Second Wind (Cypress Coast Book 1) Read online

  “Very funny. You can wait here with Rufus.”

  “Take your time. They’re not expecting us until one. I thought we could grab some lunch at a great little taqueria I found near the courthouse.” He settled on the sofa beside Rufus while Laurel pulled a pair of black slacks and a sweater from her closet.

  “I don’t know if you’ve talked to your mom, but I stopped by the hospital this morning, and Rafael’s doing well after surgery last night. The doctor expects to release him in a couple of days, and Rosemary is planning to bring him back here to recuperate.”

  “That’s a good idea. He lives with his two sons, and Mom will be a much better nurse than either of them.”

  Rufus meowed, demanding attention.

  Jake responded with a vigorous ear rub. “Hey, big guy. I guess you’re a hero.” He twisted and glanced back over his shoulder at Laurel. “When the deputies took Ivanov to get treatment on his hand, they got a DNA sample. Guess what it matched.”

  “The blood on my statue.”

  “Bingo.” He scratched the cat’s head again and was rewarded with a loud rumble. “Ivanov was your burglar.”

  “I know. He told me.” She draped her clothes over her arm and headed for the bathroom.

  “I bet he didn’t tell you he was the one who killed Vargis.”

  “I bet he did.”

  “Huh. Here I thought I could impress you with my knowledge.”

  “I guess you’ll have to find some other way to impress me.” She stepped into the tiny bathroom and closed the door.

  When she emerged, Jake had his legs stretched out—feet on the coffee table—and Rufus lounged on his thighs, the tip of his tail flicking in the air.

  She raised one brow. “I’m ready to go, but I see you’ve made yourself at home.”

  Jake set the cat aside and slung his feet to the floor. “Come sit down.” He patted the sofa. “Another reason I came early is because I have something more to tell you, something about your former fiancé I doubt even Ivanov knew.”

  Intrigued, she crossed the room and sat beside him, turning slightly and tucking one leg under her. “Okay.”

  “You may be a very wealthy woman.”

  “I seriously doubt that, but what makes you think so?”

  “Did you know you were the beneficiary of your ex-fiancé’s estate?”

  Her jaw dropped. “Are you sure? I know Richard didn’t have any family, and when we first got engaged, he made an off-handed comment about putting me in his will, but I thought he was joking. I had no idea he’d actually done it.”

  “We’ve been in touch with his attorney, and apparently the most recent version of his will leaves everything to you. In addition to the art gallery and his condo, we located an off-shore account in the Cayman Islands.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  He shook his head. “It will take some time to determine the source of all the funds, but anything we can’t connect to specific criminal activity will come to you. It could be substantial.”

  She sat quietly for a moment, trying to come to grips with his news.

  “You could quit your job and devote your time and energy to your sculpture.” When she still didn’t reply, Jake frowned. “I thought you’d be excited. Isn’t financial independence every artist’s dream?”

  “Yes, but not like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I could never take Richard’s money.”

  “After what you’ve been through, I’d say you’ve more than earned it.”

  She shook her head. “Even if you couldn’t prove the money came from his criminal activity, I would still wonder. It would still feel dirty.”

  He shrugged. “I guess you could always stick it in the bank and forget it.”

  Laurel slouched back against the sofa cushions. If the FBI decided some of the money was legally hers, she couldn’t refuse to accept it, could she? Slowly, the seed of an idea germinated in her brain. If she did end up with a windfall, maybe she could do something positive with Richard’s tainted legacy.

  Excitement stirred inside as she turned to Jake. “Money or no money, I’m not ready to quit my job. Making art can be a very solitary activity. I’ve only been back in town a few weeks, and I want to make a place for myself in the community. Besides, I love the gallery. It’s interesting to meet people from all over the world, and I enjoy working with Victor.”

  “Nobody said you had to quit your job, and if you don’t want to keep Vargis’s money, I’m sure you can think of something else to do with it.”

  Her lips tilted up, a load lifted. “I have thought of something. I could donate it to arts education initiatives in the local schools. They always need money, and it would benefit the whole community.”

  “That’s a terrific idea. I hope it turns out that Vargis was a small fish in Roskov’s big pond and most of his money is legitimate.”

  Her smiled widened. “I have to say, I feel a lot better about everything now.” She leaned forward and planted an impulsive kiss on his lips.

  Jake slid his arms around her back and pulled her against his chest before she had a chance to withdraw. “Ditto that.”

  His mouth settled on hers, and she lost all track of time and place. When she came up for air, her hair was once again doing the Medusa thing, and this time her sweater seemed to be inside out. “You’ve got to quit doing that!”

  He grinned and nuzzled her neck. “I don’t see why.”

  “Now I have to put myself back together before we can meet with the detective.”

  Jake glanced at his watch and sighed. “You’re probably right.”

  With a show of reluctance, he let her up, and she headed back to the bathroom. When she emerged refreshed, he was standing by the door with his hand on the knob. “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  He opened the door and ushered her out. “Good. Oh, by the way, my mom will be here the day after tomorrow.

  “Um…good?”

  “Rosemary didn’t tell you, did she?”

  Prickles of suspicion danced up her spine. “Tell me what?”

  “She invited my mother to spend Christmas here.”

  Why would her mother do a thing like that, especially without mentioning it? But she knew the answer before the question had fully formed in her mind.

  Jake’s blue eyes twinkled with devilish amusement. “Mom was excited to get a break from the Minnesota snow, and she can’t wait to meet the red-headed reason I’m not coming home for the holidays.”

  Just shoot me now. Laurel closed her eyes and counted to five. When she opened her eyes, he was laughing. “You know what I’m thinking, don’t you?”

  “Probably.”

  “With our mothers ganging up on us, we don’t stand a chance.”

  Jake chuckled and gathered her resistant body into his arms before giving her earlobe a playful nip. “I have to disagree. I think we stand an excellent chance.”

  If you enjoyed SECOND WIND, I hope you will consider leaving a review here. An honest review is the greatest compliment any author can receive. Thank you.

  Also, I invite you to visit me at my web site and on Facebook.

  Other Books by Alison Henderson

  Harvest of Dreams

  A Man Like That

  The Treasure of Como Bluff

  Small Town Christmas Tales

  Unwritten Rules

  Boiling Point

  Undercover Nanny