Free 06 Suspects and Surprises by Cindy Bell

be a fan, but he's turned out to be a decent guy,” Paul shrugged a little. “I don't think he'd do anything to hurt Mary.”
    “Well, he seems to be up to something, and it's really getting to Mary,” Suzie explained. “I just wish I could fix it for her. With her birthday coming up, it's not a great time for her to be worrying about romance.”
    “That's true,” Paul said and wrapped his arm around her waist. “But you can't make people do what you want, I've tried,” he said thoughtfully. “As hard as it might be you're going to have to let things play out between Mary and Wes.”
    “I know,” she frowned. “I just have a hard time watching her get hurt.”
    “Of course you do,” he leaned close and kissed her cheek. “It's never easy. But keep in mind, sometimes things are not how they look on the surface.”
    “I think Mary's spent enough years dealing with a man who played games with her,” Suzie said darkly. “She deserves more than that. She deserves to be happy.”
    “And you know as well as I do, that another person can't do that for you,” Paul reminded her wisely. He paused in the moonlight, and drew her close. “She is a lucky woman, Suzie, she has you in her life to love and protect her.”
    “I guess,” Suzie shook her head. “But now with the possibility of us being sued, what happens if we lose Dune House, where will that leave her? She has nowhere else to turn. Her kids are in college, her ex-husband took the house and the savings…”
    “Take a breath,” Paul advised and looked into her eyes. “Sometimes you just have to have faith that it will all work out.”
    “Faith?” she looked at him with surprise. “You're one of the biggest cynics I know, Paul.”
    “Thanks, I think,” he said with a half-smile. “That is true, but I learned that having a little faith can make a big difference.”
    “How?” she asked curiously.
    “When I fell in love with you,” he explained as he held her gaze, “I wanted to make you see just how good we could be together, but I couldn't do that. You didn't want to see it. I just had to have faith that you would feel the same way I did, and now look where we are.”
    “True,” Suzie said hesitantly. “I didn't think you were ever going to last.”
    “Thanks a lot,” Paul said with a laugh and leaned in for a quick kiss. When he pulled away he was smiling. “I guess I had faith enough for both of us.”
    “So, what you're saying is I need to stay out of it,” Suzie said grimly. “I'm not too great about keeping my nose out of things.”
    “Not necessarily stay out of it, but take a step back and let things play out as they will. Mary needs to figure things out for herself. You and I both believe that railing was tampered with. The proof will come to light with time,” he studied her intently. “I don't want to go off to sea worried about what you might be getting in the middle of, Suzie. If someone really did murder Warren Blasser, then that person is dangerous.”
    “This isn't going to be one of those lectures about me not putting myself in danger is it?” Suzie asked with a subtle sigh of impatience.
    “Maybe,” Paul admitted. He shrugged and swept his gaze over the water before looking back at her. “It's hard to be so far away from you, to not be able to protect you.”
    “I can appreciate that,” Suzie said diplomatically. “But you have to remember that I've been in plenty of dangerous spots before you came along, Paul, and I can handle myself.”
    He reached up and lightly stroked her cheek as he gazed into her eyes. “I have no doubt,” he murmured. “Just like Mary has been through very difficult times, and has made it through.”
    “Oh you,” Suzie slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “I see what you did there.”
    “Do you?” he wiggled his brows. “I thought it was pretty good.”
    “It was,” Suzie sighed. “But I'm still going to investigate.”
    “Oh, I know you are,” Paul said with a short