of articles Gary Barksdale had written for the Philadelphia Inquirer on the kidnapping and recovery of a local girl. The child had been six months old when she’d been kidnapped and four years old when she’d been reunited with her family.
He’d be the perfect person to help her sort through her suspicions and questions about identification, aside from the fact she’d be talking about his cherished niece.
Anxiety battled for its place among the tangle of emotions in her gut.
Gary Barksdale.
Seeing him tonight had been a reality check.
Since they’d split up, she’d worked with a vengeance, first at graduating college with top honors, then at landing a job with WNJZ.
She’d allowed herself to feel the pain, the joys and the triumphs of the stories she covered, yet she’d never let herself become close to anyone after her sister’s death.
Not a coworker. Not a friend. Not a lover.
Thoughts of the brief romance she’d shared with Gary rushed into her brain and she warmed instinctively. Her involvement with him had been heady, wonderful and foolish.
Breaking it off had been the smartest move she’d ever made. Watching her sister’s abusive relationship a short while later had convinced her she’d made the right move.
Once Robin had been born, Becca had wisely kicked out the man she’d been involved with— Robin’s father. He’d threatened violence on more than one occasion and after Becca had filed a restraining order—at Sophie’s urging—he’d thankfully disappeared from their lives.
Becca had moved back to the Philadelphia region, ready to make a fresh start with her gorgeous daughter. Sophie had been ready to do whatever her sister and niece needed. Anything.
Tears swam in her vision and she blinked them away.
Anything.
Then everything had changed, and the sister and niece who were her world were gone. Forever.
Or so she’d thought.
She might be grasping at the longest shot of her life, but she had to see it through. She owed that much to her sister’s memory.
Her reporter’s instinct wouldn’t rest until she fully explored the possibilities, and as much as she didn’t want to face the man again, she knew exactly where to start.
Chapter Two
Gary pulled open the door to the diner, pausing for a beat to gather himself. He’d been pushing an afternoon deadline when Sophie called. He’d asked her to give him an hour to finish up. He should have asked for two. Maybe then he could have cleaned up a bit.
He ran a hand up through his close-cropped hair then down over the stubble on his jaw, catching himself in the move.
So what if he looked as if he hadn’t slept at all last night? He hadn’t. The news came first. Sophie knew that. Hell, she lived the life as much as he did, only she had to do it live in front of millions of viewers.
She waved from a booth along the far wall of the quaint room and Gary couldn’t help but notice how slender she’d become—not that she’d ever been heavy—but back in the day, the woman had had curves. Serious curves.
He grinned to himself as he crossed the worn linoleum floor, picturing her long brown ponytail shoved up into a baseball cap, her U of D jersey tucked into a pair of tattered jeans, white high-top sneakers on her feet.
What a sight she’d been back then.
Sophie stood and extended her hand.
What a sight she was now.
Gary bypassed the handshake and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. She blinked and a flush of color spread up her face.
She glanced down at the table, apparently waiting for him to slide into his side of the booth. Her close-cropped, dark hair feathered impeccably around the sharp angles of her cheekbones. Small diamond studs sparkled from each earlobe.
Her crisp white blouse looked as though it had been made for her, the seams perfectly hugging her slender shoulders, the sleeves falling smoothly to the shirt’s precise cuffs. A rich brown jacket lay folded on the bench seat next to her, a perfect match for the slim, classic skirt that sheathed her lean hips and thighs.
“I guess you’re wondering why I called.” Sophie’s voice cut through the visual inventory Gary had been taking.
He nodded. She was absolutely right. He was wondering why she’d called. Certainly it hadn’t been for old time’s sake.
Gary knew she had no interest in picking up where they’d left off seven years earlier. She’d made her feelings crystal clear when they’d parted ways, and Gary had no desire to set himself up for that kind of hurt again. Ever.
He inhaled deeply, shoving the old disappointment out of his head. He’d truly loved her back then, but her heart had been cold and sharp-edged when she’d walked away—as cold and sharp-edged as the rest of her body appeared now.
Maybe she’d done him a favor way back when. Since their breakup, he’d avoided personal entanglements, focusing on honing his reporting skills. His stories had progressively grown bigger and broader, and now he’d attracted the interest of the L.A. paper.
Not bad.
Gary dropped onto the bench seat and Sophie mirrored the move.
“What’s up?” he asked, realizing he’d taken far too long to speak.
Her throat worked, and she stared at him as if studying every line and shadow of his face. “It’s been a long time.”
Her voice was soft, bringing memories of the tender times they’d shared rushing back.
Gary nodded, but kept his features expressionless. “You’ve certainly changed.”
Her solemn features broke into a smile, and for an instant he flashed back on the younger, softer Sophie.
The skin around her eyes crinkled. “Can’t say the same for you.”
He glanced down at the creases in his denim shirt and the coffee stain on his rolled-up sleeve. He met her gaze and arched his brows, rubbing a hand across his day-old beard. “We don’t all have to be live at five.”
“I guess we don’t,” she said softly.
“Speaking of which—” Gary took a long sip of the coffee the waitress had poured into his cup “—don’t you have a broadcast to get ready for?”
Sophie nodded, then splayed her hands on the glass tabletop. “I’ve got a little time first. How about you?” She lifted her gaze to his. “Can you give me a half hour or so?”
He could. The question was whether or not he wanted to. “Sure,” he answered, wondering what the woman was up to.
“I wanted to talk to you about the Hernandez
