say he loved his son?"
At
the end of a long sigh, she said, "I honestly don't know. If you'd asked
me a couple of days ago whether or not my father would want Jake to move back
home, I'd have laughed in your face."
"Your
father's really made an about-face, hasn't he?"
Had
he ever. And it was still hard for her to swallow. "Yes, and I want to
know why the sudden change. He's been a jerk our entire lives, then suddenly he
wants to kiss and make up? What's up with that?"
"Why
don't you ask him?"
"Now?"
"Sure.
Why not?" He grinned. He acted as if this was personal to him, almost as
personal as it was to her. "He's probably still at his hotel. Call him and
I'll tape the conversation. We'll play it for Jake when we catch up to him."
"Why
a recorded message? Why not have my dad talk to him directly on a cell phone?"
He
seemed to consider the possibility then shook his head. "Not a good idea.
We can't afford having our plan backfire. We're not sure exactly what your
father will say, and I don't want to take a chance of upsetting your brother.
Recording the call gives us control over what Jake will hear."
At
this point, she thought her dad would say almost anything to get Jake home. But
how much had her father really changed? In the past, she'd known him to say things
on impulse, his behavior both irratic and irrational whenever he was upset. Sam
was right. They couldn't risk Dad blowing it by acting like a jackass.
A
recorded message from Dad could work. What she had already tried with Jake wasn't
nearly as strong as having it come straight from the horse's mouth.
"You
said we ," she said, just now
grasping his use of the pronoun. "Does that mean I'm coming with you?"
He
stared at her blankly for a second, his emotions hidden behind those intense
gray eyes. A sudden smile brightened his face. "Looks like it. I can't
leave you here to be preyed upon by the cult's goons, can I? You'll be safer
with me than by yourself."
That
comment rankled but not badly enough for her to argue. Not only would she be
involved in Jake's intervention and rescue, she'd be in the company of a man
she admired. More than admired. She cared a great deal about Sam.
"Are
you willing to give it a try?" he asked.
Inhaling
deeply, she felt a stirring of doubt in her stomach. Now she'd have to talk
with her father, ask him why his sudden change of heart, and then ask if he
loved Jake. Or even if he loved her .
This would be tough. "Let's do it."
Sam
left her sitting on the giant rock while he ran inside to get his cordless
phone and battery-powered recording equipment. He walked toward her, his broad
shoulders pulling at the seams of his T-shirt. Her mouth went dry at the sight
of him. She shouldn't be thinking this way. She'd hired the man to do a job,
not to do her. Besides, a man like Sam had far better prospects than a
run-of-the-mill phys ed teacher from Phoenix.
While
fastening the microphone to the cordless receiver with a suction device, he
said, "Make sure your father knows what we're up to. Recording a
conversation without consent is illegal in the state of California."
She
nodded, her stomach rolling with apprehension. "What do I say?"
"Whatever
you want." He flashed her a crooked smile that made her knees weak. "You're
in control, Kelly. You call the shots, understand? Your father has to listen to you this time."
He
was right. She had the upper hand now, and she would use it to help Jake. "Thank
you." She swung her arm around his neck, pulling him toward her for a hug.
He
stiffened at first then relaxed. He seemed reluctant to pull away before
handing her the phone. "Better call before he leaves for the airport."
She
punched in the number Sam recited and gave the hotel receptionist her father's
room number. It rang three long, torturous rings before her father picked up.
"Hi,
Dad," she said without emotion, despite her frazzled nerves.
"Kelly?"
He recognized her voice immediately, and that surprised her. "Is your
brother safe? Are
At
the end of a long sigh, she said, "I honestly don't know. If you'd asked
me a couple of days ago whether or not my father would want Jake to move back
home, I'd have laughed in your face."
"Your
father's really made an about-face, hasn't he?"
Had
he ever. And it was still hard for her to swallow. "Yes, and I want to
know why the sudden change. He's been a jerk our entire lives, then suddenly he
wants to kiss and make up? What's up with that?"
"Why
don't you ask him?"
"Now?"
"Sure.
Why not?" He grinned. He acted as if this was personal to him, almost as
personal as it was to her. "He's probably still at his hotel. Call him and
I'll tape the conversation. We'll play it for Jake when we catch up to him."
"Why
a recorded message? Why not have my dad talk to him directly on a cell phone?"
He
seemed to consider the possibility then shook his head. "Not a good idea.
We can't afford having our plan backfire. We're not sure exactly what your
father will say, and I don't want to take a chance of upsetting your brother.
Recording the call gives us control over what Jake will hear."
At
this point, she thought her dad would say almost anything to get Jake home. But
how much had her father really changed? In the past, she'd known him to say things
on impulse, his behavior both irratic and irrational whenever he was upset. Sam
was right. They couldn't risk Dad blowing it by acting like a jackass.
A
recorded message from Dad could work. What she had already tried with Jake wasn't
nearly as strong as having it come straight from the horse's mouth.
"You
said we ," she said, just now
grasping his use of the pronoun. "Does that mean I'm coming with you?"
He
stared at her blankly for a second, his emotions hidden behind those intense
gray eyes. A sudden smile brightened his face. "Looks like it. I can't
leave you here to be preyed upon by the cult's goons, can I? You'll be safer
with me than by yourself."
That
comment rankled but not badly enough for her to argue. Not only would she be
involved in Jake's intervention and rescue, she'd be in the company of a man
she admired. More than admired. She cared a great deal about Sam.
"Are
you willing to give it a try?" he asked.
Inhaling
deeply, she felt a stirring of doubt in her stomach. Now she'd have to talk
with her father, ask him why his sudden change of heart, and then ask if he
loved Jake. Or even if he loved her .
This would be tough. "Let's do it."
Sam
left her sitting on the giant rock while he ran inside to get his cordless
phone and battery-powered recording equipment. He walked toward her, his broad
shoulders pulling at the seams of his T-shirt. Her mouth went dry at the sight
of him. She shouldn't be thinking this way. She'd hired the man to do a job,
not to do her. Besides, a man like Sam had far better prospects than a
run-of-the-mill phys ed teacher from Phoenix.
While
fastening the microphone to the cordless receiver with a suction device, he
said, "Make sure your father knows what we're up to. Recording a
conversation without consent is illegal in the state of California."
She
nodded, her stomach rolling with apprehension. "What do I say?"
"Whatever
you want." He flashed her a crooked smile that made her knees weak. "You're
in control, Kelly. You call the shots, understand? Your father has to listen to you this time."
He
was right. She had the upper hand now, and she would use it to help Jake. "Thank
you." She swung her arm around his neck, pulling him toward her for a hug.
He
stiffened at first then relaxed. He seemed reluctant to pull away before
handing her the phone. "Better call before he leaves for the airport."
She
punched in the number Sam recited and gave the hotel receptionist her father's
room number. It rang three long, torturous rings before her father picked up.
"Hi,
Dad," she said without emotion, despite her frazzled nerves.
"Kelly?"
He recognized her voice immediately, and that surprised her. "Is your
brother safe? Are
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