“Well, you see,” she said slowly, “he does many things. He does whatever is needed to earn money to support his family. More often than not, he works for the same man, but his employer sends him to different locations.”
“Oh, I see.” He nodded. He received the impression that she was uncomfortable talking about her father’s employment history. Hopefully, it wasn’t something illegal. “How long have you been in Liverpool?”
“Only a couple of years, really.”
“And have you lived with your aunt and uncle much?”
“I have stayed with them so many times, I feel as if I have lived with them all my life.”
“That is completely understandable.” He nodded, feeling slightly better that she had answered that question for him.
“And what about you?” she asked sweetly. “How long have you been in Liverpool?”
“Longer than a few years. But truthfully, I grew up here.”
“So, tell me,” she leaned closer to him, “what were you doing before becoming partners in the railway?”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Believe it or not, I was a banker.”
She gasped, and her eyes widened. “A banker?”
“Yes, my father owned one of the largest banks in Liverpool. Over the past few years, he increased his holdings. I learned so much from him, but the most important lesson I learned was how to budget money.” He shrugged. “That is one of the reasons I became partners with Nickerson and Larson. They needed someone in their railway who had a head for budgeting.”
She was silent for a few awkward moments as her eyes narrowed on him. He couldn’t read her thoughts and wondered what she was thinking right now. Her smile almost looked forced as she studied him. But then, she took a deep breath, and her face relaxed, which made him feel more at ease.
“I would have never guessed that about you, Ashton.”
He arched an eyebrow and said in a humorous manner, “I suppose we all have small secrets from our past, don’t we?”
GUILT WEIGHED HEAVILY on Nicole’s chest. She definitely had secrets in her past. But what worried her was that his secrets might have him arrested. Deep in her heart, she didn’t want to believe he could have robbed his own railway. That would be preposterous, because why would he want to ruin his own business like that?
If only circumstantial evidence didn’t point in his direction...
“Indeed, most people have secrets in their past, but...” She pulled away from him, stood, and walked to the window. “If we don’t share them with others, they can destroy us.” Leaning her shoulder against the wall, she touched the glass with her finger. She needed to get him to tell her more. She must prove to the other detectives that he wasn’t involved in the robberies...and if he was, she needed to know now. The more she was with him, the more her heart would be involved.
“Nicole,” he said, walking to her. “Is there something on your mind?” He reached her side and gently touched her arm. “Because I have a good listening ear if you ever need to talk about something personal.”
Although his comment wasn’t funny in the least, she wanted to laugh. For years she had kept her secrets buried deep. She couldn’t even tell her cousin or aunt, and uncle. The only people she could rely on were the other detectives, but sometimes Nicole wanted a different life.
She met Ashton’s gaze and smiled. “You are so very sweet to offer that. But I was actually thinking the same thing about you.”
His eyes widened. “Me? Why me?”
“Like you had mentioned earlier—everyone has secrets from their past. I thought I could be your listening ear if ever you wanted to talk.”
When he chuckled, the dimple in his cheek deepened, which she thought was adorable. The sound of his deep voice made her heart flutter.
He shook his head. “We have been doing this a lot, don’t you agree?”
“Doing what?”
“Thinking alike.”
Nodding, she grinned. “Yes, we have.”
His palm slid down her arm slowly before clasping her hand. “I have never known a woman like you, Nicole, and that is one of the things which intrigues me.” He moved closer, and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “I hope you feel the same way about me.”
“I do feel the same.” Her heartbeat quickened. As much as she wanted to kiss him again, she needed answers. But for the life of her, she couldn’t push him away...and she couldn’t think of anything else she wanted to talk about.
