“That’s not possible.” Coop shook his head. “I specifically asked when I made the arrangements, and after I blindfolded you, I made sure there were no cameras hanging from the walls.”
Cara placed her hand over his and squeezed. “It’s okay, Coop. I don’t blame you. I could have stopped you, but I didn’t. I wanted that to happen as much as you, if not more.”
Coop cupped her cheek, and his face softened. “It’s not okay.”
She placed her palm over his. “What are we doing, Coop? This isn’t you; it isn’t me. You’re like an addiction that’s going to be hard for me to kick when we get back to reality.”
“One problem at a time, Cara.” He lowered his lips and pressed a tender kiss to her mouth. “Let’s go check out those cameras and buy some new things.”
Laughter bubbled from her lips. “Yeah? How are we going to do that?Neither one of us has any cash or credit cards.”
He lifted her off the rock. Her body slid slowly down his before he entwined their fingers together and started back up the beach. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Cara. You thought you knew who I was because of my last name, but honey, you have no idea.”
She was beginning to realize that. “Enlighten me; how do you plan to pay for stuff when neither of us has a dime. I’m allergic to washing dishes.”
“You didn’t find it odd that your Aunt Betty sent you to my house that night with a diaper bag? How do you think she knew I needed one?”
Cara didn’t know what to believe anymore. “I never thought to ask.”
Coop glanced at her. His eyes twinkled in the sunlight. “She sent the diaper bag and you because she knew I was in over my head.” He squeezed her fingers. “She knew I was in over my head because she’s known me for a long time. I was assigned as her partner after the academy. When she told me she was retiring to open a bar, I decided to invest as a silent partner. I own half of the bar. I figured it would be a nice distraction when I retire.”
Cara’s mouth parted before she snapped it closed. How had she not known that Aunt Betty was in business with aCruz? After she’d witnessed the tears and the betrayal. How come she hadn’t come clean? Maybe that was why she hadn’t come clean. “I didn’t know.”
“Now you do. So being as my business partner just happens to be on the island, she’ll foot the bill for everything and anything we need. I’ll pay her back. She knows I’m good for it. Not to mention, you’re her niece. She wouldn’t have left you stranded.”
Coop led Cara into the hotel boutique. They had an array of clothes, only most of them were geared toward an older crowd. Not that she minded changing out of her aunt’s Daisy Dukes. Still. She passed on the large flowered dresses that would swallow her whole, opting instead for a few items that looked like they were meant to flow. Whoever had stolen their clothes was a perv, not even leaving their underwear behind. Bastard.
They’d both changed into clothes they could wear into the restaurant before he pulled her through it. The smell of bacon, sausage, and pancakes had her mouthwatering as he led her into the private dining room. He paused inside the empty room. The table from the night before was pushed against the wall. The place had been cleaned. Her gaze traveled the length of the walls. Coop was right.There hadn’t been any video cameras in sight. How exactly had Phillip seen it?
Coop grabbed one of the chairs and placed it where she’d sat last night. “What angle was the video coming from?”
Cara sat down in the chair, remembering the angle from the shot. She pointed toward one of the walls where a plant was hung.
Coop grabbed another chair, walked over to the wall, stood on top of it. He dug around inside the plastic plant.
“Sir, guests aren’t allowed to stand on the furniture,” one of the workers said.
He jumped down and looked behind the plant. He ran his fingers along the wall. A smile slipped on his lips. “What’s behind this wall?”
“Uh…the kitchen. Well directly behind the wall where you’re standing is the supply room and then the kitchen.”
“Take us there,” Coop demanded and took Cara’s hand.
“Sir, guests aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”
“Ma’am, I’m Special Agent Cruz with the FBI, and if you don’t take me to the supply closet, I’ll have your ass arrested for interfering with a federal investigation.”
“Coop, this doesn’t have anything to do with the thefts,” Cara whispered.
“It could.” He winked. “For all we know, that could be where the thief is stashing the goods.”
Cara placed a smile on her face as she turned to the woman. “Please, let us see the supply closet. We won’t take long, and we promise to leave your name out if anyone gets upset.”
The woman nodded. “Come with me. I’ll bring you in the back way so my manager and the other guests won’t see.”
“There’s a back way?” Coop asked as we crossed the empty room.
“Of course. The hotel has a lot of back entrances that are for employees only. Kind of an out of sight, out of mind thing. The management didn’t want housekeepers and such being in the guests’ way. So we all use the back entrances.”
