by Mary Suzanne
"Of course, you should go,” Marty agreed with her, not hesitating over his answer.
Hearing his agreement made Gabby feel like a traitor and heaped even more guilt on her. When she thought it over, she was just a friend to Marty and they hadn’t made any commitments. “Have you talked to Joe about it?” Marty spoke again, interrupting her private thoughts.
"I did early this morning, but I think I'll drop by his office and explain what’s going on. He doesn't know Cole Powers stopped by today. I'm sure he'll want to find out the latest developments."
"We can always make our dinner date for Saturday night. In fact, I'll call in the reservation now and pick you up at eight."
"Thanks for your understanding,” she murmured softly. “I'll see you on Saturday." She waved to him as she walked from his office.
When she reached Joe's door, she noticed he wasn't in his office. She would have to catch him later. If she didn't get a move on, she would never finish her column before press time, and leave work by five. Hurrying along the hallway, she reentered her office.
She picked up the mail and began reading. With each letter she read, she silently hoped she didn't cause any more problems for the families of the people seeking her help.
The day passed swiftly. She breathed a sigh of relief that she had managed to finish everything and sent her work downstairs. Then another thought struck her. She had an entire evening to spend talking and eating with the stranger that had walked into her office that day.
When Gabby began clearing her desk, Emma was putting on her coat, getting ready to leave. "I'll see you on Monday, Gabby. Have a good time tonight." She gave her a sly wink, followed by one of her cheery, little smiles.
"I don't know what kind of a time we'll have, but I'll see you.”
She sat at her desk and watched Emma closing the door. Mentally going over what she had to wear that evening, she knew she would have to resort to the old reliable. Her little black dress. She always saved the dress for special events and she supposed this counted as a special occasion. She pulled on her coat and remembered to pick up the folder she had placed near her purse.
Gabby drove toward home silently praying she wasn’t going to have problems with her old car again. On the last occasion, she had it towed and the repair bill almost wiped out all her savings. Someone must have heard her prayers, because she turned the corner and chugged the last block to her apartment building.
Unlocking her door, she stopped in the hallway and checked her mail. She picked up her newspaper lying on the doormat and entered her apartment. Glancing at the letters she had placed in her purse, she skimmed through them quickly. One was from her mother and the others were just the monthly bills. She opened her mother's letter first and began reading.
Gabby always managed to stretch her tight budget to help her. She felt homesick for her small hometown at times, but she'd busy herself with work and the feeling would disappear. She was happy living in Chicago and loved her job, so she dismissed her thoughts as she walked into the bathroom to begin getting ready for her night out.
Finishing her bath, she made her way into her bedroom and removed the black dress from the hanger. She pulled it on and zipped it in place. She stood in front of the full-length mirror checking out her appearance. The low cut bodice allowed a little of her breasts to show above the fabric. The dress curved her small figure gently in all the right places, tapering down to just above her knees.
Gabby applied her makeup with more care that evening. When she finished and glanced in the mirror, she saw that her brown eyes danced with excitement.
Carrying her coat with her, she wanted to be ready and waiting when he arrived. She placed her purse with the folder on the table and sat back, but she couldn’t relax as she felt her stomach churning with a nervous reaction to what lay ahead of her.
The doorbell rang and her heart started fluttering out of control. Purposely taking a deep breath, she glanced one last time in the mirror before walking across the room. She reached for the knob, slowly pulling it open. As she stood in the open doorway, her mouth fell open in surprise.
Chapter Three
Cole stood at her apartment door, dressed in a snug-fitting, black sweater and a pair of faded jeans. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. He had told her he was taking her to dinner. No one usually went out to dinner dressed in jeans. Her gaze drifted to the dark coat he carelessly draped over his arm. Everything about his appearance looked casual. This was about as informal as a person could get.
She felt embarrassed realizing she was overdressed. Why hadn’t he told her in her office where they were going that evening? She realized she had assumed too much and her cheeks colored over the situation. Somehow, that little word assumed could always get a person in trouble and she was discovering it the hard way.
She suddenly wished the floor would open and swallow her. Raising her head, she looked at him and hoped she hid the turmoil racing through her.
"Would you like to come in?" She finally ended the long silence stretching between them. All she wanted to do was escape the man standing only inches from her. She silently wondered if he had planned to embarrass her on purpose.
"Yes, thank you.” He accepted her invitation, following her into the small, neat apartment.
She glanced over and saw the way he checked everything out. This made her wonder if he found the apartment up to his standards.
She broke into his private thoughts. "Why don't you have a seat while I change?" Gabby didn’t give him a chance to answer as she turned toward the hallway with her head held high.
Once she reached the safety of her room, she felt her temper flaring over the man. Why wasn’t he more honest with her that day? Then, common sense forced its way into her thoughts again. To be fair to Cole Powers, it wasn’t a real date and Gabby couldn't remember him saying one word about where they were eating or how to dress. He had told her to be ready by seven and he would pick her up.
