Lost and Found Groom by McLinn, Patricia (most difficult books to read .TXT) 📗

to remind himself of their relationship.

“Hello, Robert. Everything okay?”

Robert had been in college when his staid parents had adopted a nameless scrawny kid from the streets of South America. At first they’d tolerated each other for the sake of Robert Senior and Annette. Over the years of sporadic contact their suspicions had eased. More was unlikely.

“Yes, yes, everything’s fine. I saw Mother and Father last week for dinner in Florida. Both appear to be enjoying excellent health. They told me you’d stopped over on your way back from Sa–um, after your latest assignment.”

Now, that was interesting. Daniel had never mentioned where he’d been, so they couldn’t have told Robert about Santa Estella. He’d certainly never told Robert. Nor to his knowledge would Robert have any reason for knowing his assignment.

Although . . . he’d wondered what Robert did in Washington. Robert Senior’s advances in the foreign service had been straightforward and public. Robert Junior operated in the shadows. Daniel had his suspicions, but no certain knowledge.

For one thing, Robert had an uncanny knack for knowing how to contact Daniel even when the number of people who knew where he’d be could be counted on one hand.

“Yeah, I hadn’t gotten loose for a visit in a while–” An understatement. During his years as Taumaturgio, trips back to the States had been sporadic and brief. “–so I stayed longer.”

“Father mentioned that you’d received a number of phone calls while you were there.”

“Yes.” Some from contacts working on Kendra’s whereabouts and some from his bosses.

“I understand you’re taking a leave of absence.”

“You didn’t hear that from Mother and Father.” Because he hadn’t told them.

“No, no I didn’t.”

Daniel had little patience for fencing–besides he’d never beat the master at it.

“Robert, what’s this about? I visited in Florida. I made phone calls. I took a leave. Is that a problem for you?”

“For me?” the older man sounded genuinely surprised. “Not at all. However, Daniel, it has come to my attention that some people have been making inquiries about you with certain sources here in Washington.”

Kendra.

“That so?” He wondered if Robert would hear the grin in his voice, or understand it if he could.

Why was he not surprised?

Because the fact of her being a resourceful, skeptical and tenacious reporter had worried him when he’d first encountered her on Santa Estella. It was the reason he’d followed her when she’d refused to leave the island with her crew and instead headed out on the trail of Taumaturgio– his trail. It was the reason, once the hurricane hit and she’d been fighting her way up the street, that he’d made sure she heard that banging door so she’d take shelter where he could keep an eye on her.

Well, part of the reason.

But it was the only reason he’d stayed away after Aretha. Reporter Kendra Jenner had been too dangerous to Taumaturgio.

She’d have dug and dug until she knew exactly who he was. As Taumaturgio he couldn’t afford that. But if digging now helped her feel about Daniel Delligatti what she’d once felt for Paulo Ayudor . . .

“Yes. It also came to my attention that a certain university’s alumni roster was accessed on your behalf shortly before you left for Wyoming.”

Daniel’s grin evaporated. Came to Robert’s attention, his ass. “Are you tracking me, Robert?”

“No.” He said it with convincing simplicity. “However, a number of people know of our connection. In addition, I have had occasion to talk with the people who have supervised you while you dealt with certain, uh, issues, and they have expressed to me both their concern about your abrupt move to take an extended leave and their eagerness to have you return to your former status.”

“I’m not ready to go back.”

“Will you be soon?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there a problem, Daniel? Something . . . Well, with these questions being asked . . .”

“The questions have nothing to do with my job, Robert. Tell anyone who asks it’s fine with me to answer anything that doesn’t breach security. And don’t worry, I won’t breach it, either, if that’s why you called.”

“I never thought you would.” Robert’s calm answer both irked and pleased Daniel. The guy just didn’t get riled, but his underlying certainty about Daniel’s trustworthiness also stirred a kernel of warmth in Daniel. “I called because I thought you should be aware of these inquiries, and . . .”

When Robert uncharacteristically allowed that to dangle, Daniel prompted, “And?”

“If you’re having a personal problem that I can help with . . .” Robert cleared his throat and paused.

Well, I’ll be damned.

That was all Daniel could think, too surprised to say anything.

“I hope you know you could call on me, Daniel.”

“Thank you,” he got out. It sounded rusty, unused. “I . . . I appreciate that. But it’s not anything anyone can, uh, help with.”

“I understand. Would you prefer that I not indicate to Mother and Father where you are at the moment?”

“No–I’ll call them soon myself.”

“Very well, I’ll leave that to you then. Goodbye, Daniel.”

“Goodbye, Robert.”

Daniel still had a hand on the phone when it rang a second time. He jerked it up and barked out a hello.

This time it was Kendra.

“Do you have time to come by this morning?”

It was not the voice of a woman who’d reconsidered a man’s proposal and decided to say yes. It was clipped and businesslike.

“I have nothing but time.”

“Around nine. My house. We have to talk.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“Morning, Kendra.”

Silently, she stepped back, and let him pass. He hadn’t wasted any time. Nine-oh-two.

His eyes searched the room as he came in.

“Matthew’s at Marti’s, playing with Emily this morning.”

He nodded. “I suppose that’s good.”

“It can get difficult carrying on a conversation when he’s in top gear.”

She gestured for him to take the same chair he’d occupied yesterday. Had it only been yesterday? She’d experienced so many emotions–

She cut off that thought with a dose of the mundane.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

She’d already been moving toward the coffee maker, expecting to have the excuse to fiddle with it for a while. She poured herself a cup she didn’t particularly want.

“If you’re going to stay around Far Hills a