Zeph Undercover by Jenny Andersen Read Free Book Online

reason to trust Derek’s honesty, nor did anyone else after the revelations of last summer.
    So some swindle involving Blanton’s, just as Zeph had told her. She shook her head, still almost unable to believe what Derek had done. She’d grown up with him. And Luke and Hannah. Derek had been mayor of Stone’s Crossing for nine years. Crazed with love for Luke’s first wife, he’d framed Luke for her murder, stolen Luke’s property, and then tried to kill Hannah.
    Santos Rodriguez ran the company now, but as far as she knew, no policies had been changed. Could he be carrying on whatever Derek had instigated? She didn’t think so, but what did she know about the man?
    Not much. In fact, Santos ghosted through town like a—well, ghost. She’d always thought he was shy. Rarely seen, he had spoken almost solely to Derek. Now—he had no one, no close friends, no significant other, as far as she knew. He might be Zeph’s chief suspect.
    But the court-appointed conservator for Derek would be the first to fall under suspicion. With access to all the records, he should have caught any scams right away. The court-appointed conservator, retired Judge Lincoln Wentworth.
    The liquid in her glass sloshed dangerously. She set it on the small table at her elbow. What if Zeph had come here to investigate her father? Of course he was innocent, but nightmare visions of heartless inquisitions and reputation-destroying rumors gripped her. So many people believed that where there was smoke one found fire.
    Maybe Zeph had come here specifically to investigate her father.
    She stared at him through narrowed eyes, as if she could read his mind if she looked hard enough, but could only see the red of her fury. He’d come here to use her.
    Buried under the anger, a tiny voice of logic said that of course he had to investigate everyone involved. An even tinier whisper told her not to get angry. Hot emotions might melt the ice she’d put around her feelings.

Chapter 3
    A man could get used to Martha’s cooking, Zeph decided the next morning. Comfortably full of pecan waffles and the best coffee he’d ever tasted, he strolled through the front door of Allie’s clinic.
    She came through her office door like a bullet and slammed into him.
    He rocked back, delight booming through him. The one remaining thing to make this a perfect day. “I missed you, too,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and enjoying the warm weight of her against him. “Good morning.”
    She stepped back. “Let go of me. I thought you were an emergency patient. I don’t have any appointments this morning.”
    “I have a morning emergency you could hel—”
    “Don’t you dare.”
    If he’d thought she’d been frosty yesterday, today was polar ice cap. Doubled, squared, and cubed. So many of his women would have melted. And helped with his morning problem. But Allie… With surprise, he realized her distaste made him feel a little sleazy. He let go. “I apologize. What are we doing today?”
    “I have some house calls to make this morning. Office hours this afternoon.”
    “House calls? Don’t you mean barn calls?”
    One corner of her mouth crimped. Almost a smile? The thought gave him hope. “Where are you going?”
    “I’m going to Betty’s to give her cat his annual vaccinations—”
    “Cat? Why doesn’t she just bring it in?”
    “Because she’s at work. Cooking all those yummy things you like to eat, remember?”
    Hope shriveled with frostbite.
    “And I can swing by her place on the way to Monty’s ranch to examine a horse that’s off his feed,” she continued. “You have a problem with that?”
    “Nope. Just curious.”
    “What are you going to do?”
    “Come with you?” he said with the off-center grin that usually got him what he wanted.
    “I thought you had to talk to people. There won’t be anyone around either place. Betty and Monty will both be at work, and they couldn’t be suspects anyway. Oh, wait. I almost forgot. You