Amen, Fin thought. If he knew who’d done this, he’d go find them right now and beat the crap out of them. No one upset his girl like this and got away with it!
Chapter26
Looking around at what someone had done to her pride and joy, Maggie wanted to cry. This had always been the place she found peace. Her workspace, the place she’d created, her dream.
“Bastards!”
“Chief Blake will catch them, sweetheart.” Joe brushed a kiss on her cheek before he wandered over to inspect something.
“I think Chief Blake is right in that they were looking for something,” Fin said.
He still stood beside her, an arm around her shoulders, and she had to fight the urge to turn into that body and let him hold her. She didn’t need to fall apart; she’d done that enough over the last year. Yes, her gallery had been broken into, but no one was hurt, and she would put it back the way it had been.
She made herself step away from Fin.
“I need to take photographs, Maggie. Get my deputy to tag everything and bag it. You can clean up after that,” Chief Blake said.
“Okay. You and Joe can go, Fin. I’ve got this.” Maggs didn’t look at him. He wore a Christmas sweater, and it should look silly, but of course didn’t. The man could wear a flour sack and look hot.
The look the park ranger threw her was enough to force her back a step. “That’s probably the most stupid and insulting thing you’ve said to me.”
“Excuse me, but I just had my place of business torn apart, and you’re calling me stupid?”
“Like I’d leave you to face this.” Fin glared at her. “Like I said, stupid.”
“Asshole,” Maggs said, then realized both Chief Blake and Joe were watching their exchange closely.
She shut her mouth, stood in the doorway, and watched. Fin, she noted, stayed inside with Chief Blake and Joe, which annoyed her more for no reason at all, as he was doing this for her. The room wasn’t big, so it was a squeeze, but they all seemed to be busy doing something.
“Okay, so I may as well use you two seeing as you know this stuff, Fin, and you’re not dumb, Joe.”
“Much appreciated,” Joe said.
“Did I miss the Christmas sweater day memo?” Chief Blake asked.
“Mrs. L hijacked us,” Fin said.
“Woman’s good, there’s no getting around that.”
“She’s a pro,” Joe muttered.
They worked methodically, taking pictures, writing notes. Chief Blake inspected things, muttered stuff to Fin, and Joe snapped pictures.
“I’d say there’s definitely anger at work here,” Chief Blake said.
Fin moved with his usual confidence, never a man to go anywhere without a reason. Like the other man, he wore authority well, and even if she was annoyed with him for no other reason than he’d made her off-balance, she had to admit he was ridiculously hot. He wore the old jeans she’d seen him in many times. Worn at the knees, they hung low on his hips. Hips she’d cradled.
Shut it down.
He shot glances at her, she knew to check she was doing okay, and this made her feel even more bitchy. He was a good guy, like the others she was close to in this town. But did she want him to be her good guy?
“Okay, that’s it for now, Maggie. I’ll need you to check if anything was taken, but it’s my guess there won’t be. Just a robbery attempt and mindless destruction. I’ll call by tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Chief Blake. I’ll start working through that today.”
“Good girl. Now you don’t worry, we’ll find whoever did this, and I’ll lock them away for life.” His smile was gentle. “I’ll go and speak with Joan now.”
“Okay.”
