Jaci hurried into the kitchen of the Bird’s Nest with Rylan a few steps behind, carrying the tray of muffins. As soon as she caught sight of Birdie’s raised brows she realized she’d made a serious error.

If Jaci hadn’t been so rattled, she would have told Rylan to wait for her in the Jeep.

Now it was too late.

Hastily unloading the muffins, she swallowed a curse as Rylan strolled through the kitchen. He nodded toward a stunned Birdie and her helper before he was moving through the door that led into the outer dining room.

Great. Just great.

“Morning, Jaci,” Birdie said, moving to stand at Jaci’s side.

“Hey, Birdie.” Jaci could feel the older woman’s gaze burning a hole in the back of her bent head. “I added a few extra muffins. I assumed you would have a full house today.”

“You assumed right,” Birdie said. “They were lined up before I even unlocked the door.”

Jaci lifted her head to glance through the opening into the dining room, not at all surprised to see it packed despite the early hour. It was rare that anything exciting happened in the small town. The discovery of a body was going to have people buzzing for days.

Not that they were currently buzzing. Instead a silence had filled the room as the tables of men sent speculative glances toward Rylan before craning their necks to see into the kitchen.

Rolling her eyes, she forced herself to meet Birdie’s broad smile.

“Is there any news?” she asked.

Birdie shrugged, wiping her hands on her apron. “Nothing more than gossip.”

Right now gossip was preferable to the intrusive questions that were hovering on the older woman’s lips.

“What are they saying?”

The older woman hesitated, clearly aware Jaci was trying to divert her attention.

“Most believe the floods disturbed a graveyard and carried the bodies down the river,” she at last revealed. “There are a few who are saying that Heron is a dumping ground for the mob.” She gave a soft chuckle. “They’ve all watched The Godfather movies too many times. Of course, that’s not as ridiculous as those who are convinced that we have a serial killer. Might as well say that it was aliens.”

Jaci flinched at her teasing words. Why was it so hard for the locals to believe they might have a murderer walking among them?

It wasn’t like they were living in some sort of paradise that was without sin.

Still, she knew better than to say anything.

Until they discovered exactly what was going on it was probably best to keep her fears to herself.

“What about Mike?” she cautiously probed. “Has he said anything?”

Birdie moved to unlock a drawer next to the fridge, pulling out an envelope before she turned to hand it to Jaci.

“I haven’t seen anything of the sheriff or Sid this morning.”

Folding the envelope in half, Jaci shoved it into her back pocket.

“Thanks, Birdie,” she said, pivoting to head out of the diner to her Jeep.

“Wait,” the older woman commanded.

Jaci glanced over her shoulder. “Did I forget something?”

Birdie snorted. “You’re not leaving this kitchen without telling me what’s going on with the gorgeous Rylan.”

Jaci tensed, her gaze flicking toward the tall, golden-haired man who was ending his conversation with two high school friends so he could turn back toward the kitchen.

“Nothing’s going on,” she lied, her gaze locked on Rylan as he headed directly toward her.

Her heart skittered. Birdie was right. He was gorgeous. And sexy.

Indecently sexy.

“Do I look like I was born yesterday?” Birdie demanded.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jaci said.

Birdie glanced toward the approaching Rylan before returning her attention to Jaci.

“When I see a man and woman together at this hour I figure they spent the night together.”

“You figure wrong.” Jaci was able to answer with full honesty.

Birdie tilted her head to the side. “Then why are you blushing?”

Was she blushing? She resisted the urge to reach up and touch her cheeks.

“Elmer was worried about the muddy roads and he guilted Rylan into helping me with my deliveries. You know, in case I got stuck,” she said in a rush.

Birdie lifted her brows. “Stuck, huh?”

Belatedly realizing she was only making it worse, she pinned a stiff smile to her lips as she whirled toward the back door.

“I gotta go. See you tomorrow.”

Birdie said something, but Jaci plowed out of the kitchen and climbed into her Jeep, slamming shut the door as she reached to crank up the heat.

A second later Rylan was in the seat beside her, his eyes narrowed.

“Now what has your panties in a twist?”

She put the motor in gear, pulling out of the alley. “Everyone in that restaurant is speculating whether or not you spent the night with me.”

He reached over, pulling the seat belt she’d forgotten across her body and snapping it into the lock.

