Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 (45 page)

“‘Again'? Bad experience in college?”

“I never went to college. In fact, I've barely left the island for more than a quick visit to the mainland. My boyfriend never wanted me to stray too far.”

“Boyfriend? Sounds a little overprotective—wait. The deputy. That brute is your boyfriend?”

“He
was
my boyfriend. Not anymore.”

“Are you sure he knows that? From what I could see he hasn't accepted your dismissal.” Rampant thoughts crowded Colm's head. “You know what this means, don't you? Your deputy has motive. He could be the one who cut your floor, and not because you want to open a B&B, but because you dared to go against him.”

Gretchen's eyes drifted closed, but no argument formed on her lips.

“I can see this idea doesn't surprise you. Something you've already thought through?”

A knock sounded on the metal door. “Colm, daylight wanes,” Sly called. “Troy wants you out here. We still have hours of filming tonight.”

Gretchen turned, taking the opportunity to beat a fast retreat.

“Not so fast!” Colm stopped her with his commanding words. “Deputy Baker is the man who hurt you before, isn't he?”

Her small shoulders rose and fell, but no denials came his way.

A sudden burst of anger roared through him, so familiar he knew it would always be a part of him. He would never escape it. No matter how far he ran from those slummy streets of Dublin, from the heavy fists of his stepfather, this feeling of having no control over this heated response would stay with him forever.

Father God, help me to control my need to take matters into my own hands.
Colm clenched his fists but kept immobile, not trusting what he would do if he went after the guy; he knew the deputy would surely pay the price for Colm's backslide. This small woman standing in front of him had felt the strength of Baker's hands. So why shouldn't the lawman feel Colm's? The rationale whirled through his mind with not a single counterargument to sway him to stay.

Except his promise to God.

Colm relaxed. “Did you contact the sheriff when Baker hurt you?” he asked quietly.

No answer. Now her no-vacancy sign blared bright neon pink. She wasn't going to share anything with him. But that wouldn't stop him from protecting her any way he could.

Colm reached for another one of his hard hats. Adjusting the strap, he walked up behind her and gently placed it on her head of soft curls. His fingers brushed up against her hair, memorizing the feel of its texture. One curl looped around his index finger before he reluctantly let it spring away.

“You don't have to talk about it, but you do need to wear my hat. For your own protection, and for my sanity. I'm going to do my best to make sure nothing else happens to you.”

She swirled slowly around, her eyes glittering with unshed tears. But it wasn't the tears that moved him. It was her look of doubt warring with her need to believe him that nearly caused Colm to reach out for her again.

“How do I know you're not just like him?”

Colm kept his hands at his side, but knew they rested in their natural fisted pose. “The sad truth is, Goldie, I am just like him.”

FIVE

“Q
uiet on the set.” Troy quelled the room with his booming direction. “Wendy, you're not painting a masterpiece. Colm's got enough makeup on. Move it.” After Wendy's grumbling departure, Troy gave a nod to Colm and said, “Action.”

“Welcome back to day three at The Morning Glory B&B, and boy, do I have some grand news for you.” Colm smiled at the camera. It came easily for him because he liked the person the camera saw. If only everyone's favorite TV carpenter was more than just a role to play.

“I mentioned yesterday the home owner had a surprise for us, and I have just been informed what it is. It would appear Gretchen is not only a beauty but handy around the house. A real jack-of-all-trades, she is. Today she will demonstrate her skills by installing a hot tub in one of the guest suites. I have to admit, I have my doubts.” He put his finger to his lips and made a shushing sound at the camera.

Gretchen, who stood by the tub with a pair of joint pliers in hand, did not look amused at his antics.

But she did look adorable.

From beneath her hard hat she rolled her eyes to the gutted ceiling of the bathroom. All the old tiled walls were already removed, exposing the wiring and copper plumbing that she would now connect to the tub.

“Oh, Mr. McCrae,” she said in a sweet mimic of his accent. “You're just jealous because you don't get to play with the tools. That's why you're only the host.”

“Whoa! And the gloves come off!” Colm shot back. “What do you say we take this out back? Huh, Goldie?”

“Sorry, no can do. Some of us have to earn a living by doing real work. Perhaps you can go practice your smile in a mirror while the rest of us make some progress on the house.”

Gretchen's pursed lips twitched. She was holding back a smile he hoped she would let fly, even if it was at his expense. Her face was meant for television. He'd seen some of the footage already, and the camera loved her. But then it was quite easy to do, especially with her glittering eyes beneath the hard hat stealing the spotlight.

When Colm had envisioned her in his hat, he had expected her to look fetching in it, but he hadn't expected the pummeling his gut took every time she looked his way. No alley brawl had ever bowled him over as much. He could gaze upon her for a lifetime and never tire of it.

Colm choked out a laugh, nearly forgetting the camera rolled. He must look like a lovesick puppy with his tongue hanging out.
Get back into character
, he scolded himself. The crew stood by waiting for him to respond.

