Free Wait Until Dark by Karen Robards, Andrea Kane, Linda Anderson, Mariah Stewart

father died when I was in my teens. Harlan took over from there. He was both mentor and friend. Why are you asking? Is this about his commitment to his family again?"
    "No, this is about my getting to know my father," Lindsey managed to say. "I never had the chance before. I wouldn't have taken it if I had. But now... I had a very enlightening talk with my mother. Things have changed."
    "I see," Nicholas murmured. He studied her with a delving intensity that was unnerving. It was as if he could see inside her, read her thoughts, and her emotions.
    Gently, he reached out, caressed her cheek, wiped away the fingering traces of moisture near her eyes. "So that's why you were crying." He didn't wait for a response. "I tell you what. The contractors won't be here for almost two hours. That pathetic Styrofoam cup of coffee I see sitting in the corner must be ice cold by now. I brought a whole thermos of it with me, hot and freshly brewed, along with a half-dozen of the best doughnuts you'll ever taste. Why don't we sit outside, eat some breakfast, and talk? This time we'll get past the superficial questions. This time we'll really talk about your father."
    Over the next hour Nicholas talked, and Lindsey was a rapt audience. He told her about Harlan's driving ambition, his dry sense of humor, his mile-wide stubborn streak. He got into Harlan's commitment to the environment, his aversion to shellfish and his affinity for classical music. He spoke of a man who prided himself on his people skills, who pushed himself to excel at everything he tackled - from investments to golf - and who tried a dozen different methods to get over his chronic seasickness, all unsuccessfully.
    "He couldn't even look at a boat," Nicholas chuckled. "Not even when it was docked. The mere sight of it rocking from side to side made him lose his lunch."
    "So that's where I get it from," Lindsey noted aloud. "Oh, I'm not quite as bad as that. I'm fine on kayaks, rowboats, canoes, even an occasional sailboat. But anything bigger than that?" She shuddered. "I went out on a friend's yacht once. The minute we dropped anchor and the boat started bobbing around, my insides started churning. I dived into the ocean and alternately swam and treaded water until it was time to head back. I love the water, but only as a spectator, a paddler, or a swimmer. Not as a passenger on anything serious enough to have a motor."
    Nicholas shot her a sympathetic look. "Hearing that, I'm glad you're staying at my house and I'm using the yacht. I guess I won't be offering you any moonlight cruises."
    "Not unless you're dying to send our clothes to the cleaners."
    "I see your point." A wicked grin. "On the other hand, that would mean having to take our clothes off. Maybe we should try out my yacht after all."
    Lindsey rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
    "Um-hum. But am I making headway?"
    Averting her gaze, Lindsey wondered how the conversation had gone from teasing to intimate. "I don't know how to answer that."
    "You just did."
    Electricity crackled in the air.
    Lindsey's cell phone rang.
    She jumped, startled by the sound, and stared blankly down at her side where the phone lay. Recovering, she snatched it up. "I hope none of the contractors is canceling," she muttered, punching the talk button. "Hello?"
    A slight pause, after which a male voice inquired, "Lindsey?"
    "Yes?"
    "This is Stuart Falkner. I need to speak with you. It's important. Can I buy you breakfast?"
    Her gut tightened. "I've already eaten."
    "I see. Lunch, then. Say, about noon? There's a great restaurant overlooking the Cliff Walk that..."
    "That won't be possible. I've got contractors coming any minute. They'll be here all day. I can't get away." A heavy sigh. "I realize you're leery of me, and my motives. The truth is, Tracy and I feel very bad for the way we've treated you. We'd like to make amends. Plus, we really do have something important to discuss with you. Can you just break away for an hour?"
    "So now