She almost came undone at his touch. Vince hadn’t touched her with tenderness for months now. She turned away, afraid that he would see the longing in her eyes. “Goodnight, Jackson.” She walked the few steps to the cottage door and then turned. “I’m glad I’m here too. See you tomorrow.” She opened the screen door and disappeared inside.

  “You can count on it,” he said to the closed door.

  It wasn’t until he started to paddle again that he realized how tired he was. He’d spent the entire day paddling from lake to lake, moving from resort to resort, casually speaking to anyone he could find. And yet still no leads on strangers in the area, or hints that would lead him to the grow-op. It would make a huge difference to the success of their operation if they could locate it before the top man arrived to inspect the crop.

  Their intel was excellent. Their informant had worked at a grow-op on the lower mainland that had recently been busted. Eager for a reduction in sentencing, he’d passed on everything he learned, as well as everything he knew about the other workers. He’d reported that “the boss” would be visiting around Labour Day. They still didn’t know his name, but the informant had taken a photograph on his cell phone when the boss showed up unannounced to inspect the operation. Jackson touched his shirt pocket where he kept a copy of the photo. The informant had been released by mistake and had disappeared. Jackson couldn’t blame him; the people who owned this operation would be ruthless if they suspected that he’d talked.

  He pulled up to the dock and tied off the canoe. His bed would be welcome tonight but he’d rather share it with Amanda. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him on like this; he was becoming aroused just thinking about her.

  He climbed the ladder to the loft and stretched out on the bed, fully clothed. Yes, he wanted her. He wanted to make love to her. But there was more to his desire than physical satisfaction. He wanted to take care of her, to comfort her, to banish the sadness that lurked behind those amazing hazel eyes. It was always there, just below the surface. It seemed impossible that he could fall in love with her so quickly, but he had. Amanda was a woman with whom he could happily share the rest of his life.

  “Get over it, Galloway.” He got up, undressed and headed for a cold shower. “She’s a married woman.”

  * * *

  “Give me some good news, Galloway.” Traynor, Jackson and two other agents were sharing a booth at a restaurant in town. They had the place almost to themselves, but they still kept their voices low.

  “Sorry, boss. I covered all the resorts in the surrounding lakes yesterday and didn’t pick up a thing.” He examined the calluses on his hands. “All I can say is this operation is tighter than a...” He looked up. “It’s tight.”

  “Okay.” Traynor took a deep breath. “Let’s review everything we know.” He glanced at the two newer agents. “Fuller and Dirksen have been briefed, but as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as too much information.”

  “Right” Jackson started speaking. “We got the initial lead from that bust this spring.” He glanced at the two men. “Down in the Fraser Valley. Remember?” They nodded. “We got a tip about a new grow-op in this area. There are microclimates all over the interior and they’ve positioned their operation to take advantage of this.”

  “So it’s an outdoor operation?”

  “Not completely. They’ve dug a couple of bunkers into the side of the hill. That takes a lot of planning and patience. They have to dispose of the excess soil and wait until the area returns to its natural state. But once it does, that’s where they start their seedlings.”

  “Must be big bunkers.” The agent toyed with his coffee cup, the pushed it away. “What do they do for power?”

  “That’s what makes this such a sweet set-up. There’s someone with brains behind this, not to mention money. They generate their own power. There are lots of streams in the area coming down from the mountain lakes. Makes it easy to set up a micro hydro system.”

  “A what?”

  Jackson gave a wry grin. “Don’t worry; I had to study up on it myself. What they do is set up a length of pipe with the outlet well below the intake. This controls the hydrostatic head pressure.” He could see he was losing them. “Okay, let’s put it this way. You’ve seen a water wheel, right? And you’ve seen how a relatively small amount of water can turn a water wheel. Well, imagine if you had that same water wheel under Niagara Falls, how fast it would spin. It’s the same principle here. Control the height of the fall and the volume of the water, and you can create power.”

  Dirksen took out a pen and doodled on a napkin. “So the water comes out of the pipe, spins a wheel which then turns a small generator.”

  “Exactly, and the generator charges a battery. From there it’s simple to hook an inverter up to a 12 volt battery, turning your 12 volts direct current into 12- volt alternating current, the same type of current that’s used to power normal household appliances.”

  “Clever.”

  The agent motioned for more coffee. “So they’ve got power. They’ve grown their seedlings. What next?”

  “After the seedlings get to a certain height they move them outside. They’re already in pots, so this part is relatively easy. They water them on a drip system which anyone can figure out, and there you have it.”

  “What about animals? Wouldn’t deer just love those nice tender shoots?”

  “They don’t get a chance. Electrified wire at the right height is enough to keep them away. They string it from tree to tree and of course they run it off their battery power. Like I said, it’s a sweet set-up”

  Dirksen smiled at the waitress as she refilled cups, and watched her walk away. “What about aerial surveillance? Wouldn’t all those plants show up?”

  Jackson exhaled. “You’d think so. But with that stream nearby the area is lush and green already. It would be different if it was farther south where deciduous plants would stand out. The added insurance is that there are a lot of trees around for camouflage.”

