlie crossed her legs and waited. He had news to tell her, but she did her best to look indifferent despite the churning in her belly and her anxiety. She couldn’t give him the upper hand.
“Okay, are you interested in knowing what I’ve discovered or not?”
“What a dumb question! Of course I’m interested.” Then in the coolest tone she could manage, she asked, “Do you think he has any money? Will he be able to pay what he owes?”
Charlie watched, fascinated, as Harry’s lean jaw hardened, as his muscles bunched and flexed. For a second there she thought his eyes turned red, but then he stepped around her and headed out of the kitchen.
“We’ll have to discuss this in transit. I’m late already.”
Charlie hustled after him. “Late for what?”
The look he gave her wasn’t promising. “I was intending to tail Floyd and Ralph.”
Grinning, she skipped to keep up with his long-legged stride. “Then you already knew—”
He held her jean jacket while she slipped it back on, causing her thoughts to jumble. It was a first for her, that small courtesy, and it amused her that even while he was so obviously irritated with her, his unrelenting manners came through.
She leaned back against him as he settled the coat over her shoulders, and he jumped away, grumbling, cautioning her “Charlie…”.
“Hmm?”
He frowned, blinked at her, then shook his head. “Come on, let’s get going.”
Charlie had to hide a smile. He fought her, but he was tempted. Maybe she’d be able to work on that.
Looking decidedly perturbed, Harry pulled on a suit coat, then his raincoat. The dogs stirred themselves enough to look up as Harry said goodbye to them, then they went back to sleeping peacefully. He led her out the door, locking it behind him.
“So, Harry, you did know about the visit Ralph and Floyd have planned?”
“Of course I knew. I’m the P.I., if you’ll recall.”
“Well, I only found out late last night from a regular. When I went in to close the bar, I overheard two guys talking and I recognized part of what they said. I asked a few questions and found out Ralph and Floyd have been trying to drum up some assistance.”
Harry led her to his car and opened her door. “You shouldn’t be asking questions, Charlie. What if it gets back to Ralph or Floyd and they figure out where you live? Is that what you want?”
“Of course not. I’m not an idiot, I know what to say and not say. I was careful.”
“You don’t know the meaning of the word careful.” He looked at her long and hard, then touched her cheek. “I don’t want to have to worry about you.”
Contentment bubbled up inside her. “I don’t want to worry about you either, Harry. That’s why I thought it’d be nice if we did this together. I mean, considering you’re so squeamish about actually hurting anyone.” And it’d give her a good excuse to spend more time alone with him.
He dropped his hand and sighed. “Get in the car, Charlie.”
“I brought my own transportation. Will you drive me back here?” She’d almost taken the bus today, then realized leaving her truck behind would provide a good excuse to return to his apartment. Her plans weren’t exactly orthodox, but then, neither was she.
Her life had never been easy, and she’d learned to be hard and brazen and forceful by necessity, to take care of her mother, to protect her sister. Now, for the first time that she could ever remember, she really wanted a man. She didn’t know how to deal with that except to give it her best shot.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck, cursed softly, then asked, “I don’t suppose you’ll go on home and let me take care of things?”