Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) by Kathy Carmichael Page A

afterward. "Wake up, kid. Has Meagan come home?"
    Her reply was slow in coming. "I fell asleep about an hour ago. She might have come in since then. Hang on a sec while I go look." Alec could hear the sound of bedcovers being thrown back and the light pitter pat of Diedra's footsteps. Within a minute, she demanded, "Tell me you've seen Jeff."
    What could he say? He'd expected them both to turn up at Diedra's place.
    Evidently his silence said it all. "You haven't heard from them, either." Diedra's voice rose. "What are we going to do?"
    "There's no use panicking. I'll find them. I have a few connections who can help me track him down."
    "Good. I'll be at your office in an hour. Don't do anything, don't go anywhere, until I get there. Understand?"
    "I'll make some calls and stay put until you get here. With any luck they'll show up by that time, dragging their tails at making us worry."
    Diedra sighed. "I hope so." He could hear the forlorn note slip into her voice and silently vowed to call in all the chips that were necessary to find out something. Jeff or Meagan should have called her. It wasn't fair. And he wanted to hear Diedra laugh. Somehow he needed to hear that laugh and he was determined to put it back into her voice.
    "See you in an hour."
    A.C. stayed busy on the phone. He called a friend in the Department of Motor Vehicles. He called an acquaintance in the sheriff's office. He even called an old college buddy who worked as a computer operator with Jeff's credit-card company. That's where he struck pay dirt.
    But the answer was even more confusing than where he'd started. What the hell was Jeff doing in New Orleans? He'd evidently left on an early flight that morning. Alone. Or at least, he'd charged only one ticket.
    His pal at the D.A.'s office had been able to get that information from the airline. Jeff had flown out alone. Where was Meagan?
    A.C.'s mouth felt dry. What could he tell Diedra? Could Jeff really have harmed Meagan? And skipped town? He thought he knew Jeff very well. Better than most people knew their family members. They were best friends and A.C. could have sworn he knew everything there was to know about Jeff.
    But wasn't that what everyone thought? Maybe no one could ever fully know another person and or what someone was truly capable of.
    Thinking that way was of no use. A.C. drummed his fingers on his desk, waiting to hear back from his contacts in New Orleans, contacts that were nebulous at best. The only other action he could take was to fly to New Orleans. However, he'd promised Diedra he'd wait for her, and she was now seven minutes late.
    He heard a sound in the reception area. Maybe it was her. He dashed to the door but didn't see anyone except Sarah, his secretary.
    "Diedra's not here?"
    "No, I haven't heard from her. I do have the flight times out of Love Field for New Orleans, though." She held out a pink stickit note with the information, which he waved away.
    "I'll take whichever flight is next."
    "Nine-thirty it is, then."
    Just then, the outer door opened and Diedra stepped in, looking like a lost little girl. Her long, curly hair was pulled back with a clip but she wasn't wearing any makeup that he could see. Shadows under her eyes gave her a haunted look. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
    It felt so right. She felt so right. He wasn't ordinarily a demonstrative person, but Diedra was different. He needed to take care of her. Comfort her. Hold her. Touch her.
    "You holding up okay, babe?" His voice came out gruffer than he'd expected. Was that an indication of how he felt about her? He dismissed the thought.
    Diedra tucked her head under his chin and held onto his lapels. She nodded. "Have you heard anything?"
    A.C. released her from his arms and took her hands into his, unwilling to sever all physical contact with her. "I haven't heard from Jeff, but I know where he is."
    "And Meagan?" Diedra gripped his hands so tightly he could feel her pulse beat through her