Cranberry Point (Cedar Cove #4)(93)

"A private investigator I hired shortly after Max died. For a while there, I was afraid I might somehow have been involved with his death."

Samuels relaxed his hands. "If I can help, I will," he said simply.

Bob knew Roy was counting on that.

Forty-Seven

"Rachel, phone! Line one," Valerie shouted from the reception desk at Get Nailed.

Smiling apologetically at her client, Rachel reached behind her and grabbed the phone. "This is Rachel."

"Rachel, it's Nate."

Instantly her heart flew into her throat and she blinked wildly, trying to stay calm. "Hi," she said as casually as she could, but her voice was barely more than a whisper. They'd seen each other twice in the last month, at the same time she'd been seeing Bruce. She enjoyed Brace's company and adored Jolene, but he was more of a friend than a love interest. With Bruce she remained cautious; he seemed to enjoy their dates as much as she did, but there wasn't any deep romance between them and they both knew it.

"Can I see you tonight?" Nate asked urgently.

Rachel frowned. "This isn't a good time for me. Could we talk later?"

"It can't wait. Word just came down that we're shipping out."

The aircraft carrier George Washington was leaving the Bremerton shipyard!

"When?"

"Soon. Listen, I know you told me you're seeing this other guy."

"It's not that—"

"I'm involved with someone else, too, but I couldn't leave without at least saying goodbye."

Rachel closed her eyes, not knowing what to say. Before she could decide, her heart answered for her. "All right. When and where?"

He hesitated, and she leapt into the silence.

"Meet me at my place at seven, and we can figure it out then," she said and immediately wanted to kick herself. Was she crazy? This man made her feel weak with longing every time he touched her. Now he was about to leave for what could easily be several months, and she'd just invited him to her home. Even as she spoke, she knew that once Nate was in her front door, neither of them would want to leave.

"Seven. I'll be there," he said, sounding relieved.

"Okay." The line was disconnected.

Rachel's co-workers knew something was up and started questioning her. When she told them Nate was being deployed, it seemed all the girls had advice they wanted to impart.

"Don't do anything stupid," Jane said.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to bed with him, if that's what you think."

"It's exactly what I think," Terri said as she sidled up to Rachel's station. "You're nuts about this guy."

"I don't know what I feel," she insisted, and it was true. Okay, there was a mutual physical attraction, but a relationship needed more than sex. If all she was looking for was physical, she could have it any night of the week. Even in this age of frightening consequences, she knew women who changed sexual partners as often as they changed their shoes. Rachel didn't want casual sex; she wanted an emotional connection and a sense of genuine intimacy.

By the time she finished at the salon, Rachel was totally confused, torn between caution and wild desire. Her last appointment showed up late, so she didn't get home to her small town house until almost six-thirty. The first thing she did was jump in the shower and then change clothes. Her hair was still wet when the doorbell rang. As quickly as she could, she added styling gel to her curls, ran her fingers through them and dashed to the door.

Nate stood there waiting. His eyes widened with appreciation when he saw her. "Hi."

"Hi," she said. "Come on in." Before he could move, she held out a hand, stopping him. "Maybe that's not such a good idea. What do you think?"

Nate grinned. "I'm thinking if I come inside, it could be dangerous." He stared down at his feet and sighed. "To tell you the truth, I don't know if I should be here, but I couldn't stay away."

Rachel had no answer to give him, but she silently rejoiced at his words.

His eyes held hers. "I've got a girlfriend back home. You know that."

She nodded.

"You're seeing that widower guy."

"I am." They'd been honest with each other from the beginning.

He continued to stand there, his eyes directly on hers.

"I'll miss you when you go to sea," she murmured.

"I'll miss you too." He jerked his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Listen, we could go to dinner if you want. Talk."

"Sure." He seemed as aware of the sexual energy between them as she was. It was best to avoid temptation, she told herself, but she could still enjoy an evening with him— which seemed like a reasonable compromise. "Let me put on a pair of shoes and get my sweater."

"Okay."

He waited by the door as Rachel hurried into her bedroom, got what she needed and returned a moment later. Locking up, she followed him out to his car.

They ate at the Taco Shack and fed each other pickled ja-lapenos. Nate was the only man she knew who liked food as spicy as she did. They laughed and talked and seemed to have a million things to say to each other. The evening flew by and before Rachel realized it, the restaurant was closing.