He knew he was jumping to conclusions. Charlie had Daniel. Greg had Amanda. Did Daniel suspect Charlie and Greg had a relationship outside of the office? Amanda apparently seemed to think so. Was it true?
Maybe there was a perfectly good explanation for this. And yet as the minutes passed, Charlie didn’t reappear and neither did her boss.
Finally, unable to take it any longer, Shep crossed the slushy street. It had been snowing all day. Huge lacy flakes drifted down to stick to any and everything as he reached the front of the bar. Christmastime in Montana, he grumbled, feeling like Scrooge.
His boots were soaked by the time he reached the front door of the bar. He walked slowly past, looking in through the window, hoping he wasn’t spotted. But neither Charlie or Greg noticed. They seemed to be deep in conversation at a back booth. As he watched, her boss reached over and placed a hand on hers.
Shep swore under his breath. There were times when he would have said he knew Charlie better than any person on earth. Right now wasn’t one of them. What was she doing? How had he missed this?
Because he’d been busy trying to find out why she was seeing Lindy. Why someone had defaced a doll that looked like her and left it on her doorstep. Why someone had given her a dead mouse. Why someone had doctored her dessert to make her so ill.
The last two incidents could have been Amanda, especially if she was as jealous as Charlie said. He wondered what the woman would do if she knew that her fiancé and Charlie were meeting at a bar on a workday afternoon, but he pushed that ugly thought away.
He reminded himself what he was doing here in Bozeman. It had nothing to do with Charlie’s love life. This had everything to do with finding out who the Lindy look-alike was and why she was stalking Charlie.
So where did that leave him? Standing outside a bar in the snow feeling like a fool.
* * *
GREG REACHED OVER and put his hand on hers. He looked as if he was going to bare his soul to her.
“I need to ask you something,” Charlie said, desperately wanting to change the subject before he did.
He seemed surprised. “Anything.”
She took her hand back. “Amanda said something—”
“Oh, great. Something mean, I’m sure.”
“No, she said you had another design company before this one.”
Greg nodded. “She told you that she worked for me there. I suppose you think it’s silly that I hoped to keep our relationship before coming here a secret. I should have known better than to think Amanda could keep anything to herself. I thought my employees wouldn’t be comfortable with me bringing my girlfriend in as office manager. But that’s exactly what I did. Foolish on my part in so many ways.”
“No, that wasn’t my question actually. Amanda mentioned that you hired a headhunter to see if I was interested in coming to work for you rather than contacting me directly.”
He took a drink, licked his full lips and then smiled at her. “Dear Amanda.” He shook his head as if amused. “I did. I hired someone to find me the best and the brightest. I believe that’s the way it’s done in business nowadays. I had seen your work and wondered if you’d be interested. But I hired everyone through the service—not just you.”
“So I wasn’t the only one?”
Greg laughed. “Is that what she told you? But if that’s what she believes, it could explain her animosity toward you from the beginning. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Charlie felt a wave of relief wash over her. It hadn’t just been her. “I can handle Amanda.”
He chuckled. “I wish I could.”
Charlie downed the rest of her wine and looked pointedly at her phone. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
Greg sighed, clearly disappointed. “Yes, you have Tara’s shower. After that you probably have a date.”
She didn’t, but she said nothing as she got to her feet, feeling as if she’d dodged a bullet.
“We’ll have to take this up some other time.”
She hoped not. “We can talk anytime. You know where to find me Monday through Friday.” She chuckled. A joke, but maybe he got the subtle message.
“This isn’t something we can talk about at work. Don’t worry. I had something else I wanted to tell you but it can hold. For now.”
Was it as ominous as it sounded? Whatever Greg had wanted to tell her, she’d derailed him—at least for now. She just hoped he didn’t want to take her into his confidence and go so far as ask her if she thought he should marry Amanda. That was the last place she wanted to be with her boss.
Fortunately she’d turned the conversation and was now going to make her exit. She didn’t want her boss discussing his love life with her. She’d just have to be sure she never gave him another opportunity.
“Have a nice evening,” he said and seemed to settle in as he ordered another drink.
“You, too. Thank you for the wine.” Charlie walked out, telling herself she couldn’t let this happen again. She would keep her distance from Amanda and Greg and their problems. She already knew too much as it was.
* * *
WHEN CHARLIE CAME through the door, Shep had barely reached the apartment ahead of her. He’d seen her leaving the bar and had taken a shortcut, moving fast so he’d be there when she arrived.
He hoped she would tell him about meeting her boss at the bar. Not that it had anything to do with him—except for the fact that he needed to believe that she was being honest with him about everything else. Not that she owed him anything.
But if she would hide a relationship with her boss, then how could he trust she was telling him the truth about Lindy and the rest?
“Hi,” she said, looking exhausted. “Sorry I had to cut you off so quickly on the phone earlier. It was one of those kinds of days.”
“Not sure I know what those kinds of days are,” he said.
She slipped out of her boots before she said, “Just busy and odd. I forgot all about my best friend’s baby shower.” She shook her head, clearly disappointed in herself. “Tara. I don’t think I’ve told you about her. She and I are desk-mates. I wouldn’t be able to survive the place without her. I also forgot her present, so now I’m running late, but I decided I couldn’t go without my gift.” She started for her bedroom and stopped. “I’m sorry, earlier, you said you had good news?”
“It can wait.”
“No, tell me as long as it’s quick.”
He nodded, realizing she wasn’t going to tell him about her and Greg at the bar. He quickly related what Paul Wagner had told him. He’d been excited earlier, now not so much.