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  Still only inches from her, he nodded.

  Even under his eye, her confidence flickered brighter. “And there is a postal station not far from here where we can rent a large post box so our customers wouldn’t have to ever know our address.”

  “I’m not worried about impressing people. Hewlett and Packard started in a garage, remember?” Taking a step from her, he peered out of the high small window in the alley door.

  She hovered near him. “Well, this is definitely a step up from a garage,” she said with an attempt at humor. “And I’ve already chosen a downtown restaurant where I can meet with prospective clients.”

  “Well, you sound like you’ve thought of everything.”

  “I tried to.” So, Jack? She took a step closer.

  He turned toward her, his nose just missing hers.

  She froze. The inches between them became charged, vital.

  Jack, why are you so different today? Gracie looked into his blue eyes and leaned closer.

  Responding, he slanted forward and pressed his lips to hers.

  Gracie closed her eyes, savoring the contact she’d dreamed of for so long, his lips on hers. Jack…

  “Hi, kids!” Voices summoned them from the front. The door banged shut.

  Gracie and Jack stumbled apart and whirled toward the voices. Through the doorway, she glimpsed her dad and Sandy.

  “Hi, Gracie. Mama said you were here.” Mike beamed at them.

  Gracie felt her cheeks flaming, as though they were a flashing neon-orange sign repeating, “I Kissed Jack! Jack Kissed Me!”

  “Mom, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Jack blurted out.

  Gracie breathed steadily in and out, willing away the guilty stain she could feel on her cheeks. Would her dad notice her blushes? Had they glimpsed Jack kissing her?

  “Look, I’m off my crutches.” Sandy motioned grandly. “Mike invited me to lunch at the Polska to celebrate.”

  Gracie eyed Jack with uncertainty. Was he disgruntled, grumpy? What was the matter with him?

  “That’s great!” Gracie enthused, to cover Jack’s obvious displeasure and her discomfiture. Her lips still tingled after Jack’s kiss.

  “We’ve just been to a store to pick out flooring, paint and wallpaper for my addition.” Sandy looked around the large room.

  “That’s what we’ll be doing soon,” Gracie hurried to say, still covering Jack’s silence. “We’re going to rent this for LIT.”

  “Wonderful,” Mike said. “You’ll be right in the neighborhood.” Then he put an arm around Sandy’s shoulders.

  Jack folded his arms and glared at Mike.

  Oh dear. Gracie hoped she was wrong about what was upsetting Jack.

  A day later, at Cliff’s invitation, Gracie and Jack stood in line at the dinner buffet in a suburban country club, overlooking the groomed, brilliant-green golf course. He and Gracie had parted immediately after his approving her decision to rent the place next to the Polska. And right after I gave into crazy temptation and kissed her.

  Why did I kiss Gracie? What was I thinking? I’m lucky she didn’t quit right then.

  Jack watched the casually but expensively dressed people milling around them and the ones who’d gotten in line after them. But his mind was divided between the present and what had happened the day before. The kiss. She did kiss me back. What did that mean?

  “Why are we here?” Gracie whispered to him. “I keep asking and you won’t tell me.”

  Her whisper made the hair on the back of his neck whisker up. He hesitated, getting control of his voice. “I want to get a better feel for the Board members.” He added silently, I suspect that someone here has an enemy. Since I haven’t located the hacker, maybe I can find out who his target is.

  So far though, except for Gracie’s undiluted presence, which acted on him like a stimulant, Jack had only been bored to death. No wonder these people had to anesthetize themselves with a cocktail hour before dinner. Why did people think hitting a little ball into eighteen holes was of universal and intense interest?

  “Are you sure you’re not doing some amateur sleuthing?” she whispered.

  “Keep that to yourself.” Jack suddenly recalled how soft her lips had been. They’d just been alone at the new storefront and, without warning, she’d become an irresistible force to him, his North Star. Why?

  “What do you expect to find out?” Gracie scooped salad greens generously onto her plate.

  “I don’t know. Maybe just get a second impression of Dr. Collins.”

