Liza stuck out her lower lip, pouting, giving one of the best performances of a neglected Victorian waif Greg had ever seen. He snorted, nearly applauded, but then the little girl turned her attention to him instead. When he got a direct dose of how effective those big eyes were, he immediately found himself feeling bad.

  “It’s fine,” he said, backing away slightly. “Go ahead and let her tell her story. I can wait. I don’t mind.”

  The kid’s face transformed from tragic to triumphant in a flash, and Mattie gave him a you-totally-just-got-played look followed by an eye roll.

  Without delay, Liza launched back into her story, and it was all Greg could do not to crack up. He had to admire the kid’s technique. He’d seen hostage negotiators in the Middle East who could learn a thing or two from little Liza here about getting what you want. Plus, she told a hell of story—energetic and full of hilarious commentary.

  “We learned all sort of safety tips, Mommy,” Liza said, squirming until Mattie put her down. “Like how to get away from someone who’s bigger than you. I’ll show you.”

  Instead of demonstrating on Mattie, however, the little girl walked over the Greg and took his wrist. She then proceeded to give a great presentation about yelling no and using people’s natural tendency to not want to cause a scene against them. Greg was impressed and delighted, so much so he almost hated to see her go when Mattie finally sent her daughter off for her snack with the promise of Liza being able to use one of the museum’s iPads in the break room to Skype with her friends.

  Once they were alone again in the office, Mattie took her seat and gave Greg a rueful look. “Sorry about that. And thanks for your patience.” She sighed. “I know I need to set better boundaries with my daughter when it comes to my work hours and what’s acceptable behavior here, but after her dad left, it was a big change for Liza. She needs a lot of reassurance, which everyone tells me is totally normal—but I feel bad about it, so I tend to err on the side of always being there when my daughter needs me, hoping it’ll make up for the loss of her dad.”

  “Well, it’s none of my business, but I think you’re doing great. Liza seems like an amazing kid.” Greg grinned. “And now I also know how to avoid stranger-danger.”

  Mattie laughed, then focused on the estimate he’d given her. Greg took a seat and did his best to turn his attention to the task at hand rather than the odd notion that he’d just gotten a glimpse inside Mattie’s life—and that he liked what he saw, more than he probably should.

  The next morning, Logan brought the equipment Greg had ordered to the museum, then stayed to help him to install everything. Greg tried to insist he had it under control, but Logan brushed him off.

  “It’s no problem. Really,” Logan said, mounting a bracket for one of the cameras into the ceiling. “My schedule is free until this afternoon when I’ve got a meeting a few towns over with a potential new client, so I figured I’d save you the drive back to the office.”

  “Well, if you’re sure it’s not a problem, then I appreciate the help,” Greg said, climbing down off his ladder to grab the drill. “Goes a lot quicker with two pairs of hands than one.”

  “True that.” Logan grinned, then snapped a camera into the bracket.

  They made quick work of installing the first round of equipment, then headed down to the small room Greg had set up as a temporary office adjacent to Mattie’s. That was where he’d set up the computer and programmed the software to control the cameras and store the footage. He wanted to make sure everything was running properly before they put up the rest of the devices. Logan chatted while he worked, mainly about this new client he was visiting.

  “Not exactly my first choice of case,” Logan said, slumping down into a chair beside Greg’s, then scrubbing a hand over his face. “But Hope said I was just being a grump since I haven’t gotten a decent night’s sleep since Reese learned how to escape her crib at night, so…”

  Mattie walked in then, stopping short at the sight of Logan. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “No, no, it’s fine,” Greg said, looking up at her. He could feel himself brightening and dammit. It was like a light bulb turning on inside of him whenever she was around, and nope, he wasn’t having it. He needed to stop that. He was acting like a lovesick idiot and in front of his boss no less. Not that he thought his buddy was going to fire him—or rather, refuse to make his position permanent—just because he was dumb enough to get a crush on the client, but still. It was the principle of the matter. Logan had gone out on a limb to offer him this job, even on a trial basis, when he had no direct experience in this type of work. He didn’t want to let his friend down or make Logan think he wasn’t taking this case seriously.

