To See The Daises ... First Read Free Page B

him not to be so fascinated, so mesmerized by the uniqueness of her personality, the open joy in her face. He had learned the hard way that every bit of joy that came in this world was followed sooner or later by disillusionment.
    He wanted to tell her why it was so difficult to accept what he was feeling, to warn her against being so open to life, but as he looked into her brilliant blue eyes, he found he couldn't be the one to take away the joy.
    Reaching across the table, he picked up the small hand of this tantalizing bit of sunshine and gave it a comforting squeeze. "You're not crazy. Unconventional, unexpected, and even a little kookie," he said, smiling, "but not crazy. And it's extremely unlikely that you don't have relatives of some kind."
    "That's why I decided to try a private investigator. Then I wouldn't lose anything if it turns out that nobody wants me." She paused, glancing down at the tabletop, as though she were not quite sure how to continue. "Um . . . the only thing is ... I don't have any money . . . but you've probably already guessed that." Lifting her eyes, she gazed at him earnestly. "If it turns out that I don't have anyone, it may be a while before I can pay you. But if I do, I promise I'll pay you immediately. Do you think you could find out before dinner?" she asked hopefully.
    He chuckled again, shaking his head in wonder. He hadn't laughed so much in months—no, years. It had been years since he had felt this happy, this light-hearted.
    "I'm afraid I can't promise that," he said, smiling ruefully. He really would have to tell her the truth soon. Charlie would take her case—Ben would make sure of that—but how could he tell her of his deception without losing her trust? Then again, did he realty deserve her trust? She v had a very real problem that needed solving and he was playing games with her—because when he looked at her, the doubts and fears that had been his uncomfortable companions for months slid into the background for a while. He was trying to leech her vitality and freshness in an underhanded way that suddenly shamed him. And it was going to stop right now, he decided.
    "Look, Sunshine—there are a lot of things we need to cover. Labels in your clothing. Finding the place where you woke up yesterday. But before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you. When you came to the office—"
    A loud crash interrupted him and all eyes in the cafe jerked around to watch the man with the daisies apologize profusely to the harassed waitress as he helped her pick up the load of empty dishes that were scattered on the floor.
    Ben looked away from the scene, exasperated at the interruption, and returned, his gaze to the woman across from him. He opened his mouth to continue, then stopped abruptly. She had turned sideways in her chair to see what had happened and the huge trench coat had slipped down slightly on her shoulder, her bare shoulder. His eyes followed the hardly visible line of smooth, creamy skin down to the tops of small, round—but equally bare—breasts and his breath caught roughly in his throat. As he felt the muscles in his loins tighten in reaction, he thought in a strangely objective way that once again she had called forth feelings in him that had been absent for months.
    ***
    "Sunshine," he had christened her. The name pleased her. As she turned back to the table, she wondered what this large, tough-looking man really thought of her. He watched every small move she made with a curious intensity. Maybe he thinks I'm going to start raving any minute, she thought, grinning as she raised her eyes to his. Then her grin faded as she took in the look in his shocked gray eyes. She glanced down to find her borrowed coat had slipped down just enough to expose her bare shoulder.
    "We obviously can't check the labels in your clothes," he muttered, his voice gruff as he watched her rearrange the beige trench coat. Clearing his throat loudly, he added, "Was there