For You I Will
For You I Will
Donna Hill
Mellow sun-kissed days turn into sultry nights made for mutual pleasure…After ten years of service as chief of the E.R. at a New York City hospital, Dr. Kai Randall decided to trade her scrubs for a calmer existence in Sag Harbor Village. The only thing that has interrupted her serenity in months is the photo she snapped of a handsome, solitary stranger. The image haunts her. But that's nothing compared to how she feels when she comes face-to-face with the man from her dreams. When Assistant District Attorney Anthony Weston barges into Kai's house frantically looking for his young daughter, he meets one beautiful complication. Anthony's career ambitions caused him to lose his marriage-and now he's on the cusp of a huge promotion.His life is in the city that Kai left behind, but his heart is in the soul-stirring passion they share. Is this just another sizzling summer fling or could this be the beginning of forever?
For You I Will
Donna Hill
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Contents
Cover (#u354591f2-2b5f-548b-b347-9b6532b55941)
Title Page (#u89b7609b-c12b-50cd-a5fd-80e1299f30f6)
Prologue (#ulink_d777e6c8-6f54-5c85-8387-aced69ea83b3)
Chapter 1 (#ulink_bd2da1bc-627f-56c5-9c95-9d6d04166876)
Chapter 2 (#ulink_6b4f5213-f7c7-5dc2-92ca-d19fa8af017d)
Chapter 3 (#ulink_b917ab6d-ef08-5ac1-ab83-d4266a17b22b)
Chapter 4 (#ulink_044aa592-98fc-5574-98b4-86352524039b)
Chapter 5 (#ulink_618ab745-68c5-5020-a17c-0581f0233184)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#ulink_156381c3-20d3-5094-944c-a2b1158713c8)
The air over Sag Harbor was charged and ready to joust with the storm that loomed on the horizon. A blanket of gray and white hung over the treetops and roofs of the homes that dotted the landscape. The residents of Sag Harbor were accustomed to the sudden spring storms and after two years away from the frenetic pace of New York City, Dr. Kai Randall had gotten used to them, as well. So well in fact that she no longer closed herself inside her quaint home during these outbursts but welcomed them, capturing nature’s power from behind the lens of her camera.
For Kai, picking up stakes and leaving New York Presbyterian Hospital wasn’t a matter of a simple getaway; it was to save her own sanity. The bureaucratic pressure, the fourteen-hour days, and being a constant witness to pain and suffering had begun to take its toll on her physical and mental well-being. And after ten years on the front lines as chief of the E.R., she packed her stethoscope, her skills as a surgeon and returned to her ancestral home on Sag Harbor in the neighborhood known as Azurest. Kai’s great-great-grandfather Isaiah Randall had fought side-by-side with Warren M. Cuffee, a soldier in the black regiment of the Union Army who championed the liberation of blacks from slavery. Isaiah built his home on Azurest when he married Kai Seneca, a Native American who was said to have stolen Isaiah’s heart with one look from her luminous black eyes. Decades later, Kai was named after her great-great-grandmother whose name means “willow tree.”
Kai had visited the two-story family home with the wraparound porch that faced the water off and on during her childhood and fewer than a dozen times as an adult. Her hectic schedule didn’t allow for much downtime. And even then, she could never be too far away from the hospital in the event of an emergency. Finally deciding she needed a better quality of life, Kai sold her condo on the Upper East Side, traded in her Lexus for a Ford Explorer, her scrubs for jeans and flip-flops, and planted new roots in Sag Harbor Village. It took her a while to grow accustomed to the quiet and the slower pace, to realize that businesses closed at dusk and all the residents knew each other by first name and they didn’t text all day long but actually had conversations and made phone calls.
Now, more than two years later, Kai Randall was a fixture in Sag Harbor Village. With the urging of Melanie and her own restless need to “fix things,” Kai had converted her detached garage into a small medical office, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, from X-ray machines to nebulizers to sonogram machines. She ran the place herself. There wasn’t much need for a staff. Actually, most of her doctoring was done in house calls. That was Melanie’s doing as well. She referred all of her clients, family and guests to Kai, who was more than happy to pay them a visit when they were under the weather.
It was a good life. Easy. And for the first time in longer than she could remember, she was able to pursue her other passion of photography. She took real pictures, the old-fashioned way, and developed them herself in the attic that she had converted into a darkroom. She’d even donated a few to the Grenning Gallery in town, and Desiree Armstrong, a renowned artist in her own right, had suggested that Kai put up a show of her own.
But Kai hadn’t left the demands of the big city to get caught up in the demands of a small town. She liked things the way they were. No complications. No deadlines. No demands on her time or ability. Besides, most of the pictures that she took were of the people in the Village. She couldn’t begin to imagine the headache that would come as a result of needing people’s permissions to use their images. No thanks. Life was fine just the way it was.
Kai stood in the archway of her front door, her eyes lifted to the darkening sky. She estimated that she had an hour, maybe two, before the rains came. She hurried up to her attic studio and gathered up her equipment.
It was a great day for shooting. While many photographers preferred sunshine and blue heavens, Kai did some of her best work during storms and overcast skies, capturing scenes in stark black and white juxtaposed against the silhouettes of buildings or crashing waves. Today was one of those days.
She packed up her equipment in her car along with her dog, Jasper, and headed into town. From the mouth of the town proper, Kai parked her car and took out her equipment. The outline of the businesses, turn-of-the-century streetlights and the masts of the sailboats docked at the pier set against the backdrop of the overcast skies formed the perfect composition. She shot a quick roll of film and then strolled down Main Street to capture the silhouettes of patrons beyond the glass windows, just as the rain began to fall. She put in another roll of film, snapped her final shots and hurried back to her car with Jasper hot on her heels just as the skies opened up.
After drying off, she went straight to her studio and removed the film from the camera. This was the part of the process that she enjoyed the most, watching the images come to life.
As she took the last photograph from the solution and hung it up to dry, she was once again fascinated by the transformation that happened in measured increments, an image coming to life right before her eyes.
All at once the profile of a man, with his head slightly bowed, his fist pressed against his forehead and seated alone in the coffee shop, emerged, and something inside of her shifted. She barely remembered taking the shot, but obviously she had. Her heart pounded as she looked closer. But it was more than his face through the plate-glass window that unsettled her. It was the aura of aloneness that wafted over him like the storm clouds. Everything within her wanted to fix him and make whatever it was that weighed down his spirit go away. How ridiculous, she thought. It was only a picture.
Yet, days later, she found that at the most inopportune moments, his image floated in front of her or that jumpy feeling in the center of her stomach wreaked havoc. At night she thought of him, and during the days she found herself hoping to catch another glance of him. But as the days turned to weeks and spring into early summer, Kai cataloged the image away.
Chapter 1 (#ulink_47cc1a84-48f3-5ab6-b50c-15e20b305742)
“You’ll be fine, Mrs. Anderson.” Kai snapped off her rubber gloves and pulled her stethoscope from her ears. “It’s your allergies.”
“Are you sure it’s not the flu? I feel like it’s the flu.” She sniffed hard and blinked against watery eyes.
Kai’s amber-toned eyes crinkled with humor. “No, Mrs. Anderson, it’s not the flu.” She handed her a tissue. “With all the rain we’ve been having and with the blooming flowers and grass, I’m surprised you haven’t been bothered before. I’ll give you a new prescription for your allergy medicine.”
Mrs. Anderson almost looked disappointed. Kai tucked away her smile. “You can get dressed and then come to my office for the prescription.”
“Are you sure?” she asked again.
Kai stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. “Positive.”
Mrs. Anderson huffed and Kai closed the door softly behind her. When she stepped out into the small waiting area that was really only equipped to handle six people including her, she was stunned to see all the seats occupied. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson and their three children were huddled together as if they’d recently been washed ashore.
“Oh my goodness.” Kai looked from one to the other and instantly saw the flush in their faces and the wan look around their eyes. “I’ll be with you all in one moment.” She started off toward her office but stopped when she remembered Mrs. Anderson, who already believed she had the flu. If the Hanson family had anything contagious she needed to get them out of the front room as soon as possible. Her triage skills from her years in the emergency room kicked into gear.
The office was small. She had three exam rooms, a tiny office and the waiting area. She quickly ushered Mr. Hanson into a room with the oldest son who was on the verge of turning six. Mrs. Hanson was placed in the adjacent room with the twin three-year-old girls. Today was a day she could use an assistant.
After getting them settled, she went to her office to write the allergy prescription for Mrs. Anderson and was just finishing when Mrs. Anderson knocked on the partially opened door.
“Come in.” She tore the prescription from the pad and handed it across the desk. “Get this filled as soon as possible and I guarantee you will feel much better.”
Mrs. Anderson took the rectangular piece of paper and placed it in her purse. “Thank you so much, Dr. Randall. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Never hesitate to come in if you’re not feeling well. It could have been something more serious, but fortunately it wasn’t.” She smiled.
“Thank goodness for that.” She turned to leave. A wail from one of the twins pierced through the walls and halted her step. “Oh, my. That’s some cry. Must be something terribly wrong.”
Kai got up from behind her desk and ushered Mrs. Anderson out. “Kids cry. That’s what they do,” she said with a placating smile. “You be careful going home.” She gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Mrs. Anderson was a sweetheart but everyone knew she had the biggest mouth in the town of Azurest. If she even thought for a moment that an entire family was ill she would create panic in the streets of Sag Harbor before lunchtime.
Kai secured and locked the door and put her closed sign in the window then quickly went into the room with the wailing baby, who had in turn, gotten her twin involved in the symphony. Kai went to the sink and thoroughly washed her hands, put a disposable smock over her clothing and snapped on rubber gloves.
“Christine, I’m going to check out the twins first.” She picked up one of the girls from her mother’s arms and sat her on the exam table. “I can never tell them apart.”
“That’s Cara. This is Carmen,” she said, indicating the baby in her arms.
Kai talked softly and soothingly to Cara while she made a game of placing the child thermometer in her ear. “How long has everyone been sick?”
“This is the second day. The only one who hasn’t been sick is my husband, Mike. But I know taking care of a house full of sick people is going to catch up with him at some point.”
“She has a slight fever.” She tossed the disposable tip of the thermometer in the trash. “Any vomiting?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm,” Kai murmured deep in her throat while she checked Cara’s ears, nose and throat. She listened to her chest and then did it all over again with her sister, Carmen. She pushed out a breath. “They both have low-grade fevers. And with the vomiting, I’m concerned about dehydration. When I’m done with my exam of Monty, I’m going to give my colleague over at General a call. He’s a pediatrician. I’ll see what he suggests. Okay?” She offered an encouraging smile. “I’m sure it’s only a virus and it will run its course, but until it does, I want to make sure we’re doing all that we can.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Sure. I’m going to examine Monty and then I’ll come back and check you out.” She took off her smock and gloves and ditched them in the trash then went into the next exam room.
An hour later she sent the Hanson family to the local pharmacy and also advised that they get to bed early.
Kai went about cleaning and sterilizing the rooms and was ready to call it a day when the office phone rang. One of these days she might actually hire a receptionist, she mused as she hurried to the front desk.
“Dr. Randall. How may I help you?”
“What’s up, doc?”
His corny greeting always made her laugh. “Dr. Drew.”
“I’m calling to check up on my virtual patients.”
She leaned her hip against the desk. “They should be on their way home by now and following your advice.”
“Good. I so love doing business with you, Dr. Randall.”
She could hear the laughter in his voice. That was a unique quality of Andrew Clarke. He was always upbeat and could make anyone around him feel the same way. It was probably why he was such an incredible pediatrician.
“I aim to please.”
“The real reason for my call is that there is an author reading at the Grenning Gallery tonight. I know how much you love thrillers and mysteries and it’s the mystery writer—Harlan Coben—that will be the guest.”
Her eyes widened. “Right! I totally forgot. Harlan Coben is a favorite of mine.”
“So...you’ll go with me?”
She hesitated. They’d been out together before—casually—with a group of his colleagues from the hospital. But she always had the sense that if given the chance, he’d want more. This would be the first time they would actually be going out “together.” Is that what she wanted? He was good-looking, and smart and funny and available...
“Sure. I’d love to go. I can meet you there—”
“Don’t be silly. I can pick you up. I’m out of here early today for a change. Reading starts at eight. Maybe we can grab something to eat first or afterwards.”
Oh, so this really was a “real date.” “Uh, okay. I’ll be ready.”
“You want to grab something first or after?”
She was having momentary brain freeze. If they had dinner first then went to the reading it wasn’t as romantic, whereas a late dinner gave off all kinds of signals. Didn’t it? It had been so long since she’d been on a date, she really didn’t know.
“I guess we could eat first.”
“No problem. How ’bout I pick you up at six?”
“Works for me,” she said, forcing cheer into her voice.
“See you then.”
“See ya,” she chirped. She slowly hung up the phone. Her right eyebrow rose ever so slightly. A date. Well, stranger things had happened.
Chapter 2 (#ulink_f9dbc6c7-85e0-528d-a743-1fcfb27a8ed0)
“You finally gave in to Dr. Feelgood. It’s about damned time,” Tiffany teased Kai as she sipped her iced tea during their etched-in-stone Wednesday afternoon brunch. They’d decided several years earlier that with their hectic lives they needed time for themselves and designated Wednesday afternoon for just that. They would always have brunch and when time and opportunity allowed they either went window-shopping or to a movie. Although Tiffany’s import business of fine jewelry and fabrics often took her out of town to shop, she and Kai made it a point to keep their Wednesday afternoon dates. In the early days it had taken a bit of getting used to, with one or both of them often forgetting about their “date.” But once they got into the swing of it, not hell or high water would keep them from getting together for some girl time.
Kai had hit it off with Tiffany Howard from the moment Tiffany had sought Kai’s medical assistance when she needed a prescription for the morning-after pill. Tiffany was so warm, friendly and open that Kai had taken to her right away. They found themselves talking and laughing and finding more and more things in common long after the prescription had been written, and they hadn’t stopped sharing confidences ever since.
