Her breath tickled his neck. "No name?"
"Somebody asks you to dance. You do. End of story."
"You don't get dates that way?"
"No."
"You're not asked?"
"I don't say yes. Too risky."
"Anyone get pushy?"
"Nah. I show 'em my gun if they do. Amazing how fast they lose interest."
"You're kidding."
"Yes."
He heard the smile in her voice.
"This is nice, Heath."
Yes, it was nice. And arousing. He could feel her breasts press against his chest. He rested a hand against the small of her back, his thumb stroking her spine. There was the slightest change in her body, a tightening, a little move closer. She went up on tiptoe.
"I've never been able to understand how women can do that."
"What?"
"Dance on their toes."
"Makes it easier to follow."
"What do you do if the guy's shorter than you?"
"Lead."
He laughed when he thought himself incapable of laughter, whirled her around then dipped her backward. He let his lips brush hers before pulling her up and continuing the dance, but he slowed the pace until just their bodies were moving, not their feet. He wrapped both arms around her. She nestled her face against his neck.
After a minute he felt a drop of hot water land on his skin and slip under his T-shirt, then another, then another. He swallowed. Ah, Cassie. I wish I could let you mourn. I can't. I can't.
"Let's go to bed," he said, not even acknowledging her tears.
"I don't want-I'm not-"
"To sleep," he said. "Just to sleep."
"Okay." Her relief filled the room.
A barrier sat between them, even as they clung to each other in bed. No words were spoken. He knew she stayed awake for as long as he did-until Danny woke up.
The difference was, this time she let him go alone.
Thirteen
Cassie woke with a start, found the bed empty beside her, fired a glance at the clock and fell back against the pillow, stunned. Nine o'clock. How could she have slept that late?
She hurried across the hall, showered, dressed and jogged downstairs, braiding her hair as she went.
"In the kitchen," Heath called out.
He was at the stove, finishing up an omelet. Danny was kicking his legs, making his bouncy chair move on the counter near Heath.
"I overslept," she said, breathless after rushing.
"You were tired." He slid the omelet onto a plate, sprinkled some chopped chives over the top, added two pieces of bacon and set the plate on the counter, motioning her to sit. Then he came around to her side and kissed her.
"Good morning," he said, smiling, but with hesitance in his eyes.
Because her first reaction was to pull away, she put her hands on his face and kissed him back. She hadn't liked his mother's accurate assessment of her, that she worked hard at keeping her distance. "Good morning. Thank you for breakfast."
"You're welcome."
"How's our- How's Danny this morning?"
He cupped the back of her head in sympathy for her slip. "Content. He's about ready for a bottle and a nap."
She took a bite of the omelet and sighed at the wonderful mix of sharp cheddar cheese and green pepper filling. "Have you called Brad Torrance yet?"
"I figured he wouldn't be in before nine. I'll call when Danny's asleep and the house is quiet."
She'd awakened at one point during the night trying to come up with reasons why they could delay calling Torrance, but none came to her. If it were her child gone missing-
"I think we're on to something with him," she said.
"Makes sense. If it's true, I don't envy him telling his wife. I wonder if she's given birth yet."
She was aware they were both trying to keep their conversation light, so that they wouldn't dwell on the implications of their speculation.
A half hour later they couldn't delay any longer. Danny was asleep. They went to Heath's office. Cassie held a portable phone so that she could listen in on the call. While they waited to be connected with Torrance, Heath put a hand on Cassie's and squeezed it.
"It's going to be okay," he said.
No, it wasn't, but she smiled back at him.
"How are you, Heath?" Torrance asked when he came on the line.
"Pretty good. Yourself?"
"Busy, as always. You were on my mind this morning, actually. We haven't had any work from you for a few weeks."
"I've been busy, but not in need of any contracts. Pretty soon, though. I've got three projects in the works."
"Great. What can I do for you, then?"
Heath glanced at Cassie. "I was curious about Eva Brooks."
The pause was so brief, Cassie decided Torrance could've just as easily been distracted for a second. "What about her?"
"You know she used to come here once a week or so to drop off papers. I was wondering if she'd had her baby yet. It must be tough being a single mother. Thought I'd send her a present."
Cassie gave him a thumbs-up.
"How do you know she's single?"
"She told me. Said the father of her baby wasn't in the picture."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
Cassie raised her brows. Torrance was much too interested in Eva.
"Around about the time she went on maternity leave," Heath said.
"She hasn't contacted you since then?"
"There was no reason for her to. Why?"
"She seems to have disappeared."
"Disappeared as in 'into thin air'?" Heath asked.
"Pretty much."
"I don't know much about that kind of thing, but did you file a missing person's report?" Heath asked.
"No. She left her roommate a note, saying she was leaving. No reason for the police to look."
Cassie wrote a quick note to Heath: Ask if they checked with her insurance to see if she's delivered.
He repeated the question to Torrance.
"Nothing so far. I'm surprised at your interest."
Suspicious, Cassie decided. "End it," she mouthed to Heath.
"You know how narrow my world is," Heath said. "I enjoyed watching her blossom. Thought I would get a birth announcement when the baby was born and I realized I hadn't. Well, I won't take up any more of your time. Bye." He hung up before Torrance could say anything else.
"What do you think?" Heath asked.
"Something's not right. He wouldn't have continued the conversation otherwise. He might have referred you to the human resources director or Eva's immediate supervisor. He's taken a personal interest. He employs, what, fifty employees probably? He wouldn't normally keep track of someone that low on the organizational chart. Plus, we know he contacted Missing Persons."
"Doesn't prove anything."
"No." She drummed her fingers on the worktable, then she sat up straight. "Do you know for sure that she cashed your ten thousand dollar check?"
"I- No. Not for sure."
"Call your bank and find out."
"What good will that do?"
"I'm speculating."
Cassie wandered while he got the information. She was tempted to open his blinds but didn't, his office the last room in the house where they were still closed. Perhaps since she'd told him about the night-light, he might tell her why he lived in the dark.
"She didn't cash it," Heath said, hanging up the phone.
"Hmm."
"Hmm? That's it?"
"The other times you gave her money, was it checks or in cash?"
"Checks."
"She cashed those?"
"Immediately."
"Hmm."
"Cassie."
She came to attention. "Sorry. Let me think about this for a while."
"We need to check further into Brad Torrance."
"We need to find Eva," he said.
"Yes, but I think there's enough to approach him in person."
"Now?"
"Tomorrow."
"One more day, then."
One more day, she thought. "In the meantime, I'm going to make a visit to Child Protective Services, then head to the office for a little while. Okay?"
He set his hands on her shoulders. "You're sure they won't take Danny away?"
"Not a hundred percent."
A few beats passed. "You'll call me as soon as you leave there?"
"Absolutely. Don't sit here worrying. I have huge credibility with CPS. I've worked a lot with them. They know I intend to be a foster-" She stopped, swallowed. It showed how comfortable she was with him that she'd let that much slip. She hadn't told her plan to anyone outside the CPS office.
"I won't tell your boss," Heath said.
"Look, I'm all but licensed already. Background check is done. It's just a matter of issuing the license itself," she said defensively, hoping she was right. "And I have no plans to quit my job. I'll incorporate both somehow."