  He straightened and plastered on a business-like frown. “Mattie, this is my boss—Logan Miller, the founder of Team Oracle Security. He came by to help me install the cameras. I’ve just got to set up all the software, and we should be in business. Logan, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is Mattie Salisbury, the museum’s director.”

  Mattie and Logan exchanged polite handshakes and hellos and then an awkward silence fell. “Was there something you needed, Mattie?” Greg asked at last.

  “Oh! Yes,” she said. “Sorry, I, um, wanted to let you know I’ve done a detailed inventory of the first three rooms where we’d confirmed our ghost was and nothing’s been taken.”

  Greg snorted. “Probably because ghosts don’t have hands.”

  The joke fell flat, with both Mattie and Logan looking at him like he’d grown a second head. Dumbass. Well, then. He finished the last few keystrokes to get the cameras going, then came around the table to stand in front of Mattie.

  “Well, I need to get back to work, if you’ll excuse me,” Mattie said, starting to turn away. “I’ll finish the other rooms tonight after dinner.”

  “Wait!” It was out before Greg realized he was speaking. Shit. She turned back and gave him a quizzical stare, one dark brow raised, and he found himself saying the first thing that popped into his head. “Let me help.”

  “With my work?” she asked, looking confused.

  “No. With the inventory. Tonight. We can get it done faster that way.”

  “Oh.” Mattie blinked up at him, crossing her arms. “That’s nice of you to offer, but you don’t have to. I live in the carriage house just across the way, so it’s no trouble for me to come back.”

  “No. I want to,” he said, aware of Logan watching him. “I mean, it’s my job to do this stuff, so…” Lord, could he screw this up anymore? “Just tell me what time.”

  “Liza will be with me too. I don’t like to leave her at home alone after dark,” Mattie said, tilting her head slightly as if giving him an out. “It’ll take a lot longer with her around.”

  “Fine. Not a problem for me. I’ve got nothing else going on.” He gave an awkward laugh. Doofus. “Seriously. The more the merrier. What time?”

  Finally, Mattie shook her head and smiled at him, and damn if he wasn’t bewitched all over again. He stood there grinning right back at her, a beat or two too long if the way Logan cleared his throat uncomfortably was any indication. But Greg didn’t care about that now. All he cared about was the fact he’d made this gorgeous woman happy again. “Fine. If that’s what you want to do. How about we meet here at seven?”

  “Seven’s great,” Greg said, feeling like he’d just won the lottery and not a night marathon of mind-numbing list making. “See you then.”

  “See you,” Mattie said, still smiling as she went back to her office.

  Greg swiveled back around to find Logan staring at him with a you-poor-sod look. His grin fell. He tried to brush it off like it was just another day in the office as he headed back to the computer to make sure the camera feeds were coming in properly. “What?”

  “Nothing. Just…” Logan sounded unusually hesitant, “…be careful.”

  “Of what?” Greg scowled at the computer screen, avoiding his friend’s gaze.

  Logan chuckled and sat forward. “Cut the bullshit, dude. It’s obvious you’re into her.”

  Fuck. Greg kept typing, mainly so he didn’t have to look at Logan. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I’m not—and we both know it.” Logan sighed and stood. “Look, man. I get it. Working with someone day in and day out. You spend a lot of time together. Get to know each other. Easy for things to get out of hand. Emotions get heightened and lead to some unprofessional decisions. I should know.”

  Greg kept his gaze on screen. “What happened with you and Hope isn’t the norm.”

  “Maybe not, but…” Logan struggled to bite back a grin and failed. “Look, I’m not going to lie. She’s the love of my life, but she was also my ex. You know we had history before I ever started guarding her. And your case here is different. I get it. You’re guarding this museum, which just happens to be run by a very nice, attractive woman you barely know.”

