Deceived (Private Justice Book #3): A Novel by Irene Hannon Page B

for a couple more days.”
    “Are you tagging along again?”
    “Can’t. I have meetings.” She stowed her daypack in the credenza behind her desk. “He’ll take photos of anyone who resembles the boy and run them by me.”
    Pauline perched on the edge of her desk. “So now that you’ve spent some extended time with this man, what do you think of him?”
    She lifted one shoulder in what she hoped came across as nonchalance. “He’s very nice. Empathetic, strong communication skills, an excellent listener. And he has a remarkable ability to instill trust and confidence. I suppose that could be a result of his training, but I have a feeling it’s innate. He’s one of thosepeople who makes a very strong impression and is hard to forget, if you know what I mean.”
    “Yes, I do.” Pauline’s eyes twinkled. “To be honest, I was looking more for a professional evaluation. But this was much more enlightening. I take it the man’s not married?”
    Once more, heat flooded Kate’s cheeks. “No—but don’t get any ideas, Pauline.”
    “Like what?”
    Kate massaged the bridge of her nose. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. And yes, Connor Sullivan is an attractive, appealing man. But my heart still belongs to John. He was the love of a lifetime—and a woman doesn’t get that lucky twice.”
    “Don’t be too sure. My sister married again several years after she was widowed, and both her husbands were wonderful men who claimed their own spot in her heart, neither taking anything away from the other. She never thought she’d find love a second time, either.”
    “But I’m not in the market for a second marriage.”
    “Neither was she. That’s how it happens sometimes. We have one plan for our life, but God often has another.”
    “Not this time, Pauline. I still love John.”
    “And you always will. But the ache does ease in time. You can trust me on that.” She crossed to the door and grasped the knob. “I don’t know how the story that began last Friday in the mall will end, but even if the door closes on finding that boy, perhaps God’s opened a window. Think about it.”
    As Pauline exited, Kate moved behind her desk and sank into her chair. She had only a few minutes before her client arrived, and she needed to prep, not ponder Pauline’s comment.
    But even with the file in front of her, she couldn’t concentrate.
    Was the older woman right? Could this whole sequence of events be leading her not to Kevin but to a new direction in her life?
    Her stomach rumbled, and she pressed a hand against it. She’d had no appetite in the wee hours of the morning, and Connor hadn’t suggested stopping for breakfast on the way back to the office. Maybe she could scrounge up some food in the break room, if their receptionist had brought in one of the home-baked treats she liked to share with the volunteers and staff.
    She rose and headed down the hall. A quick bite would take the edge off her physical hunger.
    But it wasn’t going to do a thing to fill the empty spot in her heart that now ached with a different kind of hunger, thanks to a tall, handsome PI who’d stirred up a yearning that would be far more difficult to satisfy.

7
    D iane tiptoed down the hall in Greg’s house, cracked the bedroom door a bit wider, and peeked in.
    Todd was still sleeping, covers thrown back, face flushed, hugging that cute bear he’d made at the birthday party last week. Poor kid. He’d been passed out most of the morning. The summer flu was no picnic, but hopefully the bug would pass in a day or two—for his sake.
    From a selfish perspective, however, she wouldn’t mind if he needed looking after for a few more days. It gave her something worthwhile to do—plus a chance to see Greg. The fact he’d called to ask for her help when Todd got sick last night had to mean he cared for her, didn’t it?
    Or maybe he’d just been desperate. Being new in town, he didn’t have a whole lot of resources at his disposal to