When Shadows Fall by Barbara Freethy Page B

the time I found out her parents were killed in a plane crash."
    "I didn't know that. That's sad."
    "I don't know what happened to her after that. I guess I'll find out tonight. Do you know if Molly has any relatives—a husband, children, grandchildren?"
    "Her husband died a long time ago. She has some kids, but I've never met them. They would be my parents' age."
    "Maybe I could speak to your parents at some point."
    "I'm confused. Is the book about Molly or my grandmother?"
    "I don't know yet, Colton. I haven't decided if there's going to be a book at all. It's too early for me to say."
    He gave her a thoughtful look. "I'm not going to be able to stop you from talking to my grandmother, am I?"
    "Not if she wants to speak me, too."
    "You'd think I would have learned by now," he said with a frustrated shake of his head.
    "Learned what?"
    "Not to think I could change a woman's mind when it's made up," he said with a dry smile. "I have three sisters, a mother, a grandmother, a bunch of sisters-in-law and many female cousins, so I've had a lot of practice dealing with women, but apparently I like beating my head against a wall."
    She couldn't help but smile at his words, and she also couldn't help but notice that he didn't mention a girlfriend in his list of females. "Are your sisters younger or older?" she asked, curious to know more about him and all of the Callaways.
    "I have two older sisters and one twin sister."
    "I've always found twins to be fascinating. Are you similar in personality? Do you have the ability to finish each other's sentences?"
    "We're not alike at all. Shayla is a genius, for one thing. She skipped ahead of me in kindergarten and never looked back. She entered college at sixteen and is now a physician finishing up her last year of residency."
    "High achiever," she commented.
    "Oh, yeah, like most of my family, but Shayla's brain power is amazing."
    "And you didn't get any of those smart genes?" She liked the way he'd spoken so admirably of his sister.
    "I'm more street smart than book smart, but I hold my own. But we're not just different when it comes to IQ. Shayla has always been organized, studious, efficient and driven. She'd set her mind to a goal and she wouldn't stop until she got there." He paused. "Actually, you remind me of her a little. You have similar bulldog qualities."
    "Great. I love being compared to a dog."
    He smiled. "I was referring to your tenacity."
    "You haven't seen me in action yet."
    "I have a feeling I'm going to."
    "If the adjectives you used to describe Shayla don't describe you, what words do?"
    "Let's see. Impatient, impulsive, restless and determined."
    She sipped her wine. "The first three are opposites of your sister, but driven and determined are pretty much the same thing."
    He tipped his head. "I can compete."
    "I have a feeling that not only can you compete, but you like to compete. More importantly, you like to win."
    "There's a certain rush to doing something better than anyone else," he conceded. "You sound a little competitive yourself, Olivia. And determined. And driven."
    "I want to build my own career," she admitted. "I've paid my dues. Now it's my turn."
    "You need to pick a more interesting subject. You can't go from secretary of state to a bunch of little old ladies who are probably making up half of whatever they're saying."
    "You're not going to talk me out of this, Colton." She paused as the bartender came over to their table and asked if they wanted another drink. "I probably shouldn't," she said. "I haven't eaten in a while, and I still have work to do."
    "No thanks," Colton said to the bartender. As the man walked away, Colton added, "I haven't eaten either. There's a good Italian restaurant right across the street. My friend's dad is the chef there. They have the best pasta and pizza in the city."
    "The desk clerk mentioned that," she muttered, glancing down at her watch. It was almost six—definitely time for dinner.
    "Why don't we get something