Scent Of Roses. Kat Martin

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ “If you noticed, I guess it was worth it.”

      Oh, she’d noticed, all right. At the moment, she was noticing how great he looked just sitting there, and she wanted to kick herself for it.

      The waitress arrived, providing a timely diversion. She set their hamburger platters down on a placemat decorated with cattle brands around the edge, and the aroma of freshly grilled meat rose up, making her stomach growl.

      Zach didn’t seem to notice. “So what about you?” Wrapping long, tapered fingers around the hamburger, he picked it up in both hands. “You’re a social worker, right?”

      “Independent family counselor.”

      “Okay, so are you working on any interesting cases?”

      He took a big bite of his burger and she watched the muscles in his neck move up and down. He might be good-looking, but there was nothing the least bit effeminate about Zachary Harcourt. Every move he made screamed masculine and virile, and Elizabeth found herself shifting in her chair.

      She picked up her knife and cut her hamburger in half just to give herself something to do. “Actually, I’m working on one of the most interesting cases I’ve ever been involved with—a young woman who believes she’s being visited by a ghost.”

      He nodded as if that was no big deal, swallowed a large bite of burger. “Maria Santiago. The doctors think she’s crazy. I heard about that.”

      “You know Maria? She told you about the ghost?”

      “I know her brother, remember? We’ve been talking some lately. The subject of his sister came up. Apparently Maria told Raul about her ghost, and about her sessions with Dr. James.”

      Elizabeth sat up straighter. “Well, Michael certainly doesn’t think she’s crazy. He thinks she’s suffering from anxiety, and so do I.”

      “Michael?”

      “He’s my boss at the clinic.”

      “Just boss or something else?”

      A surge of anger rolled through her. “Why are you so fixated on my love life? Every time I see you, you’re trying to find out who I’m sleeping with.”

      He set the last of his hamburger down on his plate. “So who are you sleeping with?”

      “None of your damned business!” Tossing down her napkin, Elizabeth shoved back her chair and stood up.

      Zach stood up, too. “Wait a minute. I’m sorry, okay? I just wanted to know if you were involved with anyone.”

      “Well, I’m not. Now are you happy?”

      He grinned. “Yeah, I am.”

      They stood there until people started to stare and she had no choice but to sit back down.

      “Where were we?” he asked. “Aside from the fact you’re celibate at the moment.”

      The man was outrageous! She had no idea why she found herself biting back a smile. “We were talking about Maria Santiago, and I’ve already said more than I should.”

      “She isn’t your patient, is she?”

      “Well, no. Not officially. She asked me to sit in on her session with Dr. James as a friend.”

      “Then there isn’t a problem. Eat your French fries. They’re getting cold.”

      She picked one up and dipped it into the ketchup she had poured on her plate. “Maria refuses to see Dr. James again.”

      “I think I can understand that.” Zach oversalted his fries, then picked one up, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed with obvious relish. “According to Raul, Maria made him promise not to tell her husband what’s been going on in the house, but the girl is convinced the ghost is real.”

      “Why did Raul tell you all this?”

      Zach shrugged. “Like I said, we’ve been talking. I come up a lot on the weekends. We’re trying to get the barn built, you know? Working with the boys gives me a chance to get to know them, try to encourage them. I teach a class on drug and alcohol abuse. I talk about my past and how it’s possible to change your life if you want to bad enough. By the way, I think you’re right about Raul. He seems like a really good kid.”

      “And he told you about his sister?”

      He nodded, swallowed a bite of ketchup-and-oversalted French fry. “Yeah. He’s really worried about her.”

      “What did he say about the ghost?”

      “He says he believes her. That’s the reason he talked to me about it. He knows I’m a lawyer. Raul wanted me to speak to my brother, see if there was somewhere else Miguel and Maria could live.”

      “I don’t believe this. She actually wants to move out of the house?”

      “Apparently so. Whatever’s going on, there’s no way my brother’s going to inconvenience himself because one of his farm workers believes in ghosts.”

      A shadow passed over the table. Elizabeth glanced up as a tall blond man approached, and the guilt she’d felt earlier rose up again.

      “Well, speak of the devil,” Zach said, his expression going hard.

      Carson stopped beside her chair and there wasn’t the least hint of a smile on his face. “I thought you had more sense,” he said, bringing a flush to her cheeks.

      Zach shoved to his feet, one hand unconsciously fisting. “Leave her alone, Carson.”

      If Elizabeth had ever needed evidence the man had been in prison she saw it now in his face. Hard, cold, dangerous. Even lethal was a word that came to mind.

      “She needed to talk to me about one of her cases,” Zach said, “a boy at Teen Vision. That’s why she agreed to come to lunch.”

      Carson’s disapproving gaze swung to her. “That right?”

      Elizabeth didn’t flinch, though it wasn’t that easy to do. “It doesn’t matter why I’m here. I can to go to lunch with anyone I want, Carson. Even your brother. Just because we’ve been out a couple of times doesn’t give you any say in what I do.”

      Carson’s jaw tightened.

      Zach seemed surprised she hadn’t gone along with the half-truth he had invented to give her an easy out. She didn’t need his protection. She didn’t really care what Carson thought.

      Carson forced a smile. “I suppose that’s true.” His gaze fixed on Zach. “How’s Lisa?” A sarcastic edge crept into his voice, and Zach’s eyes darkened in warning.

      “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen her since I left town last week.”

      “If I happen to run into her, I’ll tell her you said hello.” Carson walked away and Elizabeth’s gaze swung to Zach.

      “Lisa?”

СКАЧАТЬ