Random Acts Read Online Free PDF Page A

she sounded upset.” Sandra paused. “I don’t seem to have her name on file.”
    Tina usually was upset. Life hadn’t dealt the young woman an easy hand. She was currently facing foreclosure and becoming homeless with her young son. Empathetic to her situation, Danielle had offered to help Tina on her own time. Sandra wouldn’t understand. Neither would her bosses.
    “It’s personal.” As soon as the words came out of Danielle’s mouth, she wanted to call them back. Danielle didn’t have a personal life. It’s what made her excel at work. Gave her an edge when it came to promotions. The firm wouldn’t be happy if they knew one of their lawyers wasted billable hours on a client who couldn’t pay. Because technically all of her time was potentially billable hours.
    “Did she leave a number?” Danielle tapped her fingers on the arm of the swing and shifted in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something moving. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Snapping her head around, she pushed off the swing. She grabbed the chain to stop it from clattering against the railing. Narrowing her gaze, she scanned the dark edge of trees and bushes lining the property. A splash of orange caught her eye then vanished. Her pulse roared in her ears. The digits her assistant rattled off barely registered. It didn’t matter. The number was undoubtedly on her list of missed calls.
    “Okay, thanks.” Distracted, Danielle ended the call. Wrapping her fingers around the sleek plastic of her cell phone, she pressed it to her chest. Was someone out there? Watching her?
    The distinct sound of a twig snapping sent a surge of cold fear racing through her veins. Leaning on the wood railing, a white chip of paint dug into her palm. She cleared her throat. “Hello, is someone there?”
     
    “Is everything okay?”
    Danielle spun around, surprise and something akin to fear lighting her crystal-clear blue eyes. Patrick planted a foot on the bottom step of the porch and leaned on the railing with crossed arms. “ Is everything okay?”
    Danielle shook her head, her golden-auburn locks flowing freely over her shoulders. “I heard something over there.” She pointed toward the trees. “Probably an animal.”
    “I’ll check it out.” He strolled toward the tree line and glanced over his shoulder at her. Something in Danielle’s body language and intense gaze spoke of her genuine concern. He stepped carefully into the wooded area. A thick blanket of decaying leaves crunched under his feet. The tree branches above blocked the remaining light of the overcast afternoon, and a chill cut through the thin fabric of his uniform shirt as he scanned the deep shadows. He could barely make out the shapes of the trees, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
    After listening in silence for a few moments, he returned to Danielle. “Must have been an animal. I’ve seen a few deer recently.”
    Briefly closing her eyes, she nodded. “I’m just jittery. Caffeine and lack of sleep. Not a good combination.” She ran a hand through the loose strands of her hair.
    “It’s nice.”
    The corners of Danielle’s delicate mouth turned down in confusion.
    He jerked his chin toward her. “Your hair. It looks nice down.”
    She shrugged, seemingly self-conscious. “It’s a mess.”
    Sensing he had said too much, Patrick lifted his hand, jangling a set of keys. “Left my vehicle in your driveway. Can’t very well get back to work without it.”
    “Of course.” She glanced at the police cruiser sitting in the driveway. “I’ll have to rent a car. I hadn’t expected to be in Mayport for more than a day or two.”
    “We can take care of that later. I’ll bring you and Gram up to the hospital this afternoon.”
    “We’ve already taken too much of your time.” She crossed to the top of the steps and tapped her fingers on the rail. “I’m sure you have other work to do.”
    “No rest for the weary.”
    “Right.” The