Kai gave her the bug-eye. “Very funny.” She cut her Caesar salad into smaller bite-sized pieces, and made sure that every slice of lettuce was sufficiently coated with dressing before putting it in her mouth.
Tiffany observed this ritual with wry amusement. “I swear you are the only person that I know that can actually make a major production out of eating a salad.”
“Would you stop?” She cut up some more pieces. “What should I wear?”
Tiffany pursed her lips in contemplation. “Hmm. Gallery. Evening. First date. Famous author. Sexy doctor. I say wear the navy wrap dress.”
“You don’t think that dress is a little too low-cut?”
“Low-cut? You’re kidding, right? Of course it’s low-cut. It’s supposed to be. That’s the point. If you would ever come out of hospital garbs and sweat suits, you would know that.”
Kai made a face. “I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
“And what if he did? Would that really be so bad? What would be so wrong with a handsome, sexy, intelligent man showing you how much he wanted you?”
Kai studied her salad. “It’s just...I don’t know if I want things to go that way.”
“But you’ll never know if you don’t at least open yourself to the possibility. You said yourself that he’s a really great guy.” She smiled at her friend. “And he’s been after you for a date for forever.”
Kai giggled. “True.” She released a long breath. Her eyes sparkled in the afternoon light. “I do kinda like that blue number and haven’t had a chance to wear it.”
“Now you’re talking.” Tiffany pointed a well-manicured finger at her friend. “And don’t forget heels...the higher the better!”
“Girl, you are a mess.”
After leaving Tiffany, who had an appointment with a client who wanted to buy some of her imported jewelry, Kai took a walk down to the nail salon and treated herself to a well-deserved and long overdue mani and pedi. She was enjoying the feeling of the warm sudsy water bubbling around her feet when pedestrians strolling past the plate-glass window caught her attention. She jumped up so quickly she splashed water all over the floor and the manicurist.
“Oh...I’m so sorry.” Kai snatched up a towel and dutifully wiped the young woman’s damp arms. “I’m really sorry,” she repeated.
“Don’t worry about it. Is everything all right?” She stared at Kai whose attention was glued to the window.
Slowly, Kai sat back down. In that split second of confusion he was gone. Poof, like an apparition. But she was certain it was him—the man she’d seen in the photo that she’d taken. She lightly shook her head and offered a half smile. “Thought I saw someone...”
The young woman continued to massage Kai’s feet. “Must be someone important,” the woman prompted.
“Just someone,” she said absently, even as her entire body was consumed with an inexplicable heat from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and it wasn’t from the water. Just someone.
* * *
Kai took a final look in the bathroom mirror, dropped her lipstick in her purse and returned to her bedroom just as the front doorbell rang. Self-consciously she pulled on the deep V of her dress to no avail. She drew in a breath and went to the front door.
“Andrew,” she greeted, pasting a broad smile on her face, a combination of nerves and more nerves.
For an instant his eyes widened with pleasant surprise. “Wow.” He grinned. “You look...great.”
Her face flushed. “Thanks.” She swallowed. “So do you.”
“Guess doctors can clean up pretty good, huh?”
“Guess so.” She stepped aside. “Come on in for a minute. I need to get my purse.”
Andrew came inside. Kai shut the door behind him. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back. Can I get you anything?”
“No. Thanks.”
“Be right back.”
He took a slow look around the airy living area, which was dominated by a soft taupe-colored sectional couch with a bronze-and-gold stripped throw that looked like it had been meticulously hand-sewn. One wall held a bookcase filled with a cross-section of titles that included medical journals, British classics, contemporary thrillers, romances and a full shelf on photography. A flat-screen television was mounted on the wall. But what drew his attention was above the mantel. It was a near life-size black-and-white photo of the beach during a storm. The composition was breathtaking. Andrew could feel the fury of the surf as it roared toward the shore. Beyond the shoreline, the inky black sky was illuminated by a flash of lightning that exploded from an angry gray cloud and sliced through the horizon. He stepped closer to see the name of the photographer.
“Ready.”
He turned and his heart knocked hard in his chest at the sight of her. She was so gorgeous. “Yep. Incredible photo,” he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “Who’s the photographer?”
She gave a shy smile. “Me.”
“What!” He chuckled. “You. Are. Good.”
“Thanks.” She gave a slight shrug of her right shoulder.
He crossed the gleaming wood floors to stand a few feet in front of her. “How long have you been taking pictures?”
“Years. It was always a hobby of mine, but with patients, working at the hospital for an inhumane number of hours a week, there wasn’t much time to indulge in my little hobby.” She drew in a breath and smiled. “When I moved here and my life slowed down...” She shrugged again.
“Well, you definitely have skills, doc.”
“Thanks.”
They stood facing each other in an odd moment of silence.
“Guess we better get going,” Andrew finally said, snapping them both back to the moment.
“I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Coben.”
“You have quite a few of his novels on your shelf.”
“Ya think?” she teased as they walked to the door and out.
* * *
Andrew held the door for her and she slid onto the smooth leather of the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The interior still smelled showroom-fresh and she briefly wondered how long he’d had it.
“I made reservations at Drummonds, the new place on Main. Have you been there yet?”
“No, I haven’t.” She settled herself in the car and fastened her seat belt.
“Good, it’ll be a first for both of us. A colleague from the hospital said the food was great and they usually have live music.”
“Really? Sounds great.”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been out for dinner where I could simply relax and enjoy myself. Dinners always seem to invariably revolve around business, patients, and hospital administration.” He cut a quick look in her direction as he pulled onto the narrow two-lane road. “So I hope you won’t mind if we don’t utter a word about anything that has to do with patients and health care.”
Kai laughed lightly. “Fine by me.”
They drove for a few moments in silence. “I’m really glad you decided to go out with me,” Andrew said, his normally assured voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
Kai stole a look in his direction. His profile was set against the backdrop of the darkening sky. “Thanks for asking...again.”
They both laughed at the obvious implication. Andrew had lost count of how many times he’d asked Kai out and she’d always found a reason to gently say no.
“Had I only known that all it would take to lure you out was a Harlan Coben book signing, I would have found a way to get him here long before now.”
Kai laughed. The dimple in her right cheek deepened. “Was I really that bad?”
“Yes. Good thing I have a healthy ego or I would be permanently scarred.”
“I doubt that very seriously.” She relaxed in her seat, glanced briefly at the crest of the horizon beyond her passenger window then turned slightly toward Andrew.
“Do you even like mysteries?”
He gave a slight shrug. “I’m more of a Stephen King kind of guy.”
She gave a fake shudder and a little frown. “Horror! Really? I would have never thought that in a million years.”
“Why?” He stole a quick look at her and was delighted to see the amusement in her eyes.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I guess I figured you for a history or a biography buff.”
“Real straight, no rough edges.”
“Not exactly but...”
“I get it. I totally get it. That’s why it’s more important than ever that you get to know the real me. I’m much more than a pretty face and brilliant mind, you know.”
Kai tossed her head back and laughed. “That’s to be determined.”
Drummonds was everything that Drew had said and more. The circular tables were draped in brilliant white linen, with sparkling crystal glasses and gleaming silver. One entire wall was smoked glass from end to end and looked out onto the pier, giving view to the gently flapping sails of the docked boats undulating on the water. The circular bar was a mixture of chrome, dark red wood and marble. Every stool was taken.
“Welcome to Drummonds. Do you have a reservation?” the slim hostess donned in all black asked.
“Yes, two for Clarke,” Andrew said.
The hostess checked her reservation list, looked up and smiled. She took two menus from the rack. “Right this way. Your table is ready.”
Andrew placed his hand at the small of Kai’s back and guided her behind the hostess who wound her way around the tables, dance floor and up one level to their table in front of the window. She placed the menus on the table. Andrew helped Kai into her seat then took his.
“Can I get you anything from the bar before your waiter arrives?”
Andrew looked to Kai with a questioning rise of his brow.
Kai glanced up at the waitress. “A glass of white wine.”
“Anything for you, sir?”
“Why don’t you bring us a bottle of sauvignon blanc?” He gave Kai a quick look of inquiry.
She offered her assent with a shadow of a smile. “Please.”
The hostess tipped her head. “Right away.”
Andrew turned his full attention back to Kai.
“I had no idea Drummonds was anything like this,” Kai said.
“Very Upper East Side Manhattan,” he joked.
She laughed. “Exactly. I mean the restaurants here are very nice but mostly quaint and cozy.” She gazed around in appreciation.
The waiter arrived with their bottle of wine and filled each of their glasses then took their dinner order before leaving as quietly as he’d arrived.
Andrew lifted his glass. “To a wonderful evening.”
Kai lightly tapped her glass to his.
“So tell me some more about your photography.” He took a sip of his wine then set his glass down.
Kai wrapped her long, slender fingers around the stem of her glass and gazed into the crystal depths of its contents. “I suppose I always had a thing for seeing things in parts.”
“In parts?”
“Yes. This may sound a little quirky but...” She pushed out a breath. “To me, I see things in pieces, not as a whole. It’s like looking at what’s in front of me in...frames. I compartmentalize.” She looked at him from beneath her long lashes.
A line of concentration etched itself between his brows. “All the time?”
“Pretty much.”
He thoughtfully sipped his wine. “So you’re not the ‘big picture’ kind of a girl.”
Kai grinned. “Nope. Guess not.” She sipped her wine. “What about you when you aren’t doctoring?”
Kai listened while Andrew talked about his love of the outdoors, the yearly camping trips with his college buddies and the marathon that he ran every year. She listened, nodded and “mmm-hmmed” in all the right places and wondered if she could ever put Andrew into one her compartments and label it “her man,” “significant other,” or “husband.” For whatever reason, she simply could not see him fitting into any of those spaces in her life. Maybe she had been out of the relationship game for so long that she no longer knew how to play.
When Kai and Andrew arrived at the Grenning Gallery there was a line waiting to get in.
“Looks like it’s going to be pretty crowded in there,” Andrew said as he guided Kai onto the line.
“This is so exciting. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“You and a lot of other fans.”
They inched along on the line and finally made it inside. Andrew was right. The Grenning Gallery was packed, upstairs and down. The reading and signing were set up on the upper level. The lower level was for appetizers and refreshments. The crowd was an eclectic blend of the die-hard fan and the curious, garbed in everything from jeans and sneakers to evening wear.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Andrew asked, leaning close to be heard over the mild din.
“Hmm, sure. A glass of white wine.”
“Stay put. I don’t want to lose you,” he said and flashed Kai a look that gave his words much more meaning.
Kai held her small purse to her chest and took in her surroundings. It had been a while since she’d been to the gallery, partly because she’d totally run out of excuses why she would not exhibit her photography and couldn’t bear disappointing the owner again. She’d donated a couple of her photos months earlier for a fund-raiser and the owner had been after her to do a show ever since.
Hopefully with all the people at the gallery, they wouldn’t cross each other’s paths.
Her gaze slowly moved around the room, capturing images of the art, the people and the movements, and forming a montage of sorts in her mind. With each blink of her eyes, another image was snapped. Then there was a big hum in the air, the buzz of excitement that always preceded a major event. The author had arrived, accompanied by his publicist and a photographer. The surge of the crowd moved her along in their wake.
The bevy of guests began taking cell-phone pictures as Harlan Coben made his way through the throng, smiling and shaking hands along the way as he was led upstairs.
Kai peered over the sea of heads and shoulders trying to locate Andrew when her gaze landed on him. Heat rushed to her head and her heart banged in her chest. It was him. He was partially turned in her direction. His profile was identical to the one she’d snapped months earlier. He was turning in her direction. Something or someone drew his attention and he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
“There you are.” Andrew had come up behind her. “Thought I’d lost you to the crowd. Did you get to see him before he was swept away?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Andrew. Her cheeks were hot. “Oh...yes. Just for a minute,” she said.
Chapter 3 (#ulink_52577b02-64b8-51f8-9ea2-7f275c00467e)
“Mr. Weston, your wife is on line three.”
Anthony Weston’s dark brows tightened across his forehead. He didn’t know how many times he would have to tell his secretary, Valerie, that Crystal was the ex-Mrs. Weston. Maybe Val couldn’t or wouldn’t get it right because he was still wrestling with that reality nearly two years after their divorce.
He pressed the flashing light on his phone. “Hey...Crystal. What’s up?”
“How are you?”
Her voice still flowed through his veins like good brandy, warm and fluid, and could sneak up on him and knock him out when he least expected it. “I’m good. You?”
“Fine. Trying to get everything together for Jessie’s trip...and mine. She’s so excited.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I wish I’d had the chance to see where you’ll be staying, Tony.” The hint of censure in her tone caused his jaw to tighten.
“I wouldn’t take our daughter anywhere that you or I wouldn’t stay. The house is beautiful. The locale is safe and she’ll have a ball.”
Crystal pushed out a breath. “I’ll drop her off in the morning?”
“Sure, or tonight if you want.”
“No. I want us to have one more night together.”
“You make it sound like she’s going away forever. It’s just a couple of weeks. With her father,” he added a bit more harshly than necessary.
“I know that,” she snapped.
Anthony squeezed his eyes shut. It never ceased to amaze him how their conversations could go from zero to sixty in a flash, and that was not always a good thing. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Two.”
“Do you want me to pick up Jess and take you to the air—”
“No,” she said, quickly cutting him off. “It’s not necessary.”
Anthony was silent for a moment. He knew what that meant. Gordon Russell was taking her to the airport and more than likely traveling with her on the Caribbean vacation. It stung, but not as much as it once did. Crystal had stopped mentioning anything about Gordon after Anthony’s last “another man around his daughter” tirade. He knew he’d taken it too far. He’d allowed his ego to run roughshod over his common sense. It took his and Crystal’s amicable though cool relationship to an arctic freeze and it was still in the throes of unthawing.
“Hey, no problem. What time are you dropping Jess off?”
“About eleven.”
“See you then.”
“Bye, Tony,” she said in the way that he remembered.