  “Whatever.” Greg fought to keep the defensiveness from his tone because shit. Logan might be just a little bit right, even though he refused to admit it out loud. “Look, all I did was offer to help her with the inventory so she could get out of here and spend more time with her kid, that’s all.” And maybe if he told himself that enough times, he’d believe it. “And being here tonight might help me solve this case and figure out who our ghost is faster. That’s it. Purely professional, okay?”

  Logan watched him a moment, his gaze far too perceptive for Greg’s comfort, then gave a curt nod. “Fine. I’ll mind my own business.” He stood and headed for the door. “What’s next then, the window sensors? I’ll get started on those.”

  4

  “Knock, knock,” a male voice said, causing Mattie to look up from her desk, startled. She smiled when her eyes landed on her friend, Carter. He smiled back. “Bad time?”

  “No, it’s fine.” She waved him in, then finished up with the documents she was working on before putting her pen down and clasping her hands atop her desk. “Fancy seeing you here today. What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing.” He sat down across from her and handed her a package. “Just thought I’d drop that by while I was thinking of it.”

  “What is it?” She opened the bag and saw her scarf, the one she’d forgotten at Carter’s place months ago. “Oh, wow. I wondered what happened to this. Thanks. You didn’t have to make a special trip, though.”

  “No problem at all.” He grinned, cute and studious-looking in that indie heartthrob kind of way. Tall, thin, with dark hair and glasses, he looked exactly like the librarian he was in his slacks and sweater. He was the kind of guy who should’ve been perfect for Mattie. They’d even tried going out once, but discovered the chemistry just wasn’t there, so they decided they were better as friends. Carter was one her few friends in town and Mattie was grateful for him. “What’s happening around the museum these days?”

  She shrugged. “Same old, same old. I hired someone to handle security, after all the hauntings, did I tell you that?”

  “No.” Carter crossed his legs and leaned in slightly, his dark eyes sparkling with interest. “Who?”

  “His name is Greg Harrison, and he works for a new firm in Baltimore called Team Oracle Security. He’s done great so far. Set up cameras and sensors on the windows. Even installed new shutters to keep anyone from breaking in at night. Oh, and he’s helping me do inventory tonight too.”

  “Wow.” Carter laughed. “He must be a good guy, then.”

  “Seriously, right?” Mattie sat back in her chair. “I’m letting him stay on premise to keep an eye on things after hours. Plus, it keeps him from having to pay for a hotel room.”

  “Sounds like a good deal all around—he gets a break on costs and you get protection for the museum at night.” Carter shifted in his chair. “So, he thinks there’s something else going on besides a ghost?”

  “Definitely.” Mattie nodded, narrowing her gaze on him. “You’re not still trying to convince me that we’ve got a real haunting here, are you?”

  “What can I say?” Carter said with a playful grin. “A ghost sounds cooler than just saying it’s probably some kids playing pranks.”

  “Well, if it is just a prank, then it’s gone way too far. It’s hurting the museum at this point—and it’s time that someone was held accountable for the damage that’s been done. Not just things that have gotten broken, but the damage to the museum’s reputation—and to our bottom line.”

  “Hey,” Carter said, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m on your side, remember? I want this wrapped up quickly because I know what a headache it has been for you from the start.”

  Mattie’s shoulders slumped, a little of the fight going out of her. “I know, I know. Sorry for blowing up at you. I’m just a little on edge, you know?”

  “So what does your investigator think is the real story of what’s going on here?”