  “So we need to find this place.”

  Jackson nodded. “Or get a lead on the head honcho.”

  Fuller spoke up. “How do they get in and out? Isn’t there a trail of some sort that can be seen from the air?”

  “That would make things a lot easier, but no. They go in on horses when it’s necessary. They have one guy living up there in the bunker so there’s not that much activity.”

  Traynor listened thoughtfully, then changed direction. “There’s another angle we’ve been working on. How do they launder the money?” He looked at each agent in turn. “Our informant didn’t know anything about that of course, but they must run it through some businesses. We have people working on that end as well.” He turned to Jackson. “Keep at it. You still might be able to dig up something.”

  “I’m working on it. You’ll be the first to know.”

  Chapter Seven

  Amanda wandered down to the boathouse after the breakfast rush. The sun was already high in the sky and Jackson had his shirt off already. She watched him take the top off a motor and set it down. His skin was smooth and tanned; muscles rippled just below the surface.

  He looked up and their eyes met. “Hi,” he said. “Know anything about electric motors?”

  She took a step closer. “I thought it looked different.”

  He hiked his head in a northerly direction. “There are a couple of lakes up at the end of the chain that don’t allow high powered motors.” He looked down at the instruction booklet, which lay open on the dock. “But it’s not an easy one to fix.”

  “You’ll figure it out.” She took a quick breath. “Would you like to go out for a picnic tonight? I could put something together and we could go out in–”

  “Yes.” He cut her off. “I’d love that.”

  “Oh.” She could feel herself blushing. “Well good, then. See you at eight o’clock.”

  * * *

  Thankfully the day passed quickly in the busy restaurant. Amanda replayed her short conversation with Jackson over and over, but it came out the same every time; she’d invited him to go on a picnic. She hadn’t intended to ask him, but the sight of him with his shirt off had unnerved her and the words had tumbled out. This couldn’t be happening, and yet it was. She was falling for Jackson in a big way. Every time she was with him she realized that she’d made the biggest mistake of her life when she married Vince.

  She blamed herself. She’d been too eager to ensure that Gran was taken care of. Hard as it was to admit, she’d sold herself in exchange for care for her grandmother. What did that make her?

  “Senora.” A grinning Carlos pointed to the grill. A few more seconds and the hamburger patties would burn.

  She blushed, embarrassed at being caught day dreaming. “I was thinking about calling and checking on my grandmother.” It was almost the truth.

  Carlos checked the restaurant and the outside tables. “This is the last group.” Why don’t you go and do it now? I can manage.”

  She smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks, Carlos. I think I’ll go back to my cottage and call. Then I’ll come back and help you prep for dinner.”

  Heat shimmered in the air as she walked across the compound. Almost every RV spot was occupied in the lead-up to the Labour Day Weekend. She’d learned from Kathy that RV traffic was almost non-existent in the winter, but that the cottages were popular with cross country skiers, and that some guests continued to fish through the ice on the lake. Carlos had already asked her for tips on cooking fish; they planned to start tomorrow.

  * * *

  “There is no change, Mrs. Reimer.” Amanda had established a relationship with the head nurse at the facility. “Ruby is resting comfortably but she’s still in a non-responsive state.”

  It was the same report she got every time and Amanda knew that it was offered to make her feel better. How could they know if her grandmother was comfortable or not? But the staff was excellent, and that’s all that mattered.

  “Thank you, Heather. You’ll call me if there’s any change, won’t you?”

  “I will.” The nurse hesitated. “I hope you’re having a restful time.”

  Amanda thought of everything that had happened and almost laughed. “Very restful. Thanks.”

  “All right then. Talk to you in a day or two.”

  Amanda disconnected and a feeling of unease crept up her spine. She should really check the Range Rover to ensure that it was ready in case she was called back. She went outside and walked around it, kicking the tires. The crumpled passenger door was unsightly, but didn’t affect the performance of the car. She squatted down and looked under the car. A dark puddle stained the soil. She touched it, brought it to her nose. Oil.

  “Will it start?” Kathy looked up when Amanda told her the news. She’d been placing the order Amanda and Carlos put together.

  “Yes, I tried.”

  Kathy was already scrolling through the numbers on her cell phone. “We have a great mechanic in town. He’ll call the tow truck for you. Would you like me to set it up for you?”

  “Thanks, Kathy. I appreciate that.”

  * * *

  “Good thing you looked.” Carlos watched the tow truck haul away the SUV. They were in the kitchen where Amanda was slipping a tray of crème brulée into the oven. “Now at least you’ll be safe when you drive back.”

  She closed the oven door, set the timer and looked out the window. She didn’t want to go back. If it weren’t for Gran she’d stay here and see if the chemistry with Jackson was real. In your dreams, she thought and went back to work.

  * * *

  Jackson was waiting for her when she stepped onto the dock at eight o’clock, and he had somebody with him.

  “But you promised, Jackson. You said you’d teach me how to fish.” Logan stood resolutely on the dock, fishing pole in one hand and small tackle box in the other. “Carlos promised to cook them for me.”

