The Perfect Couple by Brenda Novak Page B
Authors: Brenda Novak
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Suspense fiction, Private Investigators, Romantic Suspense Fiction, Kidnapping, Missing Children, Sacramento (Calif.)
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was back, she'd figure out some way to meet the obligation. If Sam wasn't back...salvaging her credit would be the least of her problems.
74
Chapter 10
Anton was standing on the porch, holding a cup of coffee when Colin and Zoe returned. Zoe waved as Colin parked, but her fiance didn't respond.
"Uh-oh." Colin clicked his tongue. "I think you're in trouble."
"He's definitely not happy," she agreed. But he looked well-rested, which rankled almost as much as the anger apparent in his expression.
Colin touched her on the leg. "I'll explain where we were, if you want."
"No. You've done enough for me. Thank you."
The weight of his hand remained. "Will you stop thanking me? You act like you've never had a friend."
With the transient nature of the people she'd known in her childhood, and the number of times she'd moved as an adult, her life had been too unstable for long-lasting relationships. It hurt too much to separate after bonding with someone, so she didn't let herself care too deeply. Not for anyone but Sam. Sam had been her best friend as well as her daughter.
But thinking of their closeness made her chest ache just when she'd finally been feeling a bit better.
As she got out of Colin's BMW, she collected a box of flyers from the backseat; Colin insisted on carrying the other. He walked with her and gave his to Anton when they'd climbed onto the porch.
Anton's mouth formed a hard, straight line. "What's this?"
"Flyers." He rubbed his hands as if he'd been hard at work, which was true. "We bumped into each other in the middle of the night, both suffering from insomnia, so we figured we'd make use of the time."
Anton's eyes cut to the cigarette butt on the walkway, then lifted to Zoe. "You couldn't have told me? You didn't assume I'd wonder where you'd gone, especially with your car still in the driveway?"
The realization that he'd been genuinely worried made her resentment dissipate. Was she merely searching for a target, taking her fear and stress out on Anton? It was possible. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was so caught up...I--
I didn't even consider what you'd think if you woke to find me gone."
His forehead rumpled as if he was struggling to suppress some emotion. He reached out to her, then hugged her as best he could while they were each holding a box of flyers. "Don't do that again."
"I won't," she murmured.
75
Colin cleared his throat, probably to remind them that he was still around. "I should get going. I have a lot to do today." He started to move away but stopped before clearing the grass. "Hey, I almost forgot my part of the flyers. I'll take surface streets to work and drop one off at every store between here and downtown."
"Would you?" Encouraged that they were already disseminating information, Zoe smiled. She felt bad about frightening Anton, but Colin had really helped.
"Of course. Give me...half," he said.
"That many?"
"I'll leave some with Tiff, have her hit the stores I can't."
Zoe handed over her box. "You've been great, Colin."
"Don't mention it." He winked. "I'll report in later."
Standing next to Anton, Zoe watched him walk to his house. When he was gone, Anton bent to pick up the cigarette butt. "He smokes?"
She knew how Anton felt about that, and chafed at the memory of sharing Colin's cigarette. "Apparently only when he can't sleep."
He went over to the side yard to toss the butt in the garbage.
"Are you ready to start passing out flyers?" she asked when he returned.
"I am."
"Good. Let's go."
She hiked up her purse, but he shook his head. "I'll do it. You've got to get some sleep. You've been up for almost forty-eight hours, and you've hardly eaten a bite. I don't know how you're still on your feet."
The pain was easier to tolerate if she was actively working. It was the doubt that set in when she stopped that hurt the most. And the way Anton kept trying to hold her back, to get her to slow down, made it worse. "I can't, Anton. I don't care about pacing myself. I don't
74
Chapter 10
Anton was standing on the porch, holding a cup of coffee when Colin and Zoe returned. Zoe waved as Colin parked, but her fiance didn't respond.
"Uh-oh." Colin clicked his tongue. "I think you're in trouble."
"He's definitely not happy," she agreed. But he looked well-rested, which rankled almost as much as the anger apparent in his expression.
Colin touched her on the leg. "I'll explain where we were, if you want."
"No. You've done enough for me. Thank you."
The weight of his hand remained. "Will you stop thanking me? You act like you've never had a friend."
With the transient nature of the people she'd known in her childhood, and the number of times she'd moved as an adult, her life had been too unstable for long-lasting relationships. It hurt too much to separate after bonding with someone, so she didn't let herself care too deeply. Not for anyone but Sam. Sam had been her best friend as well as her daughter.
But thinking of their closeness made her chest ache just when she'd finally been feeling a bit better.
As she got out of Colin's BMW, she collected a box of flyers from the backseat; Colin insisted on carrying the other. He walked with her and gave his to Anton when they'd climbed onto the porch.
Anton's mouth formed a hard, straight line. "What's this?"
"Flyers." He rubbed his hands as if he'd been hard at work, which was true. "We bumped into each other in the middle of the night, both suffering from insomnia, so we figured we'd make use of the time."
Anton's eyes cut to the cigarette butt on the walkway, then lifted to Zoe. "You couldn't have told me? You didn't assume I'd wonder where you'd gone, especially with your car still in the driveway?"
The realization that he'd been genuinely worried made her resentment dissipate. Was she merely searching for a target, taking her fear and stress out on Anton? It was possible. "I'm sorry," she said. "I was so caught up...I--
I didn't even consider what you'd think if you woke to find me gone."
His forehead rumpled as if he was struggling to suppress some emotion. He reached out to her, then hugged her as best he could while they were each holding a box of flyers. "Don't do that again."
"I won't," she murmured.
75
Colin cleared his throat, probably to remind them that he was still around. "I should get going. I have a lot to do today." He started to move away but stopped before clearing the grass. "Hey, I almost forgot my part of the flyers. I'll take surface streets to work and drop one off at every store between here and downtown."
"Would you?" Encouraged that they were already disseminating information, Zoe smiled. She felt bad about frightening Anton, but Colin had really helped.
"Of course. Give me...half," he said.
"That many?"
"I'll leave some with Tiff, have her hit the stores I can't."
Zoe handed over her box. "You've been great, Colin."
"Don't mention it." He winked. "I'll report in later."
Standing next to Anton, Zoe watched him walk to his house. When he was gone, Anton bent to pick up the cigarette butt. "He smokes?"
She knew how Anton felt about that, and chafed at the memory of sharing Colin's cigarette. "Apparently only when he can't sleep."
He went over to the side yard to toss the butt in the garbage.
"Are you ready to start passing out flyers?" she asked when he returned.
"I am."
"Good. Let's go."
She hiked up her purse, but he shook his head. "I'll do it. You've got to get some sleep. You've been up for almost forty-eight hours, and you've hardly eaten a bite. I don't know how you're still on your feet."
The pain was easier to tolerate if she was actively working. It was the doubt that set in when she stopped that hurt the most. And the way Anton kept trying to hold her back, to get her to slow down, made it worse. "I can't, Anton. I don't care about pacing myself. I don't
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