Read Online Mountain Peril by Sandra Robbins - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sandra Robbins
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her finger around the top of her cup. “How was Detective Denton?”
Nathan set his cup back in the saucer and thought for a moment before he answered. “I don’t know. I can’t tell much about him. He’s a very private person. It’s like he doesn’t want anybody to get too close to him.”
“I had that impression, too.” Nathan didn’t say anything, and she glanced at him. His dark eyes studied her. “What is it?” she asked.
He frowned. “You’re not interested in him, are you?”
Danielle tried to laugh, but it sounded more like choking. “Where did you get that idea?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s how you looked at him the night of Tricia’s murder. And the two of you did leave together.”
Danielle straightened. “You’re imagining things.” She reached for her purse. “I really need to get home, Nathan.”
He grasped her hand. “Be careful, Danielle. This man will only hurt you. He’s not for you.”
Her eyes widened, and she stared at Nathan. “You don’t have to worry. The last thing I need is to get mixed up with a man like Jack Denton. And besides, he isn’t interested in me, either. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Nathan relaxed his hold and smiled. “Good. You know I only want what’s best for you.”
She nodded. “I know. If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know how I would have made it through these past few years. Thank you for bringing me back here where people care about me.”
“It was my pleasure and the university’s gain.”
She checked her watch. “I really do need to go home now.”
“I’ll get the check.” He waved at the waitress, and she headed toward their table.
Suddenly Danielle felt hot. The news that Jack had been at Webster, and the fact that he’d ignored her for the past week made her feel faint. She had to get out of there. “I need some air. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Before Nathan could respond, she rushed through the restaurant and out the front door. Once on the sidewalk she leaned against the side of the building and gasped for breath. Tears burned her eyes, and she thought she might burst out crying any moment. What was the matter with her? She barely knew the man, but in the few times she’d been with him, she sensed something special in him.
“Stop it, Danielle,” she hissed. She was acting like a stupid, emotional woman, not a self-assured college dean.
She froze at the touch of a hand on her arm. “Danielle?”
Shock ripped through her body at the sound of Jack’s voice. She whirled to face him and then fell back against the side of the building. “Jack, what are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up something to take home. I didn’t expect to find you out here alone.”
She straightened and pulled away from him. “I needed some fresh air.”
His gazed roved over her just like when they had coffee. “Let me take you back inside,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. You surprised me. That’s all.”
“It’s good to see you. How have you been?”
“Fine.”
“I’ve thought about you.”
If he had thought about her, why hadn’t he called? “Nathan told me you were at the university today.”
“For a few minutes.”
Rain had begun to fall, but she ignored it. “You didn’t have time to say hello?”
In the glow from the streetlight, she could see his face, but no emotion betrayed what he was thinking. “I was in a hurry when I left.”
Puzzled, she stared at him and shook her head. “I don’t understand you.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Since I met you, we’ve had coffee, been to dinner and been swept into a murder investigation. Yet you act as if we hardly know each other. I thought we were on our way to becoming friends, but I don’t think you want that.”
He jammed his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. “I’m not good at friendship, Danielle. I don’t think you’d be interested in being friends with a guy like
Nathan set his cup back in the saucer and thought for a moment before he answered. “I don’t know. I can’t tell much about him. He’s a very private person. It’s like he doesn’t want anybody to get too close to him.”
“I had that impression, too.” Nathan didn’t say anything, and she glanced at him. His dark eyes studied her. “What is it?” she asked.
He frowned. “You’re not interested in him, are you?”
Danielle tried to laugh, but it sounded more like choking. “Where did you get that idea?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s how you looked at him the night of Tricia’s murder. And the two of you did leave together.”
Danielle straightened. “You’re imagining things.” She reached for her purse. “I really need to get home, Nathan.”
He grasped her hand. “Be careful, Danielle. This man will only hurt you. He’s not for you.”
Her eyes widened, and she stared at Nathan. “You don’t have to worry. The last thing I need is to get mixed up with a man like Jack Denton. And besides, he isn’t interested in me, either. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Nathan relaxed his hold and smiled. “Good. You know I only want what’s best for you.”
She nodded. “I know. If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know how I would have made it through these past few years. Thank you for bringing me back here where people care about me.”
“It was my pleasure and the university’s gain.”
She checked her watch. “I really do need to go home now.”
“I’ll get the check.” He waved at the waitress, and she headed toward their table.
Suddenly Danielle felt hot. The news that Jack had been at Webster, and the fact that he’d ignored her for the past week made her feel faint. She had to get out of there. “I need some air. I’ll wait for you outside.”
Before Nathan could respond, she rushed through the restaurant and out the front door. Once on the sidewalk she leaned against the side of the building and gasped for breath. Tears burned her eyes, and she thought she might burst out crying any moment. What was the matter with her? She barely knew the man, but in the few times she’d been with him, she sensed something special in him.
“Stop it, Danielle,” she hissed. She was acting like a stupid, emotional woman, not a self-assured college dean.
She froze at the touch of a hand on her arm. “Danielle?”
Shock ripped through her body at the sound of Jack’s voice. She whirled to face him and then fell back against the side of the building. “Jack, what are you doing here?”
“I came to pick up something to take home. I didn’t expect to find you out here alone.”
She straightened and pulled away from him. “I needed some fresh air.”
His gazed roved over her just like when they had coffee. “Let me take you back inside,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. You surprised me. That’s all.”
“It’s good to see you. How have you been?”
“Fine.”
“I’ve thought about you.”
If he had thought about her, why hadn’t he called? “Nathan told me you were at the university today.”
“For a few minutes.”
Rain had begun to fall, but she ignored it. “You didn’t have time to say hello?”
In the glow from the streetlight, she could see his face, but no emotion betrayed what he was thinking. “I was in a hurry when I left.”
Puzzled, she stared at him and shook her head. “I don’t understand you.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Since I met you, we’ve had coffee, been to dinner and been swept into a murder investigation. Yet you act as if we hardly know each other. I thought we were on our way to becoming friends, but I don’t think you want that.”
He jammed his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. “I’m not good at friendship, Danielle. I don’t think you’d be interested in being friends with a guy like
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