A Love to Treasure (Sunriver Dreams Book 1) (12 page)

This was the part that worried Nicole the most. If she owned this place she’d go glam all the way, but this was a rental and needed to appeal to a lot of people. “Traditional?”

Mona gave her a tight smile. “Are you asking because you don’t know what traditional is or you aren’t sure what you like?”

Bailey caught her eye and gave her an encouraging smile. “Don’t think about what anyone else would want in here. Describe to us your idea of the perfect bedroom. Trust us with the rest.”

“Well, okay. Here it goes. I hate the furniture in here right now. It’s too big and tired. I want light and airy, but not modern. I really like how the rest of this place has been decorated. The white leather couch is my favorite. A sparkly chandelier would be neat as well as reflective surfaces, but not too much. I love luxury, so high quality linens would be nice.” She shot a look toward Mona who watched her with interest. “Maybe high quality anything would be bad in a rental.” She shrugged. “Anyway, the furniture should fit the space and not overpower it. And if you are going to add a dresser, please make it functional. That one is a joke. The drawers are too tiny. I think an armoire would be ideal.”

Bailey looked up from the notes she was taking. “This is exactly the kind of feedback we were hoping for. What about the bathroom?”

“It should blend with the bedroom; don’t you think?”

Bailey nodded. “Anything else? Do you have a preference regarding fixtures?”

“Uh.” Nicole looked to Mona.

“We can update them with something classic that fits the budget,” Mona said.

Relief surged through Nicole. “Perfect. Thanks!” She stood. “Are we done then?”

Mona nodded and Bailey gathered their belongings. “I’ll give you a call in a few days to go over the preliminary design,” Bailey said.

“Sounds good.” Nicole walked them to the door. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.” She pulled the door open and caught her breath. “Mark! You’ve got to stop doing that to me.”

He chuckled. “Sorry about that.” He nodded toward the designers, then turned his attention to Nicole. “Do you have a minute to talk privately?”

Mona bustled past. “We were on our way out, officer.”

Bailey followed silently after her boss.

“Come in.” Nicole motioned Mark inside. She closed the door, turned, then led him to the living room and sat on the couch. “What’s going on?”

“Something’s come up.”

“You need to cancel tonight?” Disappointment washed over her, but she tried to hide it.

“Not exactly.” He explained the plan.

She grinned. Seeing Spencer in drag would be worth postponing their date. “Count me in. It sounds like fun.” Grams would love this. She had always been up for adventure, and it didn’t get more adventurous than helping a cop with a stakeout.

He chuckled. “That is not the response I expected, but thank you.” They firmed up the details and he left.

Nervous energy surged through Nicole. She had to do something to keep busy until her “date” tonight. She meandered up the spiral staircase to the loft and pulled the first book her hand touched off the shelf. Grams had mentioned a good book. Would she have to go through every single title on the shelves to find the clue? She’d need to read full time all summer to accomplish that. It had to be simpler than that.

Her eyes landed on a black leather King James Bible. It looked a lot like the one Grams used to read. She ran her hand over the spine then moved to the book beside it and pulled it from the shelf. She wasn’t ready to open Grams’ Bible yet. The missing clue must be in one of these books. If only Grams had been more specific.

Chapter Eleven

Nicole closed the blinds in preparation for the stakeout Mark and Spencer had planned. It wouldn’t do to have the bad guys see cops inside her house. She stilled and stared out the window as a deer munched on weeds. The peace the animal exhibited was opposite to her own right now—she was not an adrenaline junky, and her palms sweated.

She closed the blind and moved to the next. A knock sliced through the silence squelching her thoughts. Nicole’s heels tapped on the hardwood floor as she hustled to answer the door. “You’re early.”

“Sorry. I forgot to mention the time-line moved up.”

Her stomach flipped, and her pulse thrummed in her ears. This had to be the craziest thing she’d ever agreed to, but if it helped catch the thieves, then it was worth it. “Not a problem. Let me grab my bag.” She opened the newly reinforced door further, allowing him to step inside.

“You look amazing.” He placed a soft kiss on her cheek and whispered, “I promise I’ll make this up to you.”

His touch sent a tingle racing across her skin in a way she wouldn’t mind revisiting when she wasn’t so nervous. She reminded herself Mark was only playing a part in case anyone was watching, or he never would have kissed her cheek since she’d made it clear they were only two friends enjoying dinner together.

Nicole turned and grabbed her bag from the counter, complete with plenty of reading material to keep her occupied all night if necessary. She’d searched through a quarter of the books in the loft for a clue, but had come up empty other than finding several that she wanted to read.

Grams probably didn’t have this in mind when she said to have fun, but she had to admit she was, in spite of her nerves. It wasn’t every day she got to participate in a police operation—well, maybe she wasn’t an active participant, but this was close. As she walked back to where Mark waited, admiration lit his eyes. Her breath caught—that look sure wasn’t for anyone else’s benefit. Her cheeks warmed, and she shifted her gaze away. “Ready?”

Mark opened the door and followed her. She handed him the key to lock up, and he pocketed it—all part of the plan for later when he would return. He strolled beside her with his hand resting on the small of her back. “In case I forgot to mention it, I’m sorry about tonight. I was looking forward to our evening together.” He spoke softly as he pulled the passenger door open to his car and waited for her to buckle up before closing it.

