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FORWARD

A jolt of surprise brought him to attention.

Five years, and he still wasn't used to the whispered calls. They drifted, unexpectedly, through the deep recesses in his mind he never even knew existed while he was among the living. With a heavy sigh, Jack Cullar concentrated on what had been taught during one of his many guardian lessons. The difficult act of transporting without ever moving a muscle was still a problem for him.

Closing his eyes, he placed Charles Pulley's face. Seeing the old man's weathered skin and his cigar, permanently attached to the left side of his mouth, he concentrated on the man's short, stout figure until he could clearly see the gray hair circling the bald spot on the top of his head and the spark of wisdom inside the blue of his eyes.

"You're getting better, I see."

Jack opened his eyes when he heard the deep rumbling voice. Standing in the midst of Charles's origin -- his own personal place within the Heavens -- he was surprised he had made it without any mistakes this time around.

Usually his transporting left a little something to be desired. It took some getting used to, all the little tricks one was expected to learn when they traveled upwards. The last time he had visited his commanding angel, he forgot to bring the bottom half of his body along. He had stood in Charles's origin with a great, black void stretching out from underneath his waist.

The old man had understood, of course. Everyone started where Jack had. Even Charles, over five hundred years ago, had to learn to move around in the golden mist of the Heavens, where it was impossible to simply walk from one origin to the next.

"I'm not sure if I'm getting better or just luckier," Jack pointed out, relaxing into a puff of smoke, offering the same comfort his old, worn recliner used to have. So many changes. He wondered if he would ever be able to get a handle on all of them.

Settling down in front of him, Charles folded his arms over his hefty middle. He nibbled for a silent moment on the end of his unlit cigar, his blue eyes running an assessing gaze over Jack. For as long as Jack had known the older man, he had never seen his trademark cigar actually burning.

Charles was nothing like he had imagined angels to be. Every picture he had seen portrayed innocent, sweet creatures with shimmering halos over golden heads. White, glorious wings stretched with beauty. He had expected angels with harps and white flowing gowns. But had found instead a slightly over-weight, cigar smoking man who, in many ways, reminded him of his high school English teacher.

"Something has come up that requires immediate attention," Charles explained, raising two thick fingers to rub at the stubble darkening his chin. "It's a situation that's a little out of the ordinary and has taken some special clearing to be approved."

"What kind of special clearing?"

"The kind that comes approved from the very top." Charles' expression was somber. "You will be granted some rights most apprentice angels are never given."

Jack raised a curious brow at his commanding angel. "I'm no where ready for any sort of assignment. We both know that."

"You may not have all the training as most, but everyone is ready when it comes to carrying out the work of the Heavens."

Fingers of anxiety crept up his spine. Regardless of Charles assurance, he knew he wasn't ready to carry out any kind of duty as a Heaven sent angel. Apprentice angels could be in training for up to five decades before they were considered worthy of the label, Guardian Angel.

"We're sending you back to the living world. Your duty will be to hover just at the edge of awareness where your presence will go undetected."

Suddenly tense, Jack rose to his feet. He stared through the mist, concentrating on the beauty that existed everywhere within the Heavens. It was a beauty that was felt rather than seen. A beauty that could not be explained in the simple language of the living, nor seen in their unknowing eyes.

The splendor helped calm his nerves. With a deep breath, he turned back to Charles. "Why me?" he asked, a sliver of dread in his voice.

"Because it's your wife that needs the help."

"Gabi?" Jack's heart leapt into his throat. Even now, when he closed his eyes, he could see his red-haired, feisty, beautiful wife.

"What's happened to her?"

The older man gave a slow shake of his head. "Nothing at the moment, but her fate shows that to change soon. She will need your help in the near future. That is why the exception has been made for you to return before your time."

Jack's nervous energy switched directions. He wasn't worried about whether or not he was ready to return to the living. His worry was for Gabi and for whatever problems Charles saw in her life. He was prepared to give or do anything to keep his beloved Gabi-Mae safe. "What is it I have to do?"

"That I can't tell you. What Gabi needs from you must be learned on your own."

"I don't understand. Shouldn't I be advised before-hand about what it is I am expected to do for my wife?"

A gentle, round hand covered his own. "You will understand, son. This will prove to be an important lesson for you as well as for Gabi. There is much for you to learn with your return."

Gabi wasn't sure exactly what had pulled her from her dreams. With the blankets catching around her waist, she sat up in her bed, clearing the muddled fog from her mind. For an instant her glance fell, as it always did, on the framed portrait sitting on her nightstand. Giving the golden haired man a small smile, she pushed up from her bed, her bare feet hitting the cold, hardwood floor.

Something had roused her. That much she did know. Hiding a yawn behind the palm of her hand, she crossed the wooden floor to gaze out the window.

From the second floor of the house, she could look out over the twenty cabins of the resort. Only the shadowed outlines of the cabins could be seen, scattered randomly inside the clearing that cut through the surrounding wilderness

It was calm and peaceful outside, not even a breeze disturbed the tranquility. Everyone was tucked in tightly for the night. Everyone, except her. Whatever interrupted her sleep it had obviously disturbed only her. With a heavy, tired sigh, she turned away from the window, eyeing her bed with longing. She could still get a few more hours of sleep before her alarm clock went off.

She started for her inviting pillow mattress, pausing halfway as a sudden movement outside the window caught her attention. Turning back to retrace her steps, she stared out into the night.

There. She saw it again just outside of cabin six. Somebody was moving around in the shadows. She was sure of it. Paying no mind to her thin T-shirt and bare feet, Gabi bolted down the stairs, hitting the front door with full force. She didn't stop to think of the danger she might be running into. Her first instinct was to protect the resort she and Jack had poured their hearts and souls into.

The small pebbles, scattering the path between the main house and the cabins, dug into the bare soles of her feet as she scampered across them. The cool night air brushed against her bare legs, sending a shiver through her body. Only the subdued light of the moon and stars guided her way, but Gabi could have made the same route with her eyes closed, she knew it so well.

Stopping just short of cabin six, lingering in the shadows, she searched for the intruder. There was no sight of the dark figure anywhere, nor was there evidence he had caused any harm while he had been around.

To satisfy her worries, Gabi stepped up for a closer look around. She had to make sure everything was in order or she would never get back to sleep. Stepping cautiously from the shadows, she circled around to the front of the cabin. The front door was wide open and Gabi's heart painfully froze in her chest. The inside was a gaping black hole in the limited light. A shiver of fear ran up her spine with the thought of actually having to walk through the door.

"Hillary," Gabi softly called out into the silence surrounding her. "Hillary, are you all right?"

There was no answer through the gape of the door. No sound of movement inside. Gabi hovered on the edge of indecision, fear and uncertainty weighing her down. She had to do something. She couldn't just stand around, hoping nothing was wrong. This was something she was going to have to check out for herself.

Allowing a few seconds to pass, hoping Hillary would suddenly appear to assure her that all was well, Gabi finally moved forward. The open door beckoned with a frightening call, daring her to enter.

First one foot and then the other. She repeated the phrase inside her head. Dried leaves and twigs crunched underneath the weight of her steps. At the threshold she paused, scanning her eyes over a room full of shadowed silhouettes. Knowing the cabin like she did, she could make out the antique dresser pushed into the far corner, the feather bed stretching along the far wall. Nothing appeared to be out of place. There were no signs of a disturbance anywhere inside the four walls.

But there was an eerie calm inside the cabin, setting Gabi's senses on alert. Something wasn't right. She could feel it all the way to the very bottom of her toes. Stretching her left arm out to the side, Gabi's fingers crawled along the hard wood of the wall until they landed on the light switch. With one flip of her wrist, light flooded the room, exposing everything inside.

"Hillary," Gabi whispered to the woman lying on her stomach, face hidden in the pillows.

