He joined Amanda in staring at the fire. Silently. And figured this was as close as they would ever come to being in accord.

Chapter 6

Amanda wasn’t happy. She hadn’t wanted him here but had to admit the logic of Quinn’s point. And so she had agreed to the call, still half hoping he wouldn’t answer or would refuse to come. He surely had to know he wouldn’t be welcomed. By her, at least. She didn’t know about Quinn; the man was more than capable of hiding his feelings behind that cool exterior.

At the very least Adam could have sat somewhere else. Even if Cutter did keep getting in the way, he was only a dog after all. He could have stepped over him or something. Then again, where he was it was easier for her to avoid looking at him. She could just keep her eyes on Quinn and Hayley, or the fire. So maybe the dog had done her a favor.

Even as she thought it Cutter, who had taken up a position on the floor in front of them both even though the space between their feet and the big, heavy coffee table was a bit cramped for him, gave a short woof. It sounded just about like she felt, wanting to get on with it.

“Point taken,” Quinn said, sounding amused. He leaned forward and picked up the laptop from the table. The laptop where they had now plugged in the flash drive Cutter had found. She still had no idea how, and Quinn and Hayley merely shrugged and said they’d given up trying to figure out how the dog knew what he knew.

“We—or rather Cutter—found this flash drive hidden in Greg and Amanda’s office. Very well hidden. In a place where only Amanda would have likely found it, eventually.”

Quinn hit a couple of keys, and the flat screen above the fireplace came to life. He hit a couple more, and the now familiar image appeared. She looked away, unable to bear looking at the familiar handwriting.

“Recognize this?” Quinn asked.

Adam studied the image for a moment, his brow furrowed. And now Amanda couldn’t resist looking at him, when he was safely focused on the screen. He looked...older. Not just the five years it had chronologically been, but as if he’d aged two for every one. Not that he wasn’t still a good—okay, great—looking guy, but the time had left its mark. At least on the boyishly handsome face she remembered.

And had fallen for at first sight, fool that you are.