The phone clicked in his ear. Slowly he returned the receiver to the cradle, leaned back in his chair and absently massaged his chin. Two years. It was still hard for him to swallow the reality that he had failed at something. It wasn’t in his makeup to fail. Whatever he took on—from a “friendly game” of basketball to the courts of justice—he won. Decisively. It’s what he did. It’s who he was. He was driven to achieve excellence. The divorce had rocked him, unmoored his foundation and forced him to question himself. There were moments, like now, that made him feel as if the ground were slowly shifting beneath his feet.
His intercom buzzed and jerked him away from his brooding. “Yes, Valerie?”
“Mr. Blumenthal wants to see you.”
“Thanks.” He shook off the remnants of his dark thoughts and returned his focus to the task at hand, dealing with his boss, the district attorney for New York, the man whose job he would seek come fall.
Anthony took his jacket from the hook by the door, slipped it on and walked down the corridor to Harrison Blumenthal’s office. He nodded to Blumenthal’s secretary, who smiled and waved him in. Anthony knocked lightly on the partially open door and stepped inside.
“Shut the door, will you,” Harrison grumbled in his trademark no-nonsense grit-and-gravel voice.
Harrison removed his half-framed glasses and rested them next to a stack of files on his desk while Anthony unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat opposite him.
“I’ll get right to it. I don’t like the progress or should I say the lack of progress on this Warren mess.”
“His lawyers say he won’t take a deal.”
“Make them take it. We can’t win this case. You know it and I know it.”
“I don’t agree.”
Harrison’s bushy right brow rose to an arch. “I can’t afford any of your cowboy antics in court. I have no intention of tallying up any losses. Especially now.” He gave Anthony a cool green stare.
“I won’t lose. This is the type of case I’m known for winning. You know that as well as I do,” he returned with the same purposeful stare.
Something rumbled deep in Harrison’s chest before the words rolled out, like a train in the distance before pulling into the station. “There’s a first time for everything, and my point is, I cannot afford to let this case be that first time. Our conviction record is solid.”
“Thanks to me,” Anthony interjected.
Harrison pursed his lips. “It needs to stay that way. For my sake as well as yours.”
Inwardly, Anthony smiled. That was about as close to a compliment as he was going to get from Harrison Blumenthal.
“Find a way to make this case go away.” He put his glasses back on, a clear indication that the meeting was over.
Anthony pushed back from his seat and stood. He buttoned his jacket. “I’ll see what I can do...when I get back from vacation.”
“See that you do. When are you leaving?”
“Saturday afternoon. Crystal is dropping Jessie off in the morning.”
Harrison’s rocky countenance softened. “How are things...with you and Crystal?”
Harrison was one of two people who knew how hard he’d been hit by the divorce. The other was his lifelong friend Lincoln Davenport. It was Lincoln who’d convinced him that he needed some downtime to think really hard about where he wanted his life to go, and a great place to do it was Sag Harbor. He could relax, spend time with his daughter, put the job on hold and enjoy the company of his friends. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Anthony had finally given in.
He’d gone to visit a few months earlier, really liked the place, and after having lunch with Melanie Harte—who was equally as eager to find him a new love as she was finding him a place to stay—he found a great house that was on the market, priced to sell, met all of his needs and would definitely give him a sanctuary when he wanted to get out of the city. He’d gone back a couple of times on weekends to get the lay of the land, check on the repairs of the house and even stumbled onto a book signing at the local art gallery during a last-minute trip a week earlier. He was really looking forward to getting out of Manhattan and “setting up house” with his daughter—even if it was only temporary.
“Better,” he finally answered. “At least, as good as it probably will ever be.” His expression darkened.
“Hmm. It gets easier. Take it from a man who’s been through it...twice.” He held up two long fingers.
“Yeah.” The corner of his mouth curved into a half grin. “So you have reminded me.” He headed for the door.
“Try to enjoy your time away. You know, when you get back, this office will be pretty much all on your shoulders as my campaign will be in full gear.”
Anthony nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve been trained by the best,” he said with a wry smile. “I can handle it.”
“See that you do.”
Anthony tucked in his smile and closed the door quietly behind him. He was lucky to have a man like Harrison in his corner, paving the way. Often the D.A. was a megalomaniac driven solely by ambition, political polls and winning at any cost. Sure, Harrison loved to win just as much as the next man, but it was more than that. He had a true passion for justice and doing the right thing no matter if it was politically incorrect. And he wasn’t always looking over his shoulder to see who was trying to move up the ranks to take his place. If anything, he encouraged his staff to climb the ladder, which Anthony had done and secured the position of chief assistant district attorney through the mentoring of his boss. The world of crime may have hated Harrison Blumenthal but his staff worshipped the ground he walked on. His shoes were big ones to fill, but Anthony knew he was up to the job. After all, hadn’t he sacrificed everything...including his family...to get where he was?
Chapter 4 (#ulink_992f4df3-5f46-5bdc-bebf-d171f5e9f98e)
“You still haven’t explained to me why you won’t get serious with Andrew. You said the date went fine,” Tiffany said as the two friends walked up the winding path leading to Melanie Harte’s house on the hill. The house and the front lawn sparkled with pinpoints of light, and music could be heard floating in the air.
Kai gave a light toss of her head. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy. Handsome. Funny. Smart.” She paused, blew out a breath of frustrated confusion. “He’s just not right for me. This may sound like a fairy tale or something out of a romance novel, but I want a man that makes my heart pound. Makes my skin get hot with just a look, gets my stomach to flutter when I think about him and has my vajayjay talking in tongues when I know I’m going to see him.” She sighed with a faraway look in her eyes.
“Damn, girl, well, when you find him please ask if he has a friend, a brother or a cousin just like him.”
They laughed in unison and stepped into the party that was in full swing.
“Mel sure knows how to throw ‘a little get-together,’” Tiffany said, raising her voice slightly above the hum of conversation and the live band.
Kai gazed around at the crowd, recognizing some faces from town, a few from television and the rest she wasn’t familiar with. “What I need to do is take Melanie up on her offer to find me the perfect man,” she said in a pseudo whisper.
A waiter approached with crab and shrimp appetizers balanced on a tray. They helped themselves to the delicate treats and snagged the next waiter for two glasses of champagne.
“There’s Lincoln and Desiree.” Kai waved and started to walk over when she heard her name being called. She turned. “Andrew...”
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
“Kind of a last-minute thing,” she managed while wishing that the floor would open.
He studied her for a moment then turned to Tiffany. “Good to see you again.”
“You, too.”
“I would ask if I could get you ladies a drink but you have that covered. Looks like I’ll have to catch up.”
“I’m going to say hello to Lincoln and Desi. Oh, Maurice and Layla just came in. Be right back. Good to see you, Andrew.” Tiffany darted off before the ice daggers from Kai’s eyes could land in her back.
An awkward moment of silence dropped like a final curtain between them. Kai sipped her drink and stole a glance at Andrew from beneath her lashes. This is so bad.
“Drew...I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. I—”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain. Really. I’m a big boy and I can take a hint.”
“That doesn’t excuse me being rude and for that I’m sorry.”
He gave her a half smile. “True.” He paused, as if relishing her wide-eyed look. “But...apology accepted.”
She released a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“And now that we have all that out of the way...I hope that we can still be friends.”
“Of course. I’d like that.”
“Good, let’s go mingle.”
* * *
He really isn’t a bad guy, Kai thought as she watched him chat and charm everyone around him. He had a great sense of humor, was good to look at, had a solid career...but that spark wasn’t there for her no matter how hard she tried, and to lead him on would be plain wrong. Andrew was deserving of someone who gave as much as he did and wanted him as much as he wanted her. She wasn’t the one.
Kai wandered out back while Andrew regaled a small group on the antics in the E.R. when it was filled with kids and crazed parents.
“There you are! Are you enjoying yourself?” Melanie slid an arm around Kai’s waist.
“Yes, very much. You’ve outdone yourself as usual.”
“I feel it’s my duty to put a little sparkle into this sleepy little town.” She chuckled.
“Where’s Claude? I was hoping to see him.”
“Congressional hearings. He had to stay in D.C. with Senator Lawson. I hope he can get back next weekend or I may pay him a surprise visit, stir things up a little.” She flashed a mischievous smile.
“Just make sure you don’t wind up on the front page of the Washington Post with a coat over your face.”
They laughed at the image.
“It’s good to see Maurice doing so well,” Kai said, watching Maurice dance with his bride.
“Layla definitely has that special touch in more ways than one. It wasn’t Maurice’s war injury that needed the healing, it was inside.” She tapped the center of her chest. “I wish I could take credit for that arrangement,” Melanie said, “but they did it all on their own. Mostly.” She winked.
“I’m happy for them.”
“Actually—” She lowered her voice. “There was someone that I especially wanted you to meet.”
“Oh?”
“Unfortunately he couldn’t make it. Didn’t say why.” Her brow creased. “Another time. He’ll be in town for a few weeks.”
“Mel...”
“Listen, everyone needs someone. And that goes for you, too. I think he would be perfect for you. In fact, I know he would.”
Kai lowered her head for a moment. There was no debating Melanie when she decided that you were her “special project.” She wouldn’t rest until she found Mr. Right or, at least, Mr. Right Now. As CEO of the Platinum Society, Melanie Harte and her team were renowned for their matchmaking skills that found that special someone for everyone from corporate executives, actors, athletes, and politicians to the average girl and guy next door. Before there was eHarmony there was the Platinum Society.
Kai laughed lightly. “I’m sure he is.” She checked her watch. “Listen, I’m going to find Tiffany and head home.” She kissed Melanie’s cheek. “Thanks for a great evening as usual.”
Although the gathering was pegged as a simple get-together with friends, Mel never got people together for a reason as benign as that. She firmly believed that if you put the right people in the room together they would find each other. She was usually right. As Kai wound her way around the guests and through the rooms of the sprawling house in search of Tiffany, she could already see the results of Melanie’s plan at work as many of the guests who’d walked around unattached earlier in the evening were now a twosome.
Kai stepped out into the backyard and spotted Tiffany leaning casually against a towering maple tree in deep conversation with a really good-looking guy. She waved to get Tiffany’s attention and when she did, she mouthed that she was going home and that she’d call tomorrow.
The waning evening was absolutely exquisite, Kai mused, as she drew her oversize teal-colored silk scarf around her bare shoulders. The sky was a lush blanket of deep blue with brilliant splashes of light that flickered and danced against it. The most gentle of breezes blew in off the ocean, capturing the scents of the sand, sea and budding jasmine bushes and other flora. The sounds of light laughter and music hovered around her then grew more distant as she descended the winding walkway leading to the main road. A perfect night for a walk...with someone you care about, a distant voice mocked.
She glanced briefly over her shoulder as the house grew smaller in the distance. Andrew really wasn’t a bad guy. Actually, he was a great catch. There was no doubt about it. Maybe if she allowed herself she could care about him as more than a colleague.
She turned down the street that led to her house. The truth...she didn’t want to care about him as more than a colleague.
* * *
The one great thing about being self-employed was that you could call your own shots and make your own hours, which was precisely what Kai planned for her Saturday. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn off her internal clock. She woke at precisely 6:00 a.m. just as she did when she had her shift in the E.R. Some habits die hard, but one habit that she was glad she’d never broken was turning on the timer for the coffee machine at night. The heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through her home would give Starbucks a run for their money. After showering quickly and donning her supercomfy sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, she made a beeline for her kitchen, where she was eagerly greeted by Jasper, her Yorkshire terrier, who was frantically scratching at the door and yipping around the kitchen.
“Take it easy. Take it easy.” She bent down and scratched him behind his ears. “I’m glad to see you, too. I’ll let you out in one minute.” She went to the kitchen window and pulled the curtain aside. Sometime during the night, it had rained and the air felt and smelled crisp and clean like freshly washed laundry. The grass and tree leaves still glistened with beads of water and morning dew. A great day to take some pictures. After she let Jasper out back and had her coffee, she would get her equipment.
“Jasper, what is wrong with you today?” He was jumping up and down on the door again and yapping like crazy. “All right, all right.” Kai opened the side door and Jasper raced out like a shot. She stood in the doorway for a moment, shook her head at her eccentric pooch, then went to the counter to finally pour her first cup of coffee. Just as she lifted the carafe and was ready to pour, Jasper went completely crazy outside. He was barking and whining in that high-pitched squeak that only little dogs can make.
Kai went to the door and opened it. She stepped out onto the porch. “What in the world is wrong with you? You’re going to wake up the entire neighborhood.”
Jasper continued to bark and whine and run in and out from under the house.
“Jasper! Come in here right now.”
Jasper planted himself in front of the porch with his tail banging rapidly against the wet grass.
“So what are you now, a television dog? You trying to tell me something? It better not be a raccoon. I’m warning you, Jasper,” she said as she climbed down the three porch steps. “What is it, boy?” That’s when she heard whimpering and the hairs on her arms rose.
She bent down from the waist and caught a glimpse of pink fabric and a little slippered foot. “Oh my God.” She scrambled down on her hands and knees and peered under the stairs. Tucked under her house was a little girl, curled into a tight ball. The full realization that a child was huddled under her stairs knocked her back on her haunches as if she’d been pushed. For a full minute, she couldn’t think. A million crazy thoughts raced through her head, none of which stayed put long enough for her to make any sense out of it.
Jasper ran under the house and tugged at the pink slipper. The little girl began to cry in earnest.
“What in the...” She lay flat on her stomach so that she could get a better look. “Sweetie, you need to come out, okay?”
The little girl briskly shook her head. Her thick ponytails, covered in leaves and twigs, flapped back and forth.
“Can you tell me your name?”
Silence.
“My name is Kai. And this is Jasper. Say hello, Jasper.”
Jasper barked uproariously and ran in a circle before settling down.
“I think you must be really cold...and wet. Do you want a blanket? Would that help?”
The little girl nodded her head.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you a blanket so you can warm up.”
