LITMIR.BIZ

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see Maurice doing so well,” Kai said, watching Maurice dance with his bride.

      “Layla definitely has that special touch in more ways than one. It wasn’t Maurice’s war injury that needed the healing, it was inside.” She tapped the center of her chest. “I wish I could take credit for that arrangement,” Melanie said, “but they did it all on their own. Mostly.” She winked.

      “I’m happy for them.”

      “Actually—” She lowered her voice. “There was someone that I especially wanted you to meet.”

      “Oh?”

      “Unfortunately he couldn’t make it. Didn’t say why.” Her brow creased. “Another time. He’ll be in town for a few weeks.”

      “Mel...”

      “Listen, everyone needs someone. And that goes for you, too. I think he would be perfect for you. In fact, I know he would.”

      Kai lowered her head for a moment. There was no debating Melanie when she decided that you were her “special project.” She wouldn’t rest until she found Mr. Right or, at least, Mr. Right Now. As CEO of the Platinum Society, Melanie Harte and her team were renowned for their matchmaking skills that found that special someone for everyone from corporate executives, actors, athletes, and politicians to the average girl and guy next door. Before there was eHarmony there was the Platinum Society.

      Kai laughed lightly. “I’m sure he is.” She checked her watch. “Listen, I’m going to find Tiffany and head home.” She kissed Melanie’s cheek. “Thanks for a great evening as usual.”

      Although the gathering was pegged as a simple get-together with friends, Mel never got people together for a reason as benign as that. She firmly believed that if you put the right people in the room together they would find each other. She was usually right. As Kai wound her way around the guests and through the rooms of the sprawling house in search of Tiffany, she could already see the results of Melanie’s plan at work as many of the guests who’d walked around unattached earlier in the evening were now a twosome.

      Kai stepped out into the backyard and spotted Tiffany leaning casually against a towering maple tree in deep conversation with a really good-looking guy. She waved to get Tiffany’s attention and when she did, she mouthed that she was going home and that she’d call tomorrow.

      The waning evening was absolutely exquisite, Kai mused, as she drew her oversize teal-colored silk scarf around her bare shoulders. The sky was a lush blanket of deep blue with brilliant splashes of light that flickered and danced against it. The most gentle of breezes blew in off the ocean, capturing the scents of the sand, sea and budding jasmine bushes and other flora. The sounds of light laughter and music hovered around her then grew more distant as she descended the winding walkway leading to the main road. A perfect night for a walk...with someone you care about, a distant voice mocked.

      She glanced briefly over her shoulder as the house grew smaller in the distance. Andrew really wasn’t a bad guy. Actually, he was a great catch. There was no doubt about it. Maybe if she allowed herself she could care about him as more than a colleague.

      She turned down the street that led to her house. The truth...she didn’t want to care about him as more than a colleague.

      * * *

      The one great thing about being self-employed was that you could call your own shots and make your own hours, which was precisely what Kai planned for her Saturday. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn off her internal clock. She woke at precisely 6:00 a.m. just as she did when she had her shift in the E.R. Some habits die hard, but one habit that she was glad she’d never broken was turning on the timer for the coffee machine at night. The heady aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through her home would give Starbucks a run for their money. After showering quickly and donning her supercomfy sweatpants and hooded sweatshirt, she made a beeline for her kitchen, where she was eagerly greeted by Jasper, her Yorkshire terrier, who was frantically scratching at the door and yipping around the kitchen.

      “Take it easy. Take it easy.” She bent down and scratched him behind his ears. “I’m glad to see you, too. I’ll let you out in one minute.” She went to the kitchen window and pulled the curtain aside. Sometime during the night, it had rained and the air felt and smelled crisp and clean like freshly washed laundry. The grass and tree leaves still glistened with beads of water and morning dew. A great day to take some pictures. After she let Jasper out back and had her coffee, she would get her equipment.

      “Jasper, what is wrong with you today?” He was jumping up and down on the door again and yapping like crazy. “All right, all right.” Kai opened the side door and Jasper raced out like a shot. She stood in the doorway for a moment, shook her head at her eccentric pooch, then went to the counter to finally pour her first cup of coffee. Just as she lifted the carafe and was ready to pour, Jasper went completely crazy outside. He was barking and whining in that high-pitched squeak that only little dogs can make.

      Kai went to the door and opened it. She stepped out onto the porch. “What in the world is wrong with you? You’re going to wake up the entire neighborhood.”

      Jasper continued to bark and whine and run in and out from under the house.

      “Jasper! Come in here right now.”

      Jasper planted himself in front of the porch with his tail banging rapidly against the wet grass.

      “So what are you now, a television dog? You trying to tell me something? It better not be a raccoon. I’m warning you, Jasper,” she said as she climbed down the three porch steps. “What is it, boy?” That’s when she heard whimpering and the hairs on her arms rose.

      She bent down from the waist and caught a glimpse of pink fabric and a little slippered foot. “Oh my God.” She scrambled down on her hands and knees and peered under the stairs. Tucked under her house was a little girl, curled into a tight ball. The full realization that a child was huddled under her stairs knocked her back on her haunches as if she’d been pushed. For a full minute, she couldn’t think. A million crazy thoughts raced through her head, none of which stayed put long enough for her to make any sense out of it.

      Jasper ran under the house and tugged at the pink slipper. The little girl began to cry in earnest.

      “What in the...” She lay flat on her stomach so that she could get a better look. “Sweetie, you need to come out, okay?”

      The little girl briskly shook her head. Her thick ponytails, covered in leaves and twigs, flapped back and forth.

      “Can you tell me your name?”

      Silence.

      “My name is Kai. And this is Jasper. Say hello, Jasper.”

      Jasper barked uproariously and ran in a circle before settling down.

      “I think you must be really cold...and wet. Do you want a blanket? Would that help?”

      The little girl nodded her head.

      “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you a blanket so you can warm up.”

      Kai scrambled to her feet and ran inside, doing a pretty bad imitation of Jasper as she spun around in circles trying to think—she’d suddenly forgotten where she kept the extra blankets. Her heart kicked against her chest. Maybe she should call the police. No. Not yet. Her medical instincts kicked in. The first thing she needed to do was to make sure that the little girl wasn’t injured. Right. Blanket. She darted down the hall to the linen closet. She pulled out a light quilt, bunched it up in her arms and hurried back outside.

      Jasper was standing guard. Kai got back down on her hands and knees and peered beneath the house. Bright, frightened brown eyes stared back at her.

      “Here you go, sweetie.” Kai extended the blanket toward her and wished that she was small enough to crawl under to get a better look at the girl. A little hand pulled the blanket and she was quickly hidden beneath it with only the top of her head and her pony tails visible.

      “I

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