LITMIR.BIZ

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sound, I’m here on business,” he retorted dryly.

      Molly stiffened, fighting the sting of hurt, even though the rejection was fully expected. “What business could you possibly have that involves me?”

      His gaze swept over her, lingering just long enough to make her toes curl, dammit.

      “That girl you’ve got hiding in the kitchen, for starters.”

      Chapter Two

      Daniel hadn’t expected his conversation with Molly to go smoothly. Given their past history, he was probably lucky she hadn’t hit him with a cast-iron skillet on sight. It was no more than he deserved after the way things had ended between them. Even so, he wasn’t expecting her to flat-out lie to his face and judging from her expression, that was clearly exactly what she was contemplating.

      “Well?” he prodded. “Cat got your tongue?”

      He had to give her credit. She didn’t even blink. In fact, she kept her eyes locked with his and managed a look of complete confusion. She never once glanced toward the kitchen.

      “What girl?” she asked with all the innocence of someone whose heart was genuinely pure.

      “You have a runaway working here,” he said flatly, vaguely disappointed in her for the lie. It would have been more like the Molly of old to throw the truth in his face and dare him to make something of it.

      Keeping his gaze on her face, he added, “Joe Sutton spotted her here earlier, and I saw her scurrying out through the kitchen when I came in. She’s thirteen, Molly. Shall I count the number of laws you’re violating by putting her to work in here?”

      She visibly bristled, bright patches of color staining her cheeks. “If I had anyone that young working here, they wouldn’t be serving alcohol. Nor am I running a sweat shop with child labor, Daniel, and you very well know it, so get off your high horse.”

      He reached in his pocket, pulled out the missing child poster and slapped it on the table, carefully smoothing out the wrinkles. “Then you haven’t seen this girl?” he demanded, his gaze locked on Molly’s eyes, which always gave away her emotions. They were stormy now, but she didn’t even blink at the challenge. In fact, she glanced at the poster without so much as a flicker of recognition.

      Daniel bit back a sigh. She was good at lying. Damn good. She hadn’t been when they were together. Something always gave her away. Was she this good now because of what he’d done to her? Something inside him twisted at the possibility that he was responsible for the hard shell she wore so easily now.

      Her gaze never wavered as she said flatly, “Never seen her. What’s she done?”

      “She’s a runaway, Molly,” he explained patiently. “That’s plain from the poster, or didn’t you want to take a good long look at it? Were you afraid you might give yourself away if you had to read the fine print?”

      “Go to hell, Daniel,” she said, sliding from the booth. “I don’t have to listen to this from you.”

      He snagged her hand, felt her stiffen and tried to ignore the slam of regret that hit him. “Then let me see her.”

      “You want to go poking around in my kitchen or even in my apartment upstairs, you do that,” she said loudly enough to be heard in the next county. “I won’t try to stop you, but I won’t forgive you.” Her gaze swept over him, cold as ice. “Oh, wait, that’s right. I haven’t forgiven you for a lot of things, have I? I can just add this to the list.”

      Daniel wanted nothing more in that instant than to pull her into his arms and kiss her until the ice melted and she molded herself to him the way she once had. He wanted the heat and excitement and passion back, if not the complications.

      “Molly, this isn’t personal,” he said quietly.

      “Funny, it feels damn personal to me. You’re questioning my integrity.”

      “Only because I know what a soft touch you are when it comes to kids,” he said. “You’d hide that girl if you thought it was the right thing to do, especially if you thought it would also tick me off. I’m telling you, it’s not the right choice. She has a family. Think about them for a minute. Put yourself in their shoes. Their daughter’s missing and they’re scared. They’re worried to death about all the things that could happen to an innocent kid out on the streets alone.”

      A faint flicker of emotion in her eyes told him he’d hit his mark, but then her expression returned to that neutral, cool one that told him he’d lost his one chance at getting through to her. Maybe Joe would have had better luck with her. Her guard wouldn’t have been up with him. Her natural desire to defy Daniel wouldn’t have been a factor.

      “Like I said, you want to search the place, search,” she said.

      His gaze clashed with hers. “Do you think I won’t?”

      “No. I think you’ll do exactly what you want to do,” she said. “You always have.”

      He could have trusted her and let it go, could maybe have redeemed himself just a little in her eyes by walking out, but he turned and walked into the kitchen, because that was his job. Naturally, because of the commotion Molly had caused, the kitchen was empty except for the same cook who’d been working there for forty years. Though they’d once been friends, Retta could be as tight-lipped and taciturn as any female on earth with people she didn’t like. She gave Daniel a look that spoke volumes about what she thought of him, but gave nothing away about any kid who might be hiding in the pantry.

      “Have you seen a teenager in here?” he asked, even though he knew he was wasting his breath.

      Retta made an exaggerated show of looking around. “Room looks empty to me.”

      “And earlier? Was she in here ten minutes ago?”

      “I’m too busy cooking to keep track of people coming and going. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re packed out there. Molly’s doing a brisk business these days,” she said proudly.

      Daniel almost started to enjoy himself. Retta had an honest streak, and he could see that his questions were testing her innate desire to tell the truth. “Let’s concentrate on the kitchen, Retta. Are you admitting that people have been coming and going in here today?”

      “Did I say that?”

      “Sounded like it to me. Where’d she go, Retta?”

      She shrugged and stirred the chowder. “Like I said, I don’t pay attention to the comings and goings around here.” She frowned at him. “Come to think of it, I did take note of one person going.”

      “Oh?”

      “That was you, and you broke my baby’s heart.” The look she gave him was fierce. “Don’t go doing it again.”

      Daniel sighed. “I never meant to hurt her.”

      “But it happened just the same, didn’t it?” Retta said. “Now get on out of here. I have work to do and I can’t do it with the likes of you underfoot.”

      Daniel left, grateful to be away from Retta’s accusatory looks and harsh words. He deserved all she’d said and more, but that didn’t make it any easier to take.

      Molly was behind the bar, pretending to wipe off the already shiny surface, when he emerged from the kitchen.

      “Find anyone?” she inquired.

      “Just Retta, looking as pleasant as ever,” he admitted.

      “She doesn’t like you.”

      “She did once.”

      “So did I,” Molly retorted. “Times change.”

      Daniel kept his gaze steady. “Do you want to hash out our old news here and now, with everyone looking on?”

      Molly glanced around

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