She didn't respond, forcing Gabi to move deeper into the cabin. At the foot of the bed she stopped, looking down on the blond woman deep in sleep. Reaching out, she gave her foot a shake, hoping to rouse Hillary just enough to let her know she was inside. It was only fair, considering Gabi was intruding on her guest's privacy.

Not a single muscle moved and, reluctantly, Gabi moved in closer, stopping at Hillary's side. It was then she noticed just how still her guest was. There was no rising of her back as she pulled in her deep breaths, no flicker of her eyes to show the proof of her dreams. There was only a stillness, so complete, Gabi knew Hillary wasn't going to wake up. Not now. Not ever.

The shrill tone of the doorbell pulled Gabi away from the mound of dishes at her sink. Wiping off the soapy water, reaching clear to her elbows, she shook her head at the disorderly kitchen and started down the hall.

She really should put a stop to feeding everyone who worked for her at the resort. It was a huge chore to clean up after them. Even as she made the claim, though, Gabi knew she wasn't putting a stop to anything. Breakfast at the main house was a tradition that had been around for more than a decade.

Running her damp hands along the denim of her white shorts, Gabi reached for the doorknob, expecting to find a guest or an employee on the other side. Her front porch had encountered more foot traffic in the three days since Hillary's murder than it had seen in the past six months.

Gracing her face with a friendly smile, she pulled the door open and stepped up into what she expected to be a stream of sunlight pouring into the front room. Instead, a wall of blue denim and black cotton blocked the rays from peeking through.

Gabi's smile faded when her eyes leveled on a rock solid chest pushing against the seams of the layer of cotton. Trailing her gaze over a mass of corded muscles, she soon found herself staring into eyes as black as the midnight sky. She lost all power of speech as those eyes captured hers, holding her in a mind numbing trance.

"Gabrielle Cullar." The deep baritone of the stranger's voice slid over her like silk, sending a shiver of awareness racing up her spine. With a hard blink, she found the strength to pull free from the man's dangerous gaze, stepping back into the house for extra protection.

"I'm Gabrielle Cullar," she said, once the capability of speech finally returned. "Gabi," she amended with an outstretched hand. With clear thought again filling her mind, she realized that she might be speaking to a potential guest. She couldn't let her strange reaction to the man scare him away.

The hand that engulfed hers was rough to the touch. It rubbed against the softer skin on the palm of her hand, sending a jolt of awareness through her right arm. Quick to drop her hand before suffering another awkward trance, she adopted her friendly smile once again.

"My name is Chase Winters," he said, his hand dropping back to rest against a firm thigh. "Your brother, Max, asked me to come and see you."

"Max sent you?"

He nodded. When Gabi moved away from the door, he accepted her silent invitation, stepping into the house as she slowly closed the door behind him. The front room was large, a wall of windows offering plenty of light, yet Chase's presence completely engulfed the room, making Gabi feel closed in by his large, hovering size.

"Your brother told me there was some excitement here a few nights ago."

"Excitement." Gabi took a large step back, uncomfortable with the way she was reacting toward him. "Is that what my brother called it?"

"No," he admitted with a quick shake of his head. It was with that movement Gabi noticed the leather band holding his long, ebony hair in a ponytail at the back of his neck.

A true rebel. The thought came out of nowhere and she quickly shoved it away.

"What Max told me was that a woman was strangled to death in one of your cabins and that you were the one to find her."

Against her will, Gabi shivered at the reminder. She had been haunted by more than a few nightmares since that night. Nightmares she prayed would go away as time passed on.

"Her name was Hillary Carter. She was a local of Willow County."

"Then why did she feel the need to rent one of your cabins? Didn't she have a place of her own to stay?"

Nodding in response, Gabi ushered them deeper into the room, motioning for Chase to make himself comfortable on one of the deep green chairs arched beside the red stone fireplace. Once he was seated, she took an identical chair across from him.

"She worked for Kingsley Resort on the other side of the lake. Like those who work here, Kingsley Resort provides housing for the majority of their employees, at least through the busy summer months."

Chase nodded, absorbing the information. Curious, she watched him. Her brother had sent him, but why? Was he helping Max with the investigation into Hillary's murder?

"Are you from a neighboring County Sheriff's office?" she asked, unable to keep her questions at bay.

"Not exactly." A half smile stretched his full lips. "My jurisdiction is New York City."

"New York City." Her repeated words were a burst of surprise. "Surely, Hillary's murder isn't big enough to warrant sending someone halfway across the country to investigate?"

"You're right. It's not."

He certainly wasn't eager to offer details. If he thought she was going to play twenty questions just to find out why he was here, he was wrong. He showed up on her doorstep, unexpected. It was up to him to explain why.

Dark, probing eyes met hers from across the distance between them. He watched and waited, and her patience was tested while she refused to be the one to break the silence dropping over them.

The sounds of the lake drifted through the open windows, the roar of a boat, the splashing of swimmers. They reminded her of the many chores she needed to tend to before her guests returned from their day in the sun. If the man didn't speak up soon, she was going to have to leave him to his thoughts before the day was wasted.

"Max and I are old friends."

Gabi jumped at the sudden intrusion of his voice breaking through her thoughts.

"We were partners when he started with the New York City Police Squad. For seven years, until he came here, we worked together."

Understanding quickly settled and Gabi smiled in relief. "You came to visit Max and he sent you over here to rent a cabin. Well, you definitely came to the right place. One just became available that's only a few yards away from the lake. I'm quite sure you'll like it..."

Her ramblings halted at the hand Chase held out. Shaking his head, he pulled in a deep breath that stretched the muscles in his chest even tighter. Her gaze strayed to the creases underneath the cotton of his shirt before she could stop them.

"I'm not here on a vacation, Gabi. I'm here because your brother asked me to come."

"To help with Hillary's murder?"

"No." He shook his head slowly. "Your brother is perfectly capable of conducting an investigation on his own. He asked me here for another reason."

"Which is," Gabi prodded, her already short patience wearing thin.

"He sent me to stay with you until he's caught Hillary's killer. He asked me to act as an unofficial bodyguard until this case is closed."

"He sent you to do what?" Her words were very close to a shout as she pushed up from her chair. "Max actually thinks I need a baby-sitter to look out for me?"

"He's worried about your safety," Chase tried to explain. "The murder may somehow be tied into the resort and he doesn't want anything to happen to you."

Gabi folded her arms over her middle, her shoulders squared in preparation for a fight. If Max were the one standing in front of her, instead of Chase, she'd strangle him. Over the years she had learned to deal with his over-protective nature, but this time he'd gone too far. This time around she was putting her foot down.

"Nothing is going to happen to me," she said, complete belief in her words. "So you can just find your way back to town and tell that over-bearing, irritating brother of mine that I don't need a baby-sitter hanging around. I can take care of myself just fine."

Chase rose from his place, taking a cautious step in her direction. "I can't go back to town. I promised your brother I'd stay with you, regardless of what you said to try to change my mind. He already figured you wouldn't take too kindly to the idea."

"Well, he figured right. And why would you leave your job in New York to do this for Max? Aren't you needed back at your station?"

"I've been on a leave of absence for the past six months. Max knew that and asked if I'd come help him out. I owe your brother a lot. I couldn't say no."

"Well, I'm saying no." Gabi resisted the urge to stamp her foot in response. Instead, she started for the front door. "I'm sorry you wasted a trip out here, Mr. Winters. Maybe Max will compensate you for the money you spent to get here."

Chase's large palm flattened against the door when Gabi attempted to swing it open. "I'm sorry, Gabi, but I promised Max. You're stuck with me until Hillary's murderer can be found."

The deep lines in his face hardened with determination as he held the door closed. Setting his back to the door, he crossed his arms over his front, piercing Gabi with a look of defiance in his black eyes.