Kai scrambled to her feet and ran inside, doing a pretty bad imitation of Jasper as she spun around in circles trying to think—she’d suddenly forgotten where she kept the extra blankets. Her heart kicked against her chest. Maybe she should call the police. No. Not yet. Her medical instincts kicked in. The first thing she needed to do was to make sure that the little girl wasn’t injured. Right. Blanket. She darted down the hall to the linen closet. She pulled out a light quilt, bunched it up in her arms and hurried back outside.
Jasper was standing guard. Kai got back down on her hands and knees and peered beneath the house. Bright, frightened brown eyes stared back at her.
“Here you go, sweetie.” Kai extended the blanket toward her and wished that she was small enough to crawl under to get a better look at the girl. A little hand pulled the blanket and she was quickly hidden beneath it with only the top of her head and her pony tails visible.
“I bet you’re pretty hungry,” Kai said softly. She thought she saw the child bob her head. “If you come out I can fix you something to eat and get you warmed up. How does that sound?”
No response.
Kai tried again. “My name is Kai. Would you tell me your name so I know what to call you? This is Jasper. Say hi, Jasper.” Japer yip-yipped and ran in circles. “Your turn.”
There was the barest murmur of a response. Kai’s pulse raced. “Jessie? Is your name Jessie?”
“Yes.”
Kai momentarily gave in to a moment of relief. “I bet that’s short for Jessica. Is it short for Jessica?”
“Yes.”
“My name is not short for anything. It’s just short.”
A soft giggle rose from under the blanket and Jessie pulled the blanket down below her nose.
“I was named after my great-great-grandmother. She was a Native American...an Indian. My name means ‘willow tree.’”
“My daddy named me,” came the tiny voice. “That’s what my mommy said.”
“He did a good job. Did your daddy and mommy bring you here?”
“Daddy did.” She sneezed.
“Bless you.” Kai had no idea how long Jessie had been hidden beneath her damp house, but she knew that the longer she stayed the more risk she had of getting sick or catching something. “Jessie, sweetie, now that we’re friends, why don’t you come on out before you catch a cold. I can fix you something to eat and then we can call your dad. Okay?”
Jessie sniffed, sneezed again but didn’t budge.
Jasper ran under the house and began tugging on the blanket, trying to pull it out and Jessie along with it.
This was crazy! She stood up, paced, ran her hand across her hair. Her gaze roamed up and down the soft rolling hills and across the tops of the fewer than half-dozen homes in the area as if seeking answers in the gray clouds that moved across the sky. What in the world was she going to do? She needed to call someone. The child couldn’t stay under her house indefinitely. She’d been trying to coax her out for nearly forty-five minutes. What kind of parent would let their child wander off like this? Her temper flared.
“I’m cold.”
Kai spun around and Jessie was standing in front of her. Her breath caught for an instant at the sight of Jessie’s tiny body that shuddered beneath the blanket, which was more on the ground than around her. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were slightly swollen from crying. Leaves and twigs stuck to her hair, which was wet with dew and rain.
“Oh, Jessie, thank you so much for coming out.” Kai knelt down in front of her. The moist grass squished around her knees. “Let’s get you warm and fed, okay?”
Jessie nodded her head and didn’t make a peep of protest when Kai scooped her up along with the blanket and hurried inside just as the rain began to fall.
Chapter 5 (#ulink_48063fac-711a-541b-a784-7fc18c87af50)
Anthony nearly tore the door off the hinges when he saw the black-and-white police car pull up in front of his house. He ran out to meet them as they walked up the path.
“Have you heard anything?” he lobbed at them the instant they were within earshot.
“Let’s talk inside,” the middle-aged officer suggested.
Anthony looked from one to the other. A wave of panic rose up in his stomach. “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.
“Son, we’re not telling you anything ’cause we don’t have anything to tell.”
The air was sucked out of him.
“Let’s talk inside,” the officer said again, more gently this time.
Anthony lowered his head for a moment then led them inside.
The younger officer, who looked more like a Boy Scout than a cop, closed the door behind them.
“I’m Officer Cobb. This is Officer Monroe,” the older of the two said.
Anthony nodded impatiently. “Yes, we spoke on the phone. Now will you please tell me what you’re doing to find my daughter?”
Officer Cobb waved his hand in the air as if to calm him down. “Easy. I know this is upsetting. My team is rounding up volunteers as we speak. I want to get a few more details from you, and a picture...of your daughter.”
Anthony’s stomach knotted. A picture. The very idea brought on a wave of nausea. No, this wasn’t the Big Bad Apple, where terrible things happened every day and kids went missing like socks in the dryer. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone else, but as chief assistant district attorney who’d seen all kinds of depravity, he knew it happened in these Happy Hollow towns, too. Only, when it did, it was all the more shocking. But he couldn’t allow himself to go down that road.
“You mind if Officer Monroe looks around while we talk?”
“No. No, of course not.” He knew the drill. Monroe would be looking for any signs of a struggle or indications that there might have been a break-in. He also knew that he was their first and prime suspect. When children went missing right out of their own bedrooms, the parents were the usual suspects.
Officer Cobb took a seat at the kitchen table. He pulled out a notebook and a pen, flipped the pages and stopped when the one he wanted caught his attention. “So you said you put her to bed at ten last night.”
“Yes. Ten. Then I came downstairs to watch some television. I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up it was about three. I went to check in on Jessie and she was in her room sleeping. I went to bed. When I got up this morning to wake her she wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in the house!”
“And what time was that?”
“Seven, seven-fifteen.” His impatient hand ran across his close-cut hair.
Officer Cobb slowly nodded his head, as if somewhat assured that the words in his notebook matched the ones coming out of Anthony’s mouth. “And her mother?”
“I told you, she’s out of the country. She left yesterday.” He had no idea what he was going to tell Crystal. He’d tried her cell phone nearly a dozen times with no luck. Half the calls wouldn’t connect and the rest either rang busy or went to voice mail. Maybe it was best. The last thing he needed right now was Crystal being hysterical hundreds of miles away.
“Did you say you had a picture of your daughter, Mr. Weston?”
He did. He had dozens of pictures of Jessie and they were all taken with his cell phone. “I have to print it out from the computer.”
Officer Cobb gave him a look as if to say, Young people, no wonder.
Anthony excused himself and went into the next room where he’d set up a mini office with his laptop, printer and a box of files from the office. He sent the most recent picture that he had of Jessie to his email and then opened the picture in his email account.
Jessie’s cherubic face filled the screen. Her smile dimmed the sun. Anthony’s eyes stung. If anything happened to her... The knot in his stomach tightened. He pressed the print key and slowly the image of Jessie slid out. He clenched his jaw, got up from his seat and returned to Officer Cobb.
“Here’s a picture of Jessie,” he said, his voice thick.
Officer Cobb took the picture. “We’ll get copies out to the other officers.”
“How many officers do you have working on this?”
“The entire office. Five.”
Anthony’s stomach swam.
Officer Cobb stood and tucked the photo in his notebook. “As soon as we hear something, we’ll call you.”
“I’m going with you. I need to be out there looking for my daughter.”
“You need to stay here in case she comes back.”
Cobb’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “Cobb.” His eyes widened for an instant. “I see. We’ll be right there.” He disconnected the call. His gaze jumped to Anthony’s. “They think they’ve found your daughter.”
* * *
“Do you want some more soup, Jessie?”
Jessie bobbed her head as she slurped up the rest of the thick soup. Kai had gotten her out of her damp clothes and put her in an oversize T-shirt and pink sweat socks that pooled around her ankles. But at least she was warm and dry. She’d groomed and towel-dried the thick hair.
While Jessie played with Jasper, Kai had placed a call to the local police office only to be told by the secretary that the officers were out on an emergency—missing child. But when Kai advised her that she’d found the girl they were looking for, she was told that the police would be there right away.
Kai hung up the phone, only mildly mollified. They should be there any minute and Jessie would be reunited with her very irresponsible parent. Just thinking that anyone could have been so careless as to let a four-year-old get out of the house caused her head to pound. Anything could have happened to her. It was only by the grace of God that Kai had found her and not some stranger that could have... She didn’t want to think about it. Jessie was safe. No thanks to her father, whoever he may be.
Not more than ten minutes later, the sound of cars pulling into the drive drew her to the window. She pulled the curtain back. A police car and a black SUV.
Jessie was busy playing with Jasper.
“You wait right here.” Kai went to the front door and pulled it open in unison with the car doors opening and slamming shut. She stood beneath the overhang to keep dry from the rain that had gone from a light shower to a steady downpour. Fog hung heavy over the trees and settled around the homes and rolling hills like a scene from an old English movie.
She recognized Officer Cobb from town, who was trudging up the walk through the rain and was nearly pushed aside by the man who’d come up behind him breaking through the fog.
Kai’s chest constricted and held her breath in its grip. It was him. Him, the man in the photo, the man she’d seen walking the streets, then that night at the gallery. The one who’d invaded her thoughts and her dreams. Her lips parted but no words came out as he took the steps two at a time and was right on top of her.
Anthony’s gaze ignited with hers and his forward motion froze. He blinked, started to speak.
Kai found her voice first. “She’s...in the kitchen.” She stepped out of the doorway, turned on shaky legs and led him into the house.
“Is she...is she all right?”
“She’s fine. Sneezing a bit, and she has some bites on her legs. I put some ointment on them. Got her dry and cleaned up.” She came to a stop at the entrance to the kitchen and turned to him. Her breath drew in sharply. Her heart pounded. He was staring right past her and into the depths of her soul. A shiver fluttered along her spine and for an instant they were locked in an invisible embrace.
“Daddy!”
The spell was broken.
Jessie scrambled up from the floor and leaped against her father’s thighs. He snapped to attention and snatched her up in his arms. He pressed her against his heart, covered her cheeks and hair with kisses until she giggled.
“Jessie, Jessie,” he breathed as relief swept through him. He looked over her head into Kai’s wide gaze. “Thank you,” he said on a rough whisper.
Her skin heated at the sound of his voice. “I’m not sure how long she was out in the weather.” Her voice took on a chastising tone that Anthony didn’t miss.
He momentarily glanced away. “Thank you, Ms....”
“Dr. Kai Randall,” she offered.
“Anthony Weston.” He smiled.
Her stance softened. “Take care of her.”
“I intend to.”
“Dr. Randall, I’ll need to get a statement from you,” Officer Cobb said from the doorway while he shook the water off his hat and broke the tenuous thread between Kai and Anthony.
Kai folded her arms. “Sure.” She led Officer Cobb over to the kitchen table and provided the details of how and when she’d found Jessie.
“Is it okay if I get Jessie home?”
“Of course, Mr. Weston,” Officer Cobb said, closing his notebook. “Thank you again, Doctor.”
She nodded and led them to the door. A crack of thunder seemed to shake the foundation of the house. Kai took an umbrella from the rack by the door and a jacket that she kept hanging there. She put the jacket around Jessie and handed the umbrella to Anthony.
“She doesn’t need to get wet.”
Jessie sneezed as if to confirm Kai’s statement.
“And you behave yourself, young lady. No more leaving the house to follow squirrels. Promise?”
“Promise,” she chirped then buried her face in the curve of her father’s neck.
What would it be like to press her lips against his neck, inhale his scent?
“Thank you...again.” The hint of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
Kai ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip. She held the door open. The trio stepped out into the rain. Anthony glanced back once, then darted to the SUV.
She stood in the archway until the cars were only memories. It was then that she realized she’d been holding her breath or, at least, it felt as if she had. She pushed the door closed. Her thoughts tramped through her head as she tried to make sense out of the chaos that had come when she saw the man who’d only been something fleeting become real flesh and blood and stand in her house.
Back in the kitchen, she pulled out a chair and sat, her chin propped up on her palm. How incredible was that? If someone had told her this had happened to them, she wouldn’t have believed it. It was the kind of thing that happened in Lifetime movies...no those were the ones where the woman always killed the husband or boyfriend. But...anyway, it was just hard to believe.
As if stung, she sprung up from her seat and darted upstairs to her attic. She flipped thorough the photographs that she’d mounted in a large book. Her pulse kicked. There was the picture that she’d taken that rainy afternoon....
She slipped the black-and-white photo out of the plastic sleeve and held it up. Anthony Weston.
* * *
“Crystal, she’s fine. I swear to you. No...there’s no reason for you to come back. Apparently she went out of the back door, wandered off and got lost. She wound up at a doctor’s house of all places.” He squeezed his eyes shut against his ex-wife’s barrage. He deserved it. He still couldn’t wrap his head around how it had happened. “As soon as she wakes up, I’ll have her call you. Yes. She’ll call. All right.”
Anthony heaved a breath and disconnected the call. At least that hurdle was over with. Crystal had every reason to be furious, hysterical and accusatory. If he was hundreds of miles away and received that kind of call from her, he would have reacted the same way or worse.
He ran his hand across his face, then went into the room to check on Jessie. He stood over her sleeping form and slowly shook his head as the events of the day ran in his mind like an endless reel. His gaze lifted from his sleeping daughter and the image of Kai Randall emerged in front of him. His gut flexed. Jessie stirred, moaned softy.
Anthony shook off the sensation, tucked the light blanket around Jessie and eased out of the room, leaving the door open. The last thing he needed to have on his mind was a woman, even if she was the woman that rescued his daughter. What he needed to be thinking about was never letting what went down that morning ever happen again. He was going to have a long, serious talk with his daughter when she woke up.
* * *
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Donna Hill
Mellow sun-kissed days turn into sultry nights made for mutual pleasure…After ten years of service as chief of the E.R. at a New York City hospital, Dr. Kai Randall decided to trade her scrubs for a calmer existence in Sag Harbor Village. The only thing that has interrupted her serenity in months is the photo she snapped of a handsome, solitary stranger. The image haunts her. But that's nothing compared to how she feels when she comes face-to-face with the man from her dreams. When Assistant District Attorney Anthony Weston barges into Kai's house frantically looking for his young daughter, he meets one beautiful complication. Anthony's career ambitions caused him to lose his marriage-and now he's on the cusp of a huge promotion.His life is in the city that Kai left behind, but his heart is in the soul-stirring passion they share. Is this just another sizzling summer fling or could this be the beginning of forever?
