And now, today, with Nolan at her side holding her hand, she planned her fake wedding to him. She shook her head slowly. I must be an idiot—or a glutton for punishment—to have agreed to this assignment for Nancy.
Sucking in a deep breath, she planted her feet on the floor and stood. Grabbing her empty glass of wine, she rinsed and left it in the sink before flipping off the lights and walking back to her bedroom. Might as well try to get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a crazy day!
8
Lynn stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection as she waited on Nolan to arrive. Her hair was curled a little more than usual, and the waves hung down her back as the front was gathered into a decorative clip. She had chosen her clothing with care, eschewing anything tight, wanting to appear bridal and yet be able to move around easily.
Her sundress was cream-colored, with decorative butterflies embroidered in silk. The bodice was fitted with lace straps over her shoulders. The multilayered skirt flared about her hips, hitting her just above the knees, giving her full movement to bend, squat, and run if needed. Run? God, I hope I don’t have to make a run if someone discovers me in the office! On that last thought, she glanced down at her shoes and wondered if she should trade them for white track shoes.
Her makeup had been applied with a light hand, although slightly more dramatic than usual. After flipping off the light in her bathroom, she walked down the hall and grabbed her overnight case. Stuffed with toiletries, a change of comfortable clothing, and her laptop, she set it near the front door just as the doorbell rang.
Throwing open the door, the smile on her face froze as she stared up at Nolan. As hard as it was to tear her eyes away from his face, she dropped her gaze slowly from his head to his shoes and back again. Dressed in a dark suit that fit over his muscular shoulders perfectly, a white shirt and navy tie, he was delectable. Clean-shaven, with his hair still slightly damp, her breath caught in her throat.
A memory slammed into her, one she hadn’t thought of in many years. She remembered when she spent the night at Nancy’s house and watched Nolan leave for his senior prom. As sophomores, she and Nancy couldn’t go, but as she stared at the vision of eighteen-year-old Nolan dressed in a dark tux with Rita fussing over him and Nick reminding him to drive safely, she’d promised that one day he would look just that way as he waited for her at the end of the aisle on their wedding day.
“Wow, Lynn, you’re gorgeous.”
Hearing his voice, she blinked, her gaze jumping back up to his face. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”
They continued to stare at each other for a moment and then suddenly he jolted and glanced downward. “Is this all?”
It took her a second to realize he was indicating her overnight bag, and she jerked her head up and down. “Oh, yes. Um… I wasn’t sure what to take, so I made sure to have a change of clothes and my computer.”
“Sounds good.” He reached down and picked up her bag, then stuck his elbow out, offering it to her. “You ready to get married?”
His words pierced her heart and she wondered once more why she agreed to help Nancy with this case. She and Nolan were friends, and that’s all they would ever be. Memories of teenage wishes needed to be pushed back into their box. Holding his gaze steadily, she smiled widely. “Absolutely.”
Closing and locking her door, she allowed him to escort her down to his vehicle. With her case stowed in the back along with his duffel, she sat in the passenger side, her hands nervously clasped in her lap.
Driving back through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, this time she felt less like a tourist, knowing what was at the end of the road. He focused on their plan, reviewing it several times, and she could feel his nerves zapping inside the truck. Wanting him to trust her ability, she tried to remain calm in the face of his repeated questions.
“So, you don’t think you’ll have a problem getting past his computer security?”
“I talked with Nancy last night and got the latest information that Sally gave her. Plus, I have a program that can extrapolate the information that we need, and that includes getting through his password. According to Sally, he doesn’t have an extensive security system on his computer.” Shrugging, she added, “While that might seem strange to us, I don’t think he’s very worried about security. He only has Junelle as his one full-time employee and for the fancier weddings, everyone else is hired on an as-needed basis, such as bakers, musicians, florists, and photographers.”
“And once you get into his computer?”
“I need five minutes to transfer what’s on his computer.”
“And—”
“Nolan! We’ve gone over all this.”
He swung his head around, his face holding contrition. “Sorry. I know.”
She reached over and placed her hand on his leg, feeling the tight muscles underneath the material of his slacks. “What are you worried about? I know I’ve never done anything like this, but I’ve extrapolated material from people’s computers before.” She shrugged and sighed. “Granted, they brought their computers into my office, and I haven’t had to resort to skulduggery to get the information, but I can do this.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face and shook his head. “It’s not you. Well, that’s not true. It is you. I looked into the background of Errol Hightower, and he appears to be just an average guy, but if he’s doing what his soon-to-be ex-wife says he’s doing, then he’s got a lot to lose. I’m used to walking into a possibly dangerous situation.”
“You think this is dangerous?”
“I think people who are desperate to hide illegal activities are dangerous. That’s why we’ve gone over and over what our plan is today.”
“But you have the written authorization from Sally, who’s listed in the business as a co-owner, to obtain what’s in the computer, right?”
He nodded. “Yes, but it would be nice not to have to use it. It would be nice to be able to get the information we need without him knowing. That would give you more time to analyze it, and him less time to possibly contact the casino to hide anything that he’s been doing.”
“Well, if he’s gone for lunch today like he always is on Wednesdays, there should be no problem.”
They remained quiet for the rest of the drive. She had felt more confident before Nolan’s nerves transferred to her. She had focused on the bizarre aspect of the fake wedding planning with her teenage crush, but it was obvious he had no such qualms. Of course not. He never thought of me that way. It seemed his only concerns were whether she could do the job. Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she let it out slowly. No worries… I can do the job. And that’s all this is—a job.
Nolan hated the way he kept barking questions at Lynn as they drove, but it was the only way he could keep his mind off thoughts of how beautiful she looked. No stranger to attractive women, there was something about Lynn that captured—and held—his attention. If I was looking for a relationship, she’d be the type of woman I’d want. Strong, smart, independent, and gorgeous. But he was definitely not looking for a relationship. He had pushed her away when she was sixteen years old, knowing the timing was not right. And ten years later, it’s still not fuckin’ right.