“But look at me.” It almost hurt to stare up at him, he was so good-looking. He was Thor. With dimples. “You can trust me,” he said quietly. “Always. Do you get that?”
“I do,” I said, letting go of the breath I’d been holding. “I really do.”
He stared at me for another long moment, then nodded, apparently satisfied with what he saw in my eyes. We walked for six more blocks while we talked about nothing in particular, all the way around the town square and back to Hennessey House, where he left me, explaining that he had a few more hours of work before he could call it a day.
I stared at his back, wondering how he could smile so beautifully and sound so casual while leaving me feeling so nerve-racked.
I went straight to the bar for another glass of wine.
“Hello there, miss,” a man behind me said.
I turned and smiled at Bob, Jesse’s old buddy. “Hi, Bob. I’m Shannon. Do you remember me?”
“Sure do. I believe you’re the only lovely lady I haven’t chatted with this afternoon.”
“Are you having a good time?”
“I am now,” he said, and winked. The man was a flirt!
I slipped my arm through his and we strolled outside with our drinks. “I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to you at Jesse’s memorial service, but I’ve heard about you for years.”
“It’s all lies,” he said, holding up both hands in surrender.
I laughed. “I don’t think so. Jesse never stopped talking about all the fun you had on that diving trip you took for his birthday.”
“That was a great time,” he said with a sentimental nod. “There won’t be another one of those anytime soon.”
“Did you get all the way down to the shipwreck?”
“We sure did. That’s a big chunk of history right there. But you’ve got to be careful. Got to know what you’re doing. Of course, we were all in the navy, so diving was our life for many years.”
“What was it like to swim around inside the old clipper ship?”
“Didn’t go inside. I’m a little too tall and hefty.” He chuckled and patted his belly. “If I swam into the bowels, I might get stuck. One small shift of the current and an old ship like that could rise or sink a little and kill you.”
“I never thought of that. Sounds dangerous.”
“It can be. So I was perfectly happy swimming around the wreckage. It’s spread across a big area of the sea bottom.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Yep. I could’ve spent a few days down there and not seen it all. And of course, I might not have made it back.”
“We wouldn’t want that to happen.”
“No, ma’am. Jesse made it, though. He explored some of the staterooms and the hull. Those are some tight squeezes for a man my size.”
“Did Ned go inside?”
“He managed to work his way down to the main dining room belowdecks, but that was it.”
“Did any of you find anything worth bringing back?”
“Oh, there was some talk at the time that we should tell everyone we found some precious gems or coins, but it was all a big joke. The real treasure was the experience itself. The memories. That’s what I brought back.”
“It sounds like you had a wonderful time.”
“We sure did. Jesse was able to explore most of the ship, but then he was a few years younger than me.” Bob nudged me and winked again. “But I’ve got stamina on my side.”
“You’re a devil,” I said.
He laughed until he wheezed. I had to grab his drink to keep it from dropping. When he finally caught his breath, he chuckled hoarsely. “Haven’t laughed like that in years. I like you, Shannon. You’re a firecracker.”
“Thank you.” I was pretty sure it was a compliment.
“I’d better get you inside,” he said, rubbing his arms. “It’s turning chilly out here.”
I left Bob at the French doors and watched him shuffle back toward the bar. It was interesting to know that he and Ned had not gone into any of the staterooms of the Glorious Maiden. And he considered the talk about finding treasure a joke. So chances were good that he and Ned had never seen what Jesse found.
I hadn’t expected Bob to confess to murder, but I was a little bummed that he’d turned out to be such a sweetie. My list of suspects was shrinking.
“There’s my girl.”
I whipped around instantly and felt my disappointment slide away. “Dad, you made it.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” He gave me a bear hug and kept his arm wrapped around my shoulder. “Our Jane’s in the big time now.”
“I know. Isn’t this place grand?”
“Sure is.” Dad glanced around the room, taking in the finishings. I followed the direction of his gaze, grateful that he would notice the raised-panel wainscoting I’d designed, the double-ringed ceiling medallion that so perfectly accented the chandelier, the way the aging moldings were fitted together at each corner, the rebuilt decorative cornices and brackets at the edges of the alcove, the completely redesigned fireplace panel.