“Yeah.” They appeared as if they were plotting something. “What are you up to?”
“We’ve just finished here.”
Perhaps it was none of her business. They were both highly trained military men, but then she remembered the fear on Ed’s face. “What are you two planning?”
Brandon walked towards her. “Nothing.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “If you’re not too tired, why don’t you see if Georgie needs a hand?”
His gentle touch caused her heart to race. Sam’s smug expression showed he could tell how Brandon affected her. She stepped back. “All right.”
As she walked down the corridor, she glanced back. They were chatting again. Maybe they were going to set a guard on the house, though it was a little late now.
Georgie sat on the floor in Beth’s craft room surrounded by fabric, wool, ribbons and glitter. She looked up at Amy with tears in her eyes. “Why?”
Amy’s heart lurched. She sat and pulled Georgie into her arms. Georgie’s sobs bit into Amy’s defences and Amy rubbed her back. She’d been a trouper since her parents had died, getting things done and maybe this was the final straw. If Amy could, she’d take all of her pain away.
Someone stopped at the door. Brandon’s gaze met hers, full of sorrow and uncertainty. She smiled and he hesitated for a moment, taking a half step inside before shaking his head and moving on. It had to be so difficult for him as well. Never sure how his family would react to him. Amy hoped he’d be more comfortable by the end of his stay.
When Georgie had finished crying and dried her eyes, she took a deep breath. “Lara wants to keep this stuff, but Mum was a hoarder so anything too old or crazy we’ll chuck out.” She looked at the mess. “It won’t be missed.”
“Sure.” Amy picked up a box marked ribbons and sorted through the mess collecting ribbons of various colours and widths.
It was after midnight before things were tidy enough for Darcy to declare they’d done enough. Amy and Georgie had stopped being so neat when stuffing things back in their boxes and the craft room looked more or less like it had that morning.
All Amy wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep. She reached the kitchen door and spotted Brandon speaking with Sam over by their quarters. She glanced at the table. “Does anyone know what happened to my laptop?”
Ed spoke. “Brandon said he’d return it to your room.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” She walked back to her room, but there was no laptop on her table and her car keys which normally sat on the table were gone.
They had been there before dinner.
Her irritation gave her a boost of energy and she knocked on Brandon’s door. When he opened it, he was shirtless and the sight of his naked chest made all rational thought leave her mind.
“Can I help you?”
She blinked, trying to get her brain to reboot. He’d changed into a black pair of cargo pants and held a black T-shirt in his hand. She focused on his eyes. “Do you have my laptop?”
“No.”
“Ed said you’d taken it to my room, but it’s not there.”
“Ed was mistaken.”
She glanced over his shoulder and he shuffled to the side to block her view but not before she noticed her car keys on his table. “Taking up a life of crime now?”
He frowned. “What?”
Matt walked up the steps of the porch, glancing their way. “Night.”
She waved. “Night.” When he entered his room, she lowered her voice. “Those are my car keys on your table.”
He had the grace to look embarrassed. “I was borrowing it.”
“Along with my laptop?” she said. “You’re going into town to catch the intruder.”
He said nothing.
“Ed doesn’t want you to,” she said.
