campus as an aggressive young woman with members of the opposite sex.
With a tug, Jack slipped from her grasp and nodded toward Danielle. “Dr. Tyler tells me you have some information I may find helpful.”
“Before you begin,” Danielle said, “maybe I shouldleave. You may not want me overhearing what you and April talk about.”
Jack shook his head. “I thought she’d already told you her information.”
“She has, but I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Then I don’t see why you should leave.”
Danielle nodded. “I’ll go get us some coffee in Jeff’s office and be right back.” She glanced at April. “Would you like some, April?”
April shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t drink coffee.”
“I’ll take a cup.” Jack pulled a chair in front of April’s desk and motioned for her to be seated. He opened the notebook he always had with him. “Now, April, what is it you have to tell me?”
Danielle glanced over her shoulder as she reached the door and smiled. April had pulled her chair to the side of her desk and was sitting with her knees almost touching Jack’s. Danielle pulled the door closed and stood in the hallway thinking about Jack and their time together the night before. As she got to know him, she found she liked the person that Jack tried so hard to keep hidden.
Her first impression of him had been different, though. That first day they met, granite was the word that came to mind as she stared at him. Although he appeared friendly, there was a remoteness about him. Something in his eyes reminded her of the slow-cooling magma that had formed the granite veins running through the surrounding mountains.
She wondered if she would ever know what had fired his soul and left hardened emptiness behind. Perhaps it was the death of his wife. Whatever had scarred him, it had left him with a fear of opening himself up to anyone. She could only pray that he would come to know the strength he could draw from faith in God. Until then, she doubted he would ever trust anyone.
She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, straightened her shoulders and walked into the reception area of Jeff Newman’s office. “Morning, Betty.”
Betty, Jeff’s assistant, looked up from replacing the telephone on the handset and motioned for her to enter. “Good morning, Danielle.” She inclined her head toward a sideboard on the far wall of the room. “Sally brought coffee and pastries from the dining room. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“Those blueberry muffins are delicious.”
Danielle shook her head, poured two cups from the coffeepot and turned back to Betty. “Detective Denton is speaking with April in my office right now. I just came to get us some coffee.”
Betty closed the leather folder with Jeff’s official calendar in it. “Oh, before I forget, Landon Morse was looking for you earlier.”
Danielle’s skin prickled at the mention of Landon. “What does he want?”
Betty propped her elbows on her desk and leaned forward. “I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to talk about the Christmas Fundraiser.” Betty paused for a moment. “Or maybe he wants to ask you out to dinner again.”
Danielle grasped the two cups of coffee tighter and walked back toward Betty’s desk. “Oh, I don’t think so. But I’ll check with him later.”
Betty got up and walked around her desk. She stood in thought for a moment before she took off her bifocals and dropped them to dangle from the gold chain encircling her neck. “Jeff has asked you out time after time, and you won’t go. Poor Landon can’t get you to give him the time of day. It’s time you had a life, Danielle. Why won’t you at least try one of them?”
Danielle tried to sidestep Betty, but she blocked the path to the door. If Betty only knew how this conversation was upsetting her. She gave a nervous laugh. “Try one of them? You make it sound like I’m buying a used car.”
Betty arched a pencil-thin eyebrow. “You
With a tug, Jack slipped from her grasp and nodded toward Danielle. “Dr. Tyler tells me you have some information I may find helpful.”
“Before you begin,” Danielle said, “maybe I shouldleave. You may not want me overhearing what you and April talk about.”
Jack shook his head. “I thought she’d already told you her information.”
“She has, but I didn’t want to intrude.”
“Then I don’t see why you should leave.”
Danielle nodded. “I’ll go get us some coffee in Jeff’s office and be right back.” She glanced at April. “Would you like some, April?”
April shook her head. “No, thanks. I don’t drink coffee.”
“I’ll take a cup.” Jack pulled a chair in front of April’s desk and motioned for her to be seated. He opened the notebook he always had with him. “Now, April, what is it you have to tell me?”
Danielle glanced over her shoulder as she reached the door and smiled. April had pulled her chair to the side of her desk and was sitting with her knees almost touching Jack’s. Danielle pulled the door closed and stood in the hallway thinking about Jack and their time together the night before. As she got to know him, she found she liked the person that Jack tried so hard to keep hidden.
Her first impression of him had been different, though. That first day they met, granite was the word that came to mind as she stared at him. Although he appeared friendly, there was a remoteness about him. Something in his eyes reminded her of the slow-cooling magma that had formed the granite veins running through the surrounding mountains.
She wondered if she would ever know what had fired his soul and left hardened emptiness behind. Perhaps it was the death of his wife. Whatever had scarred him, it had left him with a fear of opening himself up to anyone. She could only pray that he would come to know the strength he could draw from faith in God. Until then, she doubted he would ever trust anyone.
She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, straightened her shoulders and walked into the reception area of Jeff Newman’s office. “Morning, Betty.”
Betty, Jeff’s assistant, looked up from replacing the telephone on the handset and motioned for her to enter. “Good morning, Danielle.” She inclined her head toward a sideboard on the far wall of the room. “Sally brought coffee and pastries from the dining room. Help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“Those blueberry muffins are delicious.”
Danielle shook her head, poured two cups from the coffeepot and turned back to Betty. “Detective Denton is speaking with April in my office right now. I just came to get us some coffee.”
Betty closed the leather folder with Jeff’s official calendar in it. “Oh, before I forget, Landon Morse was looking for you earlier.”
Danielle’s skin prickled at the mention of Landon. “What does he want?”
Betty propped her elbows on her desk and leaned forward. “I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to talk about the Christmas Fundraiser.” Betty paused for a moment. “Or maybe he wants to ask you out to dinner again.”
Danielle grasped the two cups of coffee tighter and walked back toward Betty’s desk. “Oh, I don’t think so. But I’ll check with him later.”
Betty got up and walked around her desk. She stood in thought for a moment before she took off her bifocals and dropped them to dangle from the gold chain encircling her neck. “Jeff has asked you out time after time, and you won’t go. Poor Landon can’t get you to give him the time of day. It’s time you had a life, Danielle. Why won’t you at least try one of them?”
Danielle tried to sidestep Betty, but she blocked the path to the door. If Betty only knew how this conversation was upsetting her. She gave a nervous laugh. “Try one of them? You make it sound like I’m buying a used car.”
Betty arched a pencil-thin eyebrow. “You
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