Nathan's Vow Read Free Page B

he
asked with a nod at Gillian's watch.
    "Five-thirty."
    "Geez.  I was supposed to be
home an hour ago.  Mom's gonna be..."  He stopped with a shrug as if a boy
his age shouldn't worry about adult authority.  Snapping the leash onto the
dog's collar, he gave it a gentle tug.  "C'mon, Peanut.  We'll get us both
some supper."  He smiled at Gillian and skated over to his friends, who
sat on the curb sipping sodas.
    Nathan handed Gillian her plate. 
"What happened?"
    "You saw what happened.  I
gave the dog a snack."
    "When you touched the dog, you
closed your eyes."
    The man was too observant. 
"The boy's mother was worried about him."
    "You felt that?"
    "I saw that.  She was standing
on the porch waiting for him."
    "You got that from petting the
dog?" Nathan asked, astonished.
    She'd faced expressions like his
many times in the past.  "Mr. Bradley..."
    "Nathan," he reminded
her. 
    Calling him by his first name
seemed too familiar.  She already knew she could be attracted to him. 
"This 'talent' I have isn't something I can turn off and on like a light
switch.  It's more unpredictable than the weather or earthquakes."
    "You made him realize she was
worried without saying it, without telling him you knew."
    "That was easiest."
    Nathan finished his enchilada and
took a swig of soda before he spoke again.  "My ex-wife took my daughters
out of the country six months ago.  I can't find them. My P.I. can't find
them.  Will you take my case?"
     
    Chapter
Two
    When Gillian's gaze met Nathan's,
the emotional and physical tug she felt toward him was so strong that she had
to fight to keep her body from leaning closer to his.  A voice inside her
screamed, You deserve a life of your own.  Yet her heart whispered back ,
He's hurting.  If you can help him, you'll take away his pain .
    "I'll pay you.  Whatever you
ask," he added gruffly.
    Sometimes Gillian wished life were
black and white, that her answer could depend merely on an economic need.  She
thought of the people she'd helped and those with whom she hadn't met success. 
It had nothing to do with their ability to pay.
    So she answered, "I'm not
interested in your money."
    "That's what my P.I. told me
you'd say, but I didn't believe him."
    "Believe him."  She took
another bite of chili, although her appetite had disappeared as soon as she'd
seen Nathan Bradley in the parking lot.
    "What can I say to make you
take this case?  Just imagine, Gillian, if you had daughters and they
disappeared."
    The sound of her name on his lips
created a turmoil inside her that led her to straighten her shoulders and sit
up stiffer on the bench.  "You're trying to manipulate me, Mr. Bradley. 
It won't work."
    His blue eyes had swept over her
many times since their encounter in the beauty salon, each time making her more
aware she was a woman and he was a very sexy man.  But this time as he
appraised her, she felt his respect.
    Empty plate and paper cup in hand,
he stood and dumped them in a nearby trash receptacle. Returning to the bench,
he shrugged off his suit jacket and flipped it over his arm.  "Will you at
least think about taking my case?"
    His white shirt enhanced his tan
and seemed to make him look even taller, his shoulders broader.  She suspected
he was a proud man, not accustomed to making a request more than once.  Rising
to her feet, she dropped the remains of her supper into the trash bin, then
turned to face him.  "I'll think about it.  That's all I can promise."
    The creases on Nathan's brows
relaxed slightly as he pulled a business card and a sheet of paper from his
shirt pocket.  "My office number is there as well as my home phone and
cell.  Call me anytime.  I go to bed late and get up early."
    The warmth blossoming inside her at
the idea of seeing Nathan either late at night or early in the morning had
nothing to do with the evening sun beating on her back.
    He continued, "On the
notepaper you'll find three names for references.  The first is the