Of all the nerve. Her hands clenched at her sides, itching to find the center of Chase's gut. If she had believed she could have actually doubled him over with a quick punch, she definitely would have given it a try. But the man was a brick wall standing in front of the door. If she did hit him, it would probably end up hurting her worse than it did him.

That didn't mean she was going to give in. Not by a long shot. Neither Max, nor his cop friend, was going to tell her how to run her life. She didn't want, or need, a bodyguard of any sort, and she was not about to be bullied into agreeing to one.

She turned on the heel of her foot without saying a word to the irritating man blocking the door.

"Where are you going?" his deep voice called after her.

Against her better judgment, her feet paused in their trek. "Not that its any of your business," she tossed over her shoulder, "but I'm going to call Max. If you won't leave on your own, then I'll just convince that bull-headed brother of mine to get you out of here."

Chase watched the shapely curve of her backside disappear down the long hallway. He knew what kind of response she was going to receive from Max and she wasn't going to like it.

"She's going to hate that I sent you," Max told him yesterday on the telephone. "My sister has a rather stubborn streak running through her veins and she doesn't take too kindly to being told what to do."

He was right about that. The woman had a temper to match the fiery red hair tumbling down her back in a cascade of untamed curls. She was small but she was definitely not meek. She had a feisty streak running through her that more than made up for her petite size.

Pushing away from the door, Chase returned to the front room. For its grand size, it held a cozy aura within its walls. The furnishings were a deep green with ivory pillows tossed carelessly over the soft cushions. The floor was of mahogany wood, polished to a deep shine. A throw rug in the center of the room matched the colors of the furniture.

Above the large fireplace was a mantel where a collection of frames was scattered about. Each frame was a different design and size, but somehow the placement looked orderly. Chase stepped up to the mantel, gazing at the pictures held within the displayed frames. Each one seemed to center on one theme.

Every picture his eyes strayed over held an image of a tall, blond haired man with deep blue eyes and a piercing smile. In some of the photographs he stood alone, in others one person or another joined him. Gabi was in many of the pictures, smiling up at the man with love etched deep into her soft expression.

At the last picture, Chase paused for a better look. Gabi again joined the tall, broad man, but in this picture she was dressed in white lace, a thin strip of veil pushed back onto a tumble of red curls. The man at her side was dressed in a crisp white tuxedo, holding a sexy red garter belt in his left hand.

But it wasn't the garter belt causing Chase to take a closer inspection of the picture. It was the sight of such a young woman staring back at him. Gabi didn't look much past twenty now, but in the picture she was almost a child. Her emerald eyes still held the quality of innocence that only a child can carry and the expression on her face had not yet been hardened by the reality of life.

Obviously a child bride, he thought as he turned away from the pictures. Max had told him about the car accident that had taken his brother-in-law's life. Gabi might know nothing about him, but he knew plenty about her from the tales Max had poured over him. She might be angry with her brother, but he knew the relationship she shared with Max was a close, loving one.

That was why he had been sent to look after his friend's little sister, because Max worried about her welfare and took it as his responsibility to look out for Gabi. He was overprotective, Chase would agree, but he also cared for Gabi in a way most people could only wish for.

"I hope you know what you're getting me into, Max, old buddy," Chase said into the silence around him.

"I know exactly what I'm getting you into."

The unexpected voice had Chase turning toward the front door, an easy smile forming on his lips at the sight of his old friend.

"I take it Gabi got a hold of you," he guessed, approaching Max with an outstretched hand.

The other man took it immediately with a firm grip. "I was ordered to come over and kick you out on your butt."

They laughed at the obvious quote from Max's little sister. "I warned you she wouldn't be happy I sent you to look after her."

"So, am I out on my butt?"

"Yes, you are."

The answer didn't from Max, but from the redheaded fireball storming through the hall. She stopped directly in front of Chase and her brother, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her stubborn chin at the both of them.

Chase bit down on the smile that was threatening to escape, reasoning such an action would only anger her further.

"Gabi, Chase isn't going anywhere." Max's voice was firm. "Somebody was murdered in one of your cabins three nights ago, and until I find out who and why, I don't want you staying here alone."

The angry glare she had been piercing through Chase's chest transferred to include her brother. "I'm not alone, brother dear. There are plenty of big strong men around who work for me."

"But they're not trained, Gabi. Chase is a fellow police officer. He knows how to take care of situations that can quickly rise out of control."

"Excuse me, Sheriff," Gabi's emerald eyes lit with sparks of irritation. "But I do believe that is what you are around for. To protect and serve the citizens of Willow County."

"I want someone here around the clock and you know I can't do that. With the Deputy position still open, I don't have enough man power to do half of what I should be doing."

Chase stepped back from the argument, unnoticed. Although he was a part of what was being discussed between brother and sister, ultimately it wasn't his decision to make. Both came from the same tree, leaving Max just as stubborn and feisty as his sister. They were definitely a pair to be reckoned with.

Max, a good foot taller than Gabi, towered over his sister, but his size didn't intimidate her as she came nose to nose with her brother, or as close to nose to nose as she could get. They were squaring off in a battle of wills.

"I don't need a baby-sitter, Max. I refuse to have some stranger storm into my life simply because you decide I need to be looked after."

"Chase isn't a stranger. I've known him for years."

"Well, I haven't, which makes him a stranger to me."

Chase found a small end table to lean against. Hitching his side against a rounded corner, he crossed his arms over his front and hooked one ankle over the other. Gabi Cullar really was a sight to watch when she was all fired up. Her eyes took on a sparkle all their own and the light dusting of freckles, bridging across her nose, darkened against the angry red of her skin.

He knew Max was worried about his sister staying out here alone, but Gabi was obviously a woman who could take care of herself. Even Chase, standing well over six feet tall, would think twice before agreeing to meet her in the back of a dark alley.

"Look, Max." The deep, slow breath Gabi released lifted her round breasts, capturing Chase's full attention. "I know you're worried, but this is my house, and you can't barge in here and tell me what to do. I'm a grown adult, perfectly capable of making my own decisions."

"I know you are, Gabi." Max reached out and tweaked his sister's nose, an action in complete difference to the words he spoke. "But I'm asking you to do this as a favor to me."

Shaking her head, Gabi opened her mouth to refuse again, but Max held his hand out to stop her. "I need Chase here for my own peace of mind. I need to concentrate on finding Hillary's murderer and I can't do that if I'm constantly worrying about you."

"You're a good police officer," she returned, crossing her arms defensively over her slender frame. "I know you're perfectly capable of handling an investigation, no matter what."

"But any distractions will only hinder the case. If Chase is here, I'll be able to spend my time on the investigation rather than on checking up on you. Regardless of your arguments, you and I both know that is exactly what I'll do if you're out here all alone."

Her opinion of her brother's reasons for Chase sticking around was evident in the deep frown creasing her lips. Reaching out with the pad of his thumb, Max brushed a soft touch across the lines of anger crinkling the bridge of her nose.

"Do this as a favor to me, Gabs."

Chase could tell she was close to giving in. The pleading look on her brother's face was draining away the coldness behind her emerald eyes, softening them once again to their brilliant color. Her arms fell to her sides and her shoulders eased back.

"I want it on record that I don't agree with one bit of this," she protested one last time.

"Consider it done," Max returned, biting down on his lip to hide the triumphant smile sneaking up on him.

"He only stays until the investigation is over with and then he's out of here."

"Agreed."

Chase was deciding whether or not he was offended by Gabi's insistence to get rid of him when emerald green eyes suddenly stabbed through his chest. He straightened instantly from his place against the small table, meeting her hard gaze with one of his own.

"You know, you could always just decide on your own that you aren't going to stay."

"I could," he returned in a flat tone and then let the silence fall over them.

