Read Online The Adventurer by Diana Whitney - Free Book Online Page B

foot of the bed and swung the extension table across his father’s lap. Crandall’s head remained immobile but his dark gaze followed his son’s every move.
    Devon picked up the cards from the floor and sat down. “Gin or canasta?
    Crandall’s eyes narrowed. “Gin. ” Devon shook the cards from the box and shuffled them. “I should warn you that I’ll cheat to win. ” ‘ “Of course you will. You’re my son. ” Crandall smiled. “Now shut up and deal. ” Jessica opened the hospital room door and jolted to a stop, unable to believe the sight that greeted her. Devon was hunched in his chair scrawling on some kind of pad while Crandall, with his reading glasses set low on his nose, shuffled like a Las Vegas cardsharper. Originally Jessica had brought the deck to Crandall’s room because he’d been having trouble sleeping and she’d thought solitaire might be a relaxing diversion. At the time he’d seemed irked by the gesture, insisting that games of any kind were a stupid waste of time. Now, however, he was so engrossed that he hadn’t even noticed her presence. The entire scene was so alien, so unlike her stodgy, no-nonsense boss that Jessica wouldn’t have been more shocked to catch him doing the wild thing with a night nurse. Crandall squared the deck and smirked at his son. “That last hand put me so far out of reach, you might as well haul up the white flag. “
    Concentrating on his calculations, Devon’s only response was a muttered,
    “We’ll see. ” After a moment, he uttered a crow of pleasure and wielded the pencil like a triumphant wand. “You’re still five points down. ” “What? ” Crandall dropped the cards and whipped off his glasses. “Let me see those figures. ” Grinning happily, Devon handed over the score sheet. “Read it and weep, Dad. Youth conquers all. ” ‘ As Crandall irritably snatched the scratch pad, Jessica cleared her throat.
    The men looked up simultaneously with matching expressions of surprise.
    Jessica could barely suppress a smile. “Am I interrupting ?”
    “No, of course not. ” Devon stood, offering his chair.
    “Thank you. ” She sat gracefully, back straight, ankles primly crossed, in the socially acceptable manner that she’d been taught since childhood. She laid her pocketbook on the nightstand and scrutinized Crandall’s pained expression. ” The last time I saw that look on your face, a competitor had just undercut us on a million-dollar contract. ” Ignoring the comment, Crandall woefully studied Devon’s neatly penciled figures. “Do you have a calculator in your purse? “
    “No, I’m sorry. “
    A sly chuckle emanated from above her right shoulder. “For some odd reason, Dad seems to think that I’m not above cheating to win. ” ‘ Crandall’s thin lips twitched in a reluctant smile. “Damn right. ” He tossed the scratch pad on the table eyes gleaming with pride as he regarded his son. “I expect a rematch”
    “Great. I’ll see you this evening. “
    When Devon reached for his jacket, Jessica blurted, ” “You don’t have to leave. ” The words rushed out in such panic that she blushed to her roots.
    “That is, I didn’t mean to chase you away. “
    “You didn’t. ” He smiled pleasantly. ” By the way, where’s the file? ” “File? What file? ” be von angled a narrowed smile at his red-faced father.
    “That’s what I thought. “
    Jessica glanced from Crandall, who was suddenly besieged by a coughing fit, back to Devon. “
    “Is this some kind of private joke or am I just dense? “
    “Let’s just say the subject came up during a discussion of how hard you’ve been working ” Devon slid his father a wry look. “Does she at least have Sundays off? ” A pink flush crept along Crandall’s ears. “Jessica knows that she can take time off any time she wants. ” “Good. ” With a flick of his wrist, he flipped the jacket over his shoulder.
    “So, Jessica, do you like the desert? “
    “The