Taylor shook her head again. "No." She closed her eyes. "It's the third guy. From the tower incident."

"What?" Riley beat his fists into his temples. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know!" Anger surged through Taylor's words as the news boiled in her gut.

"Would you give me that data, there, Tripp?" Riley nodded his head toward the laptop.

Tripp and Ian turned to each other and back to Riley. "Sure."

"Great. I'm going to take this to my lieutenant and do some digging. We've got ourselves an ident.i.ty thief-"

"Who was here recently," Emma said.

Riley nodded. "I want to do a little canva.s.sing, too. And, Emma, I'd like to talk with you about your interactions with him." He turned to the others. "I suggest you all try to relax and let me handle this."

Taylor wanted to say *thank you, yes, take it!', while at the same time, she knew Tanner's involvement meant misfortune would be right around the corner.

"No," she said as Ian said, "I think putting this back in the hands of the police is a good idea."

Taylor swung around to him, her hair hitting her in the face. "Wait ... what?" She didn't want anyone hurt on her account, including Riley.

Ian stared straight back into her eyes. He took her hand so their ring fingers connected and smiled. "We're going to let them do their job." His head shifted until he faced Riley. "If Tanner messes with Taylor again-"

Riley held up both hands. "Don't say it out loud." A second later, he covered his ears and sidestepped toward the door. "Emma ... would you mind joining me out here for a second?"

She jumped from her seat and glided after him, the door slamming shut behind them.

Taylor whirled to Ian. "What's going on?"

Ian twisted to Lexi as soon as Riley left. "You'll do this, right, Lex? You'll look for him so I can go have a little chat with him? All I need-"

Lexi sipped at more of her tea and closed her eyes, leaning into Tripp's shoulder. "Sometimes, I hate this gift."

Taylor wanted to ask *what gift?' but ingrained manners kept her silent while inside curiosity ate at her.

"Please, Lexi?" Ian asked. "I've never asked, and I just need you to tell me where he is."

Tripp held up a hand. "She doesn't do people, Ian. You know that."

"That's bulls.h.i.t, and you know it." Ian slammed his hands against the wall. He spun toward Lexi. "This is more important than-"

Tripp rose, stormed toward Ian, and shoved at his chest with both hands. "Than what, Ian? The delicate nature of my wife?"

Taylor scrambled up, standing between the two men and moving to block Tripp when he slid to the side.

He picked her up by her biceps and spun so she'd be behind him. "You, stay out of this."

Ian responded by scrambling forward and sending Tripp back a few feet. "Do not try me, man. And do not mess with her."

"I can take care of myself." Taylor's rage burst from her.

Ian pounded the counter by the sink, his focus still toward his friend. "Now is not the time to deny me, Tripp. I've spent all my life following you and doing the digging, the research-f.u.c.k, everything-"

"Except going in and getting the job done."

"Don't f.u.c.k with me, man. We're equals in our partnership."

"Don't ask for what crosses the line."

Already, Tanner's involvement stretched a brother-like bond thin-a result that tugged at Taylor. "Stop-"

"I ... didn't ... cross." Ian's fists clenched. He drew one up and shook it at Tripp; for a moment, Taylor considered he might take a swing. "You went looking." He whirled to Lexi. "You did. On your own terms, you went looking for us." He pointed at Taylor. "And now, when I need you to do it for me, for other reasons, you won't?"

"I-" Lexi started.

Tripp's palm met Ian's shoulder and pushed him back. "Get out."

Taylor would have gotten in the middle, but despite her strength, both would bowl her over and ultimately do whatever they wanted without her.

"Tripp, no!" Lexi pushed back from the table and stood, her hands falling to the surface as she did. "Whoa. Head rush." She swayed. Tripp caught her before she fell.

Ian went to her. "I'm sorry, Lexi." A mix of kindness and irritation came through Ian's tone.

"Get the f.u.c.k out of my house, Ian." Tripp set her back in her seat.

"No." Lexi shook her head. "He's right, Tripp."

"I won't have him asking stuff of you when you're not in a position to-"

Lexi crossed her arms over her chest. "Really? You asked me to look for Jill's husband. You asked me to look for the owner of the bone. And, I did both." She gave Tripp a curt nod. "Just because I said *no people' doesn't mean I'm not going to use every gift I have to make sure our family is safe, Tripp. You ... of all people ... should know that."

Ian snickered as Tripp shuffled backward.

Taylor leaned into the frame of the door separating the kitchen from the living room.

"You think that just because I get a little sick and have to eat crackers and tea, and faint occasionally ... that I'm weak now?"

"No."

"Yes, you do." She flicked the top of Tripp's head. A small snort escaped Ian. "And you." Her finger headed in his direction. "You know I don't look for people. But, this is an exception. You also know I can't do it ... without Tripp. And, he's obviously not going to agree until I do and until you aren't fighting. So, that means you two have to make this right." She waved her hand toward the men. "Kiss and make up."

"f.u.c.k, no," Tripp said to Ian's, "Are you insane?"

Lexi and Taylor laughed. Tripp and Ian turned toward each other. Tripp showed no emotion but held out his fist. Ian's smile broke some of the tension as he connected with it.

"Now ... apologize," Lexi said.

"Gee, Mom," Ian said. "Do we have to?"

She tapped her fingernail on the table.

"I'm sorry," Ian said as Tripp said it, too.

29.