Gabi withstood it for only a few seconds, before squaring her slender shoulders. Her stubborn chin came up to full attention as she glared at him across the space of the room. It wasn't his idea to give her the protection she was so strongly against, but she was angry with him just the same.

"He can sleep on the couch," she tossed over her shoulder when she reached the front door, her hand curling around the gold knob.

"Gabi," Max said. "What about the guest..."

Her hand flew forward before Max could continue. "I said he can sleep on the couch. If he can't handle it, then he's free to leave." With a violent jerk, the door was thrust open, allowing the streaming sunlight to pour into the front room.

"I need to talk to Baby about a horse," she announced, one foot already out the door. "I trust Mr. Winters can get comfortable on his own."

With that she was gone, leaving both men to stare after her.

"Baby?" Chase asked with the slam of the door.

Max only shook his head in response. "Don't even ask."

Chase figured that was probably for the best. His concern at the moment was how he was going to get his six foot three body to fit onto a couch that was no more than five feet long.

"Insufferable, irritating men," Gabi muttered under her breath, her heavy steps falling against the gravel drive in tune with her frustration. The morning sun was high in the sky, the heat of its rays burning down on her shoulders. All around her were the sounds of Lake Divine and the surrounding wilderness.

People came here to relax, to free themselves of everyday stress. The lap of waves against the sandy shores, the fluttering of an animal rustling through the leaves, helped bring a sense of peace to the area that magically seeped through the bones, making people breath easier and smile a little more.

But none of that magic was working on Gabi. Tension rippled through her, twisting her insides into a painful knot. Her lips were tight with irritation, the stiff movement of her limbs leaving no doubt to her current mood.

"Hey there, boss lady." A deep growl of a voice greeted her when she stepped into the muted darkness of the horse stables. The scent of hay and dust swept around her, replacing the gentle aroma of wildflowers and pine from outside.

Stepping out from the shadows of one of the back stalls, the owner of the voice approached Gabi with a wide smile, etching deep wrinkles in the skin of his weathered face. A pipe dangled from one side of his mouth, the scent of burning tobacco reaching her before he did.

Baby Walker was a person all his own. Gabi was never quite sure how he had earned his unusual nickname. It certainly had nothing to do with his looks. He was a big barrel of man with leather tough skin and an expression hardened by years of tough, laboring work. The two front teeth he exposed when he smiled were chipped from a bar fight years ago and his voice was raw and scratchy from decades of pipe smoking.

But inside, where it counted, he was as gentle as a teddy bear. Gabi loved him as if he were her own family. She would have never succeeded in keeping the resort up and running without Baby's help.

"Looks like old Red is going to be just fine," he offered, hitching a finger underneath the rim of his straw hat to lift the shadows from his eyes. Knowing eyes, Jack had called them more than once. The kind that held years of wisdom in their depths.

"I stitched up that cut on her leg and made sure she was comfortable in her stall. A few days of rest and she should be back to new."

"Thanks, Baby." Gabi followed him to the back of the stables. Red's long sleek neck was poking out of the top of the gate holding her inside her own private stall. Her head began to bob as soon as she spotted company, a puff of excited air pushing through her large nose.

Patting the neck of the chestnut mare, Gabi bent over the gate to take a closer look at Baby's handiwork. Where once there had been a wide, gaping hole caused by a brush against a barb-wired fence, there was now a clean patch of stitches holding the injured skin together. A dark salve was liberally rubbed around the stitches, keeping the cut protected from infection.

"Are all the other horses out?" Gabi asked with one more final pat to Red's sleek neck.

"All but that pistol of yours who's causing trouble in the arena. The rest are on a trail ride Rudy arranged for the guests today."

Gabi smiled at Baby's reference to the big black stallion she held as her personal favorite among all the horses boarded at the resort. Diablo was her friend, her confidant, and it didn't bother her in the least that she spent a majority of her time confiding in a horse that couldn't talk back. She knew in her heart he understood and that was all that mattered to her.

"Saw your brother pull up a little while ago." Baby tilted his head in the direction of Max's white Blazer. Both doors carried the words "Willow County Sheriff" on their sides and a row of red and blue lights stretched over the top of the vehicle.

Giving a short, quick whistle in call for Diablo, she offered Baby a nod in response. Seconds later, a long black head peered out from the corner of the stables, followed by a sleek, firm body, rippling with the force of muscles surging through it.

Diablo was most definitely a horse of the finest breeding. He'd been bought to use as a stud from one of the country's finest breeders, but Gabi's instant love for the stallion turned him into much more than that. She had trained him when others had said he was untrainable and she had encouraged his rebellious spark rather than chase it away.

"Max bring you some information on Hillary's death?" Baby reached out to pat the magnificent stallion when he reached the fence.

Diablo nudged his nose into Gabi's arm, seeking the treat he always knew she had ready for him. Reaching into her front pocket and withdrawing a peppermint candy, she held it out in her flattened palm.

"There's no new information on what happened to Hillary."

"Then what brought your brother out all this way?"

Gabi nuzzled her nose against Diablo's. "He's got a misguided idea that I need protection until Hillary's killer is found. He sent some hotshot New York cop out to look after me."

Beside her, Baby was scratching at the silver stubble on his chin. "Seems to me, he might just be right. It ain't safe to be alone with a killer on the loose."

With wide eyes, she turned to him. "Don't you start too," she argued, bristling already for another fight. "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I need some big tough male to keep watch over me. I've been taking care of myself for five years now and I've been doing just fine at it."

"But there hasn't been a killer on the loose until now. I have to admit, even I've been weary after what happened to Hillary. It's kind of nice to know there's someone around to look out for things."

"Well, at least somebody's happy to have this guy stick around," Gabi conceded, turning back to Diablo to stroke the nose he was continuously poking into the palm of her hand. For all his spirit and spunk, he was truly just a little child at heart, in search of some love and understanding.

"I just bet you'll sleep better yourself, boss lady, knowing he's keeping an eye out for you," Baby predicted before turning on the heels of his boots and disappearing into the darkness of the stables.

"Men," she spat with a shake of her head. "They're all the same. They see a damsel in distress and think it's their responsibility to save them."

Diablo gave a low snort in response. Cupping her hands on both sides of the stallion's large face, Gabi buried her face into the soft hair along the bridge of his nose. Dust swirled up around her as the horse kicked a hoof against the dry dirt covering the ground. The dirty particles were destined to settle on her skin and in her hair, but she made no move to separate from Diablo.

Instead, she released an aggravated breath, hoping to ease some of the tension warring inside of her. It was bad enough her brother insisted she be baby-sat, but did he have to send someone like Chase Winters to do the job?

Even now, Gabi could still picture the alluring man, standing on her doorstep. Those ebony eyes of his were frightening enough, but attached to the rest of his hardened, mind-numbing body, they were down right lethal. The man was the perfect image of rebellion with his dark, mysterious appearance and that long black hair of his caught seductively at the back of his neck.

He was everything Jack was not and Gabi would do good to remember that. Jack was the classic golden boy with wavy blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was the quarterback for the high school football team and the president of Student Council. An all around American boy who had captured Gabi's heart when she was only fifteen and had made her his wife the day after her eighteenth birthday.

Without conscious thought to what she was doing, Gabi twisted the simple wedding band she still wore on her finger. "I miss him so much, Diablo," she admitted to the black horse. "It's been five years and I still can't let him go."

The stallion bobbed his head in understanding, drawing a light smile from Gabi's lips. If anyone knew how deep her love ran for her deceased husband it was Diablo. She had cried on his neck for months after the car accident had taken Jack from her arms. And she still cried on the big horse whenever the feeling of loss got too great for her to handle.

"I don't want this Chase Winters in my house." Gabi's words were touched with defiance. "He doesn't belong here. Only Jack was meant to share that house with me."

