Read Online Mountain Peril by Sandra Robbins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sandra Robbins
Ads: Link
me.”
The door to the restaurant opened, and Nathan stepped outside. He looked from Danielle to Jack as he walked toward them. “Why, Detective Denton, imagine meeting you here.” He turned to Danielle. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Nathan. Jack just stopped to say hello.” Shepasted a big smile on her face. “It was good to see you. Maybe we’ll meet again soon.”
She pushed past Jack and strode toward Nathan’s car. He caught up with her and reached around her to open the door. “What was that all about?”
She slid into the seat and shook her head. “Nothing. We were just chatting.”
Nathan closed the door and crawled in behind the steering wheel. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Danielle nodded and pulled the seat belt across her. What was it about Jack Denton that intrigued her and infuriated her at the same time? Maybe she felt drawn to him because he seemed so lonely, and she wanted to help him. On the other hand, she was probably better off not becoming friends with him. People close to her tended to end up dead, and she didn’t want to lose anyone else.
As the car pulled away, she glanced toward the restaurant. Jack, the pouring rain beating down on him, still stood on the sidewalk. She turned her head and looked the other way.
Jack hardly noticed the rain dripping down his face as he watched the car pull away. Danielle faced straight ahead and didn’t turn to glance at him, but he could see her profile. The set of her jaw and the tone of her voice when they’d spoken told him he’d offended her by his seeming indifference.
He slicked his wet hair back and glanced at the restaurant door. Suddenly he wasn’t hungry anymore. Instead emptiness filled him and left him feeling more alone than ever. In the last week he’d come to know that sensation well. It came over him every time he thought of Danielle Tyler.
He shook his head. It was better for her if he kept his distance. He would only hurt her like he had everyone else in his life.
Glancing at the restaurant once more, he turned and walked back to his car. He didn’t want to enter and see couples enjoying their time together. Even being alone at home was better than that.
A groan rumbled in his throat. Alone. That’s what the future held for him, and it was all his fault.
It had been a restless night for Danielle, and it had been all she could do to drag her tired body out of bed this morning. She pushed the door to her office open, hurried inside, and was about to drop her briefcase on her desk when she saw it. Another red rose with a white ribbon tied around it lay next to her computer.
Her hands shook as she picked up the flower. An envelope lay beside it, and she laid the rose back down, slid the letter opener under the flap, and pulled the card out. Your eyes warm my heart.
The phone rang, and she jumped in surprise. The flashing buttons indicated the call was coming from a campus number. She picked up the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello.”
“Dr. Tyler,” Jeff’s assistant said, “Mr. Webster has called a meeting of the advisory board in Dr. Newman’s office.”
She glanced back at the rose and swallowed. “When do I need to come?”
“Right now. I’m about to call Landon.”
Danielle hesitated. Should she tell someone about the flowers? She’d told Jack, and he’d seemed unconcerned. Perhaps she should keep it to herself for the time being. “I’m on my way.”
She replaced the phone in the handset and wondered why they were meeting again today. Hopefully it wasn’t about the fundraiser. She had a lot of loose ends to tie up before she could answer many questions about the event.
After giving the rose one last glance and shoving the card in her desk drawer, she trudged from her office and entered the president’s reception area. Betty, involved in a phone conversation, motioned for her to go on inside. Pushing the door open, she jerked to a stop. Jack Denton stood to the
The door to the restaurant opened, and Nathan stepped outside. He looked from Danielle to Jack as he walked toward them. “Why, Detective Denton, imagine meeting you here.” He turned to Danielle. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Nathan. Jack just stopped to say hello.” Shepasted a big smile on her face. “It was good to see you. Maybe we’ll meet again soon.”
She pushed past Jack and strode toward Nathan’s car. He caught up with her and reached around her to open the door. “What was that all about?”
She slid into the seat and shook her head. “Nothing. We were just chatting.”
Nathan closed the door and crawled in behind the steering wheel. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Danielle nodded and pulled the seat belt across her. What was it about Jack Denton that intrigued her and infuriated her at the same time? Maybe she felt drawn to him because he seemed so lonely, and she wanted to help him. On the other hand, she was probably better off not becoming friends with him. People close to her tended to end up dead, and she didn’t want to lose anyone else.
As the car pulled away, she glanced toward the restaurant. Jack, the pouring rain beating down on him, still stood on the sidewalk. She turned her head and looked the other way.
Jack hardly noticed the rain dripping down his face as he watched the car pull away. Danielle faced straight ahead and didn’t turn to glance at him, but he could see her profile. The set of her jaw and the tone of her voice when they’d spoken told him he’d offended her by his seeming indifference.
He slicked his wet hair back and glanced at the restaurant door. Suddenly he wasn’t hungry anymore. Instead emptiness filled him and left him feeling more alone than ever. In the last week he’d come to know that sensation well. It came over him every time he thought of Danielle Tyler.
He shook his head. It was better for her if he kept his distance. He would only hurt her like he had everyone else in his life.
Glancing at the restaurant once more, he turned and walked back to his car. He didn’t want to enter and see couples enjoying their time together. Even being alone at home was better than that.
A groan rumbled in his throat. Alone. That’s what the future held for him, and it was all his fault.
It had been a restless night for Danielle, and it had been all she could do to drag her tired body out of bed this morning. She pushed the door to her office open, hurried inside, and was about to drop her briefcase on her desk when she saw it. Another red rose with a white ribbon tied around it lay next to her computer.
Her hands shook as she picked up the flower. An envelope lay beside it, and she laid the rose back down, slid the letter opener under the flap, and pulled the card out. Your eyes warm my heart.
The phone rang, and she jumped in surprise. The flashing buttons indicated the call was coming from a campus number. She picked up the receiver and held it to her ear. “Hello.”
“Dr. Tyler,” Jeff’s assistant said, “Mr. Webster has called a meeting of the advisory board in Dr. Newman’s office.”
She glanced back at the rose and swallowed. “When do I need to come?”
“Right now. I’m about to call Landon.”
Danielle hesitated. Should she tell someone about the flowers? She’d told Jack, and he’d seemed unconcerned. Perhaps she should keep it to herself for the time being. “I’m on my way.”
She replaced the phone in the handset and wondered why they were meeting again today. Hopefully it wasn’t about the fundraiser. She had a lot of loose ends to tie up before she could answer many questions about the event.
After giving the rose one last glance and shoving the card in her desk drawer, she trudged from her office and entered the president’s reception area. Betty, involved in a phone conversation, motioned for her to go on inside. Pushing the door open, she jerked to a stop. Jack Denton stood to the
Similar Books
