Nathan's Vow Read Online Free PDF Page B

creative as the
lawyers who fight for them.  It's a crap shoot.  And I don't want to file
charges against Leona so she's facing a felony.  I know her.  The more I give
her to fear, the harder she will be to find.  I want to see my daughters again,
not jeopardize the rest of my years with them."  He strode to the door. 
"Give me five minutes to change and I'll meet you downstairs.
    As Nathan left the room, Gillian
studied the open door.  This man packed a powerful punch.  Staying the night
might be a very unwise decision.
    #
    Nathan stopped at the foot of the
stairs, Gillian's duffel bag and hanger with her outfit for work the next day
in his hand.  "I'll take these up to the girls' room.  Why don't you take
the food out onto the patio?"
    Gillian went through the living
room and unlocked the sliding glass doors, wondering what lay beyond.  She
hadn't explored earlier in the day but had stayed in the girls' room, hoping to
learn something important.  But she hadn't.
    Balancing the bag with the Chinese
food in one arm, she opened the door and stepped outside.  The sun, low on the
horizon, glanced off the cover of a rectangular-shaped pool.  Tables and chairs
sat along the flagstone border.  A wooden fence with a hefty latch surrounded
the pool area.  To the right, a jungle gym and swingset in primary colors led
to the edge of the property bordered by sycamores and alders.
    Gillian unlatched the gate and went
to a table by the pool. She'd hoped to get more personal information from
Nathan as they drove to her apartment, but he'd kept the conversation focused
on Maddie and Dana.  She sensed he didn't want to tell her about his
relationship with Leona.  Why?  Because he was still in love with his ex-wife
and didn't want to show he was vulnerable?
    Gillian had missed all the signs
with Brian.  She'd been too close to the situation with him to see, hear, or
feel clearly.  The product of a bitter divorce herself, she had encouraged
Brian's friendship with his ex-wife for the sake of their son.  But that
friendship had developed into a rekindling of old fires and a reconciliation.
    After taking the cartons of food
from the bag, Gillian went to the kitchen in search of silverware.  Nathan
found her there.  He smiled when he saw the utensils.  "I have chopsticks
if you'd rather use them."
    "Forks are fine."
    "Iced tea or soda?" he
asked, crossing to the refrigerator.
    "Water, please."  She'd
prefer to keep her body clear of caffeine or sugar.  As he pulled out a pitcher
of tea and one of water, she asked, "The girls love the pool, don't
they?"
    He looked startled for a moment. 
"Yes.  They're like fish. They've never had any fear of the water.  Leona
took Dana for lessons when she was a toddler.  She took Maddie when she was a
year old.  At two she was becoming a handful.  She'd just started sleeping in a
single bed before..."  He stopped.
    Gillian gave him a moment. 
"Nathan, we need to talk about Leona."
    The pitcher of iced tea landed on
the counter with a thud, the water next to it.  "What do you need to
know?"
    In his white polo shirt and black
shorts, with his dark good looks and tan, Nathan was the most attractive male
she'd ever encountered.  But she could feel a barrier around him that went
along with the defensiveness in his tone.  "How connected is she to Dana
and Maddie?"
    He turned his back and took glasses
from the rich maple cupboard.  "They're her life."
    "So they're close?"
    "Yes."
    His one word answer was sharp, and
she wondered how much she could push.  "Why did she take them?"
    He swung around and faced her. 
"It doesn't matter why.  What matters is that she did.  They're not in any
danger while they're with her, I'm sure of that.  Her world revolves around
them.  And money's not a problem.  Her father is bankrolling her and probably
knows where she is, though he denies it."
    Leona's father might be a
possibility to explore.  Although Gillian wanted to pursue her line