Only Jack, Gabi thought again, winding her arms around Diablo's long neck, letting the feel of the strong, powerful horse chase away the images of the dark stranger she wanted out of her home and out of her life.

Chase released a low whistle. He had to admit, the Cullar Resort was breathtaking. Gabi had done a fine job of keeping it up and going after her husband's death.

Surrounded by rolling hills and thick groves of Birch and Pine trees, the resort gave off a feeling of privacy. Backed up against the lake, the guest cabins -- all done in shades of muted green to match the growing forestry around them -- were offered a magnificent view of crystal blue water, stretching on for as far as the eye could see.

"It's certainly quite a setup," Chase exhaled on a breath.

Beside him, Max nodded. "Gabi's worked hard to keep this place going after Jack's death." Pride was in the man's voice as he spoke of his sister. "She felt it was her responsibility to keep the resort in the Cullar family name as it has been for generations. That's why she chose not to sell although she had more than a few offers for the place."

"Well, I'm definitely impressed," Chase admitted as they came to a stop in front of one of the cabins. Yellow crime tape wound its way around the outside perimeter, blocking off entry to the front door.

Max reached out for a strip of the yellow tape. "I suppose I can take this down now," he said as he twisted the tape around his hand. "There's nothing more inside for me to find. I've gone over everything at least three different times and have yet to find any significant clues to help formulate some answers."

"You've got a tough one on your hands, old buddy. I don't envy you in the least bit."

Max tossed the crumpled tape into a pile at the edge of the door. Opening the cabin up, he shot a knowing smile over his shoulder before stepping inside. "I know you're itching to take a look around. Once this stuff is in your blood, you can't get it out."

Chase shook his head. "I didn't come out here to step on anyone's toes. This is your investigation."

"Damn right it is, but I'd be curious to hear your take on it. Regardless of what happened back up there in New York, I know your instincts are still the best around."

Chase wished he carried the same confidence in his ability his old partner carried. It had been a long time since the two of them had worked together and a lot had happened in that time. Max might still rely on his instinct, but his former partner's opinion was clouded by a nine- year absence from the force.

"I thought I was out here to watch over your sister, not to help in an investigation you are more than capable of solving."

Max waved an unconvinced hand in his direction, moving further into the depths of the small cabin. He stopped at the foot of the bed, nodding his head in its direction. "This is where Gabi found her. She'd been strangled to death with what appears to be a corded rope of some kind. The grooves in her neck match the imprints of a lead rope for a horse."

"So you think whoever did this has an association with horses."

"Either that or they simply stopped at the stables to find a weapon before coming down here. Gabi has a tack room filled with lead ropes. She didn't find that any were missing, but someone could have simply replaced the rope when they were done."

Chase may have protested getting involved with the investigation, but his mind was itching anyhow. Old habits were hard to let go of. His brain was already processing what Max had told him, searching for the answers he knew existed somewhere within the confusion.

His eyes passed over the interior, noting the antique wood of the furniture arranged around the four walls. He didn't see any signs of a struggle or any indication Hillary's killer had interrupted her in the middle of something.

"He strangled her while she slept," he reasoned easily.

Max nodded. "I don't believe Hillary even knew what was happening until it was too late. Whoever did this knew exactly what they wanted to do and they wasted no time in carrying it out."

"So the murderer is more than likely connected to this Hillary Carter, exclusively. She was the intended victim from the very beginning."

"It looks that way."

"But," Chase added, "looks can sometimes be deceiving."

Boy it felt good to be digging into a puzzle with his old partner again. He really missed having Max around to bounce ideas off of when the opportunity arose to do so. He had nothing against the partners he'd been assigned since Max's departure, but not one of them matched up to the expertise and knowledge his first partner carried within that hard head of his.

Max nodded his head in agreement, leading the way out of the cabin. He paused only briefly to lock the door before leading Chase up the small gravel path they had traveled down from the main house. Flowerbeds on both sides of the path overflowed with pink and red daffodils, adding a spark of color to the gray tone of the gravel. But their color paled greatly when another flash of red caught his attention. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of flaming red hair tumbling down a slender back. He paused in mid-step, taking in the sight of the small, slender woman cuddled around a giant of a horse.

Her pale skin contrasted against the thick black coat of the horse and her arms, tossed around the long neck, seemed almost lost in the animal's grand size. From where he stood, it looked like she was talking to the horse, actually carrying on a lengthy conversation.

"That's Diablo. The horse is Gabi's baby."

Max's voice startled Chase back to coherent thought. He struggled to regain his composure as he realized he was standing in the center of the path, spellbound by the sight of woman and horse. The last thing he needed was to be caught drooling over a woman. Especially when that woman happened to be the little sister of his good friend and past partner.

"They seem to get along," Chase observed, hoping to keep his voice as dry as possible. "I've never seen someone actually hugging and talking to a horse."

"Diablo and Gabi are cut from the same cloth. They get along so well because they both share the same temperaments."

"So the horse has a short fuse, too."

Max's grumble of laughter let on that Chase was right.

"Does your sister make a habit out of talking to horses?"

"Only to Diablo." Max started back up the path toward the main house. "She claims the two of them have an understanding with one another."

Falling into step beside him, Chase stole one last glance at Gabi and Diablo. "An understanding?"

"According to Gabi, Diablo is the perfect male. She talks. He listens. She claims the horse knows more about conversation than any of the other males she has come across."

"Ouch." He held an exaggerated hand over his heart. Gabi Cullar was certainly her own kind of woman. He was sure he had never come up against someone as complex as her. She definitely left a man feeling like he was reaching for strings just to get a step closer to her. The sexy allure of her body pulled a man in one direction while the bite of her tongue pushed him in another.

Chase felt his mind itching all over again, but for a reason different than the investigation into Hillary Carter's death. He found another, just as promising, puzzle to figure out. Gabi was as complex as any investigation he had ever had to carry out. He had a feeling his questions for her would take as long, if not longer, than the hardest cases he had ever come up against in his eighteen years as a homicide detective.

Jack settled on the edge of Gabi's bed, unnoticed. Her red hair fanned out over the white cover of the pillow and he could remember the feel of running her soft hair through his hands. He used to love to touch Gabi, to feel the warmth of her skin against his, to know she really was there at his side and not just a figment of his imagination.

"I miss you Gabi-Mae," he whispered into the silence of the sleeping house. Five years had done nothing to erase the memory of her from his mind. He still ached with his need for her. It was an ache, he knew, he'd carry with him for eternity.

She mumbled in her sleep and Jack instinctively reached over to soothe her, forgetting touch between them was no longer possible. His hand froze an inch above her slender shoulder, an invisible barrier of awareness separating them, leaving his hand to fall uselessly to his side with a muffled curse.

He was so close to her and yet so far away.

Closing his eyes to recompose the stray of his thoughts, he forced himself to concentrate on the reason why he was here in the first place. He'd been granted a chance to be close to Gabi instead of watching her from afar, but the grant had been given because he was here to help her in some way.

But how?

The question had plagued his mind ever since Charles had called for him. With no concrete answers, Jack could only guess what his purpose was. In the past few days he had believed his return had something to do with Hillary's murder. Maybe he was sent to make sure the killer didn't go after Gabi next.

But if that were the case, why was this Chase Winters fellow suddenly in the picture?

Jack's face creased into a tight frown with the thought of the man sleeping just a short distance away from his wife. He didn't know him, but he had already come to the decision that he didn't like him. Whatever reason fate had brought him to Gabi, Jack was sure it was not for good. The man was a problem all in himself and Jack knew he couldn't be trusted with Gabi's safety.

Which only left more credibility to his assumption that he was to watch over Gabi until the killer was found. Maybe somebody upstairs didn't have any more faith in Chase Winters than Jack had. It was entirely possible that he was given this assignment because he was expected to pick up the slack of this other man.