Two Fridays later, neither Riley nor Lexi had found Tanner-or rather, neither had provided any news that they had. Ian had his fill of watching Taylor rise with the roosters and chickens, dress in the dark and yell at him to get a move on because she didn't have all day to waste.

Thanks to her incarceration and hospital visit, her renovations had all fallen behind. She'd needed to get back to work, and Ian refused to let her out of his sight, though she'd relegated him to the car with a stern warning not to step foot on her project again unless he'd be willing to help. She had almost three weeks of work to make up since she acted as general foreman for her crews, and in her absence, they'd all slacked off.

Within the confines of the pa.s.senger seat of the car, Ian sat with his laptop and continued his research efforts while monitoring the scene before him. Taylor directed, pointed, yelled, and only once did Ian see any sign of excess wind in the area. He'd chuckled as a roofer slid but stopped short of falling off the edge. On the ground, Taylor had stood, her clipboard in one hand, the other outstretched toward the man, her lips moving as if to chastise his failed safety efforts. She'd only pressed at her temples afterward as if the pain of using her gift hadn't been too bad.

If nothing else, Ian learned she ran a proverbial tight ship and understood why Tripp had wanted the infamous *Taylor Marsh' for his own house's reconstruction.

A knock on the window brought Ian from his laptop screen. Taylor stood just outside. With a click of the key, the gla.s.s slid down.

"Want to make a run for some lunch?" she asked.

"Can't I just order it and have it delivered?"

The roll of her eyes said *no'. "It might do you some good to leave for five minutes, Ian."

"Not until we know where Tanner is."

"The man's not in town anymore. Riley's been by fifteen times this week. He's shown those photos around and around, and only those downtown even saw Tanner or Jason or whoever he is. If nothing else ... if he shows up here, I got twelve crew inside, four outside and a cell phone."

"But not me."

Her fingers tapped on the roof of the car. "Seriously, Ian. What's he going to do? Go into town. Get some lunch for you and me. Bring it back. By five, I'll be done for this week." She straightened, her head disappearing from view. A second later, she reappeared. "Oh!"

His heart lurched until her smile reappeared. "What?"

"I forgot to tell you that I made up a whole week thanks to your little push with the plumbers." She reached in with her head and added a kiss to his lips. "Wanted to thank you for that. You're quite the negotiator."

His grin snuck out. "I'm good at the business side of ... stuff, and-" Taylor's single raised eyebrow eyes stopped him. "What?" he asked.

"Before ..." Her voice came out a throaty whisper. "Before ... you were a farmer. You were ... building a business." Her eyes took on a faraway focus. "You were-you were just getting started. And, you asked my father-to help-that's how we met. I saw you. I mean. I remember." She tilted down to him. "Watching you through the farmhouse windows. Seeing you with my father, learning how to properly budget." She blinked a few times, and her gaze returned to Ian.

He reached out for her hand. "Maybe I learned back then." He turned her hand over and kissed her palm. "I have a feeling I learned a lot around the time I met you." He let go and laid her hand on the car's window frame. "And on that note, we need to go out to that farmhouse still."

"We?" She leaned her arms on the edge of the door. "Have you decided to start working with me?"

Ian chuckled.

"You're really not going to let me out of your sight, are you?" Taylor asked.

He shook his head.

"I could make up even more time if you'd get a little dirty." Her brows flashed up and down. "And, spend time ... just with you." She ran a finger down his cheek.

"I'll get dirty but not with power tools."

The call of Taylor's name took her away from the window again. Her second in command, one Ian had run a few background checks on, shook his head with his cap in his hand. The two conversed for a minute before Taylor came back.

"Please, please, please go get lunch?" She batted her lashes at him like some demure southern belle.

Ian's lips curved despite his desire to stay resolved. "Fine. I'll be back in fifteen minutes, but if anything happens, you call."

She leaned in for another kiss. "Will do. I want a chicken sandwich, please."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll play errand boy but only *cause I kinda like you."

"I'll play helpless girl, and you can be a fire fighter tonight, how about that?"

Ian's laugh jumped out. "Am I gonna have to play the girl?"

Taylor's hand shot out and punched him.

He rubbed at the spot on his bicep where she hit. "You didn't pull that one."

"You deserved it." She sauntered off, gave him a salute and followed her crew back into the house.

A switch to the driver's seat and Ian headed out.

a a a Taylor trudged her way back into the house, following around until she reached the interior bathroom. Two men added tile to the walls but had called her due to colors not matching. A check of the outside of the box revealed the source of the problem. Box number one listed the correct tile and box two a single number off.

"Just do what you can, and I'll get more for Monday," she said.

"We can come in this weekend if that helps, boss," one of the guys said.

Taylor noted the information she needed on her clipboard. "I'll see if they're in the store, and if so, I'll take you up on that." She stepped away, pulling her phone out at the same time as it buzzed. The number on screen didn't show but came through as unknown. She let it go to voicemail as she walked out into the sunshine.

With her back to the house, she navigated her way to her address book and dialed the kitchen and bath store. Her phone buzzed again while it rang, but the same *unknown' came through, so she ignored it.

"... Kitchen and Bath, how may I help you?"

Taylor almost missed the response with the phone away from her ear. "Hi, this is ..." She went on to describe what she needed.

An incoming call buzzed her phone again.

Riley's number popped up. Taylor itched to answer it but needed to finish out her conversation.