51

Rafe hadn’t called for three weeks, not since the night he’d left town. Cara was beside herself trying to figure out what it meant. One minute she was furious with him, the next resigned, the next hurt.

“I don’t get it,” she said to Emma. “He was the one who was so anxious for us to see where things would go.”

“He’s probably just busy. He was away from New York for a long time. I’m sure he was swamped with work when he got back. I know the type. I am one,” she admitted ruefully. “When I’m caught up in a case, I don’t see anything else.”

“I suppose,” Cara said, but she didn’t entirely buy it. And if this was the way a future with Rafe was going to play out, with him getting so caught up in work that he forgot all about her, did she want him in her life, anyway?

“If you want to know what’s going on, call him,” Emma advised. “You have his number.”

“No. I’m the one who said I wanted space. I guess I ought to be grateful that

he’s giving it to me.”

On top of Rafe’s odd behavior, there was Bobby’s. She hadn’t heard a word from him, either. Nor had he sent a dime to pay off the restaurant’s debts. She was half tempted to fly down to the Caymans and snatch back every penny he had stolen.

Of course, it was an idle threat. She couldn’t go anywhere until Tony got back. He had called the week before and asked if she would mind if he and Francesca extended their stay in Italy.

“Who knows if we’ll ever get back here again,” he’d said. “We’d like to take advantage of our time here now, that is if you’re sure you can stay on in Wyoming.”

“I can stay,” Cara said, praying that Deidre would understand the delay. “You and Francesca enjoy yourselves. How’s her sister?”

“Much improved, thank goodness. Francesca is very relieved. In a few days her sister might even be well enough to go with us to Florence and Venice.”

Cara had sighed. It sounded wonderful. She had loved her time in Italy. “Enjoy every minute of it,” she told Tony. “And take lots of pictures.”

“You are an angel, cara mia. And when I get home, there are things you and I must discuss.”

“What things?”

“Not yet. Face-to-face,” he insisted. “A few more weeks. No more. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“You could never take advantage of me,” she told him. “I owe you way too much. If it’s going to be longer than a week or so, though, would you mind if I closed for a few days so I can take a quick trip to New York? Everything’s running smoothly at Café Tuscany right now, but I need to look in on Deidre before she starts feeling totally abandoned. Also, it might help me to decide a few things I’ve been thinking about.”

“Go, of course. Anything that will help you to clarify what you really want.

Perhaps we are on the same wavelength,” he said hopefully.

“Perhaps,” she said, though she was not entirely certain what was on his mind. He’d been way too vague for her to interpret his intentions. “I love you guys. I miss you. So do the customers.”

“I doubt that, when they have you,” Tony scoffed. “But it is nice of you to say.”

Ever since that conversation, she had been putting off the trip she had mentioned to Tony. With no word from Rafe and with Deidre still reporting that everything at Café Tuscany was under control, Cara lost the sense of urgency. In fact, the only place she felt truly needed was right here in Winding River. Tony

needed her to stay. Karen seemed glad of her company. Her parents were delighted she was nearby, even if they thought it was absurd that she was wasting money on a hotel room when her room at home was empty. Maybe it was crazy, especially now that there was no longer any potential danger that she might be dragging them into her problems with Bobby.

In the end, though, purely by chance she happened across a small apartment with big windows, cozy nooks, comfortable furniture and a surprisingly spacious kitchen filled with light. It was tucked behind a house on Main Street, in what had once been a garage. She spotted the For Rent sign while walking to Tony’s one morning. The next day she stopped by to see it.

Now she stood in the middle of that kitchen and suddenly felt at peace.

Without pausing to consider the ramifications, she pulled out her checkbook and turned to the owner. “I’ll take it,” she told Mrs. Garwood.

“For how long? Are you home to stay?” her mother’s friend asked. “I know that would please your mother.”

Cara’s hand faltered over the check. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Is that a problem? Could we go month to month for now?”

“Normally I wouldn’t agree to that,” Mrs. Garwood said, then smiled. “But for your mother, I will take a chance that you’ll decide you’re back for good.”