Entirely possible, yes, but not definite.

"What Gabi needs from you must be learned on your own."

Charles' words played through Jack's mind. There had to be something more, some other reason he was here. There were more than enough qualified guardians who could have handled Gabi's safety just fine. Something more was expected from him, but he just didn't know what it was.

He had no choice but to wait for the answers to come. Until then, he'd savor the time he was being granted at Gabi's side.

Stretching out on the bed next to his wife, Jack closed his eyes and pretended for the moment that he was home again, sharing a bed and a life with the only woman he had ever loved.

This was definitely going to be a rotten day.

Hitching her backside against the kitchen counter, Gabi curled her hands around a cup of steaming coffee and shot a frustrated glance around the crowded kitchen table. It was the normal morning group, plus one. And it was that one causing the problem.

Less than twenty-four hours had passed since Mr. Chase Winters had shown up at her front door and already his presence was everywhere inside the house. The man was impossible to ignore and even harder to avoid. Gabi felt as if his eyes followed her wherever she went and there wasn't a room in the house he didn't dominate whenever he was present.

With her first step into the kitchen, she had sensed Chase before she had ever seen him. His spicy scent touched her senses and the heat of his gaze burned a path up her bare skin. Her eyes strayed, against her wishes, to take in his looming form near the back screen door and it was all she could do not to return the flashing smile he graced her way.

The space inside the large, airy kitchen shrunk by more than half its normal size with his presence dominating the room. Turning to the task of preparing breakfast, she had hoped he would leave, but that wasn't to be the case. Taking a seat at the table, his dark eyes burned a hole through her back as she moved through the kitchen, grabbing a variety of pots and pans from the cupboards.

Her hands were visibly shaking as she cracked fresh eggs into a large bowl and beat at them with more force than was necessary. With hands that had suddenly turned as slick as butter, she fumbled her way through the preparations, doing her best to put the dark looming man out of her mind.

She wasn't about to ask him to join the others for breakfast. There was no way she was going to set herself up for such torture. It was enough to have this man as a part of her house against her wishes. She wasn't about to start sharing her daily meals with him as well.

She'd been about to suggest he go into town for breakfast when Baby sauntered in through the back door, slapping Chase on the back and inviting the stranger to stay for the meal. He all but had Chase convinced it would be the end of his life it he didn't stay for one of her famous breakfasts.

Her irritation growing, Gabi turned away from the two, muttering under her breath. It was a good thing Baby was too far away to hear her words. In fifteen minutes, her faithful friend was fired at least ten different times.

The rest of the crew was fired right along with him.

They filtered in, one by one, greeting Chase with friendly smiles and hearty handshakes. Each one expressed relief that he was around to watch over things and nobody took notice of the scowl growing deeper and deeper across their employer's face.

They were fools, all of them. Not a one of them had an ounce of smarts inside their heads. They were treating Chase like a long lost friend, not like the stranger he was.

Well, she wasn't about to follow in their footsteps.

Draining the final drops of her coffee, Gabi turned to the pile of dishes stacked high along the edge of the sink. Setting the temperature of the water to a scalding level, she dropped the dirtied plates into the suds.

"Need some help with those?"

Chase's masculine scent drifted around her before his warm breath fanned against her bare neck. Startled, Gabi dropped the dish she had been giving a thorough scrubbing to. It clattered against the edge of the counter before slipping back into the soapy sink.

He stood close enough for his strong thigh to brush against her side. A blaze of heat shot down her leg. Her reaction fed her anger. She didn't want to feel anything for this man, not even the slightest bit of awareness. All she wanted was for him to go away and leave her carefully constructed life alone, leaving her to the silent peace she had survived within for the past five years.

"I can handle this just fine, thank you."

"I'm sure you can, but everything goes faster with a second pair of hands involved."

Her head twisted on her shoulders, denying his offer, but he ignored her, stepping up beside her and clutching one of the washed dishes in his large hands. Flicking a towel from the handle of the refrigerator, he used a slow hand, stroking small circles along the porcelain of the plate until not a single drop of water remained. Done with the first, he reached for the second. When Gabi made no move to continue with the washing, he gave a curious lift to his brows. His drying motions stopped as he waited for her response.

Well, she'd have to be dumb to turn away the free help. He was an extra set of hands, and he was working, not talking, which was a plus. It wasn't like she was giving into the man or anything. She was simply taking advantage of his help. Nothing more.

With a shrug, she turned back to the sink, emerging her arms into the suds to reach for the next plate. The muted conversation from the table hovered on the edge of her knowledge, but only the man at her side kept her attention. He was standing within inches of her and every nerve ending through her body knew it.

His warmth stretched over her and suddenly the hot water surrounding her arms felt cold in comparison. Keeping her eyes trained away from his, she washed up the remainder of the dishes in record time. As soon as she could, Gabi moved away from the sink, using the cleaning of the kitchen table to move her as far away from Chase as possible.

"How about I give you a tour of the place?" Baby offered, pushing up from his seat and plopping his straw hat on top of his silver hair. "Ain't nobody around here who knows this place like I do."

Chase pulled the towel back through the handle of the refrigerator. "Give me ten minutes to get cleaned up and I'll meet you outside," he returned before disappearing from the kitchen.

Gabi watched him, cursing silently when she realized she was standing like a fool in the middle of the kitchen, watching Chase's backside disappear from view. Her cheeks grew bright red as she glanced around the room, searching for signs that anyone else had noticed her error. Luckily, all concentration was centered on the start of the day and not a one of them took notice of their employer's slip of judgment.

"Good as always, boss lady." Baby swiped a rough kiss against her cheek on his way out the door. The others followed behind him, complimenting her food as they did every morning.

"He seems like a decent enough guy," Rudy paused at the back door, jerking his head in the direction Chase had disappeared. The youngest of the crew, he still held a boyish innocence in his green eyes and a hesitant shyness in his voice.

"Might be good for the place to have him around for a bit. I wouldn't want to be one to mess around with his kind. Just a look at him would send me running the other way."

What was it with these guys? Did they all think she needed a man around to look out for things? Hadn't she proven to them time and again that she was perfectly capable of taking care of whatever came her way? Even after finding Hillary's dead body, she had held her own, letting the rational part of her mind rule her actions rather than falling into hysterics like she had been tempted to do.

"I suppose we'll just have to see," Gabi returned. "I think we're pretty safe here with or without Chase Winters."

"You're probably right." Rudy's skinny shoulders lifted slightly. After a quick smile, he followed the others out the door, careful not to let the screen slam back into place.

Alone in the kitchen, Gabi took a minute to recollect her bearings. The hustle and bustle of the morning meal always left her feeling a bit disorganized and scattered, and this morning, it was even worse with Chase's presence among the chaos. The man really had to go. He was messing with her mind and she couldn't stand up to much more. If her brother didn't solve Hillary's case soon, she'd simply have to take matters into her own hands. She might be smaller than Chase Winters, but she could still find a way to kick him out on his butt if she truly wanted to.

"Breakfast was great." Chase's deep voice broke through the now silent kitchen. "It's been awhile since I've been treated to a home cooked meal."

He swept past Gabi without so much as a pause in his movements. "I better be going. I'm rather interested in getting to know this Baby fellow. He's not exactly what I expected."

Gabi watched him rush across the worn linoleum of the kitchen floor. The leather band was again hooked around the long strands of his ebony hair and the black of his shirt brought out the bronzed coloring of his skin.

"Hey Chase," she called out before the screen door closed behind him. Sticking a foot inside the door, he kept it from closing in its place.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for your help with the dishes. I appreciate it."

The smile he shot her way tugged at her insides. "Anytime, Miss Gabi. Anytime."