For You I Will
Donna Hill
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
Contents
Cover (#u354591f2-2b5f-548b-b347-9b6532b55941)
Title Page (#u89b7609b-c12b-50cd-a5fd-80e1299f30f6)
Prologue (#ulink_d777e6c8-6f54-5c85-8387-aced69ea83b3)
Chapter 1 (#ulink_bd2da1bc-627f-56c5-9c95-9d6d04166876)
Chapter 2 (#ulink_6b4f5213-f7c7-5dc2-92ca-d19fa8af017d)
Chapter 3 (#ulink_b917ab6d-ef08-5ac1-ab83-d4266a17b22b)
Chapter 4 (#ulink_044aa592-98fc-5574-98b4-86352524039b)
Chapter 5 (#ulink_618ab745-68c5-5020-a17c-0581f0233184)
Chapter 6 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 21 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 22 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 23 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 24 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 25 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 26 (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter 27 (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Prologue (#ulink_156381c3-20d3-5094-944c-a2b1158713c8)
The air over Sag Harbor was charged and ready to joust with the storm that loomed on the horizon. A blanket of gray and white hung over the treetops and roofs of the homes that dotted the landscape. The residents of Sag Harbor were accustomed to the sudden spring storms and after two years away from the frenetic pace of New York City, Dr. Kai Randall had gotten used to them, as well. So well in fact that she no longer closed herself inside her quaint home during these outbursts but welcomed them, capturing nature’s power from behind the lens of her camera.
For Kai, picking up stakes and leaving New York Presbyterian Hospital wasn’t a matter of a simple getaway; it was to save her own sanity. The bureaucratic pressure, the fourteen-hour days, and being a constant witness to pain and suffering had begun to take its toll on her physical and mental well-being. And after ten years on the front lines as chief of the E.R., she packed her stethoscope, her skills as a surgeon and returned to her ancestral home on Sag Harbor in the neighborhood known as Azurest. Kai’s great-great-grandfather Isaiah Randall had fought side-by-side with Warren M. Cuffee, a soldier in the black regiment of the Union Army who championed the liberation of blacks from slavery. Isaiah built his home on Azurest when he married Kai Seneca, a Native American who was said to have stolen Isaiah’s heart with one look from her luminous black eyes. Decades later, Kai was named after her great-great-grandmother whose name means “willow tree.”
Kai had visited the two-story family home with the wraparound porch that faced the water off and on during her childhood and fewer than a dozen times as an adult. Her hectic schedule didn’t allow for much downtime. And even then, she could never be too far away from the hospital in the event of an emergency. Finally deciding she needed a better quality of life, Kai sold her condo on the Upper East Side, traded in her Lexus for a Ford Explorer, her scrubs for jeans and flip-flops, and planted new roots in Sag Harbor Village. It took her a while to grow accustomed to the quiet and the slower pace, to realize that businesses closed at dusk and all the residents knew each other by first name and they didn’t text all day long but actually had conversations and made phone calls.
Now, more than two years later, Kai Randall was a fixture in Sag Harbor Village. With the urging of Melanie and her own restless need to “fix things,” Kai had converted her detached garage into a small medical office, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, from X-ray machines to nebulizers to sonogram machines. She ran the place herself. There wasn’t much need for a staff. Actually, most of her doctoring was done in house calls. That was Melanie’s doing as well. She referred all of her clients, family and guests to Kai, who was more than happy to pay them a visit when they were under the weather.
It was a good life. Easy. And for the first time in longer than she could remember, she was able to pursue her other passion of photography. She took real pictures, the old-fashioned way, and developed them herself in the attic that she had converted into a darkroom. She’d even donated a few to the Grenning Gallery in town, and Desiree Armstrong, a renowned artist in her own right, had suggested that Kai put up a show of her own.
But Kai hadn’t left the demands of the big city to get caught up in the demands of a small town. She liked things the way they were. No complications. No deadlines. No demands on her time or ability. Besides, most of the pictures that she took were of the people in the Village. She couldn’t begin to imagine the headache that would come as a result of needing people’s permissions to use their images. No thanks. Life was fine just the way it was.
Kai stood in the archway of her front door, her eyes lifted to the darkening sky. She estimated that she had an hour, maybe two, before the rains came. She hurried up to her attic studio and gathered up her equipment.
It was a great day for shooting. While many photographers preferred sunshine and blue heavens, Kai did some of her best work during storms and overcast skies, capturing scenes in stark black and white juxtaposed against the silhouettes of buildings or crashing waves. Today was one of those days.
She packed up her equipment in her car along with her dog, Jasper, and headed into town. From the mouth of the town proper, Kai parked her car and took out her equipment. The outline of the businesses, turn-of-the-century streetlights and the masts of the sailboats docked at the pier set against the backdrop of the overcast skies formed the perfect composition. She shot a quick roll of film and then strolled down Main Street to capture the silhouettes of patrons beyond the glass windows, just as the rain began to fall. She put in another roll of film, snapped her final shots and hurried back to her car with Jasper hot on her heels just as the skies opened up.
After drying off, she went straight to her studio and removed the film from the camera. This was the part of the process that she enjoyed the most, watching the images come to life.
As she took the last photograph from the solution and hung it up to dry, she was once again fascinated by the transformation that happened in measured increments, an image coming to life right before her eyes.
All at once the profile of a man, with his head slightly bowed, his fist pressed against his forehead and seated alone in the coffee shop, emerged, and something inside of her shifted. She barely remembered taking the shot, but obviously she had. Her heart pounded as she looked closer. But it was more than his face through the plate-glass window that unsettled her. It was the aura of aloneness that wafted over him like the storm clouds. Everything within her wanted to fix him and make whatever it was that weighed down his spirit go away. How ridiculous, she thought. It was only a picture.
Yet, days later, she found that at the most inopportune moments, his image floated in front of her or that jumpy feeling in the center of her stomach wreaked havoc. At night she thought of him, and during the days she found herself hoping to catch another glance of him. But as the days turned to weeks and spring into early summer, Kai cataloged the image away.
Chapter 1 (#ulink_47cc1a84-48f3-5ab6-b50c-15e20b305742)
“You’ll be fine, Mrs. Anderson.” Kai snapped off her rubber gloves and pulled her stethoscope from her ears. “It’s your allergies.”
“Are you sure it’s not the flu? I feel like it’s the flu.” She sniffed hard and blinked against watery eyes.
Kai’s amber-toned eyes crinkled with humor. “No, Mrs. Anderson, it’s not the flu.” She handed her a tissue. “With all the rain we’ve been having and with the blooming flowers and grass, I’m surprised you haven’t been bothered before. I’ll give you a new prescription for your allergy medicine.”
Mrs. Anderson almost looked disappointed. Kai tucked away her smile. “You can get dressed and then come to my office for the prescription.”
“Are you sure?” she asked again.
Kai stopped at the door and glanced over her shoulder. “Positive.”
Mrs. Anderson huffed and Kai closed the door softly behind her. When she stepped out into the small waiting area that was really only equipped to handle six people including her, she was stunned to see all the seats occupied. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson and their three children were huddled together as if they’d recently been washed ashore.
“Oh my goodness.” Kai looked from one to the other and instantly saw the flush in their faces and the wan look around their eyes. “I’ll be with you all in one moment.” She started off toward her office but stopped when she remembered Mrs. Anderson, who already believed she had the flu. If the Hanson family had anything contagious she needed to get them out of the front room as soon as possible. Her triage skills from her years in the emergency room kicked into gear.
The office was small. She had three exam rooms, a tiny office and the waiting area. She quickly ushered Mr. Hanson into a room with the oldest son who was on the verge of turning six. Mrs. Hanson was placed in the adjacent room with the twin three-year-old girls. Today was a day she could use an assistant.
After getting them settled, she went to her office to write the allergy prescription for Mrs. Anderson and was just finishing when Mrs. Anderson knocked on the partially opened door.
“Come in.” She tore the prescription from the pad and handed it across the desk. “Get this filled as soon as possible and I guarantee you will feel much better.”
Mrs. Anderson took the rectangular piece of paper and placed it in her purse. “Thank you so much, Dr. Randall. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. Never hesitate to come in if you’re not feeling well. It could have been something more serious, but fortunately it wasn’t.” She smiled.
“Thank goodness for that.” She turned to leave. A wail from one of the twins pierced through the walls and halted her step. “Oh, my. That’s some cry. Must be something terribly wrong.”
Kai got up from behind her desk and ushered Mrs. Anderson out. “Kids cry. That’s what they do,” she said with a placating smile. “You be careful going home.” She gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Mrs. Anderson was a sweetheart but everyone knew she had the biggest mouth in the town of Azurest. If she even thought for a moment that an entire family was ill she would create panic in the streets of Sag Harbor before lunchtime.
Kai secured and locked the door and put her closed sign in the window then quickly went into the room with the wailing baby, who had in turn, gotten her twin involved in the symphony. Kai went to the sink and thoroughly washed her hands, put a disposable smock over her clothing and snapped on rubber gloves.
“Christine, I’m going to check out the twins first.” She picked up one of the girls from her mother’s arms and sat her on the exam table. “I can never tell them apart.”
“That’s Cara. This is Carmen,” she said, indicating the baby in her arms.
Kai talked softly and soothingly to Cara while she made a game of placing the child thermometer in her ear. “How long has everyone been sick?”
“This is the second day. The only one who hasn’t been sick is my husband, Mike. But I know taking care of a house full of sick people is going to catch up with him at some point.”
“She has a slight fever.” She tossed the disposable tip of the thermometer in the trash. “Any vomiting?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm,” Kai murmured deep in her throat while she checked Cara’s ears, nose and throat. She listened to her chest and then did it all over again with her sister, Carmen. She pushed out a breath. “They both have low-grade fevers. And with the vomiting, I’m concerned about dehydration. When I’m done with my exam of Monty, I’m going to give my colleague over at General a call. He’s a pediatrician. I’ll see what he suggests. Okay?” She offered an encouraging smile. “I’m sure it’s only a virus and it will run its course, but until it does, I want to make sure we’re doing all that we can.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
“Sure. I’m going to examine Monty and then I’ll come back and check you out.” She took off her smock and gloves and ditched them in the trash then went into the next exam room.
An hour later she sent the Hanson family to the local pharmacy and also advised that they get to bed early.
Kai went about cleaning and sterilizing the rooms and was ready to call it a day when the office phone rang. One of these days she might actually hire a receptionist, she mused as she hurried to the front desk.
“Dr. Randall. How may I help you?”
“What’s up, doc?”
His corny greeting always made her laugh. “Dr. Drew.”
“I’m calling to check up on my virtual patients.”
She leaned her hip against the desk. “They should be on their way home by now and following your advice.”
“Good. I so love doing business with you, Dr. Randall.”
She could hear the laughter in his voice. That was a unique quality of Andrew Clarke. He was always upbeat and could make anyone around him feel the same way. It was probably why he was such an incredible pediatrician.
“I aim to please.”
“The real reason for my call is that there is an author reading at the Grenning Gallery tonight. I know how much you love thrillers and mysteries and it’s the mystery writer—Harlan Coben—that will be the guest.”
Her eyes widened. “Right! I totally forgot. Harlan Coben is a favorite of mine.”
“So...you’ll go with me?”
She hesitated. They’d been out together before—casually—with a group of his colleagues from the hospital. But she always had the sense that if given the chance, he’d want more. This would be the first time they would actually be going out “together.” Is that what she wanted? He was good-looking, and smart and funny and available...
“Sure. I’d love to go. I can meet you there—”
“Don’t be silly. I can pick you up. I’m out of here early today for a change. Reading starts at eight. Maybe we can grab something to eat first or afterwards.”
Oh, so this really was a “real date.” “Uh, okay. I’ll be ready.”
“You want to grab something first or after?”
She was having momentary brain freeze. If they had dinner first then went to the reading it wasn’t as romantic, whereas a late dinner gave off all kinds of signals. Didn’t it? It had been so long since she’d been on a date, she really didn’t know.
“I guess we could eat first.”
“No problem. How ’bout I pick you up at six?”
“Works for me,” she said, forcing cheer into her voice.
“See you then.”
“See ya,” she chirped. She slowly hung up the phone. Her right eyebrow rose ever so slightly. A date. Well, stranger things had happened.
Chapter 2 (#ulink_f9dbc6c7-85e0-528d-a743-1fcfb27a8ed0)
“You finally gave in to Dr. Feelgood. It’s about damned time,” Tiffany teased Kai as she sipped her iced tea during their etched-in-stone Wednesday afternoon brunch. They’d decided several years earlier that with their hectic lives they needed time for themselves and designated Wednesday afternoon for just that. They would always have brunch and when time and opportunity allowed they either went window-shopping or to a movie. Although Tiffany’s import business of fine jewelry and fabrics often took her out of town to shop, she and Kai made it a point to keep their Wednesday afternoon dates. In the early days it had taken a bit of getting used to, with one or both of them often forgetting about their “date.” But once they got into the swing of it, not hell or high water would keep them from getting together for some girl time.
Kai had hit it off with Tiffany Howard from the moment Tiffany had sought Kai’s medical assistance when she needed a prescription for the morning-after pill. Tiffany was so warm, friendly and open that Kai had taken to her right away. They found themselves talking and laughing and finding more and more things in common long after the prescription had been written, and they hadn’t stopped sharing confidences ever since.
Kai gave her the bug-eye. “Very funny.” She cut her Caesar salad into smaller bite-sized pieces, and made sure that every slice of lettuce was sufficiently coated with dressing before putting it in her mouth.
Tiffany observed this ritual with wry amusement. “I swear you are the only person that I know that can actually make a major production out of eating a salad.”
“Would you stop?” She cut up some more pieces. “What should I wear?”
