Point of Attraction by Margaret Van Der Wolf

facing the parking lot and the street
beyond. “Over here.”
    When they sat down, the tip of his shoe
touched hers and he pulled his feet back, but his large hands
almost touched hers on the small round table. She fought the urge
to look into his eyes and centered her attention on her espresso,
his fingers still very close.
    “So far,” Mason started out, “We’ve
found nothing regarding Raggs. No one seems to have suffered a hit
that night either, or at least they haven’t reported
it.”
    “A hit?”
    “Robbery, break’n’ entry.”
    “Oh.” Even though she was expecting
this, it hurt just the same. “I’m not surprised,” she
murmured.
    “I’m sorry.” His finger twitched,
almost lifting and touching hers, but he stopped and looked to the
opening door.
    Georgie turned. Tonie Clark was
walking in. Georgie raised her espresso to her lips as she watched
Tonie’s searching glance swing first to the far corner where a
young couple now sat enjoying their morning wake-up drink, then
moved over the room.
    Georgie swallowed, enjoyed the warm
tasty liquid make its way down, and waved at the young
officer.
    Tonie smiled recognition and headed in
their direction. “We have a call,” she told Mason. “Stolen vehicle.
Happened sometime last night. Man went to get in his car this
morning... and it was gone.”
    “I’ll be right out.”
    Tonie nodded formally then smiled down
at Georgie before leaving.
    Mason leaned forward.
“George, your, ah, Spook friend came to see me last night.”
    “Spook friend?” The moment the words
came out, Georgie realized who he meant. She shook her head and let
it drop into her hands, then peered at him through her fingers.
“Nick,” she said, and Mason nodded. She really didn’t want to ask,
but she needed to know. “What did he say?”
    Georgie could not deny her heart raced
as Mason smiled at her, his eyes warm, their color deepening as
they moved over her face. At the rising flush to her face, she
wondered briefly if she was blushing, but decided Parker must have
raised the temperature of the place.
    “For an only child, Mrs.
Gainsworth, you have very impressive and awesome siblings, a Mad
OB/GYN and now an invisible
Spook ... who’s turning out to be not so
invisible after all.”
    “I’m so sorry, but he does mean well.
I’m afraid to ask, but...”
    “You’ll be glad to know
there is a birth certificate for him. His parents were Mary Jane
and William Bane Underwood, ordinary folk, both now deceased.
And he’ll be glad
to know he does exist and works at Cantell Electronics, held in high regard
as their best salesman and systems troubleshooter; none better,
they said. Impressive.”
    All Georgie could do was
force a smile of apology. She could wring Nick’s neck, then decided
there was no “could,” about it. She would wring his neck. Emmee was
right. He was a lunatic! But, she sighed in acceptance, he was hers
and Cassie’s lunatic, and in truth, they would have him no other
way.
    “He hung around until I came off my
shift.”
    “What? But how did he know
where...”
    “Don’t know. Never mind that.” His eyes
darkened as his scrutiny intensified. “But he asked if I had put a
rose on your windshield. What’s going on, George?”
    “Someone tucked a rose under my
windshield wiper last night.” She shrugged. “I thought it was Nick,
but I guess not.”
    “Is he not one to do that?”
    A small laugh found its way out. “Not
really. I just thought it might be an apology for acting the
fool.”
    The lights on his squad car began
flashing. Tonie’s signal for him to hurry, and Georgie began
gathering her things.
    “It wasn’t me.”
    “I really didn’t think it was,” she
said, pushing back her chair.
    “Why?” He reached to help her, but she
was already on her feet.
    “Why would you?”
    “Don’t know, but I could
have.”
    “And did you?” she asked,
both puzzled and feeling a little something at his
reaction.
    “No. I just told you.