Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts Page B

Skimmerhorn.”
    “You know what I mean.” She watched Jed muscle the box into the backseat of the T-Bird, then quickly stepped back across the room. “He’s coming back.”
    “I hope so,” Dora said dryly. “He’s only got one of the boxes.” She lifted the second one herself and passed it to Jed when he came to the door. “They’re fragile,” she told him, and got a grunt in response.
    “Did you see his shoulders?” Lea hissed. “John doesn’t have shoulders like that in my wildest fantasies.”
    “Ophelia Conroy Bradshaw, shame on you. John’s a wonderful guy.”
    “I know that. I’m nuts about him, but he doesn’t have any shoulders. I mean, he’s got them, of course, but they’re just kind of bone and . . . God!” After studying the way Jed’s Levis stretched when he leaned over the trunk of his car, she patted her heart and grinned. “It’s always reassuring to know the attraction cells still operate. So what’s he do?”
    “About what?”
    “About . . . the invoices,” she said quickly. “Don’t forget to give Mr. Skimmerhorn the invoices, Dora.” She picked them up herself and handed them over to Jed as he stepped in to pick up the last box.
    “Thanks.” He gave Lea an odd look, wary of the gleam in her eye. “You want me to pick up that lumber, or what?”
    “Lumber? Oh, the banister,” Dora remembered. “Sure, go ahead. You can slip the bill under my door if I’m not around.”
    He couldn’t resist. He knew he should, but he couldn’t. “Another hot date?”
    She smiled sweetly and yanked open the door. “Kiss my ass, Skimmerhorn.”
    “I’ve thought of it,” he murmured. “I have thought of it.” With that, he sauntered out.
    “Tell,” Lea demanded. “Tell all. Don’t leave out any detail, however small or insignificant.”
    “There’s nothing to tell. I went out with Andrew last night, and Jed met him when I was kicking him out.”
    “You kicked Jed out?”
    “Andrew—he made a pass,” Dora said with the last of her patience. “And I kicked him out. Now, if we’ve finished our little gossip session—”
    “Almost. What does he do? Jed, I mean. He must lift weights or something to have shoulders like that.”
    “I never knew you had such a shoulder fixation.”
    “I do when they’re attached to a body like that one. Let’s see, he’s a longshoreman.”
    “Nope.”
    “A construction worker.”
    “You lose the trip for two to Maui. Would you like to try for the Samsonite luggage?”
    “Just tell me.”
    Dora had spent part of her sleepless night digging up Jed’s application. One of his references had been Commissioner James L. Riker of the Philadelphia Police Department. Which made sense, she mused, since Jed’s last place of employment had been the Philadelphia PD.
    “He’s an ex-cop.”
    “Ex?” Lea’s eyes went wide. “Christ, he was fired from the force for taking bribes? Dealing drugs? For killing someone?”
    “Put your imagination on hold, sweetie.” Dora patted hersister’s shoulder. “I swear, you should have been the one to take after Mom and Dad on the stage. He resigned,” she said. “A few months back. According to the copious notes Dad took when he called the commissioner of police, Jed’s got a pot full of commendations, and they’re keeping his service revolver warm for him in hopes that he’ll come back.”
    “Well, then why did he quit?”
    “That didn’t seem to be anyone’s business,” she said primly, but she was just as curious, and just as annoyed as Lea that their father hadn’t asked. “Game over.” She held up her hand to ward off another spate of questions. “If we don’t get back inside to help Terri, she’ll make my life a living hell.”
    “All right, but I feel good knowing you’ve got a cop right across the hall. That should keep you out of trouble.” She stopped dead, goggle-eyed. “Oh God, Dory, do you think he was carrying a gun?”
    “I don’t think he’ll need one to