“Shall we cue the cricket sounds, Mr. McCrae?” Gretchen asked, then faced the camera. “It would appear our smooth-talking Irish host is speechless.”

Colm cleared his throat at the large round lens. Tongue-tied was more like it, he thought. “Yes, well, I do believe Round One goes to you, Goldie, because I've got nothing. All right, love, impress us with your plumbing capabilities, and I suppose I'll just slink away to find that mirror you mentioned for a little more practice.”

“Don't you go anywhere. You could use the lesson just like your viewers. Probably more so.” She smiled and winked at him, but quickly became all business.

Gretchen turned to point out the two parallel pipes running down into the floor, and reaching out with the pliers, she touched metal against metal with a tinking sound. “These pipes are old, but they're in great shape. To cut costs, I decided to keep whatever fixtures I could. The fittings will match up to the new tub just fine. The electrical wiring has already been connected to the tub, thanks to Sly.” She grinned at the show's electrician, who also stood in the shot.

Colm noticed a pink tinge race up Sly's leathery neck. It would appear her smile affected his friend, too.

“Since I know a bit about plumbing,” she continued, “I wanted to do the honors of connecting the pipes and turning on this hot tub for the first time. I was so excited when the director suggested it, so thanks goes to Troy for this opportunity.”

“Gretchen, can you tell us a wee bit about where you learned these tools of the trade?” Colm asked.

She hesitated, her cheeks red. After too long a pause she said, “Sure, I suppose I could.” The footage would have to be edited, but Colm wondered why she had a hard time sharing anything about her life. Her secrets ran deep, whatever they were.

She sat on the edge of the tub and faced the camera. “After my dad passed away when I was seven, I used to try to show my mom we were okay on our own. I learned everything I could to help around the house. Even fixing a leaky pipe. Some days I feel like I'm still trying to prove it to her, you know? I keep thinking that maybe after this show she'll finally see there's nothing wrong with being on your own, and in fact, we can be stronger because of it.” Gretchen gave a short laugh, but it fell flat, as did her smile. “Anyway, I tried it her way once...um...dating, I mean...” Gretchen visibly gulped and blanched at the camera.

Colm couldn't let her bomb on film, especially since he'd set her up by asking the question. “So, you set out to better your family's life. I commend you. It couldn't have been easy, but here you are, proof that it can be done. You're an inspiration to us all, Goldie.” Colm turned his head enough to shield half his face from the camera. He hoped his supportive gaze encouraged her to continue.

“Well, thank you, Colm. And I'm sorry for what I said about you and the tools.” Her smile grew broader by the second, and his respect for her grew, as well. Her blue eyes shimmered with life again. “But not about the mirror.” She stood and turned her back to him.

Colm looked back at the camera, eyes wide. “Aaaand Round Two also goes to Goldie.”

“Score! So, let me show how to install a tub. It's really quite simple. As you can see, we've already mortared the tub into place beneath this beautiful picture window looking out to the rocky sea coast. Could you think of a better view while you relax in a hot tub? The guests who request the Sea View room will be in for a treat. Which reminds me, I'm already accepting reservations and my planner is filling up for the summer season, so don't wait to call. Anyway, now the tub is ready to be hooked up to these parallel pipes called the waste, overflow and trap pipes.” She waved her pliers at each pipe as she named it, then started with the waste pipe.

She reached out to grab the pipe, but just as the tips of her fingers brushed against it, a spark zapped her and sent her flying back and onto the floor with a thud.

Gasps circled through the room.

Gretchen had dropped the pliers and lay against the tub. She held her injured hand close to her body, shaking.

“Gretchen?” Colm dropped to his knees, grabbing her hand. “Let me see,” he demanded, noticing two of her fingertips blackening. He looked at her pained expression, her eyes tightly sealed. “Goldie, look at me.” He reached for her face with his free hand, patting her cheek to get her attention. He needed to know if she could comprehend what had happened. Her eyes opened but looked so stunned, he didn't think she did.

“This doesn't make sense,” she murmured.

“Being shocked while installing a tub, you mean?”

She nodded. “That's not supposed to happen.” She lifted her blackened fingers. “How?”

“Sly will figure it out.” Colm noticed his friend already inspecting the pipes. “Right now I need to know if you're okay.”

“I think so. Just stunned and really confused. Sly, wh-what happened?”

Colm dragged his gaze away from searching for any injuries on Gretchen to look at the electrician. “Does this have anything to do with an old house not being grounded? Is it as simple as that? Please let it be as simple as that,” Colm said under his breath as he pulled Gretchen's shaking body closer to his, butting his head against her hard hat. A lot of good it had done her. He ripped it off and tucked her head into his neck.

Sly ripped a voltage reader from his belt and touched it to the pipe. “There's electricity looking for a ground, all right. And it'll take anything it can get, including a human body. The waste pipe is hot.”