“Does it matter?” he asked, his lips brushing her ear.

Heat streaked through her. Oh Lord. Maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe . . .

No, no, no.

She wasn’t going to be sucked into making a fool of herself. Not again.

“Of course it matters,” she said, turning onto Main Street, heading toward the nearby highway. “You might be able to fly off to California, but I live here.”

He chuckled at her prim reprimand. “This isn’t the seventeenth century, Jaci.”

“Sometimes it feels like it,” she breathed. In truth, a small town could make a young woman fear that she was being slowly smothered.

Still, there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

“Jaci, you’re an adult, unattached woman, and I’m an unattached man,” he said, his voice edged with impatience. “Why shouldn’t we enjoy spending time together?”

She shot a covert glance toward him as she halted at the stop sign. Was he really unattached? What about the pretty blonde clinging to his arm in the glossy magazine article?

Then she gave a sharp shake of her head. Argh. What was wrong with her?

“You’ve clearly forgotten what it’s like to live in a small town,” she said, turning onto the highway and pressing her foot on the gas pedal.

Perhaps sensing she wasn’t in the mood to be convinced that they should indulge in some raw, meaningless sex before he hurried back to his expensive condo on the beach, Rylan settled back in his seat.

Neither spoke as she drove to Baldwin, both lost in their thoughts. But he was first out of the Jeep when she arrived at the tea shop, carrying in the tray of tarts despite her protests. And then again at the corner restaurant where she delivered several loaves of bread to tide them over the weekend.

He even insisted on following her to pick out the fresh veggies and herbs that she bought at a local farmer’s market.

They were loading the produce in the back of her Jeep when a flash of platinum-blond hair caught Jaci’s eye.

Straightening, she turned to watch as her half sister pushed a cart from the nearby grocery store across the parking lot.

“What the heck?” she breathed in shock.

Rylan swiftly moved to stand at her side. “What’s wrong?”

She nodded toward the pretty woman who was wearing a Burberry raincoat and carrying a Michael Kors handbag as she struggled to steer the cart.

She looked as out of place as an exotic bird in a corn-field.

“Payton,” she said.

A portion of Rylan’s tension eased. “You didn’t know she was in town?”

Jaci released a sharp laugh. “It’s not that. I assume she spends a lot of time in town.”

“Then why the surprise?”

“I didn’t realize she knew what a grocery store was, let alone how to find it.” She abruptly frowned as a memory teased at the edge of her mind. “Oh.”

Rylan sent her a questioning glance. “Jaci?”

“Mike asked me if I’d seen Anne yesterday.”

“Anne?”

“Anne Dixon. My mother’s housekeeper,” she clarified, her gaze latched onto Payton as the woman halted, glancing around as if she’d forgotten where she’d parked. Or more likely she was waiting for fairies to magically show up and unload her groceries. “I wonder if she quit.”

“Actually, I’m more interested in what Payton knows about her brother,” he said. “Why don’t we ask her?”

Jaci shook her head. “No way. I’ve already endured an encounter with my mother. That’s my family limit for the week.”

“It will only take a minute.” He reached up to wipe a stray drop of rain from her nose. “And I promise to protect you.”

“No.”

Predictably, Rylan ignored her protest, angling across the parking lot to head straight toward Payton.

“Crap,” Jaci growled, trying to keep up with his long strides. “You’re a pain, you know that?”

“Yep,” he acknowledged, his swift pace never slowing until he came to a smooth halt in front of Jaci’s beautiful sister. “Hello, Payton,” he said with a charming smile.

The younger woman flinched, clearly caught off guard to be recognized. Which was ridiculous considering everyone knew everyone in the area.

Then realizing who was standing in front of her, Payton’s embarrassment was swiftly forgotten.

“Rylan Cooper,” the woman drawled, her expression melting from annoyance to pure female invitation as her gaze drifted down Rylan’s hard body. “This is an unexpected pleasure.”

“I agree.” He deliberately glanced toward her loaded cart and a flush darkened Payton’s perfect ivory skin. “Very unexpected.”

“Our housekeeper is taking a few days off,” she hastily explained. “Unfortunately that means we all have to pitch in and cover her duties.”

“A necessary evil?” Rylan teased.