She quickly unzipped the dress and returned it to the hanger. Removing jeans and a sweater from her closet didn’t take her long to slip into. Even with his casual clothing of jeans and sweater, he was still more handsome than any man had a right to be. Everything about him oozed heat. Sensual vibes emanating from him had reached out to her even though she felt angry with him. The pirate image only added to his mystique, giving her the impression he took what he wanted without asking permission from anyone. Hadn't he had her agreeing to dinner with him without giving it a second thought?
She hadn't missed the way he looked at her when she had answered the door. She could interpret his look in two ways. It was either he was interested, or he thought she looked overdressed.
When she approached the living room, she noticed how relaxed he looked sitting on the couch thumbing through one of her magazines. He gave her the impression that he felt right at home. When he heard her, he glanced up as she made her way into the room.
His gaze traveled slowly from the tip of her shoes to her curved thighs. Eventually, it reached her face. His intent examination sent a shiver racing through Gabby's small frame.
"I'm ready to leave whenever you are. She picked up her jacket not bothering to look at him. The less she looked at the hunk in her living room, the better off she would be.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He glanced at the end table.
"I don't think so.” She gave him a curious look.
"We'll need the letter my sister wrote you. That's the purpose of our having dinner together."
He had managed to put her in her place, with only a statement. The subtle reminder that she didn't interest him brought her dreamy thoughts back in perspective. All he wanted from her was information. A letdown sensation swept through her, but she walked over to the end table and picked up the folder, refusing to answer him.
They walked from her apartment in silence over to where he had parked his sports car near the curb. She made her way around to the passenger side and opened the d
oor before he could offer to open it for her.
Her coveted glance noted the bland expression on his features, not giving her any clue to his thoughts. The shuttered mask dropped in place, denying her any access to what was going on in his head. After he joined her in the front seat, he glanced at her. "If you’d waited, I would have opened your door,” he stated in a low tone. "I can see you're a woman used to doing things for yourself."
His remark confused her, but she covered her confusion with a smile. She met his look without flinching. "You're right about that, Mr. Powers. I am used to doing for myself."
For several seconds, a silence fell between them, until he said, “I thought we were on a first name basis." His eyebrow lifted. "You made such a point of it this afternoon in your office I decided we should cut the formality. Agreed?"
"You're right again, and from now on, I'll call you Cole.”
Without saying another word, she watched him put the key in the ignition and start the engine. The car roared out toward the busy street. He drove expertly as he merged into the fast lane of traffic.
The quiet in the car began to bother Gabby and she fidgeted in her seat trying to get more comfortable. Her gaze traveled to the bright lights of the city and the buildings.
Leaving the city behind, she began to have second thoughts about accepting his invitation to dinner so readily. She continued to watch the scenery passing swiftly. For a second, she felt alarmed and realized she knew nothing about this man driving her to who knew where. All she knew about him was that he owned a newspaper and he was angry with her over his sister disappearing. Anything could happen to her and she’d have no control over it.
She eventually spoke up trying to break the thick layer of tension filling the car. "Where is the restaurant located?" Even the sound of the stereo would have been comforting to her, but he didn't bother turning it on.
"You'll see soon enough,” he said in a noncommittal tone, giving her a quick glance before returning his attention to the highway.
The highway became more isolated, with very few businesses' dotting the landscape. On the point of deciding she might have to escape him and find her own way home, he pulled his car onto the parking lot of a small diner.
The building looked cheerful, with lights shining from the windows. Gabby sighed silently, a feeling of relief washing over her. She had been foolish in her thinking of moments ago. When Cole walked around the car and opened her door, Gabby got out carrying the folder and her handbag. Cole surprised her when he reached over and grasped her arm while they walked.
Entering the diner, she glanced around the room at the cheerful, checkered tablecloths and homey ruffled curtains on the windows. The soft sound of music drifted through the room from the jukebox in the corner. A long counter, lined with stools, filled one side of the room.
Cole walked toward a table near the window and Gabby followed. He held the back of her chair until she sat. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling how he watched her intently.
Gabby decided it was best to find something else to focus her attention on rather than Cole. She purposely looked around the interior of the building. Catching a movement, she saw a young woman approaching their table.
She didn’t look any older than a typical teenager still in high school did. Her long, dark hair bounced along her shoulders as she walked. Her dark eyes glowed with eagerness spotting Cole. There was something familiar about the young woman’s look. When she reached their table, Gabby noticed the engaging smile lining her lips while glancing at Cole.
"Hi, Susie.” Cole greeted her, standing and giving her an affectionate hug.
"Hi, Uncle Cole.” Susie returned his greeting warmly, fitting easily into his arms.
"We decided to have dinner here. What’s the special tonight?”
Now that she studied the young woman a little closer, she could see the same dark hair and eyes of Cole.
Gabby waited patiently for an introduction, but he continued to make small talk, ignoring her. She started to feel uncomfortable over the situation, but hid her thoughts from either of them.
