Lost But Not Forgotten by Roz Denny Fox Page A

Mitch’s friends who ate at the café. Plus, he might keep trying to get her to go out with him. That didn’t mean she had to see him outside the café. If he had something up his sleeve, sooner or later he’d have to show his hand.
    Feeling better for having come to a decision, Gillian arrived for the early shift at work exhausted but with a plan in mind.
    Too bad Mitch Valetti didn’t cooperate. Not only didn’t he come in to eat that day, neither did he appear the next day. Or the day after that.
    Christy Jones came in every noon hour for lunch, acting as if Gillian were personally responsible for Mitch’s truancy. Gillian thought it more likely that Christy’s husband, Royce, was the one deterring Mitch. Royce and company stopped in for food and coffee at varying hours, clearly hoping to catch Christy with Mitch.
    “Where’s Mitch been keeping himself?” Flo asked Ethan Knight on the fourth day of Mitch’s absence.
    Gillian slowed her pace and perked up her ears. It almost seemed as if Ethan aimed his reply at her, along with a triumphant smirk. “Regan and I bought him a pup from the same breeder who sold me Taz. Pups are a lot like kids. You can’t just take off on a whim and leave them home alone.”
    Flo grunted. “You tie Taz to one of the trees out front while you eat. Can’t Mitch do the same?”
    “Gee, Flo. Does Bert know you’re hankering after another man?”
    As Gillian worked at a nearby table, she recognized Ethan’s attempt to subvert Flo’s line of questioning. She jumped to the older woman’s defense. “Flo only wants to warn Mitch to stay away or risk being torn limb from limb by Royce Jones.”
    Ethan slanted a frown at Gillian. “Royce has a beef against Mitch?”
    Bert carried two plates of food out of the kitchen instead of placing them under the warming light for Gillian to collect. “I thought you must’ve put a bug in Mitch’s ear, Ethan. We’re all on the lookout for him. I tried phoning him that first day when Royce was in here blowing off steam. I got a recording saying Valetti’s phone’s out of service. Royce has a screwy notion that Mitch is making moves on Christy. He’ll cool off by and by, I expect. Until he does, it’s better if Mitch keeps his distance.”
    “Hmm. Royce has a history of letting his temper get away from him.” Ethan rubbed his jaw. “Thanks for alerting me, Bert. I’ll raise Mitch on his cell phone. Idon’t think he’s had his house phone reconnected since his surgery. Flo, I owe you an apology…even though you know I was only teasing you about Mitch. All the same, I had you pegged as trying to do a little matchmaking.”
    “And so I was.” Flo kept one eye on Gillian as she ran off to deliver the meals Bert had brought out. “Mitch is a good man, Ethan. Right now he’s lonely and at loose ends. He lost Amy and his best friend at the same time. I happen to think a good woman might be what he needs. Gillian’s sort of in the same boat. She has so much time on her hands she’s volunteered to work double shifts, for pity’s sake. Why not get two needy souls together?”
    “What do you mean Mitch lost his best friend? I’m his best friend,” Ethan stated flatly.
    “Yeah. Used to be you and Mitch were joined at the hip. Now you’ve got a wife and four kids to take up your free time. I’m not saying you aren’t still his friend, Ethan. But you’ve got to admit the dynamics of your friendship are different.”
    “Why that woman?” Ethan glared across the room at Gillian’s slender back.
    “Why not her?” Flo challenged.
    “I got bad vibes that first day she waited on me. Like she’s trouble disguised in an attractive body. Well, okay…for example, that’s not even her real hair color.”
    Flo laughed. “If that’s what you’re basing your suspicions on, Ethan, you’ve got some nerve. If it’s a crime for a woman to color her hair, you’d better jail half the females in town. Me included.”
    “It’s more than