Get a Clue

between the kitchen and here.' She laughed. 'Some storm, huh?' She wore dark jeans and a soft-looking white turtleneck, her blond hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail. 'And welcome, by the way,' she said with a smile when she caught Breanne staring. 'I hope you had a nice trip here.'

Her honest, hopeful expression seemed so completely innocent, Breanne found she couldn't say what was on her mind, which was Are you kidding me? 'Uh, yeah. Nice.'

With a sigh, Shelly moved away from the flames, scooping up the mug. 'You're on your honeymoon, right?'

Breanne felt her smile congeal. 'Yes. Alone.'

'Oh.' That startled her. 'So the wedding, it went… badly?'

'You could say so.'

'I'm sorry,' Shelly said with true regret. 'And now this huge, unbelievable storm…'

'Until you got here, I was trying to convince myself this is all a bad dream.'

'You poor thing.' Shelly sat down on the couch next to Breanne. 'Did you get your heart broken?'

The question, coming from someone Breanne had known all of a minute, should have irked her. It should have, at the very least, brought her great pain. Instead, she leaned back on the sofa, nothing but exhausted. 'Maybe it's been a little stepped on,' she finally admitted. 'But not broken, no.'

'Good, then you can try to enjoy your trip in spite of him. You don't need a man to have a good time.' Shelly laughed at herself. 'That's what my mom always told us, anyway. I don't really have a lot of experience to go by.'

Breanne blinked at the easy familiarity with which Shelly had spoken. Breanne had family, coworkers. Friends. But truthfully, most were men. Girl talk had never really been her thing. 'I don't know what I was thinking to do this, to come here alone. It was stupid.'

'Oh, you're going to enjoy yourself, I promise you. And someday you'll find another man. A better one.'

Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt, thought Breanne. 'Would you know where I could get a few blankets?'

'Of course-I'll get them for you. But first, I came to bring you into the formal dining room.'

No way was she going to be lured anywhere in this dark, haunted house. 'I think I'll just stay here, thanks.'

'I was spooked when I first got here, too,' Shelly said kindly. 'This place scared me to death.'

'But not anymore?'

'Well…' Shelly hugged her enviable petite body for a moment, running her hands up and down her arms as if chilled. 'I got used to it,' she finally said. And then smiled. 'And anyway, you're not alone in your fears. We all feel a little off tonight.'

'We?'

'Me, and the rest of the staff.'

'How many of you are there?'

'There's five of us. Myself, Lariana, Patrick, Edward, and Dante.' She stopped with a faraway look in her eyes and sighed dreamily. 'You've met Dante.'

This pretty, innocent little thing was sighing over the hooded butler?

At Breanne's baffled expression, Shelly let out a laugh. 'He's thrilling, isn't he?'

How about terrifying? 'He's… something.'

'He doesn't say much, but when he does, he's just so smart, so kind. And funny, too. I just think he's the sexiest man alive, don't you?'

'I didn't get to see much of him,' Breanne said tactfully.

'I know, I'm sorry.' Shelly's smile was tremulous, making Breanne realize the cook was just as nervous as she was. 'All this dark is getting to me. It makes me talk too much. I should go finish my chores before I get myself into trouble with the boss.'

'Speaking of that,' Breanne said, 'do you know where the manager is?'

'Edward?' Shelly lifted a shoulder. 'I'm not sure, exactly. He's usually scarce at this time of day. You let me know if you want any of the extras, okay? We have massages and a few other spa treatments available. How about some mud therapy?'

Breanne could never relax through anything like that, not under these circumstances. 'Maybe some other time.'

'Aromatherapy? We use oils-it's lovely, really. Or you can swim in the indoor pool by candlelight. Oh! I could make you a lobster picnic when the electricity comes back on. And if you want me to book you for a helicopter tour when we get the phones back, or anything else like that, just let me know. For now I've got candles going in the dining room so it isn't dark there. There's food, too.'

Breanne's stomach growled.

'See? You're hungry. Come.'

'Will Edward be there?'

'Um…' Shelly fingered the mug. 'I don't know.'

At some point Breanne had begun to warm up, except for her bare feet. If she wanted food-which she absolutely did- she had no choice but to slip back into her high-heeled, wet boots. Ugh. 'How come I didn't see any of you when I first got here?'

'Sorry about that. But food will help take the edge off your travels. Then, in the light of day, everything will be okay.'

The travels had been the least of Breanne's worries. She would happily take yet another horrendous flight, seated between a dozen stinky fishermen this time, if only she could erase the entire day from existence. But there was no magic genie in sight, and Shelly held the doors open, gesturing Breanne out first.

She peered into the dark, dark hallway and swallowed hard.

'Come on,' Shelly coaxed. 'I met the other guest on the stairs and redirected him. Cooper, right? He's there already.' Shelly said this as if his presence should entice her.

Instead her stomach took a little dip, though truthfully it might not have been fear but an unwelcome sizzle of excitement.

'He's waiting for you,' Shelly said.

'Oh, goody.'

'Have you spoken to him? He's really nice.'

'I've given up men for Lent.'

'Are you Catholic?'

'No.' She shook her head. 'It was a joke. A bad one, sorry. Truthfully, I've discovered I have questionable taste in the male species, and I'm taking a break until I better hone my judgment.'

'Well, that's a shame. He's cute.'

Cute? Puppies were cute. Babies were cute.

But big, bad, sexy Cooper Scott was not. In fact, he was the furthest thing from cute she'd ever seen.

Which didn't explain that sizzle of excitement one little bit.

Chapter 6

When life throws you a bucket of shit, duck.

– Breanne Mooreland's Journal Entry