“Thank you,” Cara said and wrote the check for a deposit and a month’s rent.

“I’ll leave you alone, then,” Mrs. Garwood said. “If you need anything, just knock on the back door.”

After she had gone, Cara turned slowly. The sun was streaming through the kitchen window. Funny, she thought, recalling Rafe’s words a few weeks earlier. This place felt more like home already than the apartment she’d had in New York for years.

“He’s right over there,” Flynn told Rafe, pointing to an unremarkable- looking man sitting at the poolside bar, his expression glum as he sipped beer.

“That’s Bobby Rinaldi?” Rafe asked, not even trying to hide his shock. He’d expected someone more handsome, but maybe Bobby’s appeal wasn’t obvious to a man.

It had taken Rafe almost a month to fit this trip into his schedule. The holidays were approaching. He wanted this settled so he could spend them with Cara. With any luck at all they could be engaged by New Year’s.

“The one and only. Come on. I’ll introduce you. We’ve had quite a few chats

lately.” Flynn hesitated. “Is he going to recognize your name?” “Most likely.”

“Want me to use an alias?”

Rafe grinned. “No, let’s play it straight. What’s the worst he can do?” “Run,” Flynn suggested.

“Maybe, but I’m sure you’re faster, and between us we’re not going to let him out of our sight until we get him back to New York.”

“Whatever you say.”

Flynn led the way across the deck, which was crowded with vacationers escaping the oncoming winter in the States. Soothed by bright sun and fancy rum drinks, many of them were half-asleep and oblivious to the sudden tension at the bar when Flynn made the introductions.

Once again surprising Rafe, Bobby looked more disappointed than fearful upon hearing his name. His expression lent credence to Rafe’s theory that he was down here hoping that Cara would be the one to follow him.

“Expecting someone else?” Rafe inquired lightly. “Cara, perhaps?”

Bobby sighed heavily. “What did you do? Forbid her to come, so that you could be her knight in shining armor?”

“She doesn’t know I’m here,” Rafe said. “Why not?”

“I wanted to clarify a few things before I filled her in.” He gave Bobby a pointed look. “Or before you did that yourself.”

“I’m not going back,” Bobby said.

“There’s a return ticket in your room that suggests otherwise,” Flynn said. Bobby frowned at him. “You searched my room?”

“Of course,” Flynn said. “I wouldn’t have been doing my job if I hadn’t.” “You lousy, no-good creep,” Bobby muttered, but without much venom. He

seemed to have lost his enthusiasm for the game.

“Let’s stay focused,” Rafe suggested. “First question, why did you take that money?”

“Because I wanted it,” Bobby said at once. “Why does anyone steal?

Because they want something or they need it or just for the thrill of it.” “Really? You didn’t do a very good job of covering your tracks. The

payments to you were right on the books, but you counted on Cara not seeing them, at least not until after you’d taken off, right? So, I have a theory.”

“Do share it,” Bobby said sarcastically.

“You’re in love with Cara,” Rafe speculated, keeping his gaze fixed on Rinaldi’s face. Sure enough there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He went on. “She wasn’t interested in you. Now that the restaurant is doing so well, she

doesn’t even need you the way she once did. This was a way to get her to pay attention.”

“If that was my plan, it certainly was a bust, wasn’t it?” Bobby said, not quite admitting to it.

“Because she doesn’t love you, except as a friend.” Rafe regarded him with a surprising burst of compassion. “She does care about you, though. She was devastated by your betrayal. For weeks she tried to convince herself that you hadn’t meant to ruin the business, to ruin her. She wouldn’t lift a finger to help me nail you.”

Bobby seemed surprised by that. “She wouldn’t?”

“Not at first. One of the most amazing things about Cara is her sense of loyalty. As time has passed, she has transferred that loyalty to the people you bilked out of money. Every single one of them will be paid back, no matter what it takes. She’s committed to that, but she won’t run to you to get the money. Her days of trusting you are over, Rinaldi. If your plan was to get her to need you, it backfired. She’s found other people to count on.”

“Like you,” Bobby said with a sneer.