Now why in the world had she done such a thing, Gabi wondered for what had to be the hundredth time in the past hour. Going and thanking Chase for his help was a dumb mistake, one that could very well have crumbled the barriers she was trying to keep in place between the two of them.

She was relentless in her pursuit to let him know she didn't appreciate his intrusion on her private life and then she turned around and offered a bit of friendliness. It would serve her right if she ruined everything between them with her simple bit of gratitude.

Give a little and they always expect a lot.

Pounding on the pillow in her hands, Gabi turned her attention to the cabin, tossing the pillow back onto the newly made bed. She'd noticed last night Max had removed the crime tape from around the cabin and she took that as her cue to clean the place out and prepare it for the next round of guests.

She wondered at the prospect of actually having to rent the place to someone else. As it was, an eerie feeling was crawling up her spine just from standing inside the cabin. She couldn't imagine how she was going to feel the next time she actually handed the key over to someone else.

Giving her muscles a workout they hadn't encountered in months, Gabi tugged the heavy wardrobe across the floor in order to clean out the dust bunnies hiding behind it. It would have been better for her to have recruited help in moving the heavy pieces. But when she had mentioned cleaning out the cabin to Mattie, the woman who helped with the upkeep of the cabins, the poor woman's face had paled and she looked as if she might actually faint from the thought of entering the sight of a murder.

So, the labor was up to Gabi. Which was just as well, she figured. The time alone gave her a chance to clear her head and work off some of the unused energy that had been pushing at her since she had found Hillary.

A light, unknown tune drifted off her lips while she worked with the warmth of the sun peeking through the open curtains at the window. The inside of the cabin sparkled by the time she was done. Standing back, she admired her work.

Hard work was a reward in itself. Her father had always told her that when she was a small child. She had been a daddy's girl since the day she was born. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. It was when he retired from the Sheriff's position that Max came home to step into his father's shoes. Now her father was enjoying a relaxed retirement with her mother on the sunny beaches of Florida while his son ran the county he had considered his for the better part of his life.

Gabi left the front door of the cabin open while she collected the rug she had tossed outside earlier. The fumes of the disinfectant still lingered inside and she hoped the freshness of the outdoors would help to lessen the overwhelming scent of lemon and bleach trapped within.

Just a quick shake to release the dust from the rug and then she was done. Tugging the heavy load along behind her, she moved to the edge of the forest. With a few shakes of her wrist, the rug was free of dust. Turning back to the cabin, a shimmer of light caught her eye. Gabi strained to see through the shadows of the trees, wondering what was causing such an illusion. The sun was reflecting off something pushed deep into the trees, but she had no idea what it was.

Forgetting the rug at her feet, she moved deeper into the trees, following the splash of light. Sidestepping a pointy boulder, pushing through the hard ground, she knelt beside a black object tossed between two large tree trunks.

Her fingers curled around the edge of black leather. Again the sun caught against the gold clasp holding the object together at the side. Backing out of the shadows, Gabi held out the item for closer inspection.

It was a binder of some kind. One of the more expensive ones done in black leather with gold piping along the edges, a sturdy gold clasp holding it closed. Turning it over, she noticed the gold words etched into the back cover.

Victor Kingsley.

The name was as familiar as her own. Curious, but aware that she still had a cabin to finish up, Gabi tucked it under her right arm. Grabbing the rug, left forgotten at her feet, she hauled it back to the cabin, spreading it out in the center of the wood planked floor.

She was straightening from her task when a dark shadow suddenly filled the cabin. Gabi's heart bolted into her throat. Memories of the dark night she'd found Hillary's body jumped back to life. Opening her mouth to release a scream that would be sure to pierce the ears of anyone within a hundred-foot range, she turned to the dark figure hovering in the doorway.

The scream died on her lips before it ever escaped and fear quickly changed to anger.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you that it was rude to sneak up on people?" she snapped, pushing past the irritating man blocking the door. Chase Winters stepped aside to let her pass, his black eyes following her as she moved past him and stomped off down the path.

Chase took the pleasure of watching her slender backside sway down the path in front of him. Red curls bounced against her shoulders, lifting up and away from her back with the slight push of the afternoon breeze shifting through the trees. In her wake, she left the sweet scent of apples behind, a fragrance he was quickly coming to associate with Gabi Cullar.

He really hadn't meant to scare her. When he and Baby had returned from their tour of the resort, he had caught sight of Gabi lugging a heavy rug toward the open cabin door. He made a direct beeline for her, planning on offering some help if it was needed. As little as she was, he couldn't picture her being able to move around such heavy items without suffering some serious injury by doing so.

Heading in the same direction Gabi had stormed off in, Chase gave a slow shake to his head. So much for his offered help. He'd only succeeded in setting off the short-tempered redhead all over again. He was quickly starting to believe that just the sight of him was enough to light up her fuses and send her into another one of her rampages.

"Don't you worry none." Baby suddenly appeared at his side, falling into step with him along the gravel path. "The boss lady always gets over these little snits of hers. She's just got herself a nasty temper, that's all."

"So I've noticed. Has she always been like this?"

A scratchy laugh pushed from Baby's large chest. "For as long as I've known her. The only person I ain't ever seen her mad at was her husband, Jack. That man could do no wrong as far as Gabi was concerned. She believed that young man hung the moon in the sky and lit the stars twinkling above."

Chase wasn't exactly sure why the mention of Gabi's late husband clenched at his gut the way it did. It was clear Jack Cullar was still a large part of his wife's life. In the day Chase had spent at the resort, he'd already come to realize that. It shouldn't bother him in the least if everywhere he looked the man still lived on. That was Gabi's choice. It had nothing to do with him. He was here for one thing and one thing only, to look after his partner's little sister until the danger passed. As soon as he was done, he'd hightail it back to New York, forgetting that this place ever existed. By this time next year, he wouldn't even remember what Gabi Cullar looked like.

Baby paused at the front steps of the main house. "You just give it some time." He wagged a gnarled finger at Chase. "She might be a tad bit spunky, but that woman grows on you quicker than you'd expect. Pretty soon, you'll be as chummy with her as the rest of us around here are."

He highly doubted it, but he didn't mention his doubts to the older man. Waving him off, Chase stared up at the main house, debating his options. Gabi was inside and he could follow after her, risking the sparks that were sure to fly, or he could hang around out here looking like a little lost puppy with no where to go.

Well, he certainly wasn't cute enough to play the role as a little lost puppy so he'd have to risk getting burned by the sparks.

The house was silent, and for a moment, Chase wondered if he'd guessed in error. Perhaps Gabi wasn't inside after all. With a shrug, he figured it was for the best. At least this way he didn't have to worry about setting her temper off all over again.

A strong cup of coffee sounded good. He maneuvered down the hallway toward the kitchen. Halfway there, he paused, taking note of the slight shimmer of light pouring from an open door just a few feet away.

So she was here. For some inane reason, the thought delighted Chase. He had to be a very sick man to actually gain satisfaction from sparking the woman's anger. It would be wise for him to simply keep his distance and continue on to the kitchen as he originally planned.

Unfortunately, he was not a wise man by nature. He was an instinctive man and those instincts encouraged him to find out what Gabi was doing. The door to the room sat open at an angle, giving Chase an abbreviated view of what he quickly guessed was an office of some sort.

Tall, wooden bookshelves lined one entire wall, their shelves overflowing with books of different sizes and shapes. The tops were lined with long stemmed plants, tangling down from the pots and curving along the sides of the bookshelves.

Daring a step closer to the partially opened door, his eyes fell on a large painted portrait above an old oak desk. The man held a vague resemblance to the many pictures of Jack he had seen in the front room, but there was enough of a difference to know he wasn't looking at the same person. A father perhaps, or maybe a grandfather.

