Scene of the Crime: Return to Bachelor Moon by Carla Cassidy Read Free Book Online

their breakfast, they left by the back door, and Marlena relocked it after them. For the remainder of the morning, she busied herself upstairs, making beds and freshening the rooms where the agents were sleeping.
    She immediately knew that Gabriel had slept in the lavender room. As she plumped his pillows and straightened the spread, she smelled his cologne and was surprised by the tiny ray of heat that fired up inside her.
    There was no question that she was physically drawn to him, and there was also no question that she had no intention of following through on that attraction. The most important thing right now was that he stay focused on finding Sam, Daniella and Macy.
    When she’d finished upstairs, she returned to the kitchen to start a large roast cooking for dinner that evening. An hour or so before mealtime, she’d add in potatoes and carrots.
    During the slow months of July and August, Pamela was scheduled to clean two days a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. Since it was Saturday, Marlena would take care of the daily duties to keep the place in shape. Even though Daniella was gone and there were no guests, Daniella would want the routine of maintaining the bed-and-breakfast to continue.
    Marlena sank down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, her heart crying out for answers. Where were the Connellys? Nobody would ever make her believe that they’d just walked away without a word to anyone.
    Daniella was living her dream, loving a man she’d never expected to find, working in this business that had been her desire since she’d been in high school and raising her daughter in the cocoon of family love. No way would Daniella willingly leave her life behind.
    Marlena nearly jumped out of her chair as a loud rap sounded on the front door. Her nerves were on edge. Even though there were no guests scheduled, that didn’t mean someone couldn’t show up.
    She relaxed as she approached the front door and saw Thomas Brady on the other side, his pleasant features radiating concern for her. She unlocked the door, and he instantly pulled her into his big arms.
    “I just heard about the Connellys,” he said as he continued to hold her. “I was working out of town for the past couple of days and got back home only an hour ago.”
    She was grateful when he finally released her and sat on the sofa in the great room. “How are you doing? Is there something I can do to help? I heard you’ve got a couple of FBI agents staying here. Do they have a theory on what happened?”
    Marlena waited until he’d run out of breath to begin to answer his questions. “I’m doing as well as I can, although I’m terribly afraid for the family. There are three FBI agents staying here, and, no, they don’t have a clue yet as to what happened and who might be responsible.”
    “I don’t like the idea of you being here by yourself, especially with nobody knowing what happened to Sam, Daniella and Macy,” Thomas said. He leaned forward, his brown eyes earnest. “You should move in with me. You would be safe under my roof.”
    “You know I’m not going to do that,” she said softly. “Besides, I just told you there were FBI agents staying here. I also have Cory, so I’m definitely not by myself. Now tell me about the job you just finished.”
    Thomas was a local carpenter who not only did renovation work but also specialized in spectacular decks and patios. His skills often got him work in the larger cities in the state.
    As he told her about his latest job in New Orleans, she listened absently. She had known for some time that Thomas had a thing for her. They’d even gone out on a couple of casual dates.
    Sam and Daniella hadn’t thought the carpenter was good enough for Marlena, but they didn’t have to worry because Marlena knew her future wasn’t with Thomas. She just couldn’t seem to make Thomas understand that.
    She enjoyed his company as a friend and thought he was a nice man, but she had no romantic feelings toward