Dead Right (Stillwater Trilogy #3)(29)
Author: Brenda Novak

Madeline’s ex-boyfriend had his back to Hunter, but he looked approximately six-two, maybe 230 pounds. He wasn’t fat, but he was big, with massive shoulders and a head of fine dark hair.

Madeline was too intent on the argument to see him, and Kirk didn’t turn around.

“It’s easier to work together when we’re close by,” she was saying. “This isn’t a nine-to-five proposition.”

“It’d better not be a proposition at all,” Kirk snapped.

“How dare you say that! You and I aren’t even seeing each other anymore.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

“If you still care, why didn’t you call when you heard that my father’s car was found?” she asked. “You had to know what that was like for me.”

Hunter knew he should’ve broken in about five minutes ago, but he was interested to hear Kirk’s answer.

“You told me not to call you again, remember?”

“That didn’t stop you from marching down here the second someone told you I hired a private detective.”

“I heard you’d hired a professional days ago,” he said. “I didn’t have a problem with it until I ran into Grace and Kennedy at breakfast this morning and they mentioned that he’s staying here. They don’t think it’s safe, either.”

“He’s not some criminal. He’s a P.I., for heaven’s sake.”

“Oh, that makes all the difference!” Kirk’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You don’t know him from Adam. You could be raped or—”

At that Hunter opened his mouth to object. He wasn’t going to touch Madeline. Especially without her permission. But Madeline was already responding.

“He’s not interested in me, okay?”

“How can you be sure of that? Is he married?”

“No.”

“So he’s single.” I knew it, rang through his words.

“Yes, but he’s…young,” she said.

“How young?”

“Too young—for me, anyway.”

Hunter felt his eyebrows shoot up. A thirty-two-year-old man was too young for a thirty-six-year-old woman? Why?

She lowered her voice again. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing, Kirk.”

“Like hell!”

“Listen, he’s recently been through a rough divorce, okay? He’s not interested in me or anyone else. You’ve never met a person who’s so closed off.”

Hunter didn’t want to hear any more about himself. So he coughed to make them aware of his presence and sauntered through the living room to join them in the entry.

Kirk’s face darkened the moment their eyes met; Madeline’s lips parted but she didn’t speak. She was probably wondering how much he’d overheard about his “rough” divorce.

“You’re a private investigator?” Kirk said.

“I seem to be getting that reaction a lot lately,” Hunter replied wryly. He told himself not to look at Madeline again, but he couldn’t help it. Obviously, she’d come from a warm bed, which explained why she was dressed so scantily, but it was chilly in the house. Her body was showing the effects of it and, much as he wished it wasn’t so, his body had definitely noticed.

“Hunter, this is Kirk Vantassel, my ex-boyfriend,” she said, chafing her arms to ward off the cold. “Kirk, this is Hunter Solozano.”

Kirk made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t feeling particularly friendly. “How long have you been in the investigative business?” he asked, sizing Hunter up.

“Long enough to know what I’m doing,” Hunter responded but he smiled to soften his words and held out his hand. He wasn’t trying to pick a fight. He only wanted to let Madeline’s ex-boyfriend know that he wouldn’t be pushed around. “Nice to meet you.”

Kirk didn’t respond immediately. It took a nudge from Madeline to goad him into a handshake. Even then he made the contact brief. “Nice to meet you, too,” he muttered, and his eyes cut back to Madeline. “I was just telling Maddy that they have a vacancy at the motel, where you’d be within walking distance of the pool hall and the restaurants in town. You might be more comfortable there.”

“I’d be more comfortable?” Hunter repeated. “Or you’d be more comfortable?”

“Madeline’s grieving,” he said. “She’s not thinking clearly.”

Madeline protested but Hunter spoke over her. “I don’t have any objection to moving.”

“Great,” Kirk said.

“Does that mean I should send you the bill?” he asked.

The question took Kirk by surprise. “What?”

“For my expenses,” Hunter clarified. “The motel won’t be free.”

Hunter wondered if Kirk wanted him out of Maddy’s house badly enough to pay the motel bill. At first he didn’t think so. It was one thing to pick up the tab on behalf of a girlfriend, another to pick up the tab on behalf of an ex-girlfriend.

But Kirk shrugged. “Sure, I’ll pay. No problem. Get your luggage and I’ll drive you over.”

“No!” Madeline stepped closer and Hunter could smell the perfume he’d noticed in his room last night. “I brought Hunter to town and I’ll take care of his arrangements. He’s fine where he is.”

Hunter wished she’d go put on a robe. His eyes were drawn to her br**sts like magnets to steel. And he could tell that Kirk was having the same problem. But he knew she wouldn’t risk leaving them alone, even for a few minutes. There was so much tension in the room, it felt as if they were squaring off. Hunter suspected this could get out of hand.

“It’s already settled, Maddy,” Kirk said.

She stubbornly held on to Hunter’s arm. “No, it’s not. This has nothing to do with you, Kirk. So stay out of it.”

“I don’t want him here!” Her ex scowled in obvious frustration. “And go put on some damn clothes!”

“Just as soon as you leave,” she said.

With that, Hunter decided to give her a hand by opening the door. Kirk had made his wishes known, but it was Madeline’s decision. “Maybe you should give her a call once you’ve cooled off,” he suggested.

Hunter thought Kirk might take a swing at him—he could tell Kirk wanted to. But he didn’t. He faced Hunter, nostrils flaring. Then he wrenched the door away and slammed it shut behind him.