Below the portrait, a flash of red fire drew his gaze. Gabi's head was lowered over the top of the scarred desk. The hint of sun, peaking in through the drawn curtains, highlighted her rosy silhouette, forming a halo to shadow her tiny body.

She was nibbling on her bottom lip, her white teeth leaving a slight imprint on the pouty line. Chase was overwhelmed with an urge to kiss away the imprint her teeth had made. He couldn't shake away the wonder of feeling her soft lips underneath his, responding to his gentle caress.

In unconscious answer to his thoughts, his foot slipped forward. Before taking another step, he stopped, realizing he was about to embarrass himself. Remembering Gabi's anger when he'd surprised her back in the cabin, he cleared his throat, waiting for her to notice his presence at the door before daring another step.

Emerald eyes reluctantly strayed away from whatever was sprawled out in front of her. She didn't look in the least bit pleased to see him standing there. The friendly smile he'd seen her offer to those who worked for her never appeared as she regarded him with apprehension.

All right, so he wasn't her first choice on the list of people she'd like to see. Hell, Chase figured he probably wasn't even on that list. But he made a promise to Max and it was a promise he intended to keep. She could bark and snap as much as she liked, he still wasn't going anywhere until the case into Hillary's death was solved.

"What's that?" He tossed his head in the direction of the small book sitting in front of her while he moved further into the depths of the office. He stopped short on the opposite side of the desk, trying to make out the scrawls, stretching across a sheet of white ledger paper.

Gabi's expression was hesitant. For several silent seconds, she regarded him across the top of the desk. Then, as if coming to a decision, she shrugged, pushing the book in his direction. "I found this binder in the woods today when I was cleaning out the cabin. I'm assuming Hillary had it with her the night she died."

Pulling up one of the small leather chairs, positioned on either side of the desk, Chase settled into the soft cushion and turned the binder around to face him. Looking back at him was a list of names and figures scrawled along the three columns that stretched the length of the paper. Chase couldn't make heads or tails of what he was seeing. The handwriting was crisp and precise but there didn't appear to be any sort of format or formula for the series of figures lining the far right column of the page.

With the tip of his finger he pushed the binder back to its original position. "What does all this mean?"

Across from him, Gabi's slender shoulders lifted in a slight shrug. "I don't know. The back of the binder carries Victor Kingsley's name."

"Victor Kingsley?"

"He's the owner of Kingsley Resort where Hillary worked as a bookkeeper and secretary. There was some gossip that she was a little more than that to Victor, but I don't know if those rumors were true or not."

"So this is some kind of ledger that Hillary kept for her boss?" Chase's attention returned to the open binder. The pages didn't look like any kind of accounting system he had ever come across.

Gabi poked her elbows on the edge of the table, resting her small chin in the palms of her hands. She studied the binder carefully, her eyes slowly scanning over the pages. "I don't know for sure. The names listed are local business owners from town."

Her lip again fell underneath the nibble of her teeth. Chase's entire body tightened at the image she portrayed with such a simple gesture. He had definitely gone way too long without a woman to share his bed. That was the only explanation he could think of for the less than pure thoughts running through his head.

"Many of the businesses in town owe Victor Kingsley money."

"For what?"

"He's given business loans to almost half of the owners in town. I'm not exactly certain why it is they go to him instead of the bank, but he has his hand in everything from the feed store to the local newspaper."

Chase eyes drifted out the slit of the curtains, his mind churning details into coherent thought. "This Victor Kingsley, what's he like?"

Gabi didn't answer right away. Instead, she seemed to be contemplating her response in the privacy of her thoughts before voicing them out loud.

"Truth?" she asked with a slight bit of hesitancy.

"Of course."

"I don't like the guy in the least bit. I know many see him as some sort of saint for stepping in and helping the struggling businesses around town, but I can't place him in such a role. There's something about him that rubs me the wrong way. I don't even like to be in the same room with the guy."

Chase swallowed her words with great interest. "What about this resort of his? Is it operated in the same manner as yours?"

"It's lakeside like the Cullar Resort, but that's about it for the similarities. The Kingsley Resort is a high dollar operation. It appeals to the wealthy rather than the common. His setup puts my little place to shame."

Leaning forward, he closed the distance between them. "Personally, I like the common compared to the wealthy side of things. This place is quaint and cozy. Just perfect for a summer getaway."

Gabi's eyes sparkled with pride and Chase knew he had finally found a topic they wouldn't bicker over.

"I agree. At Cullar Resort, I personally make sure all my guests receive the personal touch while they visit. Victor Kingsley's resort is run purely by hired staff. There is no interaction between workers and guests allowed at his place."

He thought back to all Baby had showed him earlier that morning. Gabi had something special tucked away inside the resort, something all the money in the world could not touch. Whether it was the resort itself or the spirited woman who ran it, he did not know. What he did know was the place appealed to him in ways he hadn't found in many years.

"So what do you plan on doing with the binder?"

Gabi shrugged, flipping the cover over the pages and locking the gold seal into place. She pushed it to the side of her desk. "I don't really know. I doubt it has much bearing in what happened to Hillary. More than likely, she simply dropped it while she was making her way to the cabin."

Chase wasn't entirely convinced. Something was stirring to life inside of him. The binder meant something, he was sure of it. All the little details weren't fitting together. Hillary coming to the Cullar Resort when she had residency at the Kingsley Resort, turning up dead the same night she came knocking on Gabi's door.

And the binder. Why did Hillary have it with her? It was in the middle of the woods instead of tucked away in a safe place inside the cabin. If the binder was nothing more than a simple kept ledger, why was it so difficult to understand? If Victor Kingsley ran the operation Gabi claimed he did, surely his records would be kept in meticulous order.

Too many questions with not enough answers. Somehow all the details tied in together, but Chase wasn't exactly sure just how. This is Max's jurisdiction, he reminded himself, but that still didn't stop the churning of facts inside his head. He may have been able to leave the force behind, but being a cop was firmly instilled in his blood. It was what he was and what he would always be.

"I guess I better get started on dinner," Gabi pushed up from the desk. "I hope fried chicken is all right with you."

Was that a dinner invitation? Chase figured it was wise if he didn't push his chances by asking her out right. "Chicken's fine. I can help if you like."

Gabi shook her head, stepping out from behind the desk. Chase stood along with her, bringing them within inches of each other when she stepped away from the side of the desk and started for the door.

The scent of apples surrounded him and his body reacted immediately. Black eyes met emerald eyes and Chase felt himself being sucked in by the strength of her gaze. She had honest eyes. The kind that held no secrets within their depths. Every emotion Gabi experienced reflected in her eyes, openly and candidly.

Uncertainty clouded those eyes as Chase looked down on her. He saw her battling with her emotions, unsure of how exactly she should react to the closeness of their bodies. His hand reached out for her, on its own accord, settling around a slender shoulder. His long fingers curled around the tiny bone, heat seeping through his arm. He wanted to take her in his arms, crush her delicate body to his. He wanted to taste her lips, feeling her surrender under his hold.

She was a puzzle to him. Chase knew it would be crazy to get involved with her. Between the two of them, they carried enough emotional baggage to last a couple of lifetimes. They didn't have a single chance between them, yet he couldn't scare away his growing awareness of her. "Gabi," he spoke softly, her name falling between them while he fought to register what it was he wanted to say to her.

If he was honest with himself, he'd admit he didn't have a word to say to Gabi. What he did have was a desire building inside of him. A desire to kiss her, to capture those pouty lips of hers, savoring every second they were a part of his own lips.

"Hey, Gabs, where are you?"

The booming voice worked like a splash of ice-cold water, breaking the spell wavering between them. Gabi shrugged out of his hold, finishing her retreat to the door in two strides. She didn't turn back to look his way before stepping into the hallway and disappearing from sight.

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