  Neither he nor Gracie had said one word about that kiss. He’d been afraid of how she might respond if he did. I guess it didn’t shake her up like it did me—fortunately. He tried to feel fortunate, but failed.

  The two of them reached the end of the line. “Where do you want to sit?” she asked.

  Dr. Collins was seated at a table to Jack’s far right.

  Jack was gazing around when another thought came. Should he apologize to her for kissing her? I just won’t let it happen again. I’ve lost Tom. I can’t afford to lose Gracie.

  A woman stood and flicked her hand, beckoning them.

  Jack recognized her as Mrs. Dunn, the woman who’d hosted the pool party he and Gracie had attended. Jack nudged Gracie to head toward them. Then they would be sitting at the table beside Collins.

  Dunn and his svelte wife sat at a round table in the corner of the room. “We were pleased when you accepted our invitation to come tonight,” the wife said. “Your father said you usually don’t like to mix business and pleasure.”

  “Maybe this isn’t pleasure.” The husband spoke up, an edge to his voice. “Maybe he’s come to ruin our meal with questions.”

  Jack lifted an eyebrow. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Dr. Collins watching and listening.

  “Cliff made it clear that you think we aren’t doing enough to assist you.” Dunn buttered his roll with a vengeance.

  Jack set his plate down and pulled out a chair for Gracie. Ignoring the man’s challenge, he found himself contrasting Mrs. Dunn and Gracie.

  He didn’t like the look of the pencil-thin surgeon’s wife—too much makeup and too much jewelry. In his opinion, Gracie, with her unaffected hairstyle and sprinkle of freckles over her nose, won hands down.

  “Well?” Dunn pushed for an answer.

  “I’ve been getting many leads, but so far none has panned out. I suspect that someone on the Board is being targeted.” Jack finished seating Gracie and then sat down, too. “Maybe you could give me a few suggestions of who that might be.”

  “Is that possible?” Dunn asked. “We aren’t in the business of hurting people. We spend our days repairing broken and diseased bodies—”

  “Hackers are not the most logical people.” Jack turned away from Gracie, trying to ignore the subtle Gracie fragrance he’d become aware of so intensely that night in his mother’s kitchen.

  “What does that mean?” Dunn fixed his gaze on Jack.

  Jack glanced around, seeking his dad. Cliff was at another table, but within hearing distance. “It means that the hacker’s motive might not be obvious or even sensible.”

  “I didn’t think of that.” Dunn looked as if he were giving that some thought.

  Gracie nibbled her salad, but Jack sensed her close attention to the exchange. He dragged his mind back to the subject at hand. “Has Hope had to let any troublesome employees go in the past year?”

  Dunn pursed his lips. “Cliff asked that question right after we met you at our pool party. I can’t think of anyone we’ve let go—”

  “What about that nurse who was trying to unionize the nursing staff at Highland Hills Hospital?” Dr. Brown, tall but unprepossessing, sat down with her husband beside her.

  “We didn’t fire her,” Dunn objected. “She had every right to try to organize the nursing staff and the staff had every right to vote it down.”

  Jack watched Gracie butter a roll, fascinated by the adroit action of her fingers. Everythi
ng about Gracie looked fragile. But she wasn’t. She was strong—like his mother.

  “Did you put any pressure on the staff not to vote themselves into a union?”

  “Trying to prevent unionization is illegal,” Dunn said. “We didn’t think the nurses needed to unionize, but we did nothing to stop it.”

  “Is this part of your job?” Dr. Brown asked, sitting forward in her chair. “To try to track down the hacker?”

  “Yes,” Jack replied. “LIT has been hired to fix and secure your system. But after this latest episode, I warned my father that no system is impregnable. Mitnik invaded the government’s databases before he was finally tracked down.”

  “Was that the notorious hacker that was imprisoned in the nineties?” Brown asked.

  “Yes.” Jack nodded. “I don’t think your hacker is in that league. What does someone want to gain by messing up your payroll and your insurance data? We need to consider motive.”

  No one replied.

  Jack noted Dr. Collins turn quietly away from them after obviously taking in all that had been said.

