Then Came Love by Mona Ingram Read Free Book Online Page B

it. I know she’s dying, but her doctors say she could last several more months. They just don’t know.”
    “So what prompted you to come up here? It’s a few hours to get back to Vancouver.”
    She smiled. “My husband went away and it seemed like the perfect time to get off on my own.” She considered telling him about Vince’s cottage, but changed her mind. “I’d heard about this area, and decided to explore.”
    “And I’m glad you did.” He stood up, offered her his hand. “It’s getting late and I’d better get back. Dave will be wondering what happened to me.”
    She rose, and her breath caught in her throat. They were standing close together, almost touching. He raised a hand and brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face. “I’m glad you’re here, Amanda. You’re an amazing woman.”
    She almost came undone at his touch. Vince hadn’t touched her with tenderness for months now. She turned away, afraid that he would see the longing in her eyes. “Goodnight, Jackson.” She walked the few steps to the cottage door and then turned. “I’m glad I’m here too. See you tomorrow.” She opened the screen door and disappeared inside.
    “You can count on it,” he said to the closed door.
    It wasn’t until he started to paddle again that he realized how tired he was. He’d spent the entire day paddling from lake to lake, moving from resort to resort, casually speaking to anyone he could find. And yet still no leads on strangers in the area, or hints that would lead him to the grow-op. It would make a huge difference to the success of their operation if they could locate it before the top man arrived to inspect the crop.
    Their intel was excellent. Their informant had worked at a grow-op on the lower mainland that had recently been busted. Eager for a reduction in sentencing, he’d passed on everything he learned, as well as everything he knew about the other workers. He’d reported that “the boss” would be visiting around Labour Day. They still didn’t know his name, but the informant had taken a photograph on his cell phone when the boss showed up unannounced to inspect the operation. Jackson touched his shirt pocket where he kept a copy of the photo. The informant had been released by mistake and had disappeared. Jackson couldn’t blame him; the people who owned this operation would be ruthless if they suspected that he’d talked.
    He pulled up to the dock and tied off the canoe. His bed would be welcome tonight but he’d rather share it with Amanda. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him on like this; he was becoming aroused just thinking about her.
    He climbed the ladder to the loft and stretched out on the bed, fully clothed. Yes, he wanted her. He wanted to make love to her. But there was more to his desire than physical satisfaction. He wanted to take care of her, to comfort her, to banish the sadness that lurked behind those amazing hazel eyes. It was always there, just below the surface. It seemed impossible that he could fall in love with her so quickly, but he had. Amanda was a woman with whom he could happily share the rest of his life.
    “Get over it, Galloway.” He got up, undressed and headed for a cold shower. “She’s a married woman.”
    * * *
    “Give me some good news, Galloway.” Traynor, Jackson and two other agents were sharing a booth at a restaurant in town. They had the place almost to themselves, but they still kept their voices low.
    “Sorry, boss. I covered all the resorts in the surrounding lakes yesterday and didn’t pick up a thing.” He examined the calluses on his hands. “All I can say is this operation is tighter than a...” He looked up. “It’s tight.”
    “Okay.” Traynor took a deep breath. “Let’s review everything we know.” He glanced at the two newer agents. “Fuller and Dirksen have been briefed, but as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as too much information.”
    “Right” Jackson