Tiffany pursed her lips in contemplation. “Hmm. Gallery. Evening. First date. Famous author. Sexy doctor. I say wear the navy wrap dress.”
“You don’t think that dress is a little too low-cut?”
“Low-cut? You’re kidding, right? Of course it’s low-cut. It’s supposed to be. That’s the point. If you would ever come out of hospital garbs and sweat suits, you would know that.”
Kai made a face. “I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
“And what if he did? Would that really be so bad? What would be so wrong with a handsome, sexy, intelligent man showing you how much he wanted you?”
Kai studied her salad. “It’s just...I don’t know if I want things to go that way.”
“But you’ll never know if you don’t at least open yourself to the possibility. You said yourself that he’s a really great guy.” She smiled at her friend. “And he’s been after you for a date for forever.”
Kai giggled. “True.” She released a long breath. Her eyes sparkled in the afternoon light. “I do kinda like that blue number and haven’t had a chance to wear it.”
“Now you’re talking.” Tiffany pointed a well-manicured finger at her friend. “And don’t forget heels...the higher the better!”
“Girl, you are a mess.”
After leaving Tiffany, who had an appointment with a client who wanted to buy some of her imported jewelry, Kai took a walk down to the nail salon and treated herself to a well-deserved and long overdue mani and pedi. She was enjoying the feeling of the warm sudsy water bubbling around her feet when pedestrians strolling past the plate-glass window caught her attention. She jumped up so quickly she splashed water all over the floor and the manicurist.
“Oh...I’m so sorry.” Kai snatched up a towel and dutifully wiped the young woman’s damp arms. “I’m really sorry,” she repeated.
“Don’t worry about it. Is everything all right?” She stared at Kai whose attention was glued to the window.
Slowly, Kai sat back down. In that split second of confusion he was gone. Poof, like an apparition. But she was certain it was him—the man she’d seen in the photo that she’d taken. She lightly shook her head and offered a half smile. “Thought I saw someone...”
The young woman continued to massage Kai’s feet. “Must be someone important,” the woman prompted.
“Just someone,” she said absently, even as her entire body was consumed with an inexplicable heat from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and it wasn’t from the water. Just someone.
* * *
Kai took a final look in the bathroom mirror, dropped her lipstick in her purse and returned to her bedroom just as the front doorbell rang. Self-consciously she pulled on the deep V of her dress to no avail. She drew in a breath and went to the front door.
“Andrew,” she greeted, pasting a broad smile on her face, a combination of nerves and more nerves.
For an instant his eyes widened with pleasant surprise. “Wow.” He grinned. “You look...great.”
Her face flushed. “Thanks.” She swallowed. “So do you.”
“Guess doctors can clean up pretty good, huh?”
“Guess so.” She stepped aside. “Come on in for a minute. I need to get my purse.”
Andrew came inside. Kai shut the door behind him. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back. Can I get you anything?”
“No. Thanks.”
“Be right back.”
He took a slow look around the airy living area, which was dominated by a soft taupe-colored sectional couch with a bronze-and-gold stripped throw that looked like it had been meticulously hand-sewn. One wall held a bookcase filled with a cross-section of titles that included medical journals, British classics, contemporary thrillers, romances and a full shelf on photography. A flat-screen television was mounted on the wall. But what drew his attention was above the mantel. It was a near life-size black-and-white photo of the beach during a storm. The composition was breathtaking. Andrew could feel the fury of the surf as it roared toward the shore. Beyond the shoreline, the inky black sky was illuminated by a flash of lightning that exploded from an angry gray cloud and sliced through the horizon. He stepped closer to see the name of the photographer.
“Ready.”
He turned and his heart knocked hard in his chest at the sight of her. She was so gorgeous. “Yep. Incredible photo,” he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “Who’s the photographer?”
She gave a shy smile. “Me.”
“What!” He chuckled. “You. Are. Good.”
“Thanks.” She gave a slight shrug of her right shoulder.
He crossed the gleaming wood floors to stand a few feet in front of her. “How long have you been taking pictures?”
“Years. It was always a hobby of mine, but with patients, working at the hospital for an inhumane number of hours a week, there wasn’t much time to indulge in my little hobby.” She drew in a breath and smiled. “When I moved here and my life slowed down...” She shrugged again.
“Well, you definitely have skills, doc.”
“Thanks.”
They stood facing each other in an odd moment of silence.
“Guess we better get going,” Andrew finally said, snapping them both back to the moment.
“I’m looking forward to meeting Mr. Coben.”
“You have quite a few of his novels on your shelf.”
“Ya think?” she teased as they walked to the door and out.
* * *
Andrew held the door for her and she slid onto the smooth leather of the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The interior still smelled showroom-fresh and she briefly wondered how long he’d had it.
“I made reservations at Drummonds, the new place on Main. Have you been there yet?”
“No, I haven’t.” She settled herself in the car and fastened her seat belt.
“Good, it’ll be a first for both of us. A colleague from the hospital said the food was great and they usually have live music.”
“Really? Sounds great.”
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been out for dinner where I could simply relax and enjoy myself. Dinners always seem to invariably revolve around business, patients, and hospital administration.” He cut a quick look in her direction as he pulled onto the narrow two-lane road. “So I hope you won’t mind if we don’t utter a word about anything that has to do with patients and health care.”
Kai laughed lightly. “Fine by me.”
They drove for a few moments in silence. “I’m really glad you decided to go out with me,” Andrew said, his normally assured voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
Kai stole a look in his direction. His profile was set against the backdrop of the darkening sky. “Thanks for asking...again.”
They both laughed at the obvious implication. Andrew had lost count of how many times he’d asked Kai out and she’d always found a reason to gently say no.
“Had I only known that all it would take to lure you out was a Harlan Coben book signing, I would have found a way to get him here long before now.”
Kai laughed. The dimple in her right cheek deepened. “Was I really that bad?”
“Yes. Good thing I have a healthy ego or I would be permanently scarred.”
“I doubt that very seriously.” She relaxed in her seat, glanced briefly at the crest of the horizon beyond her passenger window then turned slightly toward Andrew.
“Do you even like mysteries?”
He gave a slight shrug. “I’m more of a Stephen King kind of guy.”
She gave a fake shudder and a little frown. “Horror! Really? I would have never thought that in a million years.”
“Why?” He stole a quick look at her and was delighted to see the amusement in her eyes.
“Hmm, I’m not sure. I guess I figured you for a history or a biography buff.”
“Real straight, no rough edges.”
“Not exactly but...”
“I get it. I totally get it. That’s why it’s more important than ever that you get to know the real me. I’m much more than a pretty face and brilliant mind, you know.”
Kai tossed her head back and laughed. “That’s to be determined.”
Drummonds was everything that Drew had said and more. The circular tables were draped in brilliant white linen, with sparkling crystal glasses and gleaming silver. One entire wall was smoked glass from end to end and looked out onto the pier, giving view to the gently flapping sails of the docked boats undulating on the water. The circular bar was a mixture of chrome, dark red wood and marble. Every stool was taken.
“Welcome to Drummonds. Do you have a reservation?” the slim hostess donned in all black asked.
“Yes, two for Clarke,” Andrew said.
The hostess checked her reservation list, looked up and smiled. She took two menus from the rack. “Right this way. Your table is ready.”
Andrew placed his hand at the small of Kai’s back and guided her behind the hostess who wound her way around the tables, dance floor and up one level to their table in front of the window. She placed the menus on the table. Andrew helped Kai into her seat then took his.
“Can I get you anything from the bar before your waiter arrives?”
Andrew looked to Kai with a questioning rise of his brow.
Kai glanced up at the waitress. “A glass of white wine.”
“Anything for you, sir?”
“Why don’t you bring us a bottle of sauvignon blanc?” He gave Kai a quick look of inquiry.
She offered her assent with a shadow of a smile. “Please.”
The hostess tipped her head. “Right away.”
Andrew turned his full attention back to Kai.
“I had no idea Drummonds was anything like this,” Kai said.
“Very Upper East Side Manhattan,” he joked.
She laughed. “Exactly. I mean the restaurants here are very nice but mostly quaint and cozy.” She gazed around in appreciation.
The waiter arrived with their bottle of wine and filled each of their glasses then took their dinner order before leaving as quietly as he’d arrived.
Andrew lifted his glass. “To a wonderful evening.”
Kai lightly tapped her glass to his.
“So tell me some more about your photography.” He took a sip of his wine then set his glass down.
Kai wrapped her long, slender fingers around the stem of her glass and gazed into the crystal depths of its contents. “I suppose I always had a thing for seeing things in parts.”
“In parts?”
“Yes. This may sound a little quirky but...” She pushed out a breath. “To me, I see things in pieces, not as a whole. It’s like looking at what’s in front of me in...frames. I compartmentalize.” She looked at him from beneath her long lashes.
A line of concentration etched itself between his brows. “All the time?”
“Pretty much.”
He thoughtfully sipped his wine. “So you’re not the ‘big picture’ kind of a girl.”
Kai grinned. “Nope. Guess not.” She sipped her wine. “What about you when you aren’t doctoring?”
Kai listened while Andrew talked about his love of the outdoors, the yearly camping trips with his college buddies and the marathon that he ran every year. She listened, nodded and “mmm-hmmed” in all the right places and wondered if she could ever put Andrew into one her compartments and label it “her man,” “significant other,” or “husband.” For whatever reason, she simply could not see him fitting into any of those spaces in her life. Maybe she had been out of the relationship game for so long that she no longer knew how to play.
When Kai and Andrew arrived at the Grenning Gallery there was a line waiting to get in.
“Looks like it’s going to be pretty crowded in there,” Andrew said as he guided Kai onto the line.
“This is so exciting. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“You and a lot of other fans.”
They inched along on the line and finally made it inside. Andrew was right. The Grenning Gallery was packed, upstairs and down. The reading and signing were set up on the upper level. The lower level was for appetizers and refreshments. The crowd was an eclectic blend of the die-hard fan and the curious, garbed in everything from jeans and sneakers to evening wear.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Andrew asked, leaning close to be heard over the mild din.
“Hmm, sure. A glass of white wine.”
“Stay put. I don’t want to lose you,” he said and flashed Kai a look that gave his words much more meaning.
Kai held her small purse to her chest and took in her surroundings. It had been a while since she’d been to the gallery, partly because she’d totally run out of excuses why she would not exhibit her photography and couldn’t bear disappointing the owner again. She’d donated a couple of her photos months earlier for a fund-raiser and the owner had been after her to do a show ever since.
Hopefully with all the people at the gallery, they wouldn’t cross each other’s paths.
Her gaze slowly moved around the room, capturing images of the art, the people and the movements, and forming a montage of sorts in her mind. With each blink of her eyes, another image was snapped. Then there was a big hum in the air, the buzz of excitement that always preceded a major event. The author had arrived, accompanied by his publicist and a photographer. The surge of the crowd moved her along in their wake.
The bevy of guests began taking cell-phone pictures as Harlan Coben made his way through the throng, smiling and shaking hands along the way as he was led upstairs.
Kai peered over the sea of heads and shoulders trying to locate Andrew when her gaze landed on him. Heat rushed to her head and her heart banged in her chest. It was him. He was partially turned in her direction. His profile was identical to the one she’d snapped months earlier. He was turning in her direction. Something or someone drew his attention and he turned and walked in the opposite direction.
“There you are.” Andrew had come up behind her. “Thought I’d lost you to the crowd. Did you get to see him before he was swept away?”
She glanced over her shoulder at Andrew. Her cheeks were hot. “Oh...yes. Just for a minute,” she said.
Chapter 3 (#ulink_52577b02-64b8-51f8-9ea2-7f275c00467e)
“Mr. Weston, your wife is on line three.”
Anthony Weston’s dark brows tightened across his forehead. He didn’t know how many times he would have to tell his secretary, Valerie, that Crystal was the ex-Mrs. Weston. Maybe Val couldn’t or wouldn’t get it right because he was still wrestling with that reality nearly two years after their divorce.
He pressed the flashing light on his phone. “Hey...Crystal. What’s up?”
“How are you?”
Her voice still flowed through his veins like good brandy, warm and fluid, and could sneak up on him and knock him out when he least expected it. “I’m good. You?”
“Fine. Trying to get everything together for Jessie’s trip...and mine. She’s so excited.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I wish I’d had the chance to see where you’ll be staying, Tony.” The hint of censure in her tone caused his jaw to tighten.
“I wouldn’t take our daughter anywhere that you or I wouldn’t stay. The house is beautiful. The locale is safe and she’ll have a ball.”
Crystal pushed out a breath. “I’ll drop her off in the morning?”
“Sure, or tonight if you want.”
“No. I want us to have one more night together.”
“You make it sound like she’s going away forever. It’s just a couple of weeks. With her father,” he added a bit more harshly than necessary.
“I know that,” she snapped.
Anthony squeezed his eyes shut. It never ceased to amaze him how their conversations could go from zero to sixty in a flash, and that was not always a good thing. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”
“Two.”
“Do you want me to pick up Jess and take you to the air—”
“No,” she said, quickly cutting him off. “It’s not necessary.”
Anthony was silent for a moment. He knew what that meant. Gordon Russell was taking her to the airport and more than likely traveling with her on the Caribbean vacation. It stung, but not as much as it once did. Crystal had stopped mentioning anything about Gordon after Anthony’s last “another man around his daughter” tirade. He knew he’d taken it too far. He’d allowed his ego to run roughshod over his common sense. It took his and Crystal’s amicable though cool relationship to an arctic freeze and it was still in the throes of unthawing.
“Hey, no problem. What time are you dropping Jess off?”
“About eleven.”
“See you then.”
“Bye, Tony,” she said in the way that he remembered.
The phone clicked in his ear. Slowly he returned the receiver to the cradle, leaned back in his chair and absently massaged his chin. Two years. It was still hard for him to swallow the reality that he had failed at something. It wasn’t in his makeup to fail. Whatever he took on—from a “friendly game” of basketball to the courts of justice—he won. Decisively. It’s what he did. It’s who he was. He was driven to achieve excellence. The divorce had rocked him, unmoored his foundation and forced him to question himself. There were moments, like now, that made him feel as if the ground were slowly shifting beneath his feet.
