Read Online Relatively Risky by Pauline Baird Jones - Free Book Online

usually reckless.” He trotted out a skeptical look and she grinned. “Truly. I’m a librarian. Until today, the boldest thing I’ve done was move here. My first and last rescue attempt. My bike was not happy to be turned into a weapon. Or attempted weapon?”
    His turn to laugh. “You see a nail, everything is a hammer.”
    â€œMy dad would tell me to not make eye contact with the nails if I’m feeling hammer-ish.”
    This time no shadows, Alex noted. When was the last time he’d been this relaxed? It was spring, so the air wasn’t too humid, though the sun was high enough he’d bet it was eighty on the ground. The leaves probably reduced the temp some. He gave his gaze permission to linger on Nell, trying to figure out why it felt longer that he’d known her. That they weren’t strangers. Didn’t usually think this much around a woman, he thought, with a wry inside grin. Added to the odd, no doubt. His brothers—felt a flinch and realized he didn’t want his brothers to meet her until—what? He wasn’t here for personal reasons. He was up this tree for police business. Okay, even he knew that was weird. Maybe a big, fat lie. He looked around, mostly to look away. “This is nice.”
    â€œI like being up.”
    It didn’t sound so weird this time. Maybe the world needed more up. A change of perspective didn’t hurt once in a while.
    â€œWould you like something to eat?” He heard his voice say the words, without a bit of cop in the question. He told himself it was to stop his dad from trying to set him up. He told himself it wouldn’t matter if she said no. He told himself a lot of things while he held his breath waiting for her sweet, slightly husky voice to say no.
    â€œOkay.” She looked and sounded as surprised as he felt at her agreement. “I’m a much better witness with food in my stomach.” As if to prove her point, her stomach rumbled. With a rueful grimace she covered it with both hands.
    He chuckled, a bit relieved at the out she’d given him. A business dinner was less risky than a date. At least that’s how he explained it to himself as he got his feet back on the ground. Trouble was, looking into her eyes as she climbed down to him, he still felt up in the air. She handed him her portfolio, then dropped to the ground and stopped, as if caught by something in his face or his eyes. She met his gaze, not obviously uncomfortable, even as the silence drew out. With the leaf-filtered light playing on her face, he revised her looks up again. No one could call her beautiful—except when she smiled. Her smile changed everything about her face, though if he had to explain why he’d be stumped. Her face was as uncluttered as a kid’s. Now that he thought about it, her steady gaze reminded him of a kid’s. It seemed to look right through him.
    As if he’d made it happen, he realized there were two children standing on either side of her looking right through him. It gave him a bit of shock to see them, so much so he actually took a step back.
    â€œNell,” the girl said, importantly. She seemed sure of her welcome.
    With good reason it seemed. Nell’s smile wasn’t exactly like the one from this morning, or directed at him, but it still made Alex catch his breath.
    She knelt down, her face now level with the children. “Hi, Fancy. Georges. What’s up?”
    â€œMy cat,” Fancy said, turning her small body to point to a tree in the next yard. The foliage was dense, but Alex did spot a bit of white in among the green. “She won’t come down.”
    Since Fancy was holding a doll dress, Alex was not surprised. He remembered all too well the attention his sisters had lavished on the various cats that had passed through their lives. Their favorite thing was to dress the cat in baby clothes. This caused the cats to meow piteously. Alex could see the