“Yes.” Her expression unexpectedly tightened, then with an obvious effort, she was shaking off her dark thought to reach out and lay her manicured fingers on Rylan’s arm. “I heard you were in town. We should . . .” Her words trailed away as she suddenly realized Rylan wasn’t there alone. “Oh. Jaci.”

Jaci resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Payton always managed to make her feel as if she’d just crawled out of a pigpen.

“Hello, Payton,” she managed in civil tones.

The blue eyes shifted from Jaci back to Rylan, then back to Jaci.

“Are you here together?”

It was the sheer disbelief in her voice that prompted Jaci to press herself against Rylan’s side.

“Rylan insisted on helping me with my deliveries this morning.”

The disbelief remained. “Really?”

Ignoring Rylan’s bemused smile, Jaci pressed even closer. Okay, it was juvenile. But the Hamilton clan brought out the worst in her.

“Why are you so surprised?” she demanded.

“I thought you and Mike had a thing going,” Payton accused with a deliberate attempt to cause trouble.

In response Rylan wrapped his arm possessively around Jaci’s shoulders.

“That’s in the past,” he said, casually brushing his lips over her cheek. “Isn’t it, Jaci?”

She swallowed a low moan. The warmth of his body chased away the chill that had plagued her since she’d found the locket on her door, his warm scent teasing at her senses.

The game was getting out of hand. Time for a distraction.

“I’ve never seen you at the grocery store before,” she said, focusing her attention squarely on Payton.

Her sister shrugged. “As I said, our housekeeper is on vacation.”

Jaci parted her lips to ask why the sheriff was interested in Anne when Rylan gave her shoulder a sudden squeeze. A silent reminder that they were supposed to be finding out about her half brother.

“I saw Mother yesterday,” she instead said, her voice overly nonchalant. She sucked at playing spy. And it didn’t help that Rylan still had his arm wrapped around her. How the heck was she supposed to think straight? “She said Christopher was home from college.”

Payton shrugged. “He returned a few days ago.”

“I haven’t seen him around,” Jaci pressed. “What’s he doing?”

A blond brow flicked upward. “Doing?”

“He just graduated from college. I assume he’s busy looking for a job.”

Another shrug. “He’s gone today, so he might be setting up some interviews.”

Okay. This was getting them nowhere.

Time to be blunt.

“I never heard what his degree was in,” she said. “I’m assuming he’s going into business like his father?”

Payton stiffened, a sudden anger darkening her eyes. “What do you care?”

“He’s a part of my family,” Jaci forced herself to say, even managing a fake smile.

Payton’s nose flared, as if she’d just caught a foul scent. “We might be related, Jaci Patterson, but you’ve never been a part of our family.”

Ouch.

Jaci flinched as the poisonous arrow found its target. It was stupid. She’d endured rejection after rejection over the years from her supposed relatives. She should be used to their verbal blows.

Instead she instantly gave in to the childish need to hit back.

“If you think that’s an insult, you’re wrong,” she assured the younger woman, barely resisting the urge to topple her off her absurd high heels. Seriously, who went grocery shopping in Louboutins? “My grandparents were the only family I needed.”

Sensing the brewing fight, Rylan tugged her a step back as he spoke.

“I haven’t seen Christopher in years.” He intruded into the conversation. “I should stop by and catch up with him. When will he be home?”

Payton paused, no doubt struggling to regain her composure as she turned her attention to Rylan.

“I’m not sure,” she told him.

“Ah.” Rylan pretended to be disappointed. “Maybe I’ll just stop by later today to see if he’s made it home.”

Payton glanced toward her groceries before giving a sharp shake of her head.

“I’m sorry, but this really isn’t a good time. I’ll have him give you a call.”

With a meaningless smile she pushed her cart and hurried along the line of parked cars to the expensive silver SUV at the end of the lot.

Keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulders, Rylan steered her back to the Jeep.

“Interesting,” he said.

“What’s interesting?” she asked, pulling away from his distracting touch.

“She didn’t want me visiting her brother. I wonder why.”

Jaci snorted, yanking open the door of her Jeep. “I wonder a lot of things about Payton,” she said, climbing into her seat and switching on the engine. “Mainly why she always has to be such a bitch to me.”

“Because she’s jealous of you,” Rylan said as he joined her in the Jeep and shut his door.

Jaci jerked her head around to study his profile, waiting for the punch line.

“Is that a joke?” she at last demanded.

