A Hard Man to Forget Read Free Page A

lawyer. He’d helped her get the job at the
courthouse.
    His brows went up with mock severity. “Nothing I can share. I
wouldn’t want to be accused of influencing court personnel.”
    “You can’t blame a girl for trying.”
    They shared a laugh over that. The tension seemed to ebb as they
focused on their lunch, but Laura sensed something had changed. The
eyes that watched her from across the table were colder somehow, more
assessing. Perhaps she was too late in hoping things could stay the
same.
    Stifling a sigh, Laura felt a headache building at her temples.
    This day couldn’t be over soon enough.

    UNFORTUNATELY, THE REST of the day dragged on as endlessly as lunch.
Laura felt every second tick away with painful slowness. The case
being argued in the courtroom she was assigned to was dull beyond
belief, and she had to shake herself every so often to keep from
drifting off, usually to thoughts of the man from the park.
    It was six o’clock by the time she arrived home. She was
tempted to do nothing but sink into a hot bath, but the idea of being
cooped up inside and sitting around after she’d done nothing
else all day held little appeal. The intense heat had cooled somewhat
by early evening, and she decided to go for a run. From the earliest
days of her physical therapy in the hospital, doing something
physical had provided a welcome outlet for—and distraction
from—all the confusion and stress she’d had to deal with.
She’d continued to run several times a week, both because she
remembered all-too well a time when she couldn’t, and because
it still was a good way to deal with any tension or anxiety. With any
luck, the physical exertion might help her clear her head. Quickly
changing into her running clothes, she grabbed her iPod and set out,
taking the building’s rear exit to head through the back of the
neighborhood.
    By the time she made it back to her street an hour later, she was
feeling a lot better, the dark-eyed stranger all but forgotten,
nothing on her mind but the songs pumping from her earbuds and the
steady rhythm of her arms and legs moving.
    As she made it back to her block, she was already anticipating a cold
drink of water, her gaze automatically going to her building up
ahead.
    And then she saw him.
    Her steps faltered and she stumbled slightly, slowing almost to a
walk, her feet still pumping automatically.
    He was coming down the path in the front of her building, heading
away from it.
    It was him. The man from the courthouse. It didn’t seem
possible, but there was no denying it. He was here, at her home. As
though the mere thought of him had made him appear where he most
definitely didn’t belong.
    What was he doing here? She finally staggered to a stop, deeply wary,
uncertain what to do.
    She watched as he moved toward the street, stepping into it without
stopping, his head lowered as though he was deep in thought. There
was a car parked on the other side, directly opposite her building.
The perfect place to watch it? To watch for her?
    He was halfway across the street when he abruptly glanced up, perhaps
just realizing he’d stepped out into the road without looking
first. Her heart stopped as his gaze moved to the street—then
slowly shifted and found her.
    He immediately froze, coming to a halt right in the middle of the
street and turning to face her.
    Again there was that feeling of…something as their eyes met.
They simply stared at each other across the distance. The intensity
in that unyielding black gaze struck her as strongly as it had
before. A cold trickle slid down her spine, a sharp contrast to the
sweat she’d felt there just moments ago. Only now did she
realize what was behind the intensity in his eyes.
    Anger. No, fury . At her.
    Whoever this man was, he was incredibly angry with her. It didn’t
matter that it made no sense. It was true nonetheless.
    Who was he? Why would he be angry with her?
    Whatever the answer, it wasn’t good. And she knew without