Fugitive at Large. Sandra Robbins

it came to forgiving those who she felt had hurt her. And Ryan had fit into that category...until their talk last night. Now she was beginning to think she’d jumped to conclusions before she should have.

      After a moment, she smiled. “I’d like us to be friends again, Ryan. I always enjoyed working with you.”

      “And I liked it, too. I was really sorry when I heard you had left the department.” He released her hand, and she picked up her iced tea again. “Maybe if I had been more forthcoming about what was going on in my life then, you might still be a police officer.”

      She took a drink from her glass and shook her head. “I don’t think so. All my family has ever known is the bounty-hunter business. It was just a matter of time before I joined my brothers at the agency.”

      He tilted his head to one side and studied her. “Are you happy doing that kind of work? It sounds like it would be dangerous for a woman to take down guys determined not to go to jail.”

      “That doesn’t sound a lot different from what I did as a police officer. But I’m careful, and I don’t take chances. I’m on the road a lot, so the job’s not conducive to much of a personal life. And I get tired of staying in motels and eating in restaurants.”

      He smiled. “That must be hard for you. I remember how you used to talk about the kind of house you wanted and what the backyard would be like. You haven’t found the right one yet?”

      She shook her head and sighed. “No. Maybe someday. What about you? You said you moved into the house your dad bought before his death. Do you still live there?”

      “Yeah. All by myself now.” He chuckled and wiped at the condensation on the outside of his iced tea glass. “Of course, as soon as Jamie got to college he wanted to move into an apartment of his own near campus. So I’m left rambling around in a big house all by myself. I’m thinking of selling it and moving back to an apartment.” He paused and bit down on his lip.

      Jessica pushed her plate out of the way and crossed her arms on the table in front of her. “What’s the matter?”

      “I’m sitting here talking about my housing plans when I should be trying to find out where my brother has gone.” He pushed back the hair that had fallen across his forehead. “I can’t believe he wouldn’t tell me.”

      Jessica sat still for a moment and studied Ryan. When she had last known Ryan, he was working to establish a good relationship with his brother. From the way they’d seemed yesterday, she suspected they’d been able to do that. If that was so, why had Jamie left town without letting Ryan know where he was going?

      She picked up her napkin again and wiped her hands. “Do you know any of the people Jamie works with at the computer store or at the school newspaper?”

      “Nobody at the computer store, but I met the student editor once when I stopped by the newspaper office. Why?”

      “I was just thinking,” she said. “Maybe we could talk to someone at the paper and see if they could help us.”

      Ryan nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll call and see if anybody’s there.”

      He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and scrolled down to a number. The muscle in his jaw flexed as he waited. After a moment, he ended the call. “Nobody answered. They may all be in class or at lunch.”

      “Why don’t we go over to the campus anyway. We might find someone in the building who could tell us when they’ll be back.”

      Ryan smiled and glanced down at her plate. “If you’re through, I’ll get the check so we can go.”

      He picked up the tab the waitress had laid on the table and pushed to his feet. A panicked shock ricocheted through her body. No, she couldn’t allow herself to let down her guard with Ryan. She didn’t mind helping him find his brother, but they weren’t about to renew the relationship they’d had before. Jessica put out a hand to stop him. “I’ll pay for my lunch, Ryan.”