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who you are. The waiter mentioned your name. You’re the Kelly woman from Two Chimneys Cottage, right? Chimney Rock Cove?”
    Niles bridled at the pushy tone. “We’re having breakfast,” he said coolly.
    “Just saying hi,” the man said without looking at Niles. “I’m John Valley. I’ve got that information you people wanted.”
    Leigh looked at him blankly. She pushed her strawberry blond hair behind both ears. Niles liked her straight, shiny hair but he didn’t like it that she was considering excusing herself and leaving the table. Her strong thoughts were easy to read. When she became pensive or distant he had to probe harder. He had not listened in much so far and wouldn’t in the future, he decided. Some unfair advantages were a bad idea—and dishonest.
    He could often hear snippets of human thought, but only those who were sensitives of some kind came through as clearly as Leigh. He figured that could be because they were starting to share a connection that proved they were meant to be mates—or was that only wishful thinking?
    “I did a rough assessment on your holdings here on the island,” Valley said.
    Her mouth moved but she took a while to say, “Who are you?”
    “I’m the real estate go-to on this end of the island.” The guy’s mouth turned down and a nerve twitched in his cheek.
    “I don’t understand this,” Leigh said.
    “Hell, maybe I shouldn’t have approached you but I wasn’t warned to keep quiet. I thought you’d be interested in the valuation. Very nice, too. Who knew the acreage was that big? But I’ll talk to your husband.”
    Leigh had turned white. She put down her coffee mug slowly and with a shaky hand. Finally she said, “My husband?”
    “Geez, he’s gonna be pissed with me, huh?” the salesman said. But he lowered his eyelids to leer and turned on a smile meant only for Leigh.
    “What are you talking about?” She managed to find some steel for her voice and Niles admired her for it.
    John Valley bristled. “Mr. Kelly called a few days ago and said you folks are thinking of selling your property.”

chapter
FIVE
     
    W HAT THE DEVIL WAS the man talking about?
    Leigh could hardly breathe. With a sense of unreality, she watched Valley retreat. He pulled a camouflage bucket hat over his pale blond hair and called, “Let’s go,” to his companions.
    For a moment Leigh squeezed her eyes shut. Then something inside her broke free and she exploded after the man, skidding to a halt behind him. “I want your card,” she said through her teeth. “The one that says you’re the ‘go-to’ guy for real estate around here.”
    John Valley spun toward her, his light eyes popping. Color crept up his neck. “Hey, hold your horses, little lady. No need to lose your head just because a man makes a bitty mistake. How was I to know your husband hadn’t kept you in the loop?”
    “You don’t know how big a mistake you’ve made,” she said, holding her voice steady. “Just give me your card and I can get back to my coffee.”
    Valley patted the pockets of his camouflage gear. “Well, hell. Isn’t that always the way? You never have what you want when you want it. I wasn’t expectin’ to do any business. Why don’t I drop a card by here next time? You can pick it up when you’re in again.”
    “I don’t think so,” Leigh said. Blood banged through the veins in her temples. “I need to deal with this right away. You can write it down for me—including your office address. And while you’re about it, please give me the number you were told to call with your findings.”
    Her anger was out of control and out of proportion and she knew it. But John Valley didn’t even know the painful thing he had done to her, and she was pretty sure there was no way he would care. He wanted to make a buck and if ingratiating himself with her would line his pockets, he would be Mr. Silk—Mr. Silk with a snake in his mouth.
    “That’s why I spoke to you.” His face