his hand abruptly. "What in the world have you been doing?"
Nick si ghed, his eyes drinking in Alex's refresh ing beauty. "You wouldn't believe it. Actually, I'm just very tired. I didn't sleep very much in the past two days."
She closed the door behind him. "I thought you . . . might not return, Nick."
"What gave you that idea?"
She shrugged. "I didn't know where you were or who you were with ."
"You don't have to know those things, Alex. Only that I'll be back." He loomed, rather than stood, in the hallway.
"How do I know that for sure? I don't know anything about you."
"You know that you can trust me, Alex," he said quietly. "That's enough."
She shook her head and her blond hair rustled around her face. "It isn't enough for me. I want to know more, Nick."
"I thought we made a deal. You don't ask ques tions, and I'll help you find Jenni."
She nodded and looked down. "We did. But you haven't exac tly held up your end of the bar gain either. We're no closer to finding her."
"Oh yes we are. Investigations take time. We've only been working on this a week. And we're further along than we were at the begin ning."
A week? Only a week? It seemed like a year! "Yes, I guess we are. Sorry, Nick. I'm just so anx ious to find her. And these last two days have been long." Without you , she wanted to add. She gulped and left her feelings unsaid.
"That coffee? I need it, Alex."
"Oh, yes. And I'll fix you a sandwich. You must be hungry too." She turned away from him and started for the kitchen.
Nick followed her. "The reason I'm so grimy is that I just flew back into town tonight. Didn't take time for a shower or anything before com ing over here. I'm dead tired, but something has developed and I figured you'd want to know."
The coffee pot clattered to the stove and Alex wheeled around. "You found her?"
"No . Now, take it easy, Alex. Just listen." He heaved himself into the chair and rested one muscular arm on the table. Even in his near- exhausted state, Nick looked so powerful and sexy that Alex wanted to run to him and soothe his tired body.
"F ather Ramo n got a tip that an orphaned child might be found at Guaymas, a small fishing village on the co ast. Now, there is nothing defi nite about this at all. An anonymous tip. There was no specific information. The child could be ten or two, boy or girl. It might not be a valid tip at all. It might be the first of many wild goose chases. Like the hospital. I thought you'd like to go with me and see."
"Of course I'll go! It might be her!" Alex felt a flush of excitement. "This might be it!"
Nick shrugged, dou si ng her enthu si asm with his nonchalance. "At this point, we can't discount it. But chances are one in a million that we'd find her there. And so soon."
"Soon? My God, she's been gone a week!"
"Alex! Get a hold of yourself!" He had a mind to shake some sense into her but instead motioned impatiently at th e coffee pot. "The coffee? I re ally need it." Nick looked at her askance, his usu ally sharp eyes bleary and dull. Just when he wanted to take her in his arms, he was demand ing that she fix him a stupid cup of coffee. He must be lo si ng his mind.
"How can you be so casual about this? So un caring?"
"I'm not uncaring, Alex. Just tired. And if I'm going to si t here and stay awake long enough to talk to you, you'd better give me a little caffeine."
"All right, I'll fix the coffee. You talk." Alex forced herself back to the abandoned task. "Tell me everything. When did Father Ramon get this call? Who made it? Why don't you trace the caller? When are we going to Guaymas?"
"The only question I can answer is the last one. Tomorrow morning."
"Tomo rrow? Why not tonight?" Alex de manded, her e motions playing havoc with soar ing highs and plummeting lows in a matter of minutes. "What if she's there now?"
"If she's there tonight, Alex, she'll be there tomorrow. Any way, I'm in no shape to fly any where tonight. I have to get some sleep."
"The claim on your door
Nick si ghed, his eyes drinking in Alex's refresh ing beauty. "You wouldn't believe it. Actually, I'm just very tired. I didn't sleep very much in the past two days."
She closed the door behind him. "I thought you . . . might not return, Nick."
"What gave you that idea?"
She shrugged. "I didn't know where you were or who you were with ."
"You don't have to know those things, Alex. Only that I'll be back." He loomed, rather than stood, in the hallway.
"How do I know that for sure? I don't know anything about you."
"You know that you can trust me, Alex," he said quietly. "That's enough."
She shook her head and her blond hair rustled around her face. "It isn't enough for me. I want to know more, Nick."
"I thought we made a deal. You don't ask ques tions, and I'll help you find Jenni."
She nodded and looked down. "We did. But you haven't exac tly held up your end of the bar gain either. We're no closer to finding her."
"Oh yes we are. Investigations take time. We've only been working on this a week. And we're further along than we were at the begin ning."
A week? Only a week? It seemed like a year! "Yes, I guess we are. Sorry, Nick. I'm just so anx ious to find her. And these last two days have been long." Without you , she wanted to add. She gulped and left her feelings unsaid.
"That coffee? I need it, Alex."
"Oh, yes. And I'll fix you a sandwich. You must be hungry too." She turned away from him and started for the kitchen.
Nick followed her. "The reason I'm so grimy is that I just flew back into town tonight. Didn't take time for a shower or anything before com ing over here. I'm dead tired, but something has developed and I figured you'd want to know."
The coffee pot clattered to the stove and Alex wheeled around. "You found her?"
"No . Now, take it easy, Alex. Just listen." He heaved himself into the chair and rested one muscular arm on the table. Even in his near- exhausted state, Nick looked so powerful and sexy that Alex wanted to run to him and soothe his tired body.
"F ather Ramo n got a tip that an orphaned child might be found at Guaymas, a small fishing village on the co ast. Now, there is nothing defi nite about this at all. An anonymous tip. There was no specific information. The child could be ten or two, boy or girl. It might not be a valid tip at all. It might be the first of many wild goose chases. Like the hospital. I thought you'd like to go with me and see."
"Of course I'll go! It might be her!" Alex felt a flush of excitement. "This might be it!"
Nick shrugged, dou si ng her enthu si asm with his nonchalance. "At this point, we can't discount it. But chances are one in a million that we'd find her there. And so soon."
"Soon? My God, she's been gone a week!"
"Alex! Get a hold of yourself!" He had a mind to shake some sense into her but instead motioned impatiently at th e coffee pot. "The coffee? I re ally need it." Nick looked at her askance, his usu ally sharp eyes bleary and dull. Just when he wanted to take her in his arms, he was demand ing that she fix him a stupid cup of coffee. He must be lo si ng his mind.
"How can you be so casual about this? So un caring?"
"I'm not uncaring, Alex. Just tired. And if I'm going to si t here and stay awake long enough to talk to you, you'd better give me a little caffeine."
"All right, I'll fix the coffee. You talk." Alex forced herself back to the abandoned task. "Tell me everything. When did Father Ramon get this call? Who made it? Why don't you trace the caller? When are we going to Guaymas?"
"The only question I can answer is the last one. Tomorrow morning."
"Tomo rrow? Why not tonight?" Alex de manded, her e motions playing havoc with soar ing highs and plummeting lows in a matter of minutes. "What if she's there now?"
"If she's there tonight, Alex, she'll be there tomorrow. Any way, I'm in no shape to fly any where tonight. I have to get some sleep."
"The claim on your door
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