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cut her off as
disbelief stabbed at his affronted ego. “You knew about Sarah’s state of mind
when she died and didn’t tell me? We’ve spoken for over a week, Cat. Why bother
pushing me for information if you already knew about her?”
    Her green eyes darkened. “I’m doing my job, that’s why. I
needed to know I could trust you, needed to believe you’ll be as honest with me
as I’ll be with you.”
    Jay stared. “You’ve been in cop mode this entire time?”
    “Jay, come on. Why are you looking at me like that? Isn’t that
why you asked me here in the first place?”
    Defensiveness raged in her eyes like a gathering storm. Any
intimacy he thought he saw or felt between them was entirely of his own doing.
God, was he that self-involved? Clearly he was, and clearly Cat didn’t see him
as anything more than a mutual friend of Sarah’s, intent on avenging her murder.
What the bloody hell did he expect? He hadn’t called her to the Cove thinking
anything would happen between them. It wasn’t her fault he’d wanted to touch her
from the minute he saw her.
    “Jay, are you listening to me? I said I’ve already made a few
discreet enquiries.”
    Her voice jerked him from his paralysis and icy-cold fingers
tip-tapped up his spine. Cat was intelligent, savvy and determined. He had
undoubtedly destroyed any hope of her believing him innocent given his past. A
past it looked as though she’d known about all along.
    “What did you find out?”
    “I found out you and Sarah haven’t spent any time together for
over four years.”
    He met her questioning gaze but said nothing.
    “Why would two friends who’d known each other their entire
lives suddenly stop talking unless something major split them apart? Tell me
what happened. If you hold things back from me, what am I supposed to
think?”
    She didn’t know about his drug problems.
    Tell her. Damn well tell her. Tell her how
you ruined your friendship with Sarah while out of your head on cocaine.
Tell her how people now look at you in the Cove.
    Heat stole through his gut, burning hot and unwelcome. “I...
We...”
    She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, her
gaze was softer, more concerned than accusatory. “I’m not here to cause you
grief... God knows, I’m not even here to relive a time when I felt my whole life
would be like a summer holiday forever. All three of us were so young then. I
grew up, Sarah grew up. I thought you had, too, but the way you’re clamming up
now...”
    The insult to his maturity struck at his pride like a knife
through weakened flesh. He shook his head and gave a wry laugh. “Do you think
I’ve had everything given to me on a plate since you left?”
    “What? No, I—”
    “Dad didn’t give me any different opportunities than he’s given
every other employee, Cat. If you think differently, you don’t know him at
all.”
    She squeezed her eyes shut. “Jay, for crying out loud. This
isn’t about you. This is about—”
    “I learned the business from the bottom rung to the top. There
were never any shortcuts as far as Dad was concerned, and now I understand why.
You cannot understand the wants and wishes of people around you unless you’ve
walked in their shoes. That’s the bottom line.”
    When she opened her eyes again, they blazed fiery green with
anger. “Well, you haven’t walked in mine or Sarah’s, so why don’t you cut the
crap and tell me what was going on between you and her?”
    Jay stared at the two bright red spots of color flaming her
cheeks as heat burned in his own. Her breasts rose and fell with each breath and
her hands were balled into fists at her sides. Fine. She wanted to know about
walking in people’s shoes? He’d damn well tell her.
    “If we find out Sarah was involved in drugs, I’ve not just
walked in her shoes, I’ve hiked in them. Up until four and half years ago, I was
a coke addict. You name it, Cat, I took it.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    “W HAT ?” C AT STARED and