  Jackson squatted down so he was eye to eye with the child. “I know pal, but I’ve been busy.” He looked up at Amanda and for a moment she thought he was going to invite the child to come along. “I’m taking Amanda out tonight. She’s been working hard all day in the kitchen.”

  Logan looked up at her, his bottom lip quivering.

  “Why don’t you practise casting off the dock?” Jackson checked the boy’s fishing line. “You might even catch something.”

  “Don’t want to cast off the dock.”

  “I know. It’s not nearly as much fun. But I’ll do my best to take you out in the next couple of days. Okay?”

  The child’s eyes brightened. “Promise?”

  “Yes, I promise.”

  Logan watched as Jackson placed the picnic basket, blankets and towels in the middle of the canoe. He then steadied it while Amanda got settled, facing him. He’d placed cushions in the bow so that she could sit back in comfort while he paddled. When everything was to his liking he pushed off and then turned back to wave at Logan.

  “I never should have promised to teach him how to fish,” he murmured.

  “I suppose we could have brought him with us.” Amanda trailed a hand in the water.

  Jackson shook his head. “No way.” He smiled at her and his eyes lingered on her mouth. “This is our time.”

  She looked away, uncomfortable under his scrutiny. “Where are we going?”

  “Not far.” He propelled the canoe forward with long, sure strokes. “Just into the next lake. It’s called Sandy Lake. I was there the other day and I noticed a nice little beach on the far side. The road doesn’t go around there, so it’s fairly deserted.”

  She looked back at him, startled for a moment. He was watching her with that slow, sexy smile that had first captivated her. Warmth flooded her entire body. It was too late now, but she never should have suggested this picnic. He probably thought–

  “I feel sorry for the beavers.”

  His comment snapped her out of her reverie. “I’m sorry?”

  They were approaching the narrow cut that joined the two lakes. “The beavers. They try to dam this up every year and every year someone comes along and frees it up.”

  She thought for a moment. “That doesn’t seem fair to the beavers.”

  “You’re right, but since when has fair ever entered into it?”

  “You have a point.” She fell silent as they glided through the narrow waterway.

  It was easy to see how Sandy Lake had acquired its name. She looked over the side of the canoe and could see the light coloured sand that covered the bottom. The clear water made it difficult to judge the depth of the lake.

  He slowed for a minute and looked over the side. “It’s odd, isn’t it, being able to see the bottom. It looks like you could reach out and touch it.”

  “I was just thinking the same thing.” It was amazing how frequently their thoughts ran parallel.

  He started paddling again and she sat back to enjoy the sight. “You said you found the beach the other day. What were you doing over here?” They were coming up even with Vince’s cottage.

  “I was checking with a fellow I know over at Water Lily Bay resort. He fixes all the boat motors in the area and I was hoping to get a part for one of our outboards.”

  “Was he able to help you?”

  “No, but I got it running until I can get the part from town.” He pointed ahead. “Now there’s the nicest place on the lake.”

  Amanda composed her face before she looked.

  “Yes, it’s lovely.” Vince had done one thing right; he’d built the cottage to blend in with the trees. Floor to ceiling windows glinted through the trees and a broad patio ran across the front, featuring massive planters and comfortable seating areas.

  “I hear it’s owned by someone from Vancouver. He rarely uses it.”

  Amanda smiled sadly. “Probably has deep pockets. If it was mine, I’d be up here all the time.”

  His expression altered as he looked at the cottage. The change lasted only a moment and then he steered away, toward the opposite shore. “Well then, I’m glad it’s not yours. Because then I wouldn’t have met you.”

  The call of a loon floated across the lake, answered a moment later by its mate.

  “That’s a beautiful sound.”

  “I love that sound.”

  They both spoke at once.

  Jackson stopped paddling and rested the paddle horizontally across the gunwales. Water dripped from the end like a string of crystal pearls. “Have you noticed how much we think alike?” he asked softly. The loon warbled again.

  She nodded. He was breaking her heart, looking at her like that. She forced herself to maintain eye contact. “This wasn’t such a good idea.”

  “You’re right” he said, “even though it’s what we both want.”

  “Yes.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.

  He picked up the paddle. “Well I for one am not going to waste this perfectly good evening. Besides, I’m hungry.” He eyed the picnic hamper. “What did you bring?”

  This was a subject she could converse about. “Not much. Fried chicken, coleslaw, potato salad and sliced tomatoes.”

  “What? No dessert?” His eyes drifted down her body for a moment, then he seemed to catch himself. “Not that it matters.”

  “I brought some fresh peaches and some chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Aha. You know the way to a man’s heart.” He looked ahead. “There it is.”

  Moments later the canoe hissed up onto the sand. Jackson jumped out into the shallow water and steadied it. It was the first time she’d noticed that he was in bare feet.

  “Where are your shoes?”

  “Back at the resort. I figured I didn’t need them here.” He offered her his hand and she climbed out.

  “Here. You take the blankets and the cushions. I’ll get the rest of the stuff.”

  It took them no time at all to get settled.

  “Do you mind if we eat?” he said. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I was hungry.” He gave her a sharp look. “I hope you’ll eat something too. You seem thinner in the past couple of days.”