Karen Rose Smith

Their Baby Bond


Скачать книгу

face told her he didn’t consider any of this a laughing matter.

      “Tell me something,” Trujillo said as he reentered the gallery. “Would any of that stuff in there be worth a bundle on the black market?”

      Tori motioned to canvases propped against the far wall. “I have a few artists who are well-known and their work is becoming more scarce. The right word in the right circle of private collectors who don’t care about fenced goods, and the thief could set up a nice retirement account.”

      “We’re assuming this is a man,” Jake said, “but we shouldn’t necessarily make that assumption, should we, Phil?”

      The detective’s eyes became hooded now. He’d shared all the information he’d intended to share. Everything else was not for public consumption. “I like facts better than assumptions.”

      While the two men nosed around, Tori checked the remaining inventory in the storage area, once in a while looking over her shoulder.

      Finally she admitted, “Everything appears fine in here, too.”

      “Then there’s no reason why you can’t return home,” Trujillo said. “Let’s lock it all up and you can be on your way.”

      Ten minutes later, as Jake was driving Tori home, he asked, “Have you ever thought about putting a security system in your home?”

      “I’ve thought about it.”

      “It’s like the tile in your bathroom, right? You’ve been meaning to call somebody sometime, but just haven’t gotten around to it?”

      “Exactly,” she admitted as she let out a sigh.

      “Do it, Tori. With a baby in the house, you’re not going to want to take any chances.”

      She glanced over at him. “I will.”

      In her driveway, he didn’t switch off the ignition. “I’ll wait until you’re inside.”

      It was almost dark now. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in and have that bowl of stew?”

      “Having supper with you wasn’t about the stew in the first place. It was about clearing the air.”

      “We haven’t done that.”

      “I think we have. You want to stay friends with Nina, and you don’t want to feel awkward around me. Does that about sum it up?”

      That was essentially what she’d said and he’d obviously been listening. “I suppose.”

      “Look, Tori. There has always been chemistry between us. I stayed away from you when you were seventeen and eighteen because you were too young to handle what I wanted. Now—”

      “I’m old enough to handle anything,” she interrupted him with spirit.

      “Yes, you are. But you’re also going to be a mother. Where can a man not interested in a permanent relationship fit into that mix?”

      The question was almost a challenge, as if he was daring her to say she wanted a roll in the hay, a quickie in the afternoon at his apartment, a hot, short interlude while her baby slept in the room next door. Of course she couldn’t say any of those things. She thought more of herself than that. She thought more of the child she was going to adopt than that. She’d never had a hot affair, and she’d only ever had one relationship—her engagement and marriage to Dave.

      Reminding herself that Dave had left, just as her father had left, she replied, “A man doesn’t fit into the equation at all.”

      Then she flipped open the handle on the door and put one foot on the running board. “Thanks for coming along with me tonight, Jake. And for…clearing the air. I’m sure neither of us will feel any awkwardness now.”

      As she climbed out, slammed the door and hurried up her front walk she heard Jake call, “Tori, wait.”

      His command echoed in her ear. Still, she ignored it and practically ran inside.

      She wasn’t about to lose her heart again to any man—not even to Jake Galeno!

