a sexy maleness she couldn’t afford to notice. His gaze raked over her with those deep blue eyes that hadn’t left her dreams.
She tried to mask the frown on her face by scanning the room. “Can I help you?”
“I just wanted to thank you for giving me the names of those PIs and tell you I’m sorry for being so surly. Unfortunately, I called them back and told them what you told me and they still insisted they couldn’t help.”
“I don’t believe that.”
Glowering, he grabbed his phone and handed it to her. “Call them yourselves.”
“I believe I will.”
She felt bad about last night. Regret had kept her restless and unable to sleep, but she couldn’t apologize. If her words made him angry enough to leave, all the better. He needed to realize he was wasting his time here. In different conditions, she would ask him out, but this situation was beyond repair.
She found her contacts and hit send on Nathan’s name.
“Yeah?” he chirped when he answered.
“Hey, Nate, it’s Winona. How the hell are you?”
“Winoney? Well I’ll be damned. I was just talking about you earlier.”
“I hope it was good talk.”
“Yeah. I should have called and told you to expect a guy by the name of, oh, let me find my paperwork. I feel like I should know him, he’s called so much. Plus he’s semi-famous. Like Michael Phelps famous. Well, maybe not quite that famous. Let me see, oh here it is. Jake Inman.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling. He said you said I’d be his best bet.”
“Yeah.”
She reeled away from Jake, ignoring the smirk on his face.
“Yeah, well, you know I’m not taking clients anymore.”
“No, I didn’t know. I mean, yeah, you talked about it, but I thought for sure after a while you’d go back. And I believe you were always the best and would be the best for what this guy needs.”
“Why is that? You know I don’t handle these cases anymore.” She tried to mask the desperation in her voice that rose with each thought of taking a case that involved a little girl who would probably never be found. Besides, Jake said this girl was probably with her mother. Maybe she was just fine. Maybe. One could believe and convince themselves that was the truth. Some days, that was the only way she survived.
“Sorry, Winoney. I think you should listen to this guy’s story and give him a chance.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, holding it before letting it out slowly and forcefully.
“I think you would be best,” she said.
“I can’t do it right now. Since you left, I’m overwhelmed with work. And you’re a better tracker. This case needs you. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, Winoney. I just think you should reconsider.”
“You think I should go back to work.”
“You know I never wanted you to quit.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“That’s it?” Nathan’s voice rose, and she pictured his eyebrows notching up as well.
“I’m really busy. I’ll call you later and we can chit-chat.” And she didn’t want to air the reasons why she wasn’t right for this case in front of Jake.
She ended the call and pivoted around to Jake. His smirk shot ire to her stomach.
“Well?” he asked.
“You know what he said.”
“You want to call the others?”
“It won’t change my mind. I can’t take this case.” Winona turned and walked to the back to check on the cages and make sure everything was closed and all the animals were fed and watered. Jake followed. She bottled her fear as she loaded food in the empty canister so it’d be full for the help tomorrow.
He watched her a moment. Silence spread between them like a chasm of water.
“You help animals, but you won’t help a little girl.” His voice was straight and sterile.
She dropped the sack of feed and faced him. Her heart, aching and breaking inside, opened to let hurtful words spew forth. “There’s nothing I can do for that little girl. If she has, in fact, been kidnapped
She tried to mask the frown on her face by scanning the room. “Can I help you?”
“I just wanted to thank you for giving me the names of those PIs and tell you I’m sorry for being so surly. Unfortunately, I called them back and told them what you told me and they still insisted they couldn’t help.”
“I don’t believe that.”
Glowering, he grabbed his phone and handed it to her. “Call them yourselves.”
“I believe I will.”
She felt bad about last night. Regret had kept her restless and unable to sleep, but she couldn’t apologize. If her words made him angry enough to leave, all the better. He needed to realize he was wasting his time here. In different conditions, she would ask him out, but this situation was beyond repair.
She found her contacts and hit send on Nathan’s name.
“Yeah?” he chirped when he answered.
“Hey, Nate, it’s Winona. How the hell are you?”
“Winoney? Well I’ll be damned. I was just talking about you earlier.”
“I hope it was good talk.”
“Yeah. I should have called and told you to expect a guy by the name of, oh, let me find my paperwork. I feel like I should know him, he’s called so much. Plus he’s semi-famous. Like Michael Phelps famous. Well, maybe not quite that famous. Let me see, oh here it is. Jake Inman.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m calling. He said you said I’d be his best bet.”
“Yeah.”
She reeled away from Jake, ignoring the smirk on his face.
“Yeah, well, you know I’m not taking clients anymore.”
“No, I didn’t know. I mean, yeah, you talked about it, but I thought for sure after a while you’d go back. And I believe you were always the best and would be the best for what this guy needs.”
“Why is that? You know I don’t handle these cases anymore.” She tried to mask the desperation in her voice that rose with each thought of taking a case that involved a little girl who would probably never be found. Besides, Jake said this girl was probably with her mother. Maybe she was just fine. Maybe. One could believe and convince themselves that was the truth. Some days, that was the only way she survived.
“Sorry, Winoney. I think you should listen to this guy’s story and give him a chance.”
She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, holding it before letting it out slowly and forcefully.
“I think you would be best,” she said.
“I can’t do it right now. Since you left, I’m overwhelmed with work. And you’re a better tracker. This case needs you. I can’t do it. I’m sorry, Winoney. I just think you should reconsider.”
“You think I should go back to work.”
“You know I never wanted you to quit.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.”
“That’s it?” Nathan’s voice rose, and she pictured his eyebrows notching up as well.
“I’m really busy. I’ll call you later and we can chit-chat.” And she didn’t want to air the reasons why she wasn’t right for this case in front of Jake.
She ended the call and pivoted around to Jake. His smirk shot ire to her stomach.
“Well?” he asked.
“You know what he said.”
“You want to call the others?”
“It won’t change my mind. I can’t take this case.” Winona turned and walked to the back to check on the cages and make sure everything was closed and all the animals were fed and watered. Jake followed. She bottled her fear as she loaded food in the empty canister so it’d be full for the help tomorrow.
He watched her a moment. Silence spread between them like a chasm of water.
“You help animals, but you won’t help a little girl.” His voice was straight and sterile.
She dropped the sack of feed and faced him. Her heart, aching and breaking inside, opened to let hurtful words spew forth. “There’s nothing I can do for that little girl. If she has, in fact, been kidnapped
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