.

not going to. You are. I have coins here and you can make the call yourself,” he said, positioning the stroller in front of Faith while he tugged lightly on her arm. “There’s a pay phone, so you’ll know this isn’t a setup job. You can call the OCPD yourself and talk to Wyatt. He’ll tell you I’m totally safe to go out with. If he doesn’t convince you, I have another brother, Matt. He’s a farmer. Let’s start with the cop.”

      “This is ridiculous. I have work upstairs.”

      “I know you do and I’m sorry to interfere, but some time tonight you’ll have to stop work and go home. And you’ll have to eat. Merry and I can help you unwind. Just a little dinner and I’ll get you home, so we can start getting to know each other.”

      “I don’t think so,” she said, facing him. He was handsome with prominent cheekbones, skin as dark as teak, lashes unbelievably thick, a firm jaw. And every time she received the full force of his dark-eyed stare, she felt weak-kneed and knew she was going to cave in to him. She took a deep breath, trying to summon a no.

      “Merry really wants you to go with us. She just doesn’t know how to say it.”

      No vanished as he offered the handles of the stroller to her. Faith pushed Merry to the phone. Big blue eyes stared at her.

      Jared placed the receiver in her hand, turned her to the phone and put the card in front of her. He plopped a bandanna on the shelf and untied it. Silver coins filled the red cloth. “Now, you just call the OCPD. There’s the number. Ask for Wyatt, and then you ask him about my character and reliability.”

      She turned to him. “I just don’t think I have time in my life right now—”

      He bent his knees slightly to be at her eye level, then he leaned closer. She caught a soapy scent that was pleasant “Faith, I think you should,” he said quietly. “I think we were meant to know each other. Sooner or later we will. So let’s make it sooner.”

      Her heart started a ridiculous drumming. Never in her life had she had this kind of reaction to a man.

      “Call Wyatt,” Jared commanded softly.

      She turned and began punching numbers. Then she listened as the operator told her the amount of money required. Each coin made a metallic clink. Jared Whitewolf moved away, pushing Merry around in her stroller, and then he hunkered down to talk to the baby.

      A deep male voice finally came over the receiver and Faith felt absurd. “Is this Detective Wyatt Whitewolf?”

      As soon as he said yes, she launched into an explanation. “This is Faith Kolanko from Tulsa, and I’ve just met your brother Jared. He’s asked me to dinner, and since we’re complete strangers—”

      She paused as the man at the other end of the line laughed.

      “My brother is safe enough,” he said, his voice filled with amusement. “With horses and with women he’s a will-o’-the-wisp charmer. He’s harmless.”

      “I met him this afternoon, and his little girl, Merry.”

      The explosion at the other end of the line made Faith hold the phone away from her ear, but she recognized the shock in Wyatt’s reaction.

      “Let me talk to him,” Wyatt said in a tone of voice that had lost all casualness.

      Jared must have heard Wyatt’s response, too, because he turned and smiled, making her pulse jump. His grin was infectious, softening his masculine features. The man was incredibly appealing.

      She held out the phone. “He wants to talk to you.”

      “I’ll only take a second. Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing toward Merry. They switched stroller for receiver, Jared’s hand brushing hers ever so lightly, but she was fully aware of the contact.

      “Hi, brother. Yeah, I have a little girl.”

      Faith couldn’t help but listen to the one-sided conversation while she wondered what had happened to Merry’s mother.

      “No. It’s a long story, Wyatt. I’ll tell you when I see you. Merry’s four-and-a-half months old.” Another pause, and then he said, “Yeah, it’s great.”

      Jared’s voice had softened to a buttery warmth that sent a tingle dancing in Faith, and she knew he was talking about Merry. His tone changed whenever he talked about the baby.

      “I’m riding in a rodeo here tomorrow night, and then we’ll be in Oklahoma City for the rodeo next weekend, so we’ll come see you then.”

      He paused and listened. “Yeah, she’s with me. How are your girls? And Alexa? Good. Tell them hello. See you Saturday.” Jared turned to her. “Faith, do you want to talk to him again?”

      She shook her head, then watched as Jared turned back to the phone. With one hand splayed on his hip, he seemed so relaxed, so easygoing, yet there was an air of energy about him that she could feel every time he was near. She would go to dinner with him, she decided. It gave her a peculiar feeling, as if she was caught in a current carrying her along, out of control. Her life was order and stability and security. Filled with routine precision, it was as sure and certain as the hands on a clock. But ever since she had plunged through the spirea bushes and Jared Whitewolf had come into her life, she had felt off balance and out-of-step.

      Merry began to fret, and Faith bent down to pick her up. “You have been a very good girl today. You really are a sweetie,” she said, remembering that Jared had used the endearment earlier. She turned to find that Jared had replaced the receiver and was sauntering back to her. “Have you been waiting here in the lobby with this baby all day?” she asked.

      “No. We spent the afternoon in the park and then came back about closing time.”

      “Your brother didn’t know about Merry.”

      “No, but he does now. We don’t write letters. Now, what do you say about dinner?”

      “You’ll have to wait around for a little while until I’m ready.”

      “We don’t mind, do we, Merry?” he asked, and Merry smiled at him.

      “She’s the best behaved baby I have ever seen. She smiles every time anyone looks at her.”

      “That’s because—”

      “I know. Because you smile a lot,” she said, finishing for him as she handed Merry back to him. He grinned while he fell into step beside her and walked with her to the elevator, pushing the empty stroller ahead of him.

      “If you’d rather wait in our office, you may. It might be easier with Merry.”

      “Thanks.” He held the elevator door while she entered, and then he pushed the stroller inside. He leaned back against a wall and faced her.

      “What’s your title?”

      “Executive director of advertising.”

      “I’m impressed. And what do you do? Sell advertising?”

      “No. I’m a graphic artist. I plan the layout and design, write copy, sometimes do the entire ad campaign or promotion. I have certain accounts I regularly handle, as well as others I do occasionally, and I have six people I supervise.”

      While she talked, she was aware of his steady scrutiny. She became more conscious of her appearance, knowing her hair needed combing and her makeup had long ago disappeared. Her blouse was wrinkled and she had a green stain on her collar, probably from the spirea. Jared looked relaxed, one knee slightly bent, his booted foot propped against the wall.

      “Do you always work this late?”

      “No. We’re working on a big account, and the client wanted changes at the last minute, so we’re rushing to get everything done. We present the pitch in the morning.”

      He nodded. “Have any particular food you like to eat?”

      “Maybe