His intercom buzzed and jerked him away from his brooding. “Yes, Valerie?”
“Mr. Blumenthal wants to see you.”
“Thanks.” He shook off the remnants of his dark thoughts and returned his focus to the task at hand, dealing with his boss, the district attorney for New York, the man whose job he would seek come fall.
Anthony took his jacket from the hook by the door, slipped it on and walked down the corridor to Harrison Blumenthal’s office. He nodded to Blumenthal’s secretary, who smiled and waved him in. Anthony knocked lightly on the partially open door and stepped inside.
“Shut the door, will you,” Harrison grumbled in his trademark no-nonsense grit-and-gravel voice.
Harrison removed his half-framed glasses and rested them next to a stack of files on his desk while Anthony unbuttoned his jacket and took a seat opposite him.
“I’ll get right to it. I don’t like the progress or should I say the lack of progress on this Warren mess.”
“His lawyers say he won’t take a deal.”
“Make them take it. We can’t win this case. You know it and I know it.”
“I don’t agree.”
Harrison’s bushy right brow rose to an arch. “I can’t afford any of your cowboy antics in court. I have no intention of tallying up any losses. Especially now.” He gave Anthony a cool green stare.
“I won’t lose. This is the type of case I’m known for winning. You know that as well as I do,” he returned with the same purposeful stare.
Something rumbled deep in Harrison’s chest before the words rolled out, like a train in the distance before pulling into the station. “There’s a first time for everything, and my point is, I cannot afford to let this case be that first time. Our conviction record is solid.”
“Thanks to me,” Anthony interjected.
Harrison pursed his lips. “It needs to stay that way. For my sake as well as yours.”
Inwardly, Anthony smiled. That was about as close to a compliment as he was going to get from Harrison Blumenthal.
“Find a way to make this case go away.” He put his glasses back on, a clear indication that the meeting was over.
Anthony pushed back from his seat and stood. He buttoned his jacket. “I’ll see what I can do...when I get back from vacation.”
“See that you do. When are you leaving?”
“Saturday afternoon. Crystal is dropping Jessie off in the morning.”
Harrison’s rocky countenance softened. “How are things...with you and Crystal?”
Harrison was one of two people who knew how hard he’d been hit by the divorce. The other was his lifelong friend Lincoln Davenport. It was Lincoln who’d convinced him that he needed some downtime to think really hard about where he wanted his life to go, and a great place to do it was Sag Harbor. He could relax, spend time with his daughter, put the job on hold and enjoy the company of his friends. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Anthony had finally given in.
He’d gone to visit a few months earlier, really liked the place, and after having lunch with Melanie Harte—who was equally as eager to find him a new love as she was finding him a place to stay—he found a great house that was on the market, priced to sell, met all of his needs and would definitely give him a sanctuary when he wanted to get out of the city. He’d gone back a couple of times on weekends to get the lay of the land, check on the repairs of the house and even stumbled onto a book signing at the local art gallery during a last-minute trip a week earlier. He was really looking forward to getting out of Manhattan and “setting up house” with his daughter—even if it was only temporary.
“Better,” he finally answered. “At least, as good as it probably will ever be.” His expression darkened.
“Hmm. It gets easier. Take it from a man who’s been through it...twice.” He held up two long fingers.
“Yeah.” The corner of his mouth curved into a half grin. “So you have reminded me.” He headed for the door.
“Try to enjoy your time away. You know, when you get back, this office will be pretty much all on your shoulders as my campaign will be in full gear.”
Anthony nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve been trained by the best,” he said with a wry smile. “I can handle it.”
“See that you do.”
Anthony tucked in his smile and closed the door quietly behind him. He was lucky to have a man like Harrison in his corner, paving the way. Often the D.A. was a megalomaniac driven solely by ambition, political polls and winning at any cost. Sure, Harrison loved to win just as much as the next man, but it was more than that. He had a true passion for justice and doing the right thing no matter if it was politically incorrect. And he wasn’t always looking over his shoulder to see who was trying to move up the ranks to take his place. If anything, he encouraged his staff to climb the ladder, which Anthony had done and secured the position of chief assistant district attorney through the mentoring of his boss. The world of crime may have hated Harrison Blumenthal but his staff worshipped the ground he walked on. His shoes were big ones to fill, but Anthony knew he was up to the job. After all, hadn’t he sacrificed everything...including his family...to get where he was?
Chapter 4 (#ulink_992f4df3-5f46-5bdc-bebf-d171f5e9f98e)
“You still haven’t explained to me why you won’t get serious with Andrew. You said the date went fine,” Tiffany said as the two friends walked up the winding path leading to Melanie Harte’s house on the hill. The house and the front lawn sparkled with pinpoints of light, and music could be heard floating in the air.
Kai gave a light toss of her head. “Don’t get me wrong. He’s a great guy. Handsome. Funny. Smart.” She paused, blew out a breath of frustrated confusion. “He’s just not right for me. This may sound like a fairy tale or something out of a romance novel, but I want a man that makes my heart pound. Makes my skin get hot with just a look, gets my stomach to flutter when I think about him and has my vajayjay talking in tongues when I know I’m going to see him.” She sighed with a faraway look in her eyes.
“Damn, girl, well, when you find him please ask if he has a friend, a brother or a cousin just like him.”
They laughed in unison and stepped into the party that was in full swing.
“Mel sure knows how to throw ‘a little get-together,’” Tiffany said, raising her voice slightly above the hum of conversation and the live band.
Kai gazed around at the crowd, recognizing some faces from town, a few from television and the rest she wasn’t familiar with. “What I need to do is take Melanie up on her offer to find me the perfect man,” she said in a pseudo whisper.
A waiter approached with crab and shrimp appetizers balanced on a tray. They helped themselves to the delicate treats and snagged the next waiter for two glasses of champagne.
“There’s Lincoln and Desiree.” Kai waved and started to walk over when she heard her name being called. She turned. “Andrew...”
“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” he said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.
“Kind of a last-minute thing,” she managed while wishing that the floor would open.
He studied her for a moment then turned to Tiffany. “Good to see you again.”
“You, too.”
“I would ask if I could get you ladies a drink but you have that covered. Looks like I’ll have to catch up.”
“I’m going to say hello to Lincoln and Desi. Oh, Maurice and Layla just came in. Be right back. Good to see you, Andrew.” Tiffany darted off before the ice daggers from Kai’s eyes could land in her back.
An awkward moment of silence dropped like a final curtain between them. Kai sipped her drink and stole a glance at Andrew from beneath her lashes. This is so bad.
“Drew...I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. I—”
He held up his hand. “You don’t have to explain. Really. I’m a big boy and I can take a hint.”
“That doesn’t excuse me being rude and for that I’m sorry.”
He gave her a half smile. “True.” He paused, as if relishing her wide-eyed look. “But...apology accepted.”
She released a soft sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“And now that we have all that out of the way...I hope that we can still be friends.”
“Of course. I’d like that.”
“Good, let’s go mingle.”
* * *
He really isn’t a bad guy, Kai thought as she watched him chat and charm everyone around him. He had a great sense of humor, was good to look at, had a solid career...but that spark wasn’t there for her no matter how hard she tried, and to lead him on would be plain wrong. Andrew was deserving of someone who gave as much as he did and wanted him as much as he wanted her. She wasn’t the one.
Kai wandered out back while Andrew regaled a small group on the antics in the E.R. when it was filled with kids and crazed parents.
“There you are! Are you enjoying yourself?” Melanie slid an arm around Kai’s waist.
“Yes, very much. You’ve outdone yourself as usual.”
“I feel it’s my duty to put a little sparkle into this sleepy little town.” She chuckled.
“Where’s Claude? I was hoping to see him.”
“Congressional hearings. He had to stay in D.C. with Senator Lawson. I hope he can get back next weekend or I may pay him a surprise visit, stir things up a little.” She flashed a mischievous smile.
“Just make sure you don’t wind up on the front page of the Washington Post with a coat over your face.”
They laughed at the image.
“It’s good to see Maurice doing so well,” Kai said, watching Maurice dance with his bride.
“Layla definitely has that special touch in more ways than one. It wasn’t Maurice’s war injury that needed the healing, it was inside.” She tapped the center of her chest. “I wish I could take credit for that arrangement,” Melanie said, “but they did it all on their own. Mostly.” She winked.
“I’m happy for them.”
“Actually—” She lowered her voice. “There was someone that I especially wanted you to meet.”
“Oh?”
“Unfortunately he couldn’t make it. Didn’t say why.” Her brow creased. “Another time. He’ll be in town for a few weeks.”
“Mel...”
“Listen, everyone needs someone. And that goes for you, too. I think he would be perfect for you. In fact, I know he would.”
Kai lowered her head for a moment. There was no debating Melanie when she decided that you were her “special project.” She wouldn’t rest until she found Mr. Right or, at least, Mr. Right Now. As CEO of the Platinum Society, Melanie Harte and her team were renowned for their matchmaking skills that found that special someone for everyone from corporate executives, actors, athletes, and politicians to the average girl and guy next door. Before there was eHarmony there was the Platinum Society.
Kai laughed lightly. “I’m sure he is.” She checked her watch. “Listen, I’m going to find Tiffany and head home.” She kissed Melanie’s cheek. “Thanks for a great evening as usual.”
Although the gathering was pegged as a simple get-together with friends, Mel never got people together for a reason as benign as that. She firmly believed that if you put the right people in the room together they would find each other. She was usually right. As Kai wound her way around the guests and through the rooms of the sprawling house in search of Tiffany, she could already see the results of Melanie’s plan at work as many of the guests who’d walked around unattached earlier in the evening were now a twosome.
Kai stepped out into the backyard and spotted Tiffany leaning casually against a towering maple tree in deep conversation with a really good-looking guy. She waved to get Tiffany’s attention and when she did, she mouthed that she was going home and that she’d call tomorrow.
The waning evening was absolutely exquisite, Kai mused, as she drew her oversize teal-colored silk scarf around her bare shoulders. The sky was a lush blanket of deep blue with brilliant splashes of light that flickered and danced against it. The most gentle of breezes blew in off the ocean, capturing the scents of the sand, sea and budding jasmine bushes and other flora. The sounds of light laughter and music hovered around her then grew more distant as she descended the winding walkway leading to the main road. A perfect night for a walk...with someone you care about, a distant voice mocked.
She glanced briefly over her shoulder as the house grew smaller in the distance. Andrew really wasn’t a bad guy. Actually, he was a great catch. There was no doubt about it. Maybe if she allowed herself she could care about him as more than a colleague.
She turned down the street that led to her house. The truth...she didn’t want to care about him as more than a colleague.
* * *
The one great thing about being self-employed was that you could call your own shots and make your own hours, which was precisely what Kai planned for her Saturday. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn off her internal clock. She woke at precisely 6:00 a.m. just as she did when she had her shift in the E.R. Some habits die hard, but one habit that she was glad she’d never broken was turning on the timer for the coffee machine at night. The heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through her home would give Starbucks a run for their money. After showering quickly and donning her supercomfy sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, she made a beeline for her kitchen, where she was eagerly greeted by Jasper, her Yorkshire terrier, who was frantically scratching at the door and yipping around the kitchen.
“Take it easy. Take it easy.” She bent down and scratched him behind his ears. “I’m glad to see you, too. I’ll let you out in one minute.” She went to the kitchen window and pulled the curtain aside. Sometime during the night, it had rained and the air felt and smelled crisp and clean like freshly washed laundry. The grass and tree leaves still glistened with beads of water and morning dew. A great day to take some pictures. After she let Jasper out back and had her coffee, she would get her equipment.
“Jasper, what is wrong with you today?” He was jumping up and down on the door again and yapping like crazy. “All right, all right.” Kai opened the side door and Jasper raced out like a shot. She stood in the doorway for a moment, shook her head at her eccentric pooch, then went to the counter to finally pour her first cup of coffee. Just as she lifted the carafe and was ready to pour, Jasper went completely crazy outside. He was barking and whining in that high-pitched squeak that only little dogs can make.
Kai went to the door and opened it. She stepped out onto the porch. “What in the world is wrong with you? You’re going to wake up the entire neighborhood.”
Jasper continued to bark and whine and run in and out from under the house.
“Jasper! Come in here right now.”
Jasper planted himself in front of the porch with his tail banging rapidly against the wet grass.
“So what are you now, a television dog? You trying to tell me something? It better not be a raccoon. I’m warning you, Jasper,” she said as she climbed down the three porch steps. “What is it, boy?” That’s when she heard whimpering and the hairs on her arms rose.
She bent down from the waist and caught a glimpse of pink fabric and a little slippered foot. “Oh my God.” She scrambled down on her hands and knees and peered under the stairs. Tucked under her house was a little girl, curled into a tight ball. The full realization that a child was huddled under her stairs knocked her back on her haunches as if she’d been pushed. For a full minute, she couldn’t think. A million crazy thoughts raced through her head, none of which stayed put long enough for her to make any sense out of it.
Jasper ran under the house and tugged at the pink slipper. The little girl began to cry in earnest.
“What in the...” She lay flat on her stomach so that she could get a better look. “Sweetie, you need to come out, okay?”
The little girl briskly shook her head. Her thick ponytails, covered in leaves and twigs, flapped back and forth.
“Can you tell me your name?”
Silence.
“My name is Kai. And this is Jasper. Say hello, Jasper.”
Jasper barked uproariously and ran in a circle before settling down.
“I think you must be really cold...and wet. Do you want a blanket? Would that help?”
The little girl nodded her head.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you a blanket so you can warm up.”
Kai scrambled to her feet and ran inside, doing a pretty bad imitation of Jasper as she spun around in circles trying to think—she’d suddenly forgotten where she kept the extra blankets. Her heart kicked against her chest. Maybe she should call the police. No. Not yet. Her medical instincts kicked in. The first thing she needed to do was to make sure that the little girl wasn’t injured. Right. Blanket. She darted down the hall to the linen closet. She pulled out a light quilt, bunched it up in her arms and hurried back outside.
