Holding Out For A Hero. HelenKay Dimon

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      “Isn’t that sort of crucial to know her before you decide you like her?” Josh asked.

      “Not really. I mean, she’s lost so much.” Annie threw him that sad-puppy look.

      Josh knew better than to fall for Annie’s act. And he fought off the urge to sympathize with Deana. “The woman hates me.”

      Annie patted Josh’s hand one last time before letting go. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

      Kane rolled his eyes. “Yeah, who could hate Josh?”

      “She wouldn’t have called if that were the case,” Annie said.

      Wrong conclusion. “She wants to use me.”

      Kane leaned back and threw an arm around Annie’s shoulders. “Since when do you care if a woman wants to use you?”

      That one was easy for Josh. “When she isn’t doing it in a bedroom.”

      “You’re not sleeping with her already, are you?” Annie looked appalled at the idea.

      Josh didn’t like the thought, either. “Hell no.”

      Annie’s gaze flicked to Kane and then back to Josh again. “Do you want to?”

      How the hell had they gotten onto this topic? “Did you miss the part where Deana hates me?”

      Kane snorted. “You act as if that disqualifies her from your bed.”

      “I’m just happy to know he’s a little discriminating when it comes to women,” Annie said in a loud whisper to her husband.

      “Are you two done?” Josh asked, hoping to hell they were.

      Annie started to tap the pen and then slammed it against the table. “I don’t see what the problem is here.”

      “There’s more than one.” Josh called up all the reasons from his mental “con” list. “I’m not a police investigator. I’m not for sale. This family tried to destroy me once.”

      “For heaven’s sake.” Annie snorted, adding enough drama to make a pre-teen proud. “Don’t be an idiot and let your ego get in the way.”

      Josh wasn’t expecting name calling. “What?”

      “You know as well as we do that you’re going to help this woman.” Annie emphasized each word as she spoke.

      Josh looked in Kane’s direction for assistance.

      Kane shook his head. “Don’t get me involved in this losing battle. I agree with Annie.”

      “You went to her house, took the file she offered, and read it,” Annie said as she ticked off her points on her fingers. “You did all of that knowing you were going to help her. You’re just too pigheaded to admit it now.”

      “I was being courteous when I agreed to see her.”

      Kane’s mouth dropped open. “Try again.”

      Josh leaned back in his chair. “Thanks for the support, buddy.”

      “What Kane is floundering to say is that you aren’t that guy, Josh. You don’t walk away from injustice or women who need you.” Annie leaned forward and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. “You are going to take up this project because you won’t let a potentially innocent kid stay in jail.”

      Hell, right now Josh wanted to be that guy who walked away. Wanted to not give a shit. But there was an even bigger problem at work here. “I think Ryan did it.”

      “So? Prove it. Make Deana see that,” Annie said.

      “Oh, she’ll love that,” Kane mumbled until Annie frowned in his direction. “What?”

      If possible, Annie’s mouth flatlined even farther. “Don’t be so negative.”

      “Honey, I’ve been a police officer for a long time. I can tell you that people hear what they want to hear and nothing else. If Josh proves the prosecution was right, Deana will be furious.”

      “Exactly.” Josh thought it was about time Kane took the right side of this argument. “I’m supposed to take Deana’s money and then tell her Ryan, her beloved nephew, killed his parents, who also happen to be Deana’s only brother and sister-in-law? I can only imagine how well that will go over.”

      “So?” Annie asked.

      Josh began to wonder why he skipped exercise and came here instead. “Again with the so response.”

      “Thanks to marriage this part of the female vocabulary I do now understand.” Kane brushed his hand over Annie’s ponytail. “She is wondering why you would care about screwing Deana financially since you pretend to dislike the woman.”

      Annie’s eyebrows lifted. “Is she pretty?”

      “Very,” Kane said.

      Having two knowing smiles aimed right at him kicked Josh’s brain into gear. “Stop.”

      “What?” Annie asked, even managed to sound innocent while she did it.

      “Do not go off on some crazy-ass matchmaking mission.”

      “Wouldn’t dream of it.” The false innocence in Annie’s voice suggested that was the exact direction she intended to go.

      “Never going to happen.” Josh thought about repeating the word “never” a few times but refrained.

      Annie’s smile was big enough to fill the room. “Of course not.”

      “I don’t even like Deana.”

      “Kane said the same thing about me, and now look at us.” Annie kissed her husband on the cheek.

      “Must I?” Josh grumbled.

      Annie reached around, picked up the phone, and waved it in Josh’s face. “Call Deana and tell her you’ll help.”

      “No way.”

      Kane made a tsk-tsk sound. “Don’t fight it, man.”

      “Exactly.” Annie treated her husband to another kiss. “You’re going to pack up and get on the next plane back to Oahu. Right, Josh?”

      “You doing my scheduling now?”

      “Kane will drive you,” Annie said as if Josh never spoke.

      “I will?” Kane asked.

      Annie kept right on rolling. “I’m sure you can stay with Derek on Oahu.”

      Josh felt the floor sink beneath his feet under the weight of Annie’s gabbing. “Don’t you think we should ask Derek first? Or me?”

      “So СКАЧАТЬ