“Hot?” Colm felt inadequate. What did a woodworker and reality television show host know about electricity? “Come on, Sly. You know when it comes to electricity I'm as handy as an ashtray on a motorbike. What does ‘hot' mean?”

“As in hot-wired. Come here. I'll show you.”

Colm wasn't ready to relinquish Gretchen from his hold, but her need to see what had happened trumped his. She pulled herself out of his arms to crawl over to Sly.

“It would appear someone attached the positive side of a hot wire to the copper piping. They used the hot tub's electrical box for juice. Nicely done, I might add. Very clean and discreet. I wouldn't have noticed anything out of place if I hadn't been looking for it. Man, if she had grabbed hold of the pipe with her whole hand...well, let's just say things would have been a whole lot worse than burned fingers.”

Colm swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Facts first. Then reaction. “But you just hooked up all the electricity last night.” He looked from the tampered pipe to Sly.

“Which means someone came in after I left.”

“How do I know it wasn't you?” Colm choked on the words even before he finished saying them. “I'm sorry, Sly. I'm not thinking clearly. Of course you would never do anything like this. Forgive me.”

“Nothing to forgive, son. This is serious business and you've got foul play to contend with. At this point, it could be any one of us.”

Gretchen scanned the faces in the room. “Who else was with you when you worked on the electricity?” she asked Sly.

“This is a television show. There's always someone around. Colm was even here while we filmed.”

Gretchen shot a look Colm's way. He saw her reservations about him once again flowing into her eyes. He put a hand on her shoulder and could feel her doubts in him tense up her body.

“Cut,” Troy announced. “That was perfect. Sorry, Gretchen, about you being hurt. Glad it was just a minor shock. It wasn't planned, but you definitely played it well. Got some great footage to work with. Love that look of fear you gave Colm.”

Gretchen pushed Colm away and jumped to her feet. “I wish I never called this show. I think you should all leave.”

“Terms, Miss Bauer.” Nate peeked out from behind his camera.

Wendy chimed in, “Stuff like this is why the home owners aren't on the scene during renovation and shooting. For your safety you might want to reconsider, Gretchen.”

Gretchen's mouth dropped. “You make it sound like this was my fault. Someone did this to me!” She raced out of the room and down the stairs. Her front door slammed and rattled the windows around them.

After a few beats of guilt-filled silence, Colm said, “I'm heading out to shut the power down. Sly, don't touch the pipe. I want Gretchen to report this to the authorities first. Someone knew she would be working up here today. Someone planned for her to grab hold of that pipe and not let go. Not even after she fried.”

* * *

Gretchen ran toward the trees and her cliff. She had to get away to think.

“Gretchen, wait up!” Colm called from behind her and she picked up her speed.

She gave no answer, just darted looks in all directions. The incident had freaked her out to the point that she had asked the crew to go. What was wrong with her? Even if she hadn't signed the contract, she needed them. Without them she would never make her deadline.

“You have to call the sheriff, Gretchen.” Colm grabbed her hand to make her stop and look at him. “Listen to me. Your life is more important than any business.”

“You don't understand. You're rich. You can buy any home you want. Start your life anywhere you want.”

“First of all, Troy pays me the bare minimum and the money I do make, I put aside for— Never mind. This conversation is not about my finances. It's about your life...and whatever you think you need to prove to someone, like you mentioned inside. Is this why you won't call the sheriff's department? Or are you still trying to protect a certain deputy?”

“How dare you throw that at me!” Gretchen yanked her hand away. “I shouldn't have told you anything!”

“You can trust me, Gretchen. I'm not throwing it in your face. I just don't want you to protect the man who hurt you. It will never end if you do.”

“Is this about your ma and the man she remarried? Because I'm not her.”

“No.” Colm reached for her arms. “This is about you. Gretchen, you could have been killed. If you had grabbed hold of the pipe, you wouldn't have been able to let go. And nobody would have been able to help you. Not even me. I'm doing my best to protect you, but someone wants to make sure that task is impossible. Please, if you won't call for yourself, who will you call for? Your mom?”

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but not from anger. Betrayal hurt so much more. “My mom would be on his side. She has been since the day we became a couple. Even when I ended it.”

“Oh.” Colm pulled her into his chest. He wrapped his arms tight and spoke into her ear. “I'm so sorry, love. The one person you should be able to go to—”

“A little lovebird quarrel?” A rude voice intruded abruptly. A quick twist and she saw Troy approaching. His gaze traveled between them for the answer.

“Of course not,” she jumped to reply first, then extricated herself from Colm's arms.

Troy grunted, obviously doubting her claim. “Too bad. I could have used that.”

Colm tilted his head. “You know, Troy, Gretchen might have been killed. You don't seem too upset about that fact.”

Troy scoped her out from top to bottom then back again with a shrug. “I said I was sorry. What more do you want?”

“I want to know who besides you knew Gretchen would be installing the tub today.”