The Troublesome Angel by Valerie Hansen Page A

temples. Made her dizzy. It took enormous willpower to convince herself she could step away from Gray without falling flat on her face in front of the elder Paynes.
    He seemed to sense her need of physical as well as emotional support so he gently cupped her elbow as he said, “Honey, I’ll even frisk you before you leave, if that’s what it takes to please everybody.”
    Estelle’s sharp gasp was barely audible, thanks to the peals of raucous laughter again coming from Graydon as he formally escorted Stacy and Lewis out of the room and closed the door behind them.
     
    When they reached the hall, he paused to gain control of his sense of humor. His hand remained firmly on Stacy’s elbow. “You okay?”
    “I’m fine.” Her grin was so wide it made her cheeks hurt. “On the way over here, I told Lewis we’d be about as popular as a skunk at a Sunday school picnic. That analogy didn’t even begin to describe what just happened.”
    Gray smiled down at her. “You have to get used to them. They’re not as bad as they seem.”
    “Yeah, right. And I’m the Queen of Sheba.”
    He bowed low with a flourish. “Your humble servant, your majesty. Where shall we begin the search?”
    Stacy was tempted to suggest his parents’ suite upstairs, simply to vex them more, but she resisted the urge. “Wherever they let Missy play, I guess. Does she have any toys here? Any place she calls her own?”
    “Not really.” He sobered. “Mother was supposed to be baby-sitting for Mark and Candace. She’s done it before, although she usually hired someone else to come over and do the actual supervision.”
    “But not this time?”
    “I don’t think so. That’s probably what went wrong. In case you haven’t noticed, my mother is not the world’s most grandmotherly person.”
    Stacy rolled her eyes. “No kidding.” A rush of sympathy for the little boy Gray had been surprisedher. Softly, she said, “It must not have been easy growing up in this house.”
    “It was okay. Mark fared better than I did.” The last vestiges of his smile faded.
    “Probably because he was the youngest,” she volunteered.
    “Probably. It’s always hardest on the firstborn.”
    “I wouldn’t know. I was an only child.”
    “Do you have any family left?” His voice was low, the words compassionately spoken.
    “The best anybody could hope for. My family is my church, my Christian friends. I don’t know what I’d do without their love and acceptance.”
    “Plus your dogs,” he reminded her.
    Stacy laid a hand on Lewis’s head, her fingers ruffling the fur behind his silky ears. “That goes without saying. These guys are more than just a job. They’re the reason for my existence.” She straightened. “So let’s get back to work. Take me to the place Missy was last seen and we’ll begin there.”
    Gray led the way to a sweeping staircase framed by carved newel posts and a mahogany banister. In the corner of the bottom step sat a beautiful porcelain doll dressed in pink satin and lace. It had blue eyes and its hair was the same strawberry-blond color as Missy’s.
    “Mother said she left her playing right here.” Gray pointed to the step.
    “I’m surprised she didn’t take her doll with her.” Picking it up, Stacy held it for Lewis to sniff.His tail began to wag even before she said, “Find.”
    Making several false starts then changing his mind, the dog finally settled on a path through the sitting room to the atrium. Once there, however, he quickly doubled back.
    When he returned to the stairs, Gray said, “Humph. He’s as confused as we are.”
    Stacy wasn’t discouraged. She’d seen too many miraculous rescues to doubt her dog’s abilities. The problem wasn’t Lewis, it was the proper interpretation of his actions. “Not necessarily. Simmer down, stand clear and give him time to sort it all out. Obviously, Missy wandered all over down here, which makes things even harder. He’s just looking for the most recent scent