The baby was cuter than he’d expected, and his face had seemed strangely familiar. But Cole chalked it up to the power of suggestion. When you started looking for a family resemblance, everything took on new meaning. Sometimes gray eyes were simply gray eyes.
But once he’d scratched the surface, he’d ended up reading the rest of the article, learning there was a court challenge for guardianship. He didn’t necessarily agree with Luca that everyone involved was a jackal out to get the kid’s money. But he did find himself analyzing the players.
In the end, his curiosity won out, and he agreed to make the trip to Atlanta. He had no intention of marching up to the front door and introducing himself as a long-lost relative. He was staying under the radar, checking things out and returning to Alaska just as soon as he confirmed Zachary was safe.
“Right there,” said Luca. “In the black dress, lace sleeves, brown hair, kind of swooped up. She’s at the table below the podium. She’s moving right now.”
As Cole zeroed in on Amber Welsley, she turned, presenting him with a surprisingly pretty profile.
Her diamond jewelry flashed beneath the bright lights, accenting her feminine face. Her dress was classic, a scooped neckline, three-quarter-length lace sleeves that blended to a form-fitting bodice and a narrow skirt that emphasized her trim figure.
From this distance, she surprised him. She wasn’t at all what he’d expected. She was younger, softer, insidiously captivating. While he stared at her, the wholly inappropriate thought that she was kissable welled up in his mind.
“You want to go over and say hi?” asked Luca.
The true answer was no. Cole wanted to get on an airplane and fly back to Alaska.
He might as well get this over with. Checking out Amber and all the other characters in this family drama was his purpose in being here. There wasn’t any point waiting.
“Let’s do it,” he said.
“Roth Calvin’s at the next table,” said Luca as they walked. “He’s facing us, talking to the guy with red hair, in the steel-gray jacket.”
“I think you missed your calling as a spy.”
Luca grinned. “I’m calling dibs on the one named Destiny.”
“Who’s Destiny?”
“She was in a couple of the photos with Amber Welsley. She’s hot. And with a name like that, I’m definitely giving her a shot.”
Cole shook his head. “She’s all yours, buddy. I just want to make sure the kid’s okay.” Then any duty he might have as a blood relative would be done.
“By kid, you mean your baby brother?”
“Yeah, that’s not a phrase we’ll be using.”
“Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?”
“You’re going to have to be boggled all by yourself. I won’t be here long enough.”
“You want a wingman for the intro?”
“Sure. But don’t use the name Henderson.”
“Undercover. I like it.”