"Have you heard any word from Aunt Samantha?"
Gabby listened intently when she heard Samantha's name mentioned.
"Not yet, but I'm hoping to find her." His gaze drifted to Gabby, but it soon shifted back to his niece.
"I'd like to meet the woman who's responsible for giving her that information and tell her just how I feel!" Susie spouted off, her small face lined with an angry look. "Aunt Samantha shouldn't have listened to her. That woman doesn’t even know her.”
Gabby could feel her cheeks becoming redder by the minute as she listened silently to the discussion going on about her. She started to feel irritated listening to Susie continue with what she would like to say to the lovelorn columnist if she ever had the chance to meet her.
She had heard enough. Glancing at the young girl, she gave her a straightforward look. "Go ahead and tell me what you think," she said calmly, watching the surprise flit across Cole's face. "I'm Gabby Fallon, the newspaper columnist who gave your aunt the advice."
Susie's cheeks flushed to a crimson color. She stood looking at Gabby with an incredulous expression filling her face. "What are you doing with my uncle?" Her dark eyes suddenly filled with an accusing look. "You certainly have some nerve coming here tonight, Ms Fallon. What you did is inexcusable.”
Gabby decided things needed straightening out with Susie, since Cole wasn't offering to help. "The advice I gave to Samantha is what I thought she needed,” she replied in an even tone, although her insides were more than a little agitated. “We're going to try to find Samantha and bring her home. I want you to know I didn't have any idea your aunt was pregnant when she wrote me. My answer may have been different to her.”
Her confession seemed to startle Cole’s young niece. Obviously, Susie hadn’t expected her to stand up for herself and her response took some of the bravado out of her.
"Are you trying to tell me you aren’t responsible for my aunt’s disappearance?”
"You can believe what you want, but it's the truth." She continued to watch the confused expression lining the girl’s features. Eventually, the expression changed to one of bewilderment.
"We've got a lot of things to discuss tonight, Susie, so how about bringing a menu and taking our order. With his suggestion, Cole effectively put an end to their conversation.
Susie nodded and turned toward the back of the diner. It wasn’t long before his niece returned carrying the menus, along with a pad and pencil.
Cole finished glancing through his menu and gave his order, while Gabby still hadn't decided. She finally settled on a salad and hoped she would be able to eat it. Her stomach felt in knots from the traumatic evening so far.
Cole had given her an odd look when she placed her order. After Susie walked away to get their food, he glanced at Gabby. "Let's start looking at the notes you brought with you concerning my sister."
Gabby reached into her folder and handed Cole the letter and the other notes she had scribbled onto a separate sheet. She watched him unfold it and noticed a tenderness covering his features as he began reading. A gentle smile soon accompanied the tender look. Gabby hadn't witnessed either emotion in the man in the two times she had seen him. He finished with the letter, and then looked through her notes before glancing at her.
"There are definite clues in what she’s written. I noticed she mentioned an aunt of ours by name. Aunt Meredith lives alone in California and Samantha's always been very close to her."
"Well, there you have your answer." Relief spread through her. “Why not call your aunt?”
"I'm not going to bother with telephone calls.” He folded the letter and notes and placed them in his pocket. "This is just a hunch I have. She may not be there at all."
Susie walked across the room balancing their plates. Placing her napkin on her lap, Gabby eventually picked up her fork and pushed it through the salad. It looked cool and inviting, but she di
dn’t have an appetite.
"Are you going to prod your salad to death?" Cole's question startled her as he chuckled softly. "You've been pushing your fork through it for the last five minutes."
“I’m going to eat,” she answered in a quiet tone. "I had to mix my dressing through the salad.” That was the dumbest thing she had ever said in her life. She caught the amused expression lining his face, but he didn't comment.
"Do you want desert?"
"Not for me.” The salad was hard enough to eat. She would surely choke on anything sweet.
When Susie brought a slab of pie over, covered in whipped cream and a layer of ice cream, Gabby wondered how he could eat it after the huge dinner. She continued to watch him dig in and eat every bite.
"Well, Gabby, if there aren't any more notes on my sister, I suppose it's time to leave,” he said, removing money from his wallet to pay the bill.
She nodded and stood. This was certainly one way to get rid of her after finding out what he needed to know about his sister. The thought irritated her, but she couldn’t come up with a reason.
On the ride to her apartment, Cole was in a more talkative mood. This surprised Gabby, since he hadn't said much to her on the way to the restaurant. She found his changed attitude making for a more pleasant atmosphere in the car.
"I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, but next weekend I'm going to make a few calls to California and fly out to see if I can find Samantha.”
She silently wondered if his doctors’ appointment had anything to do with the patch he wore. He soon answered her question.
“In two months I get to take this patch off my eye."
This was the perfect opening to ask what kind of accident he’d had. "How did you injure your eye?" She tried to keep her tone light and easy.