  “Let’s change subjects. All this business talk is spoiling my dinner.” Mrs. Dunn looked at Jack. “So, what do you think of Gloria?” Mrs. Dunn took a sip of her water.

  “Gloria?” Jack looked to Gracie for information. Had he met a Gloria?

  Gracie responded with a small shake of her head.

  “Was that the nurse who wanted to unionize?” Jack asked.

  “No! She’s your father’s fiancée.” The woman watched him, looking pleased, as though she had scored a point in some game she was playing.

  Jack said nothing.

  “We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet,” Gracie said, filling the gap for him.

  “That’s right.” Cliff, who’d finally decided to come over from his table, sat down beside Jack. “Gloria has been away with a few family emergencies since I proposed.”

  Jack managed to nod.

  “I’m hoping they’ll get to meet her when she gets home in the coming month.” Cliff looked to Jack as though daring him to say something negative.

  Gracie’s cell phone made a subtle buzzing sound and she took it out of her pocket. She turned to Jack as she listened.

  “I can’t believe that,” she said into the small phone. Pause. “Okay. I’ll be home as soon as I can.” She slid the phone back into her pocket.

  “What was it?” Jack murmured into her ear.

  “Later.” Her tone was curt.

  Chapter Eight

  Gracie chewed her lower lip as Jack parked in front of her house. “Thanks for bringing me home early.” She reached for the door handle, eager to get away from him.

  “Hold it. It’s late. I’m walking you in.” He released his seat belt. It slithered into its holder.

  “No.” She gripped the handle. I don’t know what we’ll find inside, Jack, and I don’t want you to see my family this way.

  “You’ve been upset since you got that phone call—”

  Her phone buzzed again. What now? She lifted it from her pocket. “Hi.”

  Gracie, I need you at home,” her dad urged. “Now.”

  “I’m in front of the house. I’ll be right in.” At her father’s anxious voice, her pulse raced. She felt a little sick as she hung up. “I’ve got to go.”

  “I’m coming with—”

  “No, I…” Please, Jack, don’t. This is too personal.

  Unfazed, he climbed out, zipped around and met her at the curb. “What is it?”

  Under the bronzed sky, she shook her head, unable to put her hesitance into words. She headed for her front gate.

  But Jack kept up with her.

  As she unlocked the front door and hurried inside, he doggedly followed her into the foyer.

  Raised male voices greeted them.

  Gracie rushed into the first-floor flat. In the living room, Mike and Troy faced one another. Their hostile expressions—so out of character—made the hair on her nape stand up.

  “I’m not standing for this!” Troy shouted.

  Her dad’s hair was mussed and tension stiffened his posture. Stress showed in the way he edged forward, confronting Troy. “I called Annie immediately after this arrived for you. She said she’d come as soon as she could. She’s on her way. Why won’t you agree to talk this over with her?”

  “She’s gone too far.” Troy shook a sheaf of papers in Mike’s face. “And I don’t want to talk to her.”

  “She said she’d be right over—” Mike insisted, reaching for Troy’s arm.

  The front door opened. Annie walked in.

  Gracie took a step forward.

  “You!” Troy’s voice was accusing.

  “Yes, me. Dad called and I came.” Annie tossed a defiant glare at her husband.

  Gracie froze where she was, unable to believe what was happening around her. Lord, it’s worse than I thought. Help us.

  Troy waved the document in Annie’s face. “You’ve gone too far—”

  “Really?” Annie lifted her chin. “I think it was the very least I could do in the situation you put us in—”

  “Me?” Troy glared. “I didn’t walk out.”

  Her head cocked, Annie folded her arms in front of her. “I was forced out. It was your way or the highway.”

  Oh, Annie! Gracie turned to Jack. “We should go and let them—”

  “I,” Troy yelled, “never said that—”

  “Stop this!” Mike roared.

  Silence.

  Gracie realized Jack had moved to her side. She put out a hand. He took it and she clung to him.

  “This is not the kind of home where family members yell at one another.” Mike looked at Annie and then Troy. “Now, we’re going to sit down and discuss this like a family.”

