Read Online No Reservations (Special Ops: Tribute Book 1) by Kate Aster - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Aster
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smile disappeared from her face and her lips parted,
breath quickening from the way he was staring at her right now. If she didn’t
know better, she’d think he was interested in her.
But she did know better.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered with amusement. “Where do Navy
guys get a drink around here?”
“I guess that would be O’Toole’s.”
“Then I’m taking you to O’Toole’s tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested.
“Of course I do. I owe you for the tour. And I’m going to
prove you wrong.”
“How are you planning on doing that?”
“When you walk in, I’ll count how many heads turn. But just
remember who you’re going home with.” He said it in a suggestive way, making
her eyes widen till he finished, “You’re kind of sharing the same address as me
for a while.”
***
It was nine o’clock when they made it home from dinner at
O’Toole’s. And if other people were staying at the inn, Maddox would definitely
not be stomping around with his bucket of tools right now. But he knew Bridget
was still awake, so he doubted she’d mind him making use of the time by
checking off one of the simpler tasks on his honey-do list.
Besides, he had some pent-up energy to burn. The night had
been enjoyable—a little too enjoyable considering he still couldn’t quite
figure out his tempting innkeeper. She said she was single. But every time he
got close—close enough where he could feel the alluring heat from her
skin—she’d stiffen up like a day-old corpse.
Setting down a chair he lugged over from the dining room, he
eyed the culprit pantry door she’d pointed out and tried to nudge it shut. The
edge scraped against the doorway, just as Bridget had told him it would.
An easy fix, Maddox decided. Might as well check this off
the list.
Standing atop the chair to get a better look at it, his eyes
met with a curious sight—a piece of worn out duct tape covering something
up.
He picked at the tape, revealing a tiny envelope, no bigger
than a couple square inches. Opening it, a key slipped out and fell to the
floor.
“Hey, Bridget!” he called toward her room as he got off the
chair. “Bridget?” Still holding the envelope, he lifted the key off the ground.
She came around the corner.
“I found something taped to the top of the pantry door.” He
handed it to her.
She looked at it quizzically. “It looks like a safety
deposit box key.”
“So it’s not yours?”
“No, it was probably my aunt’s.” Taking the envelope into
her hand, she flipped it over. “I wonder if my mom’s been looking for this.”
“Why do you think that?”
“After they found out that Lydia left the B & B to me, my
mom and dad came up from South Carolina and cleared out all her paperwork. Old
files, bills, that sort of thing. I offered to help, but they didn’t want me
involved in it.” She flipped the key over in her fingers again. “Maybe they
found some paperwork about this box.”
“Can’t hurt to call them and find out.”
Bridget scoffed. “You say that, but you don’t know my
parents. They get frustrated anytime my aunt’s name comes up in conversation, which
makes things pretty difficult now that I’m living in her house.”
“Why don’t they like to talk about her?”
“Lydia was—I don’t know—flighty, I’m told. Irresponsible.
Impulsive.”
“My kind of woman.”
Bridget laughed. “Yeah. She always seemed to be all the
things my parents weren’t, I guess. Lydia—she just loved to be around
people, you know? But my parents are… reclusive.” She shrugged. “They have
their reasons.”
Maddox somehow knew instinctively not to pry beyond that.
She tossed him a look at his silence, raising her eyebrows,
and started walking toward the phone. “Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing
gained,” she said, reaching for the receiver.
She listened, and Maddox could tell that voicemail had
picked up.
“Hey, Mom. I came across something at the inn. A
breath quickening from the way he was staring at her right now. If she didn’t
know better, she’d think he was interested in her.
But she did know better.
Suddenly, his eyes flickered with amusement. “Where do Navy
guys get a drink around here?”
“I guess that would be O’Toole’s.”
“Then I’m taking you to O’Toole’s tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she protested.
“Of course I do. I owe you for the tour. And I’m going to
prove you wrong.”
“How are you planning on doing that?”
“When you walk in, I’ll count how many heads turn. But just
remember who you’re going home with.” He said it in a suggestive way, making
her eyes widen till he finished, “You’re kind of sharing the same address as me
for a while.”
***
It was nine o’clock when they made it home from dinner at
O’Toole’s. And if other people were staying at the inn, Maddox would definitely
not be stomping around with his bucket of tools right now. But he knew Bridget
was still awake, so he doubted she’d mind him making use of the time by
checking off one of the simpler tasks on his honey-do list.
Besides, he had some pent-up energy to burn. The night had
been enjoyable—a little too enjoyable considering he still couldn’t quite
figure out his tempting innkeeper. She said she was single. But every time he
got close—close enough where he could feel the alluring heat from her
skin—she’d stiffen up like a day-old corpse.
Setting down a chair he lugged over from the dining room, he
eyed the culprit pantry door she’d pointed out and tried to nudge it shut. The
edge scraped against the doorway, just as Bridget had told him it would.
An easy fix, Maddox decided. Might as well check this off
the list.
Standing atop the chair to get a better look at it, his eyes
met with a curious sight—a piece of worn out duct tape covering something
up.
He picked at the tape, revealing a tiny envelope, no bigger
than a couple square inches. Opening it, a key slipped out and fell to the
floor.
“Hey, Bridget!” he called toward her room as he got off the
chair. “Bridget?” Still holding the envelope, he lifted the key off the ground.
She came around the corner.
“I found something taped to the top of the pantry door.” He
handed it to her.
She looked at it quizzically. “It looks like a safety
deposit box key.”
“So it’s not yours?”
“No, it was probably my aunt’s.” Taking the envelope into
her hand, she flipped it over. “I wonder if my mom’s been looking for this.”
“Why do you think that?”
“After they found out that Lydia left the B & B to me, my
mom and dad came up from South Carolina and cleared out all her paperwork. Old
files, bills, that sort of thing. I offered to help, but they didn’t want me
involved in it.” She flipped the key over in her fingers again. “Maybe they
found some paperwork about this box.”
“Can’t hurt to call them and find out.”
Bridget scoffed. “You say that, but you don’t know my
parents. They get frustrated anytime my aunt’s name comes up in conversation, which
makes things pretty difficult now that I’m living in her house.”
“Why don’t they like to talk about her?”
“Lydia was—I don’t know—flighty, I’m told. Irresponsible.
Impulsive.”
“My kind of woman.”
Bridget laughed. “Yeah. She always seemed to be all the
things my parents weren’t, I guess. Lydia—she just loved to be around
people, you know? But my parents are… reclusive.” She shrugged. “They have
their reasons.”
Maddox somehow knew instinctively not to pry beyond that.
She tossed him a look at his silence, raising her eyebrows,
and started walking toward the phone. “Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing
gained,” she said, reaching for the receiver.
She listened, and Maddox could tell that voicemail had
picked up.
“Hey, Mom. I came across something at the inn. A
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