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RHGRXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAUAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAhodp AAQAAAABAAAAnAAAAMgAAAEsAAAAAQAAASwAAAABQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIDcuMAAyMDEzOjEy OjE5IDE4OjI0OjUxAAAAAAOgAQADAAAAAQABAACgAgAEAAAAAQAABXigAwAEAAAAAQAACMwAAAAA AAAABgEDAAMAAAABAAYAAAEaAAUAAAABAAABFgEbAAUAAAABAAABHgEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAIBAAQA AAABAAABJgICAAQAAAABAAAQmAAAAAAAAABIAAAAAQAAAEgAAAAB/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEASABI AAD/7QAMQWRvYmVfQ00AAf/uAA5BZG9iZQBkgAAAAAH/2wCEAAwICAgJCAwJCQwRCwoLERUPDAwP FRgTExUTExgRDAwMDAwMEQwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwBDQsLDQ4NEA4OEBQO Dg4UFA4ODg4UEQwMDAwMEREMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDP/AABEI AIAAUAMBIgACEQEDEQH/3QAEAAX/xAE/AAABBQEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAADAAECBAUGBwgJCgsBAAEF AQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAEAAgMEBQYHCAkKCxAAAQQBAwIEAgUHBggFAwwzAQACEQMEIRIxBUFRYRMi cYEyBhSRobFCIyQVUsFiMzRygtFDByWSU/Dh8WNzNRaisoMmRJNUZEXCo3Q2F9JV4mXys4TD03Xj 80YnlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vY3R1dnd4eXp7fH1+f3EQACAgECBAQDBAUGBwcG BTUBAAIRAyExEgRBUWFxIhMFMoGRFKGxQiPBUtHwMyRi4XKCkkNTFWNzNPElBhaisoMHJjXC0kST VKMXZEVVNnRl4vKzhMPTdePzRpSkhbSVxNTk9KW1xdXl9VZmdoaWprbG1ub2JzdHV2d3h5ent8f/ 2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AMnqrZwyI/Pb+VZ1OOfTHxK0+pScQx+838qr4zCax3JJ/Klk+b6O18W/nx/c j+c0Tag0S4wEVoqHJ/A/3Ir2kBpYJdvEDxOqjZYaxJa6plRO9xkM2/vOTHOrRxes9ZGO44mH/ONP 6S7sP5DGuH0v3nqph9cyabQMknIpJhwMB4/lMP8A3xEyOmOy235TQfVvvc+pxMB1bjuZ7XRt3b// AANbHR/q30htMdVa6y9rC4tDntbr9Ha6oe79z6abLLCI761Q1kmHL5py0qIri4pemHl/eTgV2VNt qcH1vG5rh3CCYB14U3HGwsVrIFVbZDGCSf3nbfznIJuDmNsLHsrs0Y9w9pP7u799E0gAkXW27hZ2 b1PFuNLrw4ES1wa0S08fmqo/qOa8APtLgBAkDg/JWOtf0wTyKx+Vyzk8AdmCRNkWftf/0M3qIAxT 47mqtgnddW3syXH4/mq51Rj24ji5pA3t17cqv0eCXWH8wPd8x7G/9JyOegdOztfFNc4/ux/7tLkV MZQ99sWNY8Mc0A6O+kz9J9H/ADVUysWw47bXAMpsO0sk7RJ2t9Sx37zvb+4tKzNt+yOoNRNIeyh9 jQ50MeNzn7W/Se1Fwni3FGNcPfBrc06OB4rn+VYx1e1Rx2c09Q8xbc7EAbaxxawRMcxpDv3bP5P5 6sW/WJtVrMUPN1PpFtobJLHT9DWPdub7/wCQj/WBtDaaX7DZkWvDKnNGj9p3PFrXfzNjXj9Mov6V hU9CsbaW491LS8XjQvc780mW7rd3tp/kf4L1FFMY4yiSNSdv2tjHLPOGSMSBER1kf+h/itCwvypv saXEAbam/uz9Fn8jd/nvWrg4WXlYd+MQa6XA+27a0CxvvY5rm+q7d/22s7HFVdnqXOEhgD3RIaB9 I/1WrSdnU27qqnRc0kWXVuc1r62D0/fX9D9I+xvvUeSUiaHTXir5WfBiiBZ+Yjh4AQOJ5PrTt2Ux 3jU066HkrPWj11rmZwa4QRW0R83KrRjusMkaBWxsHKmCJyBFEHUP/9EPXGO/ZTiBzZWQB5ql0Ylu I8hha8N1LhP57eFe6w537OdA3Q5hLQPd3hqo9DurvrtY2WvaxzLK3CC3VtjZj+uhnOv0Dsc8P1gs 60GWRbb6m91jix5HqMDiNJcxx2tPt/8AMFKm3Iob9nvJsqNmyvILt4gmamZH+Ho/rtUcoEMNhG5r iGbRA1nY1rf85MMi6mwvDPc3naQZAH82x2jXWXO/waixTEvTpxaiv7rQmKBl+iK1/vNEes/LyOo5 847GkuoaRENJ279n511u1BzLT1Dc50gVbbGVTo1p3M3afnInXup05px8ajeQwi60FsOaXNBZS8O/ wjN256zW5Dac+4N9wDG12N45G5+0a/nn/PTZwPGZA+rePhEdGziyxGMRIHt3wzP7058Xr/wXRrdR XhBlI25N7vSnvDh+l/8AA/chZNvpje1v7rf7IMDd/Jbuc56fp2JkdQy2V4jA57AS573bGVtcNjrL bHexjP8Ap/6NdRj/AFa6ayhxyMsWZDv0Ye2BVLo/RehY9vqbf3/Xq9b/AEXsQhhlI7abytlycxGM DRAOkYcI7fpf9N5HqnS8nLyKMhlFln6E79jXO+ifa/2j6Gx30/5CosqbX5HuCvTupYd/QsXHvfYb G1B1XqEfS3APbv8ApbGtrY7Ztf6P7n+EXnP1i6lS7qgtoYPoAOB1G53tc727d21iOGcr9sx+UMHO Y8Z/Xxn85Gn/AHT/AP/Sp9aLrOlvax1ocHt2OpD3HcJ2D2Md/mLAwM7CqtNWTd9mFe55a/e14fu2 V1u2htm7Z6jnt/4tdD1PEyc7olmLisNr/XY99bTBcxo/S7ZLW/QWR1G/DyGY7WvGRl4WH6OTlhxc 2wufdfTW17v577HR6dH2n/C/1K07PEm4jSx9XW+JkR5iMiPlrfaXzboc7rOC70nVXMta7cy2nc5o 2gb6nud7Heo2