Desperately Seeking Dad by Marta Perry

“Or down.”
    He held the gate open as Anne pushed the stroller through it to the street.
    â€œYou might have mentioned this was your neighborhood when you suggested The Willows.”
    He paused, looking down at her with a quizzical expression. “Does that make a difference?”
    â€œIt certainly adds to the impression I’m here to see you.” She felt herself blush.
    â€œBelieve me, nothing I did or didn’t do would change that idea.” His hand closed over hers on the stroller handle. “Why don’t you let me push?”
    She’d put mittens on Emilie, and maybe she should have done the same for herself. If she had, she wouldn’t have to feel the warmth and strength of his hand over hers. And Anne wouldn’t be struggling with the ripple of that warmth traveling right to her heart.
    â€œFine.” She snatched her hand away. “As long as you push it by the café where Tina worked. I want to see the place for myself.”
    His answer would tell her whether he was ready to accept her role in finding out the truth about Tina, whatever it was. This would certainly be easier if she didn’t have to fight him every step of the way.
    But unfortunately, even that wouldn’t eliminate the problem that became clearer each time she was with Mitch Donovan. She was ridiculously—and unsuitably—attracted to the man who might be Emilie’s father, and who might have the power to take Emilie away.
    So Anne wasn’t giving up on her determination to play detective, Mitch thought. It would have been too much to hope she might, but somehow he hadto convince her. Because if he had a civilian meddling in this situation, he could forget any hope of keeping things quiet while he found out the truth about Tina Mallory and her baby.
    â€œI’ll take you to the café.” He tried to keep reluctance from showing in his voice. “I’ll even buy you a cup of coffee there, if you want.”
    She glanced up at him as they walked along the street. “Do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”
    He shrugged. “But Cassie Worth, the owner, isn’t the most forthcoming person in the world, especially with strangers. I haven’t had a chance to sound her out yet. Maybe you’d better let me see what I can find out first.”
    â€œGive me a little credit. I didn’t intend to cross-examine her.”
    â€œLike birds don’t intend to fly?”
    Her lips twitched in a smile he suspected was involuntary. “Meaning I can’t help being an attorney any more than you can help being a cop?”
    â€œSomething like that.” He eased the stroller over a patch of ice on the sidewalk. He frowned, glancing up at the storefront of Clinton’s Candles. Clinton would have to be reminded to keep his walk clear.
    â€œHow will I find out anything if I don’t ask?”
    â€œIf you start asking a lot of questions, it’ll get around. Make people curious—more curious than they already are.”
    They walked in silence for a few minutes, as she apparently considered that.
    â€œI’ll be discreet,” she said finally. “That’s the best I can do.”
    He glanced at her. Silky hair brushed the collar of her black leather jacket as she moved. There was nothing remotely discreet about the presence of such a beautiful stranger in Bedford Creek, especially one accompanied by a baby. It probably wouldn’t do any good to tell her that, but he had to try. Maybe a blunt reminder would get through.
    â€œI have a lot to lose if you’re not.”
    She looked up at him. He seemed to feel her intense blue gaze penetrate the barriers he kept around him.
    â€œI don’t see…” She shook her head. “They’re your people. Seems to me they’d take your word over a stranger’s, if it came to that.”
    The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The refrain he’d heard too