Jasper was standing guard. Kai got back down on her hands and knees and peered beneath the house. Bright, frightened brown eyes stared back at her.
“Here you go, sweetie.” Kai extended the blanket toward her and wished that she was small enough to crawl under to get a better look at the girl. A little hand pulled the blanket and she was quickly hidden beneath it with only the top of her head and her pony tails visible.
“I bet you’re pretty hungry,” Kai said softly. She thought she saw the child bob her head. “If you come out I can fix you something to eat and get you warmed up. How does that sound?”
No response.
Kai tried again. “My name is Kai. Would you tell me your name so I know what to call you? This is Jasper. Say hi, Jasper.” Japer yip-yipped and ran in circles. “Your turn.”
There was the barest murmur of a response. Kai’s pulse raced. “Jessie? Is your name Jessie?”
“Yes.”
Kai momentarily gave in to a moment of relief. “I bet that’s short for Jessica. Is it short for Jessica?”
“Yes.”
“My name is not short for anything. It’s just short.”
A soft giggle rose from under the blanket and Jessie pulled the blanket down below her nose.
“I was named after my great-great-grandmother. She was a Native American...an Indian. My name means ‘willow tree.’”
“My daddy named me,” came the tiny voice. “That’s what my mommy said.”
“He did a good job. Did your daddy and mommy bring you here?”
“Daddy did.” She sneezed.
“Bless you.” Kai had no idea how long Jessie had been hidden beneath her damp house, but she knew that the longer she stayed the more risk she had of getting sick or catching something. “Jessie, sweetie, now that we’re friends, why don’t you come on out before you catch a cold. I can fix you something to eat and then we can call your dad. Okay?”
Jessie sniffed, sneezed again but didn’t budge.
Jasper ran under the house and began tugging on the blanket, trying to pull it out and Jessie along with it.
This was crazy! She stood up, paced, ran her hand across her hair. Her gaze roamed up and down the soft rolling hills and across the tops of the fewer than half-dozen homes in the area as if seeking answers in the gray clouds that moved across the sky. What in the world was she going to do? She needed to call someone. The child couldn’t stay under her house indefinitely. She’d been trying to coax her out for nearly forty-five minutes. What kind of parent would let their child wander off like this? Her temper flared.
“I’m cold.”
Kai spun around and Jessie was standing in front of her. Her breath caught for an instant at the sight of Jessie’s tiny body that shuddered beneath the blanket, which was more on the ground than around her. Her wide, almond-shaped eyes were slightly swollen from crying. Leaves and twigs stuck to her hair, which was wet with dew and rain.
“Oh, Jessie, thank you so much for coming out.” Kai knelt down in front of her. The moist grass squished around her knees. “Let’s get you warm and fed, okay?”
Jessie nodded her head and didn’t make a peep of protest when Kai scooped her up along with the blanket and hurried inside just as the rain began to fall.
Chapter 5 (#ulink_48063fac-711a-541b-a784-7fc18c87af50)
Anthony nearly tore the door off the hinges when he saw the black-and-white police car pull up in front of his house. He ran out to meet them as they walked up the path.
“Have you heard anything?” he lobbed at them the instant they were within earshot.
“Let’s talk inside,” the middle-aged officer suggested.
Anthony looked from one to the other. A wave of panic rose up in his stomach. “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.
“Son, we’re not telling you anything ’cause we don’t have anything to tell.”
The air was sucked out of him.
“Let’s talk inside,” the officer said again, more gently this time.
Anthony lowered his head for a moment then led them inside.
The younger officer, who looked more like a Boy Scout than a cop, closed the door behind them.
“I’m Officer Cobb. This is Officer Monroe,” the older of the two said.
Anthony nodded impatiently. “Yes, we spoke on the phone. Now will you please tell me what you’re doing to find my daughter?”
Officer Cobb waved his hand in the air as if to calm him down. “Easy. I know this is upsetting. My team is rounding up volunteers as we speak. I want to get a few more details from you, and a picture...of your daughter.”
Anthony’s stomach knotted. A picture. The very idea brought on a wave of nausea. No, this wasn’t the Big Bad Apple, where terrible things happened every day and kids went missing like socks in the dryer. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone else, but as chief assistant district attorney who’d seen all kinds of depravity, he knew it happened in these Happy Hollow towns, too. Only, when it did, it was all the more shocking. But he couldn’t allow himself to go down that road.
“You mind if Officer Monroe looks around while we talk?”
“No. No, of course not.” He knew the drill. Monroe would be looking for any signs of a struggle or indications that there might have been a break-in. He also knew that he was their first and prime suspect. When children went missing right out of their own bedrooms, the parents were the usual suspects.
Officer Cobb took a seat at the kitchen table. He pulled out a notebook and a pen, flipped the pages and stopped when the one he wanted caught his attention. “So you said you put her to bed at ten last night.”
“Yes. Ten. Then I came downstairs to watch some television. I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up it was about three. I went to check in on Jessie and she was in her room sleeping. I went to bed. When I got up this morning to wake her she wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in the house!”
“And what time was that?”
“Seven, seven-fifteen.” His impatient hand ran across his close-cut hair.
Officer Cobb slowly nodded his head, as if somewhat assured that the words in his notebook matched the ones coming out of Anthony’s mouth. “And her mother?”
“I told you, she’s out of the country. She left yesterday.” He had no idea what he was going to tell Crystal. He’d tried her cell phone nearly a dozen times with no luck. Half the calls wouldn’t connect and the rest either rang busy or went to voice mail. Maybe it was best. The last thing he needed right now was Crystal being hysterical hundreds of miles away.
“Did you say you had a picture of your daughter, Mr. Weston?”
He did. He had dozens of pictures of Jessie and they were all taken with his cell phone. “I have to print it out from the computer.”
Officer Cobb gave him a look as if to say, Young people, no wonder.
Anthony excused himself and went into the next room where he’d set up a mini office with his laptop, printer and a box of files from the office. He sent the most recent picture that he had of Jessie to his email and then opened the picture in his email account.
Jessie’s cherubic face filled the screen. Her smile dimmed the sun. Anthony’s eyes stung. If anything happened to her... The knot in his stomach tightened. He pressed the print key and slowly the image of Jessie slid out. He clenched his jaw, got up from his seat and returned to Officer Cobb.
“Here’s a picture of Jessie,” he said, his voice thick.
Officer Cobb took the picture. “We’ll get copies out to the other officers.”
“How many officers do you have working on this?”
“The entire office. Five.”
Anthony’s stomach swam.
Officer Cobb stood and tucked the photo in his notebook. “As soon as we hear something, we’ll call you.”
“I’m going with you. I need to be out there looking for my daughter.”
“You need to stay here in case she comes back.”
Cobb’s cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “Cobb.” His eyes widened for an instant. “I see. We’ll be right there.” He disconnected the call. His gaze jumped to Anthony’s. “They think they’ve found your daughter.”
* * *
“Do you want some more soup, Jessie?”
Jessie bobbed her head as she slurped up the rest of the thick soup. Kai had gotten her out of her damp clothes and put her in an oversize T-shirt and pink sweat socks that pooled around her ankles. But at least she was warm and dry. She’d groomed and towel-dried the thick hair.
While Jessie played with Jasper, Kai had placed a call to the local police office only to be told by the secretary that the officers were out on an emergency—missing child. But when Kai advised her that she’d found the girl they were looking for, she was told that the police would be there right away.
Kai hung up the phone, only mildly mollified. They should be there any minute and Jessie would be reunited with her very irresponsible parent. Just thinking that anyone could have been so careless as to let a four-year-old get out of the house caused her head to pound. Anything could have happened to her. It was only by the grace of God that Kai had found her and not some stranger that could have... She didn’t want to think about it. Jessie was safe. No thanks to her father, whoever he may be.
Not more than ten minutes later, the sound of cars pulling into the drive drew her to the window. She pulled the curtain back. A police car and a black SUV.
Jessie was busy playing with Jasper.
“You wait right here.” Kai went to the front door and pulled it open in unison with the car doors opening and slamming shut. She stood beneath the overhang to keep dry from the rain that had gone from a light shower to a steady downpour. Fog hung heavy over the trees and settled around the homes and rolling hills like a scene from an old English movie.
She recognized Officer Cobb from town, who was trudging up the walk through the rain and was nearly pushed aside by the man who’d come up behind him breaking through the fog.
Kai’s chest constricted and held her breath in its grip. It was him. Him, the man in the photo, the man she’d seen walking the streets, then that night at the gallery. The one who’d invaded her thoughts and her dreams. Her lips parted but no words came out as he took the steps two at a time and was right on top of her.
Anthony’s gaze ignited with hers and his forward motion froze. He blinked, started to speak.
Kai found her voice first. “She’s...in the kitchen.” She stepped out of the doorway, turned on shaky legs and led him into the house.
“Is she...is she all right?”
“She’s fine. Sneezing a bit, and she has some bites on her legs. I put some ointment on them. Got her dry and cleaned up.” She came to a stop at the entrance to the kitchen and turned to him. Her breath drew in sharply. Her heart pounded. He was staring right past her and into the depths of her soul. A shiver fluttered along her spine and for an instant they were locked in an invisible embrace.
“Daddy!”
The spell was broken.
Jessie scrambled up from the floor and leaped against her father’s thighs. He snapped to attention and snatched her up in his arms. He pressed her against his heart, covered her cheeks and hair with kisses until she giggled.
“Jessie, Jessie,” he breathed as relief swept through him. He looked over her head into Kai’s wide gaze. “Thank you,” he said on a rough whisper.
Her skin heated at the sound of his voice. “I’m not sure how long she was out in the weather.” Her voice took on a chastising tone that Anthony didn’t miss.
He momentarily glanced away. “Thank you, Ms....”
“Dr. Kai Randall,” she offered.
“Anthony Weston.” He smiled.
Her stance softened. “Take care of her.”
“I intend to.”
“Dr. Randall, I’ll need to get a statement from you,” Officer Cobb said from the doorway while he shook the water off his hat and broke the tenuous thread between Kai and Anthony.
Kai folded her arms. “Sure.” She led Officer Cobb over to the kitchen table and provided the details of how and when she’d found Jessie.
“Is it okay if I get Jessie home?”
“Of course, Mr. Weston,” Officer Cobb said, closing his notebook. “Thank you again, Doctor.”
She nodded and led them to the door. A crack of thunder seemed to shake the foundation of the house. Kai took an umbrella from the rack by the door and a jacket that she kept hanging there. She put the jacket around Jessie and handed the umbrella to Anthony.
“She doesn’t need to get wet.”
Jessie sneezed as if to confirm Kai’s statement.
“And you behave yourself, young lady. No more leaving the house to follow squirrels. Promise?”
“Promise,” she chirped then buried her face in the curve of her father’s neck.
What would it be like to press her lips against his neck, inhale his scent?
“Thank you...again.” The hint of a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
Kai ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip. She held the door open. The trio stepped out into the rain. Anthony glanced back once, then darted to the SUV.
She stood in the archway until the cars were only memories. It was then that she realized she’d been holding her breath or, at least, it felt as if she had. She pushed the door closed. Her thoughts tramped through her head as she tried to make sense out of the chaos that had come when she saw the man who’d only been something fleeting become real flesh and blood and stand in her house.
Back in the kitchen, she pulled out a chair and sat, her chin propped up on her palm. How incredible was that? If someone had told her this had happened to them, she wouldn’t have believed it. It was the kind of thing that happened in Lifetime movies...no those were the ones where the woman always killed the husband or boyfriend. But...anyway, it was just hard to believe.
As if stung, she sprung up from her seat and darted upstairs to her attic. She flipped thorough the photographs that she’d mounted in a large book. Her pulse kicked. There was the picture that she’d taken that rainy afternoon....
She slipped the black-and-white photo out of the plastic sleeve and held it up. Anthony Weston.
* * *
“Crystal, she’s fine. I swear to you. No...there’s no reason for you to come back. Apparently she went out of the back door, wandered off and got lost. She wound up at a doctor’s house of all places.” He squeezed his eyes shut against his ex-wife’s barrage. He deserved it. He still couldn’t wrap his head around how it had happened. “As soon as she wakes up, I’ll have her call you. Yes. She’ll call. All right.”
Anthony heaved a breath and disconnected the call. At least that hurdle was over with. Crystal had every reason to be furious, hysterical and accusatory. If he was hundreds of miles away and received that kind of call from her, he would have reacted the same way or worse.
He ran his hand across his face, then went into the room to check on Jessie. He stood over her sleeping form and slowly shook his head as the events of the day ran in his mind like an endless reel. His gaze lifted from his sleeping daughter and the image of Kai Randall emerged in front of him. His gut flexed. Jessie stirred, moaned softy.
Anthony shook off the sensation, tucked the light blanket around Jessie and eased out of the room, leaving the door open. The last thing he needed to have on his mind was a woman, even if she was the woman that rescued his daughter. What he needed to be thinking about was never letting what went down that morning ever happen again. He was going to have a long, serious talk with his daughter when she woke up.
* * *
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Donna Hill
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Mellow sun-kissed days turn into sultry nights made for mutual pleasure…After ten years of service as chief of the E.R. at a New York City hospital, Dr. Kai Randall decided to trade her scrubs for a calmer existence in Sag Harbor Village. The only thing that has interrupted her serenity in months is the photo she snapped of a handsome, solitary stranger. The image haunts her. But that′s nothing compared to how she feels when she comes face-to-face with the man from her dreams. When Assistant District Attorney Anthony Weston barges into Kai′s house frantically looking for his young daughter, he meets one beautiful complication. Anthony′s career ambitions caused him to lose his marriage-and now he′s on the cusp of a huge promotion.His life is in the city that Kai left behind, but his heart is in the soul-stirring passion they share. Is this just another sizzling summer fling or could this be the beginning of forever?