Bobbi Smith by Heaven Page A

her family, he would never have been able to deny his love of adventure and his need to travel the world in search of missing treasures. He didn’t love money, and he had no great desire for power. He loved unlocking the secrets of the past and revealing them to future generations. As centered on wealth as Valerie’s family were, they would never have understood his need to follow his dream. And that’s just what he was going to do.
     
     
    “I’m looking for Professor Parker,” Winn announced to the servant who answered the door at the address Lawrence had provided.
    “I’m sorry, Father, but I’m afraid he’s not in,” Mary, the maid, told him.
    “Is his assistant, Alex, here? I’d like to speak with him, if I may?” He noticed the servant’s puzzled expression, but paid little attention. The trip to Boston had been long and tedious, and Winn wasn’t about to be put off. He’d checked into a hotel as soon as they’d made port and then had immediately set out to locate the professor.
    “Alex? Of course, just a minute.” The maid scurried away.
    “Miss Alex?” she said as she found her mistress in the kitchen talking with the cook about plans for dinner.
    “Yes, Mary, what is it?”
    “There’s a man . . . er, priest, here to see you.”
    “There is? Did you show him in?” Her pulse quickened. He was here!
    “No, ma’am. He’s . . .” Mary had not expected her reaction.
    “Well, why not?”
    “I didn’t know . . .”
    Alex didn’t wait to hear her excuse. Instead, she raced for the front hall, her heart pounding. As she’d suspected, Mary had left the priest waiting on the porch. Alex smoothed her hair into place and straightened her skirts before going out to greet him. No doubt Father Bradford would be an elderly gentleman of about the same age as Lawrence, and she wanted to look her best for him.
    “Hello,” she said as she opened the door and stepped out.
    Winn heard the door open, turned, and found himself staring at the loveliest woman he’d ever seen. On any other woman the short cut of her red-gold tresses would have been outrageous, but on her the style was perfect, emphasizing the beauty of her dark eyes, the delicacy of her features and her high cheekbones. Her creamy complexion was flawless and her slender curves enticing. She was stunning, and it took Winn a minute to gather his wits enough to speak. When he finally did, he was struggling to control his reaction to her. “Yes, hello. I’m sorry to bother you this way. I’d told the servant that I needed to speak with Professor Parker’s assistant, Alex.”
    “I’m Alex,” she managed completely taken aback by this young, handsome priest. She’d thought he would be in his fifties, that he’d look like Lawrence. Instead, he was tall and fantastically good-looking. His hair was black, his eyes green and sparkling with good humor. His features were chiseled and as perfect as a man’s dared to be, and his jaw was firm and determined revealing the strength of his character. Her gaze dropped to the collar he wore, a gentle, abiding reminder of his calling, and she swallowed, feeling suddenly ashamed of her wayward thoughts about how handsome he was. He was a priest.
    “You’re Alex . . .” Winn was shocked. Good Lord! When he’d planned to undertake this trek in his uncle’s place, he’d had no idea the Alex mentioned in the letter was a woman.
    “Yes, I’m Alexandra Parker, the professor’s daughter.”
    “I’m Father Bradford,” he replied. “Lawrence Anthony sent me.”
    “Father, it is so good to meet you. I’m so glad you’re here.” Alex graced him with a delighted smile as she tried to ignore how handsome he was. She held out her hand to him in welcome, and she couldn’t suppress a shiver when he took it in his firm, warm grip.
    “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Winn took her hand, and the power of his reaction to that simple touch unsettled him. Rationally, he told himself that he was only