Can't Buy Me Love (Sinclair Sisters 3)

“I’ll run to the kitchen.” He pointed at Jean. “Don’t move from that spot.”

She nodded solemnly. “Maybe you could get Chef to make me an egg sandwich while you’re there, with some bacon if he’s got it, and maybe a potato scone.”

With a shake of his head, Logan shut the office door on Jean and jogged to the kitchen, hoping he’d be back before Agnes found their thief unattended.

Chapter 10

Four women sat in a row in Agnes’ office, on chairs she’d had to grab from the pub. They were all of retirement age, none of them were happy to be there, and only one wasn’t related to a cop or Benson Security employee—their thief, Jean.

Dressed in her gray pantsuit, Agnes wore her hair clasped at her nape and sensible low-heeled work shoes on her feet. Usually, the outfit made her feel in control. But not in this situation. No, this situation was completely out of control and getting worse by the minute, because not only was one of the women Logan’s mother, she’d also brought his daughter along.

The preteen sat on the floor beside the door pretending she was too sick for school, while she soaked up everything that was happening. And the sight of her brought reality crashing back down on Agnes—Logan was a father. Just the thought made her take another step to the side, to widen the distance between them. And, of course, Logan noticed her retreat. Not only him, but his mother and daughter too.

The temperature in the room seemed to go up a few degrees.

“What are we waiting for?” Margaret Campbell demanded. Agnes had learned that Margaret was the leader of the knitting group. She was also Lake Benson’s mother-in-law.

“Dougal.” Agnes wasn’t happy about that, but when she’d called to update him on the situation, he’d insisted on being present.

“Do we have to?” Jean complained. “It’s awkward between us. I don’t think he’s ever gotten over me.”

“That was years ago,” Shona McBride, Logan’s mother, said. “Of course, he’s over you.”

Jean shook her head. “I see it in his eyes every time I’m around him.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Unrequited love.”

“Piffle.” Heather Donaldson, the mother of Matt, Invertary’s only cop, rolled her eyes.

“I’m a hard woman to get over.” Jean reached for another slice of cake.

Which reminded Agnes. “Why do they have cake?” she asked Logan.

“They were hungry.” There was a sparkle in his eyes again. He was amused.

She wasn’t. “They’re stealing from us, so we’re rewarding them with cake?”

“Stealing? Who’s stealing?” Margaret shot to her feet, clasping her massive handbag in front of her. “You think we’re stealing? I won’t stay here to be maligned like this. And you”—she pointed at Logan—“you can explain this to your boss. Lake will hear all about it.”

“Sit down, Margaret,” Logan said with long suffering. “Lake already knows, and he trusts us to get to the bottom of this.”

“You stole something, Gran?” Logan’s daughter’s eyes widened.

“Of course not.” Shona sounded outraged. “And keep quiet, or I’ll decide you’re well enough to go to school after all.”

It was Agnes’ turn to roll her eyes. “She isn’t sick. She’s faking it. Those dark circles and that white complexion are makeup.”

“Darcy,” Logan rumbled. “Is that true?”

The kid’s cheeks flushed red. “I just wanted to meet your new girlfriend. She’s the first girlfriend you’ve had since Mum, and I heard Gran say it must be serious if you’re showing this kind of interest. Gran said you live like a monk, although I had to ask my teacher what a monk was, and I’m not sure Gran’s right.”

“Gran sure says a lot of things,” Logan drawled as he stared at his mother.

Shona stuck her nose in the air. “In my defense, usually nobody listens.”

Logan turned back to his daughter. “You shouldn’t have cut school. You should have asked me if you could meet Agnes.”

“I did, and you said no.”

“So, you thought you’d just take matters into your own hands, because you know better than me?”