If We Never Met (Whisper Lake #5) - Barbara Freethy Page 0,79

Keira takes good care of our home and of me."

"Is Mark on his way?" Keira asked her mother.

"No. He just called." Her lips tightened. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. Mark won't be able to make dinner. An emergency came up at work, something only he can handle, apparently. He's very sorry."

Dante wondered what kind of emergency would take Mark to the rehab center on a Sunday evening. It wasn't like he was a doctor. He could see the same question in Keira's gaze, but she didn't speak it aloud.

"I know he wanted to do this," Ruth added. "And I wanted the two of you to get to know each other, Keira." Disappointment filled her gaze.

"We'll do it another time," Keira said. "We can still have dinner. Mark sent over a lot of groceries. What was he going to make?"

"I have no idea. I think there was lamb and a lot of vegetables. I don't really know. Maybe we should just order a pizza."

"Oh, no," Micah said. "If there's lamb in the kitchen, I am definitely making it. I'm a chef, so I can probably come up with something tasty."

"We can't put you to work," Keira protested.

"I'd be happy to do it. I'd love to cook you a meal."

"Are you sure?" Ruth asked.

"Absolutely. Do you mind if I just forage in the refrigerator and come up with a meal?"

"I'd be very happy for you to do that," Ruth said. "I'll show you where we put things."

As Micah and Ruth moved into the house, Dante sat back down next to Keira, immediately pulling her into his arms and taking the kiss that had been on his mind since the last time his mouth had touched hers. She tasted even sweeter than the wine on her lips, and he felt like an addict who'd finally gotten the hit he desperately needed.

She kissed him back with the same hungry desperation, making him feel that he wasn't alone in this crazy attraction that they had for each other. He wished Micah and her mother were far, far away, but he was very aware that one or both could come back at any minute. He reluctantly lifted his mouth from hers. "We had a moment. I had to take it."

"I'm glad you did." She licked her lips, making his groin tighten once more. "When is your brother leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. We could get together later tonight at the inn."

"No. You should spend your time with Micah."

"We've been together all day. We'll have had enough of each other. And believe me, he would understand."

"Still. It would be better to wait until he's gone."

"All right," he said, seeing the firm look in her eyes. "Let's change the subject. What do you make of Mark not showing up?"

"It's very strange. This whole dinner was his idea. By the way, I talked to my mom about Mandy, the argument in the parking garage, the fact that Mandy was looking for Mark at the inn—"

"Wait," he interrupted. "When was she at the inn?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know. When I was talking to Lizzie after you and Micah went to dinner last night, she said that a red-haired woman came looking for Mark and was agitated that he wasn't there. She took a long time to write him a message, which Lizzie did not read, but did deliver to Mark's room. Lizzie also said that Mandy made some cryptic remark about no one should trust Mark. She didn't know what that meant."

"So, Mandy is still in town."

"Yes. When I told my mom about her, she said she saw a red-haired woman sitting in a car in front of this house when she came back from church with her friend. The woman drove off after they went into the house. I don't like that Mandy was here. She must have thought that Mark and my mom were together."

"Maybe it's good that they weren't."

"Exactly." A troubled glint entered her gaze. "But if this woman is even a little off, I don't want her around my mom."

"What did your mother say?"

"She dismissed the whole thing. It's Mark's private business, and he doesn't have to tell her everything. She hasn't told him everything. She said she knows him, and she trusts him. She did agree to talk to him, but she didn't want to do it tonight. Now, she won't have that opportunity, anyway. I wonder if he cancelled because he needed to see Mandy."

"Who knows?" He didn't like the idea of Mandy being