Free A Father's Quest by Debra Salonen Page B

claimed that Remy was single, but maybe Jess didn’t have all the facts.
    Remy pulled her oversize purse onto her lap and extracted a small case containing a tube of lipstick. She used the built-in mirror to touch-up her shiny pink lips. She puckered just so, then looked at him and sighed, but said nothing.
    Why the sudden reluctance? Had he said something that offended her? Was she worried about the time commitment? Maybe this was about money. He recalled that she wasn’t working and had intended to start looking for a new job. “I’ll hire you.” The offer was out of his mouth before he could consider it, but it made sense. She could be his personal P.I.
    “What?”
    “I need your help. I don’t expect you to do this for nothing. I’ll pay you double what you might earn at Shadybrook.” The idea was taking shape in his mind. “Say, two weeks, no matter what happens?”
    “You think this is going to take that long?” She frowned. “From what you said, I thought the situation was more urgent than that.”
    “I’m praying it won’t take that long to find Birdie. With your help and a little luck, we might find a new lead in the next day or two. But if you agree to help me, I want your complete focus. Not worrying about your next job. If, God forbid, this takes longer than two weeks, we’ll renegotiate then.”
    “What exactly do you expect me to do to earn this money?”
    “Help me figure out where my daughter is. Go over the information I’ve gathered so far. I’m too close to the case. I need fresh eyes. Someone who isn’t emotionally tied to Birdie or Cheryl to tell me what I’m missing.”
    She nodded as though that made sense.
    “And, dreams or no dreams, Rem, you’ve always been a free-form thinker. That’s exactly what I need, someone who doesn’t adhere so strictly to linear logic. Two weeks. Will you give me that?”
    She swallowed. “I—”
    “I promise to write you a glowing recommendation. No matter what happens.” He held out his hand to shake. “And I’ll throw in a bonus if we find her within a week.”
    He was giving her a hard sell. Before he went into insurance investigation, he’d sold policies from cold calls. He knew all the tricks and not giving her time to deliberate might be high pressure but it also usually resulted in a sale.
    “Okay,” she said. “But I’m not doing this for the money. You can pay me what I would have earned at Shadybrook, but no bonus. That’s simply too avaricious sounding, okay?”
    She started to offer her hand but pulled back a moment. “And no more talk about dreams. If I see something that has bearing on Birdie, I’ll tell you, but I don’t want you to count on that, okay?”
    “Okay,” he lied. She might not believe in her abilities—her gift—but he did.
    He shook her hand. Short and sweet. Businesslike. And despite the memories that tugged on his heartstrings—and a few body parts at points lower—he was going to keep their relationship aboveboard. He had no choice. Because no matter what the damn DNA test said, he and Remy Bouchard could never be together.





CHAPTER SIX
    R EMY STARTED TO GET to her feet, but a loud “Now, hold on a minute” made her stop. Suzie rushed to their table from across the room, moisture dripping from the sweaty pitcher of tea she carried. She lightly pressed her free hand against Remy’s shoulder to keep her in her chair. “You can’t go without pie. You always have pie, Remy.”
    Remy knew she wasn’t up to the digestive challenge at the moment—the memories that had swamped her from a simple handshake made it hard to think, much less enjoy dessert.
    “Two pieces to go,” Jonas said before Remy could respond. “Whatever’s best today. You pick. We trust your judgment, Suzie.”
    The waitress seemed pleased by the compliment. “Back in a few. And I’ll bring your bill.” She dashed away in the opposite direction.
    “Dessert police,” he said with a bemused smile. “Who