Touching the Past by Ilene Kaye

filled the sky above it.
    “I didn’t realize it was so late.” Mallory pulled free of his loose hold. “I should get home.” She hesitated, obviously remembering she didn’t have her car. “I—”
    Zac finished clicking out of the programs and stood. “I’ll take you home. After dinner?” He silently cursed himself. He’d meant to sound authoritative and instead he’d sounded like he was asking a question.
    “I…shouldn’t. You have—”
    Mallory’s indecision reassured Zac. He took her arm and gently herded her toward the door, grabbing his keys off the stand beside it. “It’s been a long day. We both need something to eat. Then I’ll take you home so you can get some rest. I promise. All right?”
    Her mouth quirked up in a half smile as he pulled the door shut behind them. “You don’t seem to be giving me a lot of choice here.”
    Zac stopped, releasing her arm. He looked into her face. The last thing he wanted to do was make this woman uncomfortable or unhappy. “Do you really want to go straight home?”
    She met his eyes, then dropped her gaze, the smile fading. Her lips trembled before firming. She peeked at him through lowered lashes. “No.” Her voice was soft, but decided. “I’d lo—like to have dinner with you.”
    Feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Zac took her arm again. “Good. I’m starved.”
    He took her to the Creek Grill. The band was playing something that could have been slow rock or jazz when they walked in. It was loud enough to hear, but not loud enough to make the customers converse at the tops of their lungs.
    “You could have ordered something to drink,” Mallory said as the server walked away. “I don’t mind.” She’d ordered water.
    Zac shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m not much of a drinker. Diabetes runs in my family, so I try to watch it.”
    “You’re diabetic?”
    “No.” Zac frowned. His uncle had lost a foot because of diabetes and heart complications and his brother Pat had been in and out of the hospital since high school trying to get his blood sugar stabilized. “And I’d rather not become one, so I try to watch what I eat.”
    They avoided discussing Herkel, the kidnappings, or Mallory’s visions. Instead they started with their shared past over Southwest eggroll appetizers.
    Mallory wiped a tear of laughter away. “I forgot all about that.” She shook her head, her smile lingering. “I wonder what happened to Craig. He used to do the best Donald Duck impression.” She grinned at Zac. “Generally it was in the middle of biology, but still.”
    Zac could have told her. Their old classmate had become an alcoholic, habitually collecting DUIs. But he didn’t want to spoil the moment. Didn’t want to talk about anything that could be connected to work. Anything that would remind her why they were here together. He didn’t want this meal to be about business. He’d spent so many hours poring over the photos and files, trying to find connections. A lead. Now, for the first time in a long time, he was having dinner with an attractive woman. That was all he wanted to think about.
    It might be their last time together.
    The thought depressed him. She’d helped him because he’d pushed her and she cared. She’d responded to his kiss and kissed him, but that didn’t mean anything. It could have been the moment.
    Mentally Zac shook himself. He was giving up without even trying. He wanted to spend more time with Mallory and see where this…this thing between them went. Once they found Beth and the others, that’s what he’d do.
    “Ummm. That looks good.” Mallory was eying the pulled pork platter the server was setting in front of Zac. “Maybe I should have gotten that instead.”
    “I was just thinking that about yours.” Zac nodded at her plate of lobster mac and cheese. The good-sized pieces of lobster were firm and pink-red against the creamy cheese sauce.
    A smile tilted Mallory’s lips. “That