On The Run Read Free Page B

decided that you—”
    “Go to sleep. I have a two-year-old to break tomorrow.”
    “Okay.” She nestled closer. “I heard the music again. I’m going to get up early and try to play it on the piano.”
    “Something new?”
    She yawned again. “Mm-hmm. It’s just a whisper now but it will get louder.”
    “When you’re ready, I’d love to hear it.”
    “Uh-huh. But it’s just a whisper. . . .”
    She was asleep.
    Grace moved carefully to shift her so that she was lying more comfortably on the pillow. She should send her back to her bed, but she wasn’t going to do it. Frankie was so independent, she seldom came to Grace to be cuddled anymore, and she was going to enjoy this. There was nothing more endearing than the soft, warm weight of a beloved child.
    And God knew there was no child more beloved than this child in her arms.
    It was odd that Frankie had started worrying about Grace’s solitary status. Or maybe not so odd. Frankie was older than her years and extremely sensitive. Grace hoped she’d convinced her that this life at the farm was enough for her. She’d told her the truth. She kept herself so busy that there was no room for worrying about sex or any other intimate relationship. Even if a relationship hadn’t posed a threat, she was not about to be pulled down into that whirlpool of sensuality that had almost destroyed her. When she had conceived Frankie, she was totally immersed in a physical obsession that had made her forget everything she should have remembered. That couldn’t ever happen again. She owed it to Frankie to keep a cool head.
    The rain was pounding against the window and the rhythmic sound only added to the sweetness that was enveloping her. She wanted it to go on and on. To hell with the horse she had to break tomorrow. She was going to lie here with Frankie and savor this moment.
             
    W hat the hell is it?” Robert asked when he got through to Les North in Washington. “Horses? This county is full of them, but no one’s ever seen fit to break into my car and put a photo of them on my seat.”
    “Blue eyes?”
    “Both of them. What is it—”
    “Get out to the farm, Blockman. Check and see if everything’s okay.”
    “And wake her up? I just saw her and the kid tonight. They’re fine. It could just be some practical joke. I’m not the most popular person in this town. I’m not a Southern Baptist and I have nothing to do with horses, their feeding or well-being. That guarantees I’ll stay an outsider.”
    “It’s not a joke. And it’s not one of your neighbors down there. Get out there. Try not to scare her, but make sure the place is secure.”
    “I’ll call Charlie on his cell phone and make sure everything’s okay.” Robert was silent a moment. “This is serious stuff, isn’t it? Are you going to tell me why you’re bent out of shape?”
    “You’re damn right it’s serious. This may be the reason you’ve been parked on her doorstep all these years. Get out there and earn your salary.”
    “I’m on my way.” Robert hung up.
             
    N orth pressed the disconnect and sat there thinking.
    Warning? Probably. And if it was a warning, who had given it?
    Kilmer.
    He muttered a curse. Kilmer surfacing after all these years was the worst-case scenario. They’d made a deal, dammit. He couldn’t show up and throw the setup into chaos. If there was a problem, Blockman could handle it.
    Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe he wasn’t in Tallanville. Maybe he’d hired someone to leave the photo.
    And pigs could fly. Even if that warning hadn’t been delivered in person, he wasn’t a man who’d let anyone else handle a dangerous situation that concerned Grace Archer.
    He had no choice but to call Bill Crane, his superior, and tell him Kilmer was probably back on the scene. Hell, Crane was one of the new wonder boys who’d been brought in after 9/11. He’d bet Crane didn’t even know Kilmer existed.
    Well, he was about to learn.