swallowed. She could still taste him on her lips. He tasted of coffee and mint. She smiled slowly. “I guess so.”
He chuckled. He got out and helped her down. He held her hand all the way into the restaurant.
CHAPTER FOUR
“W HY DID YOU change your mind about where we ate?” Merissa asked when they were halfway through huge plates of chicken lo mein, which they discovered was a mutual favorite. “I mean, I’m not complaining, I love Chinese food. But why?”
“Same reason I hired a man to sweep my truck for bugs,” he said heavily. “It seems I hired the bad guy to put in a surveillance system for me.”
“Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed.
“I’m usually more careful,” he said with a smile. “But I had no idea he was that close. You see, your premonition was right on the money. You really do have a gift.”
“I hate having it,” she replied.
“This time, it might save my life,” he said. “I’m grateful.”
She grimaced. “I was so afraid, turning up at your door in a snowstorm.” She laughed. “But I felt I had to tell you.”
“If you hadn’t, I’d be in a world of trouble right now,” he pointed out. “I had no idea that I was even a target after so long.”
“You wouldn’t have been, I think, except for the politician running for federal office,” she said. “He’s trying to get rid of any embarrassing loose ends before the campaign heats up. Imagine what his adversaries could do with information like his friendship with a drug cartel.”
“Yes.”
“This man you hired, to look for the bugs your adversary placed,” she began. “There’s a woman. She’s in very great danger.” She bit her lip.
“She’s a photojournalist covering a war in Africa,” he supplied, not even uneasy now about her gifts.
She nodded. “An unexpected thing will save her life,” she said slowly. “A necklace, of all things.”
“She’ll be all right?” he asked, concerned.
“She won’t die,” she amended.
That sounded ominous.
She drew in a breath. “Someone told a lie. It’s what separates them. He believed it.” She sipped hot tea. “It was said to protect her, but instead it destroyed her happiness.” She looked up at him. “She loves him so much,” she said heavily. “It’s a shame.”
He wondered if he should tell Rourke.
“Don’t,” she said, as if she’d read the thought. “Don’t say anything to him. Things are at a crossroads right now. If he acts too soon, she could die. Everything is connected. We live in a silver web of activity, binding all that lives on the earth.” She laughed again. “I sound like a tree hugger. Well, I am a tree hugger. But we’re much more connected than people think.”
“A butterfly flaps its wings and there’s a typhoon?” he teased.
“Something like that, yes.”
He leaned back in his chair and studied her warmly. “You’re amazing,” he said. “I’ve never known anybody like you in my whole life.”
“I hope that’s a compliment.”
“It truly is,” he confessed. He smiled. “And tonight is a beginning. Isn’t it?”
She started to say something. Her eyes grew opaque. She lost color. Her green eyes were terrified when they met his. “We have to go home. Right now! Please!”
He didn’t bother to ask what was wrong. It was enough that she knew something was urgent. He got up and paid the check and then led her out to the truck.
“At my house or yours?” he asked as he started it.
“Mine. And please, hurry!” she said. “It may be too late already!”
He didn’t spare the engine.
They pulled up in front of Merissa’s cabin and ran onto the porch. Merissa worked her key in the lock, fumbled and finally opened it.
“Mom!” she called frantically. “Mom!”
There were sounds of movement. A door opened. Clara came out into the hall, a little foggy, laughing.
“Here I am. What’s wrong?” she asked when she saw their worried faces.
“I...had a feeling,” Merissa said, hating to
He chuckled. He got out and helped her down. He held her hand all the way into the restaurant.
CHAPTER FOUR
“W HY DID YOU change your mind about where we ate?” Merissa asked when they were halfway through huge plates of chicken lo mein, which they discovered was a mutual favorite. “I mean, I’m not complaining, I love Chinese food. But why?”
“Same reason I hired a man to sweep my truck for bugs,” he said heavily. “It seems I hired the bad guy to put in a surveillance system for me.”
“Oh, my gosh!” she exclaimed.
“I’m usually more careful,” he said with a smile. “But I had no idea he was that close. You see, your premonition was right on the money. You really do have a gift.”
“I hate having it,” she replied.
“This time, it might save my life,” he said. “I’m grateful.”
She grimaced. “I was so afraid, turning up at your door in a snowstorm.” She laughed. “But I felt I had to tell you.”
“If you hadn’t, I’d be in a world of trouble right now,” he pointed out. “I had no idea that I was even a target after so long.”
“You wouldn’t have been, I think, except for the politician running for federal office,” she said. “He’s trying to get rid of any embarrassing loose ends before the campaign heats up. Imagine what his adversaries could do with information like his friendship with a drug cartel.”
“Yes.”
“This man you hired, to look for the bugs your adversary placed,” she began. “There’s a woman. She’s in very great danger.” She bit her lip.
“She’s a photojournalist covering a war in Africa,” he supplied, not even uneasy now about her gifts.
She nodded. “An unexpected thing will save her life,” she said slowly. “A necklace, of all things.”
“She’ll be all right?” he asked, concerned.
“She won’t die,” she amended.
That sounded ominous.
She drew in a breath. “Someone told a lie. It’s what separates them. He believed it.” She sipped hot tea. “It was said to protect her, but instead it destroyed her happiness.” She looked up at him. “She loves him so much,” she said heavily. “It’s a shame.”
He wondered if he should tell Rourke.
“Don’t,” she said, as if she’d read the thought. “Don’t say anything to him. Things are at a crossroads right now. If he acts too soon, she could die. Everything is connected. We live in a silver web of activity, binding all that lives on the earth.” She laughed again. “I sound like a tree hugger. Well, I am a tree hugger. But we’re much more connected than people think.”
“A butterfly flaps its wings and there’s a typhoon?” he teased.
“Something like that, yes.”
He leaned back in his chair and studied her warmly. “You’re amazing,” he said. “I’ve never known anybody like you in my whole life.”
“I hope that’s a compliment.”
“It truly is,” he confessed. He smiled. “And tonight is a beginning. Isn’t it?”
She started to say something. Her eyes grew opaque. She lost color. Her green eyes were terrified when they met his. “We have to go home. Right now! Please!”
He didn’t bother to ask what was wrong. It was enough that she knew something was urgent. He got up and paid the check and then led her out to the truck.
“At my house or yours?” he asked as he started it.
“Mine. And please, hurry!” she said. “It may be too late already!”
He didn’t spare the engine.
They pulled up in front of Merissa’s cabin and ran onto the porch. Merissa worked her key in the lock, fumbled and finally opened it.
“Mom!” she called frantically. “Mom!”
There were sounds of movement. A door opened. Clara came out into the hall, a little foggy, laughing.
“Here I am. What’s wrong?” she asked when she saw their worried faces.
“I...had a feeling,” Merissa said, hating to
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