A Gift For Baby. Raye Morgan

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      “Not yet,” Mitch replied. “She’s barely left the side of the pool for the past four days.” He glanced across the street at where Hailey Kingston was still talking to Larry. As he watched, she began to walk into the store, and he had to admit, her walk had something to it, something a man couldn’t ignore. Good thing he wasn’t affected by things like that.

      Yeah, right. Pulling himself together, he returned to his call. “If she’s got anything inside that pretty head besides fluff, she’s pretty good at hiding it.”

      “Don’t underestimate her. She’s the apple of her daddy’s eye. If he’s told anyone where the money is, it’ll be her.”

      Mitch shook his head and his mouth turned down at the corners. The signs were not auspicious as far as he was concerned. “If she knows anything, she’s a great bluffer.”

      “Hey, the best of them always seem innocent. Just keep an eye on her and give me a call if she does anything suspicious.”

      “Like booking a cruise or buying a diamond?”

      “Like that, and any number of other things.”

      “You got it. And hey, Donagan.” A smile crept into Mitch’s voice. “Next assignment is back in the real world again—you got that? No more baby-sitting jobs.”

      “Hey, the next suicide mission is yours, Harper. You got my word on it.”

      After an exchange of friendly obscenities, Mitch rang off and made his way out of the booth, starting across the street toward where Larry was attempting to charm the lovely young woman in the sky blue jumper whose blond hair tumbled about her shoulders like surf on a rocky shore.

      There was no doubt she was beautiful, and he was only human. But despite the reluctant admiration he couldn’t help but have for her looks, he had nothing but contempt for everything else about her. The virtuous act didn’t fool him for a moment. He’d been on a lot of these cases over the years, and it was his experience that these women were usually into things up to their delicately trimmed eyebrows, no matter how much innocence they pretended.

      He hung back a bit, not wanting to draw attention his way. He’d decided not to get to know her from the start. Each job was unique. In some cases, the closer you got, the more you learned about the subject of the investigation. In others, it paid to stay back as an anonymous observer. That was the way he’d been playing it so far. Of course, it hadn’t paid off with much information as yet, had it? Still, his instincts told him to keep his distance. He would just as soon she didn’t notice him at all.

      But he realized, with a wry twinge of humor, that he needn’t have bothered to worry in this instance. Hailey Kingston’s attention was focused fully on Larry Bartelli’s handsome face as he helped her with the packages she was picking up at the local dress shop.

      “Thank you,” she told him as he stowed the parcels away in the boot of her foreign car. “I appreciate the help.”

      “My pleasure,” Larry responded with a smile that he obviously hoped exuded raw seductive appeal. “Anytime you need me, you just call. I’m at your service.”

      “How comforting,” she said after a pause. She reached into her purse. “Here, let me give you something for…”

      “Oh, no, ma’am.” Larry waved away her offer. “I don’t need money. You can pay me back with just one of your pretty smiles. That’s all I need.”

      She looked up at him and laughed softly. “If feminine smiles were really worth something, I have a feeling you’d be rich,” she told him.

      “Oh, no, Miss Kingston,” he insisted earnestly. “Your smile is the only one that means anything to me.”

      She laughed again, tucking her purse under her arm For just a moment, she glanced at Mitch, but he had his Stetson pushed down low over his eyes, and she didn’t seem to see anything there worth lingering over.

      “You’re a lucky man, cowboy,” she said, regarding Larry again with her head cocked to the side. “To be happy with such a simple gesture.” She gave him a quick grin. “Especially since that’s all you’re ever going to get from me,” she noted dryly under her breath. As she spoke, her two bodyguards approached the car, one walking with an exaggerated swagger, the other with a scowl.

      “Move along, boys,” the swaggerer barked at the two cowboys. “You know you’re not supposed to bother Miss Kingston.”

      “No fraternization. That’s the rules,” the scowler added for good measure.

      “It’s all right,” she said, turning to give them both a winning smile. “I asked for help. It’s my fault.”

      The swaggerer looked aghast. “But we’re here to help you, Miss Kingston. That’s what they set up through the D. A.’s office. We’re always here.”

      “Yes, I know.” Her dry tone belied her feelings on the matter, and for a split second, her gaze met Mitch’s and he saw the frustration in her eyes. But before he had time to connect with her look, she’d already turned and was sliding behind the wheel of her small car. Identical looks of panic crossed the faces of the two guards and they ran for their gray sedan. It was obvious they were afraid of losing her.

      “She’s ditched them before, I’ll wager,” Mitch muttered to himself with a smile as they roared off, chasing her dust.

      But Larry wasn’t listening. Sidling up to his friend, he clapped him on the back with a hearty pat. “Hey, she loves me,” he announced happily.

      If Larry had been looking, he might have noticed that the twist to Mitch’s wide, hard mouth held more than a hint of sarcasm. “Is that right?”

      “Yeah, can’t you tell? Didn’t you see the way she looked at me? She’s crazy about me.”

      Mitch turned back toward the truck where they’d left it parked down the street a half block.

      “Lucky you,” he said dismissively. “But in the meantime, we’ve got things to do. We’ve still got to stop in and see the vet about those vitamins for that pregnant mare.”

      Larry fell into step beside him, his eyes sparkling from the encounter with Hailey. “She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? On a scale of one to ten, I’d give her a twenty. What do you think?”

      Mitch was beginning to lose interest in the subject. “Personally, I’d give her a pass,” he said shortly.

      “You know what’s wrong with you?” Larry babbled on happily. “You’ve got no romance in your soul.”

      Mitch nodded, in complete agreement on that score, and proud of it. He glanced at Larry. “And you’ve got no brain in your head if you think the powers that be are going to let you get anywhere near that woman.”

      Larry’s smile was still just as broad. “Don’t worry, pal. Love will find a way.”

      Mitch grunted a noncommittal sound and turned back toward the truck.

      “Hey, man,” Larry insisted, as though he felt he had to prove something to his companion. “I’ve got a knack with the girls, pal. They СКАЧАТЬ