she had. After Noelle had taken a serious job tackling an important scientific issue in a lab that could potentially solve it.
Cara Dover was a pretty woman in a yellow sundress, a pair of sandals on her feet. According to Noelle, she worked as a freelance journalist. That word freelance always made him suspicious.
It was a good cover for a spy. It was one he’d used before when he’d been with the CIA.
It was the cover he’d used to make his way from Africa to Europe on the most dangerous mission of his career. God, today he’d thought too much about Hope McDonald and the torture he’d endured to bring her down.
He gave her his best smile. “You must be Cara. Noelle told me all about you. She said you were her closest friend here.”
He was pushing a narrative he hoped she picked up. He knew exactly what he looked like. Blandly handsome. All-American good looks. Muscled but not threatening. He used his relative pleasantness to his advantage as often as he could.
The same way Noelle did. Even if she didn’t realize that was what she did. She coped. She found value in what most people would consider weakness.
Cara stopped, considering him. “Yes, I am, and I’m confused. I saw her when she came back from visiting her dad. She didn’t mention you at all.”
Yes, he’d thought this could be a problem. “I didn’t fly back with her. We made the decision for me to move in over the weekend, and I had some loose ends to tie up.”
She still looked suspicious. “I would think she would say something if she was moving her boyfriend in.”
“I’ve known her since we were young.” He was riffing now, but it felt oddly personal. It felt like he was talking about the woman he’d always wanted. That best friend he’d searched for, the one who’d stood beside him so he’d known he wasn’t alone. “My brother and I moved to the town her dad lived in. She was in New Orleans with her mom, but we lived close to her dad and spent a couple of summers together before she ended up moving in with her dad.”
He’d learned a lot about her in a short amount of time.
“You’re from Papillon?” Cara asked, her eyes narrow on him.
He gave her his most charming smile. “I was her high school boyfriend. She kind of left me behind because she’s the smartest thing in the world. She went to UT and I had to go to community college before I made it to a four-year school.”
“You did a great job, brother.” Kyle stepped up beside him. “We always knew you two would find your way back to each other.”
Cara stared for a moment. “I didn’t know she had a boyfriend at home.”
He shrugged. “We haven’t been close in a couple of years, but she came home before she took this job and we’ve been talking ever since. She came home this week and sparks flew again. I’ve got a job interview up here. Noelle and I are going to try to make a go of it.”
Cara’s head shook. “She’s never mentioned you.”
He held a hand out. “I’m Hutch. This is my brother, Kyle, and his girlfriend, Mae.”
“I’m going to find a job here, too,” Kyle explained. “We recently had our third hurricane of the season, and I’m freaking tired of cleaning up downed trees. It takes a lot out of a man, you know.”
Kyle was good at playing the brainless hottie.
MaeBe sidled up to Kyle. “I bet you look good cleaning things up. Do you take your shirt off?” She turned to Cara. “We met on the Internet. He’s got great abs.”
She ran her hand from Kyle’s shoulder to right above his waist.
“Ms. LaVigne emailed earlier and put these people on her list,” Chris explained. “I was about to show them up.”
“Well, it’s an interesting turn of events. I wouldn’t have thought Noelle was capable of keeping a secret like that.” Cara’s hand tightened around the bags she was carrying. “It was nice to meet you. I guess I’ll see you around.”
She walked off, her free hand reaching for her cell phone.
He would really like to know who she’d called. He would get MaeBe on her as soon as possible because something about the way she’d reacted had him thinking.
Chris had his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Ms. Dover is usually more friendly than that. I think you’ll find the whole building is pretty