  “Yes, listen to Dad,” Gracie coaxed.

  “I’m not discussing anything here.” Troy folded his arms. “You’ll take her side. She’s your daughter.”

  Mike stared at him as though he couldn’t believe what Troy had just uttered. “I won’t be doing any of the talking. You two will—”

  Troy swung away toward the front door. “I’m leaving. Ann Marie, you’ll be hearing from my lawyer—”

  Suddenly, before Gracie’s horrified gaze, two little boys appeared in the kitchen doorway. Austin and Andy rubbed their sleepy eyes. Then Austin did a hop. “Mommy!” he crowed.

  “Go back to bed.” Troy warned them.

  Ignoring their father, the two of them, both squealing, stormed their mother and wrapped themselves around her legs.

  Annie bent over, hugging them back, murmuring a broken, teary greeting.

  “Mommy’s home! Mommy’s home!” The twins danced and jumped around her, but without letting go.

  Lord, protect these little ones, Gracie prayed silently, as she edged closer to the boys.

  Jack stayed at her side. Suddenly, she realized she was glad he was here—his presence bolstered her.

  Troy glared at Annie, whose eyes now glistened with unshed tears. “You boys have to go back up to bed,” he insisted.

  “But Mommy’s here!” Austin declared as though their father were blind.

  “Not for long,” Troy started. “She doesn’t care about you—”

  Jack lunged at Troy, grabbing the front of his shirt. “That’s enough,” he hissed. “Don’t use your kids like that.”

  Gracie gasped.

  Red-faced, Troy sputtered, shocked. He grasped Jack’s hand.

  “No! Don’t, Troy!” Gracie rose onto the balls of her feet, ready to come between the two men who stood nose to nose. This isn’t happening.

  An uneasy silence hung over them all.

  Gracie realized she’d stopped breathing, and drew in air.

  Austin and Andy retained their hold on the denim of their mother’s jean shorts. “Mr. Lassater, don’t hurt our daddy,” Andy implored.

  Gracie ached for him as Andy’s lower lip trembled.

  Jack let go of Troy’s
shirt. “I won’t.”

  Troy muttered under his breath, still glowering at Jack.

  “I think,” Jack said in a calm tone, “Gracie and I will take the boys upstairs.” He glanced over his shoulder at her. “Shall we help them get settled down again for the night?”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.” Mike spoke up, moving to stand by Jack.

  “But we don’t want Mommy to leave,” Austin said. Neither boy released his death grip on Annie.

  “Your mother will be here in the morning.” Mike bent down to look them in the eyes. “I promise.”

  “But we want her now,” Andy objected, nearly whining.

  “Don’t go, Mommy,” Austin pleaded.

  Gracie’s throat clogged with swallowed tears.

  Mike made eye contact with each twin. “Your mommy and daddy need to sit down and talk things through so we can settle when Mommy is coming home for good.”

  Troy’s face flushed with anger. “I won’t be manipulated.”

  “Neither will I,” Annie muttered.

  Mike rose, giving both his daughter and his son-in-law a warning glance.

  “No one will be manipulated,” Gracie said, finally able to speak.

  “And no one will be able to disturb others,” Jack asserted with a significant nod at the twins. Turning toward the boys, he squatted and opened his arms. “Guys, kiss your mommy good-night and come with me and your aunt. You will see your mommy here in the morning. I promise.”

  The twins gazed up at their mother. The question Will you be here in the morning? was plain in their identical expressions.

  Annie bent her knees and again gathered them into her arms. “I’ll be here in the morning, guys. And I’ll make you sausages and pancakes with raisin smiles, just the way you like.”

  This worked. Each twin took a turn hugging her neck and smooching her. Then they rushed Jack.

  One in each arm, he rose. “Come on, Aunt Gracie, let’s get these boys back to bed.”

  Gracie led him through the kitchen and motioned him up the back stairs. Cool relief whistled through her. She closed the door behind her, so the twins wouldn’t hear any more acrimony. Jack’s quick action had shocked her, but it had stopped Troy from doing any more damage.