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I couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing from my shoulders. Her comment was classic Nona—wisdom delivered with a dose of humor.
“Thanks. Maybe I need to stop being so stubborn and focus more on people instead of my career… including Aiden.”
“Good girl.” Nona’s approval warmed me more than the lamplight ever could. “Now, back to this puzzle—what do you think about teamwork for twelve across?”
“Perfect fit,” I replied, but I wasn’t just talking about the crossword anymore.
The next morning, sunlight cast stripes across the floor of my sitting area. Pilar lazily washed herself as the beams warmed her, pausing to stare at me with those inscrutable green eyes. Her sides were starting to bulge now, an indication of the kittens she carried. I was curled up with a glass of water I hadn’t touched in fifteen minutes. My thoughts were still wrapped around Nona’s words when my phone buzzed on the glass tabletop.
“Stella? You up yet?” Hunter’s voice was sharp and alert. He’d always been one of those horrible morning people.
“Define up,” I muttered, rubbing at my eyes. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. I’ve been thinking a lot about the thefts. The first things stolen were orchids, right? So either our thief has a thing for exotic flowers or knows how to sell them.”
I set my water down, instantly becoming more alert. “That makes sense. You already think it’s someone with outside access, right?”
“I do. And I’ve got a plan to catch him.”
“Tell me more.”
“I’m thinking about setting a trap. What if we use some of your best orchids as bait?”
Reflexively, my heart skipped at the thought of losing more of my precious blooms and my eyes automatically zeroed in on the ones by my balcony door. “You want to use my orchids as… lures? Hunter, it takes years to grow them!”
“I know, and that’s exactly why a really special one, or two, would be perfect. The thief won’t be able to resist. You set a couple of them near the restaurant to entice him. Pick them carefully, okay? Put them near the others so they don’t look out of place—we don’t want it to look obvious. I’ll come down and stake the place out. We’ll see what happens.”
I couldn’t refute his logic, though the idea caused my stomach to drop. Pilar rose and rubbed against my legs. I reached over and absently scratched under her chin. “Should we loop in Evan or Gabe?”
“Not yet.” His voice held a firmness that told me he’d thought this through. “Evan knows I’m working on something—we talked about it at the party. Plus, the fewer people involved, the better.”
“Makes sense.” I grinned. “So are we going to hide out together in a dusty old sedan, waiting for our creeping thief to abscond with the bait?” My bad mood was slipping away by the minute.
“Get real.” He snorted. “You’re not going to be anywhere near. Hopefully neither will anyone else. I’ve got a lot of experience with stakeouts, Stella. And catching bad guys.”
My smile faded. I hadn’t really expected him to let me tag along, but his answer was unsettling. I shifted in my seat, stroking Pilar’s ears to cover my uneasiness. No one really knew what Hunter had done while in Special Forces, and he never went into details about it. “I know you do. I was just teasing.”
“You’re the only one I trust to pick out the right orchids.” His voice softened. “I’m sorry, Stell. This is the best way.”
“Well, if the first orchids tempted Ben to steal them, the new ones I choose should prove irresistible.” I tried to sound confident. Then memories from the farmer’s market flooded my mind—the day I’d reconnected with Aiden while picking out replacement orchids. I shook my head, forcing the recollection away. “When do you want me to pick out the flowers? The landscaping project is close to wrapping up.”
They’d planted several new palm trees around the resort and updated underground sprinkler lines throughout. As much as I disliked Ben, I had to admit the crew had done a great job sprucing up the place.
“No time like the present,” Hunter said. “I’ve got a few days off coming up. Can you choose the bait today?”
I blinked at how rapidly he was moving now that he’d decided on his plan. “Sure. I can do it tonight while I’m working.”
“Call me when you find the right ones, and we’ll go from there. Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll discover who our thief is.” Hunter’s voice held a steel edge of determination.
“It’s Ben, Hunter.” I smirked.
“Maybe, maybe not. Not all Coleridges are terrible people, though he doesn’t have a great track record. Call me later, okay?”
“Got it,” I replied, resisting the urge to say over and out. After hanging up, a potent mix of concern and anticipation rose in me as I prepared to carry out Hunter’s plan.
The dinner rush died down around 10:00 p.m., finally giving me the time I needed to stroll through Orchid’s nearly deserted dining area. After a thorough perusal of my beautiful charges, I ended up in a section that fronted the beach but was secure within the restaurant. Some of our most beautiful orchids were kept here. My eye automatically darted to a bare area, one I was reserving for my long dreamed of monkey-face orchid. Rare and in great demand, I had never been able to get my hands on one. I examined several magnificent blooms before making my final selection.
I chose two stunning specimens of the Cattleya Queen Sirikit, known for its resilience and delicate lavender hue that reminded me of dawn skies over the beach. Queen Sirikit could survive outside with the proper care, making the two orchids perfect lures for our thief.
