Undercover Passion Read Online Free PDF

ladies’ man before.” He sighed, mulling things over. “Anyway, it’s not just me. Half the people in this hospital seem to be wandering around in a lovesick daze. You heard your friend Ella. She’s noticed it, too. Something deeply suspicious is going on around here.”
    Phoebe still looked dubious, but she was lost in memories for the moment. “The trouble is, you don’t take advantage of opportunities when they slap you right in the face. I remember that talkative Taffy Williams who used to come around to see you. She wasn’t a beauty, but she seemed to be such a nice girl. You never did ask her out, though, did you?”
    Daniel looked at her, considered for a moment, then decided to tell her the truth. “Gram, Taffy had a sex-change operation three years ago. She’s now a he. You can stop trying to get me to ask her out. Uh, him out… Oh, hell!”
    â€œMy goodness. I’m sorry to hear that.” She puta finger to the side of her nose, thinking. “I must send her a get-well card.”
    Daniel laughed out loud. “You don’t ‘get well’ from a sex change.” He sobered. “At least, I don’t think you do.”
    â€œNever mind. Everyone likes to get a card showing concern. Even if we’re not too clear what that concern is all about.” She smiled at him, then looked eager. “Now tell me. What is your investigation turning up?”
    He turned to look at the wall. “Nothing so far.”
    â€œDanny! Don’t hold out on me now. Tell me what’s up.”
    He looked back at her. “Gram, I don’t think you need to—”
    â€œIt has to do with that Healthy Living Clinic place, doesn’t it?”
    He reacted with surprise, then resignation. “How did you figure that out?”
    Her smile was smug. “Where do you think you got your inquisitive genes? I heard what you said to Ella. That snapped it into place right away. So give.”
    â€œThere’s nothing to ‘give,’ you rascal.” Leaning forward, he kissed her cheek with genuineaffection. “I’ve been snooping around, but so far nothing looks even vaguely promising.”
    She pouted. “At least tell me what I can do to help.”
    He gazed at her, loving the way she wanted to get involved, but knowing it was something she just couldn’t do. He would lay down his life for this woman who had stepped in and taken over when his parents had been killed in a boating accident. She’d been way past her most energetic years at the time. By all rights, she should have been spending her days having tea and cookies with her lady friends, joining the gardening club, taking tours of Europe. Instead, she’d pitched in and taken over parenting duties that had helped keep him and his three younger brothers together.
    It had been no bed of roses for her, either. He and his brothers hadn’t appreciated her at first, and they’d rebelled, each in his own way. As he looked back now, with the perspective of time, he could see that he had been emotionally devastated by the death of his parents, that he had taken it out on his grandmother, his community and, probably most of all, himself. There had been a time when it had been a toss-up as to which sideof the law he would end up on. If it hadn’t been for his grandmother, always a steady rock of love and understanding, he wasn’t sure he would have made it back.
    Oh, what the hell. If she wanted to help, there must be something he could think up to let her feel useful.
    â€œOkay, here’s what you can do. You can ask around about the Healthy Living Clinic. Just casually work it into the conversation. When nurses and therapists drop by, ask if they know anything about it, or if anything strange is going on there.”
    â€œWhat is going on there?” she asked in a stage whisper, her eyes huge.
    He looked at her and hid his grin, answering her