Free Beneath the Stetson by Janice Maynard Page A

the phone lengthened. “Define wrong.”
    “Is Cade okay?”
    Gil’s voice was hoarse. “He’s fine. Never even woke up when I carried him to his bed.”
    “That’s good.”
    “Yeah.” The awkward conversation was going nowhere. “I wish our evening could have lasted longer,” he said.
    She knew exactly what he meant. “Me, too.” Suddenly, something struck her. “Are you in bed?” she asked, not sure if she wanted to know or not.
    “Yes. And wishing you were here beside me.”
    She swallowed hard. The man was nothing if not honest. “I need you to be sure, Gil. Things will be complicated, and I don’t want you to resent me when this is all over.”
    “I wasn’t very nice to you at first, was I? And you’re not sure if I fully trust you.”
    She heard the regret in his voice. “You were entitled to your opinion. In your place, I might have been just as aggravated. It’s never easy to be questioned about a crime. It makes innocent people jittery. I understand.”
    “I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you. I really like you, Bailey. In spite of your job.”
    She smiled, smoothing her free hand over the soft, faded pattern of the double wedding ring quilt on her bed. “I like you, too, Gil. In spite of your bullheadedness.”
    “Touché.”
    His chuckle warmed her. “I’m not having phone sex with you,” she said firmly, yet willing to be persuaded.
    “Trust me, Bailey, when we finally have sex, it’s going to be a helluva lot more exciting than mere words. I’m going to let you turn my world upside down and then return the favor.”
    Her breath caught as her legs moved restlessly against the sheets. “You’re awfully confident.”
    “It has nothing to do with confidence. You and I are two of a kind. We’re loners. Who feel things deeply and have a strong sense of responsibility toward those who depend on us. I think that’s why I felt something for you the first day we met. You’re not only beautiful and sexy, but you care about things. About people. About a little boy who wants a mother....”
    “You know I’m not applying for that job, right?”
    “I know. But how do you feel about the boy’s father?”
    Bailey sucked in a breath. Perhaps it was easier to be honest when he wasn’t staring at her face to face. “I want to spend time with you, Gil...in all sorts of ways....”
    He said something short and sharp that she couldn’t quite hear. And then his voice echoed over the connection more strongly. “Not all women are as honest as you,” he said.
    She smiled, knowing he couldn’t see. “Have I shocked you?”
    “Only in the best possible way.” He paused. “Go to sleep, Bailey. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “Tomorrow...”
    She fell asleep thinking about all the possibilities tied up in that one wonderful word.

Seven
    B ailey worked her way through one drawer after another, her pile of file folders growing along with her list of questions. She’d been at the club all day, and Gil had never once shown his face. When she had arrived at ten as usual that morning, the club receptionist met her and handed over a key, saying that Mr. Addison had been detained.
    Bailey tried not to brood over hurt feelings, but her reaction to Gil’s absence was beginning to make her question whether it was wise to get involved with him at all. She didn’t want to analyze his every move for evidence of whether or not he really cared. Fear of making an embarrassing misstep in their relationship kept her on edge.
    At a quarter to five she began packing up her things, prepared to go home and pore over the new information she had gleaned. Still, nothing and no one jumped out at her as a likely suspect. But there were a lot of club members who had connections to Alex, and Bailey was pretty sure that given the chance to talk to them she might be able to make progress with her case.
    When Gil walked into the small office, again without announcing his presence beforehand, she sucked