“Not at all.” He swiveled in his seat to meet her accusing gaze. “Payton has always envied you.”

“That’s insane.” As if to prove her point, Payton zipped past in her vehicle that was worth more than Jaci’s house. “She has everything.”

“No one has everything,” Rylan assured her.

Jaci should have let it go. After all, she’d been trained her entire life to grin and bear it. She’d been told over and over that there was no need to air her family’s dirty laundry. Not even if that dirty laundry was public knowledge in the area.

Today, however, her nerves were too raw to be so easily pacified. She had to vent before she exploded.

“Payton was raised with a mother and father, plus a brother.” She grimaced. “Although I wouldn’t wish Christopher on anyone,” she conceded, before continuing to list Payton’s numerous blessings. “She has money, she’s beautiful. And she gets treated like a princess wherever she goes.” Her lips twisted with . . . not envy—she would never change places with her pampered sister—but a bitterness she’d never been able to fully purge. “I was the one whose father died when I was a baby, whose mother abandoned me, and who had to work for every penny I have.”

Rylan held her gaze, seemingly indifferent to her grievances.

“Think about it, Jaci,” he insisted. “She has a father who’s gone ninety percent of the time and a mother who I doubt is capable of loving anyone. And as you said, Christopher is a self-centered dick.” He reached to grab her hand, threading their fingers together. “You, on the other hand, had grandparents who openly adored you.” He gave her fingers a light squeeze. “They never missed one activity you were involved in. It didn’t matter if it was a basketball game or if you were playing flute in a music concert. It was a running joke that they always got to every event an hour early so they could have front row seats.”

Her gaze lowered to their clasped hands, an intoxicating warmth surging through her. She tried to tell herself it was the memory of her grandparents, but that didn’t explain the fluttery excitement in the pit of her stomach.

“That’s true,” she conceded.

Rylan wasn’t done. “And what has her money ever gotten Payton?” he continued. “A bunch of fake friends who she could never be sure really liked her or just pretended to like her so they could go to her big house and ride in her expensive car.”

Jaci slowly shook her head. Payton had always been swarmed with friends. It couldn’t just be because she had a flashy car. Could it?

“She was homecoming queen,” she insisted. “More than once.”

He shrugged. “Because she promised everyone who voted for her an invitation to her yearly pool party.”

Someone had once told Jaci that Payton was buying votes, but Jaci assumed she was just being catty.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Listen, Jaci.” He tugged her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m not saying Payton had a rough childhood. She was clearly spoiled and her last name is Hamilton, which gives her special privileges in this area. But she was never truly admired by her classmates.” He turned her hand over, kissing her open palm. She shuddered, desire sizzling through her. “Not like you.”

She was once again stunned by his words. He clearly had a much different memory of high school than she did.

What was that saying . . . truth is in the eye of the beholder?

“I was never popular,” she protested.

“Of course you were.” He leaned toward her, his gaze lowering to her lips. “Everyone liked you. They might not have fussed over you like they did Payton, but they genuinely wanted to spend time in your company. Not because of what you could give them, but because they enjoyed being with you. And I’d bet that most of them are still your friends, aren’t they?”

It was increasingly difficult to concentrate on the conversation.

“Yes,” she managed to agree, less concerned with her large circle of friends than the hope he was about to kiss her.

“You’re a welcomed member of this community,” he continued, leaning another inch closer. “Can you say the same for Payton?”

“I don’t know,” she said, although she did.

Her half sister had always considered herself too good to associate with the yokels of Heron, or even the larger town of Baldwin.

She belonged in her big house on the hill.

“I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for Payton, but she had to live with the stigma of your mother’s selfishness.”

His soft words abruptly jerked her out of her sensual haze.

Did he just say that it was Payton who had to suffer because of their mother?

“I was the one abandoned,” she reminded him in sharp tones.

“Which meant you got all the sympathy.”

“That’s . . .” With a frustrated sigh she yanked her hand free and grabbed the steering wheel. Later she would consider his words. But for now all she wanted was to get home so she could crawl back in bed for a short nap. Or maybe she’d take a nice cold shower. Anything to make her forget about Rylan Cooper and her snowballing need to get him naked.

She shoved the Jeep in gear and peeled out of the parking lot. “I have better things to worry about than my sister.”

Beside her Rylan chuckled, clearly pleased that he’d gotten under her skin.

Aggravating ass.