Moments later they were on Beaver Drive. Mark’s hands gripped the steering wheel hard. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine. Do you think they were watching?”

“Not likely. But you did a great job. Anyone would’ve believed we were heading out on a date.”

For the first time she noted he wore a suit and tie. “You clean up nice.”

He grinned and kept his eyes on the road. “Thanks. I appreciate your going along with this and being so understanding.”

“Catch them. That’s all I ask.”

“We’ll do our best, but tips don’t always deliver the desired results.”

She heard the warning and tucked it away. Would tonight be a total waste? “There’s one part of the plan I don’t understand. If the bad guys
were
watching us leave, and they see you and Spencer go back so soon, won’t they suspect something is up?”

He shrugged. “It’s possible. But that’s why we moved the timeline up a little. With any luck, Spencer and I will be back to your place long before anything happens.”

She shuddered. “I can’t believe they’re planning to rob the house right next door. That’s way too close for comfort!”

“Like I said, tips aren’t always reliable. The stakeout may turn up nothing.”

She pursed her lips—he could be right—but it also might turn up a couple of thieves. She gazed out the passenger window barely noticing the landscape of trees and shrubs.

“Nicole?”

“Hmm?”

“Tonight would be a good time to pray.”

She swallowed the lump that suddenly formed and nodded. Was he worried? Should she be worried? How much danger would Mark and Spencer be in? “I imagine Spencer is thankful to have you as a partner.”

He glanced her way. “He’s not my partner.”

“Okay.” She wondered at the firmness of his tone and if it had anything to do with what had happened to his last partner.

Mark pulled into his driveway and killed the engine. After a long moment, he sighed and turned toward her. “I’m sorry for snapping, but I told myself I’d never work with a partner again. I’m only backup.”

Sounded like the definition of a partner to her, but she wouldn’t argue. She got out without waiting for Mark to open her door and eyed his modest rental. It was a typical Sunriver home, probably dating back to the seventies.

She followed him inside. The house had vaulted ceilings with skylights that illuminated a ceiling fan in the center of the room. All the blinds were closed. Someone moved in the dimly lit room, and Nicole jumped.

“It’s only me.” Spencer walked toward them.

Mark flipped on a light.

Nicole’s eyes widened, and she touched her hand to her mouth, suppressing a giggle. Spencer wore a dress surprisingly similar to hers along with a blond wig. She turned to Mark. “You’re abandoning me for her?”

Mark grinned and slapped Spencer on the back. “Yeah, she has a
great
personality.”

Nicole held back a laugh. “Ah, don’t worry. When I’m finished with your makeup and hair, any man, at least from a distance, won’t care a hoot about your personality.”

Spencer groaned. “Let’s get this over with.”

Mark chuckled. “This I’ve got to see.” He pulled out a wooden chair from the table and sat.

Nicole studied her project. “I’ll need to fix your hair if you want to be believable.” She fingered the wig. “It’s a good thing you’re about my height and have a similar build.”

Mark guffawed.

Spencer glared at them. “For the record, I’m bigger, but not enough anyone at a distance would notice.” He lumbered to the kitchen counter and sat on a bar stool with his back to them.

Nicole pulled the band from her hair letting it fall past her shoulders, then carefully pulled the wig into a low ponytail. Last, she applied a light coat of makeup to his eyes and cheeks, just enough to give him a feminine look that clashed with his five o’clock shadow. “There.” She stepped back and admired the effect. “Keep your head down when you go inside. Even someone with impaired vision would be able to tell you’re not me if they get a look at that mug. You could’ve shaved.”

Spencer ran his hand over his chin. “I shaved this morning.”

“There’s one thing to be thankful for,” Mark said.

“What’s that?” Spencer glared.

“Even in drag you don’t look like a woman.” Mark checked his watch. “I have an unopened disposable razor in the bathroom drawer. Hurry up and shave. We need to roll.”

Spencer mumbled something as he left the room.

Mark turned to Nicole. “You’ll be okay here?”

“I think so.”

Sadie stood and stretched, then moved from her bed in the corner over to them, her tail wagging so fast it created a breeze.

“Sadie and I will be fine. You two stay safe.”

“Always.” He winked with a smile. As soon as Spencer joined them again, Mark motioned her behind the door so she wouldn’t be seen when they left. A moment later the lock snapped into place. She checked out Mark’s living room, then slipped the thriller she had yet to finish from her bag and snuggled into the worn brown leather couch facing the fireplace. Sadie laid down at her feet, resting her head on her paws.

Lord, it’s been a long time, but if You’re listening, please keep Mark and Spencer safe.

Mark carried a can of soda over to the window where Spencer sat holding binoculars and peering through a slight crack. The wig and dress were now tucked away in a bag, and he’d changed into jeans and a T-shirt.

Mark loosened his tie and handed Spencer the soda. “Anything yet?”

“Nope.” He set the can on the floor. “Nicole seems nice.”

“She is. You fishing?”

“Yep.” Spencer kept his attention focused on the house next door.

“Not taking the bait.” He hoped Spencer noticed the edge in his voice. Nicole was not open for discussion. He liked her. He didn’t enjoy using her like this, but at least she was safe at his place.

“Fine, but it could be a long night.”

Mark sighed. He’d been on more than his share of stakeouts, and they were never fun. But being inside Nicole’s house beat sitting in a car or on a park bench.