Mandie drew back from him and tried to shake off his grip.
"Let her go." Joe spit the words out through gritted teeth. His feet wide apart and his shoulders squared, he looked ready to pounce. He took a menacing step toward Mr. Barnes.
Mr. Barnes glanced at him then at the open desk drawer. "You have no business being in here, miss." He let go of Mandie's arm to slam the drawer shut.
"That envelope had Anna's name on it," Mandie said. When she pointed toward the desk, Mr. Barnes leaned against the desk.
"You can read that but not 'Private' on the door?" he asked.
Mandie felt her temper rise, but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm. "I'd be happy to deliver that to Anna."
He snorted. "Like I'd trust a thief to deliver anything."
"I'm not a thief," Mandie said while Joe came and put a protective arm around her shoulders.
"Don't talk to a lady that way, mister," Joe warned.
Mr. Barnes jutted his chin in a challenging way, and Mandie could feel Joe stiffen beside her. His free hand curled into a fist at his side. He was about the same height as Mr. Barnes but leaner.
The fire in his eyes seemed to make Mr. Barnes think better of any further antagonization. He folded his arms across his chest in a defensive posture. When he huffed out a breath, some of his steam seemed to leak out at the same time. "How else do you explain sneaking into my office?"
"Anna said her father left her an inheritance. I thought maybe he might have a record of it here." Mandie eyed him closely to see his reaction.
He frowned but didn't seem all that surprised by the topic. "There is no inheritance, never was. Now you both must go so I can open the store."
Joe tugged Mandie out the office first, keeping himself between her and Mr. Barnes, who followed them to the front door.
After they'd stepped outside into the street, Mr. Barnes said to Joe, "I'll happily discuss any legal arrangements Anna approves, but I think our association should end there." He looked at Mandie. "And remember what I said. No money was left behind, so don't fuel any false hopes." He shut the door on them with more oomph than necessary.
"That could have gone better." Joe shook his head and cupping Mandie's elbow, steered her away from the bookstore.
Mandie paused long enough to stamp her foot. "If only I could have examined that envelope better before he came. He's hiding something important; I know it." There had to be a way to get another look in his office.
"We'll figure something out," Joe said as if he could read her thoughts. "Only promise you won't try to do anything on your own."
Mandie noticed the old, protective Joe in the tone of his voice. It shot a bolt of relief through her. "I promise. We're in this together, remember?"
He grinned down at her. "Right." They spent most the walk home in comfortable talk after that. Joe filled Mandie in on what he'd learned from Mr. Barnes about Anna's father. They'd had a fifty-fifty partnership. Mr. Barnes claimed he'd tried to present a share of the profits to Anna a few times but had always been refused.
"Maybe she didn't want to feel indebted to him," Mandie suggested.
"Yes, but legally being the heir, she's entitled to some compensation for her father's share of the business. I'm hoping if I draw up proper paperwork, she'll see it that way."
They rounded a turn onto Mandie's street. Parked in front of the house was the carriage with Jason Bond at the reins. A tall young man in a trim navy suit and newsboy hat hopped down.
Mandie gathered up her long skirt and jogged forward. "Tommy? Why, we were expecting your father."
The young man smiled big. "I offered to do the business for father so I could see you…all."
"I'm glad. How long can you stay?"
"Not sure yet." He turned back to the carriage, grabbed a bouquet of magnolias that rested on the seat, and handed it to Mandie.
She had received a few corsages from George Stewart like other girls with escorts but never flowers outside of social events. It was something Joe wouldn't do and certainly never with such ease as Tommy had. She tried to hide her blush by breathing in the magnolia's fragrance. "They're lovely. Thank you."
"Hi, Joe," Tommy said as Joe caught up to the two.
"Hello." Joe stuffed his hands in his pant pockets and looked from Mandie to the flowers to Tommy.
"I thought Mandie would like a slice of Charleston."
"Guess you couldn't bring the ocean," Joe joked in a somewhat tight voice.
Tommy's answering smile was a bit bland.
While Joe and Tommy had always been polite to one another, Joe had never connected with him like with Jonathan or Dimar. Mandie scrambled for something to break the ice.
Before she could, Joe, waving his hand at Jason Bond, brushed past Tommy. "Here, Mr. Bond, I'll get the luggage, so you can take care of the horse."
With an inward sigh, Mandie angled toward the house. "I better put these flowers in water."
As Tommy fell into step beside her, she smiled up at him then looked over her shoulder at Joe, who was lifting a carpetbag out of the carriage. As much tension as Joe and her had faced already, she hoped Tommy didn't add to it. Aw shucks, I can't worry about everything!