  “He’s not my investigator,” Mattie replied, blushing—then immediately began blushing even harder when she saw Carter’s eyes light up at the opening she’d just given him to tease her. When things hadn’t worked out between the two of them romantically, he’d quickly fallen into the role of commenting on her love life. He adored giving her a hard time whenever he thought she might be interested in someone. Of course, most of those other times, the interest had been all in his imagination. This time…well…

  Okay, time to change the subject. Fast. “Anyway. I told Greg that my theory is whoever is breaking in here is looking for something specific. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they take the paintings or statues or other valuables in here? I mean, there is that old story about hidden treasure in the inn that used to be here, so…”

  Carter’s gaze flew to hers again, eyes wide behind his glasses. “Really? You think someone besides us would actually know about that? It’s pretty obscure. And no one ever found any proof it was true.”

  “Maybe, but Greg said it sounded reasonable enough when I told him about it.”

  He seemed to consider that a second, then shrugged. “Huh. Well, if this guy is as great as you say, perhaps you should ask him to have dinner with you at the carriage house first, since he’s helping you with the inventory and all. The least you could do is feed the man.” His eyes were sparkling, a “gotcha” expression written all over her face and letting her know that her attempt to distract him from teasing her had totally failed.

  “Oh, I don’t know.” While Carter might be right about her attraction to Greg—which she was apparently doing a terrible job of hiding—she wasn’t sure if it would be a good idea to try for anything with him. Wouldn’t it mess up their professional relationship? “I’m not sure that would be a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Carter frowned. “Liza will be there too, right? Having him over isn’t exactly the same as being all alone with him. You need to loosen up a bit.”

  Mattie snorted.

  “I’m serious,” he persisted. “Have a little fun. It’s not like you’re going to lose your job here or your home on the property just because you ask a man over for dinner, Matts.”

  “You make it sound like it’s a date or something.” Mattie scowled over at him.

  “And why shouldn’t it be?” he asked. “You’re both adults—and he’s not going to be here forever. I haven’t seen you this excited about a guy in ages. Why not make the most of it? You just spent the last five minutes gushing to me about how wonderful he is. Why not do something about it? Seize the day!”

  Dammit. He was right. “Fine. I’ll invite Greg over to the carriage house for dinner before we do inventory. As work colleagues. If something happens, it happens. If not, we can just go on working together.”

  “Good.” Grinning once more, Carter stood and headed for the door. “I need to get back to the library. Have fun tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

  Mattie stuck her tongue out at him.

  The doorbell rang at precisely six that night and Mattie smoothed a hand down the front of her pink sweater and jeans, doing her best not to regret her decision to invite Greg over. At the time, not backing down from Carter’s challenge had seemed important. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  She opened the door with a smile far more confident than she felt. “Hi there. Welcome.”

  “Thanks.” Greg said, looking hot as ever in his fresh button-down shirt and jeans. He handed her a small bouquet of daisies and she wondered when in the heck he’d had time to buy them. “For you.”

  “Aw, thanks.” She swallowed hard and closed the door behind him, moving aside just in time as Liza rushed up to greet him, then drag Greg into the adjacent living room with her to show him the homework she was working on. He gave Mattie a pleading look, but then the giant former SEAL was fully overpowered by the five-year-old spitfire who always knew how to get her way. Just as well, since Mattie felt flushed and flustered and needed a moment to collect herself before she drooled all over the floor for her new security guard.

  Okay, fine. Maybe Carter was right. A little bit. Surely acting on this attraction couldn’t be harder or more problematic than trying and failing to ignore it.

  Mattie went to the kitchen where she was in the middle of preparing dinner, and searched for a vase. After finding one and filling it with water, she put the daises in, then set them on the dinner table before getting back to her cooking. The chicken breasts were already in the oven, so she was working on chopping the vegetables for a side dish when Greg finally wandered in, looking a bit more rumpled than before and thoroughly adorable.

  “Need any help?” he asked, standing in the door.

  “Liza through with her homework?” Mattie asked.

  “Uh, yeah. She said she needed to go upstairs to work on some top-secret project I wasn’t allowed to see, so…” He looked awkward and adorkable and Mattie felt the unaccountable urge to hug him.