“You’re up early.”His voice sounded groggy.
“Mmm.”
All her attention was on the computer in her lap.Her legs were tucked underneath her, and her hair tumbled around her shoulders.Fresh from bed and without makeup, she looked sexier than most movie stars.
“What are you doing?”he asked.
“Trying to figure out when the last new moon was.”She finally glanced up at him, and her gaze zeroed in on the erection that had been a big cause for him waking.“Speaking of beating the bushes, I want to do that today.”
He grinned.“Well, get over here.”
The expression on her face went deadpan.“Notthat.I want to do some more digging into my past.You went out asking questions to find your mother.I want to go to the library, the newspaper, the courthouse, and anyplace else that might make sense.”
“Okay.”He frowned.“But now?”
They’d slept the night away again.He’d really been looking forward to morning sex.
“You know what they say about the early bird,” she teased as she set the laptop aside and scurried for the shower.
“No,” he murmured, following her.“We’re night owls.Remember?”
* * * * *
If the Internet search had been fruitless, the in-person kind wasn’t much better.They visited the library first, but neither of them found anything in the microfiche.TheCobalt Courierhadn’t done a story on identical triplets being born.They failed to find any pertinent info in the records at the courthouse, either.In the end, they combed through books, files, and databases around town and came away with very little.
Finally, there was only one place left to try.
And it was the one place guaranteed to put them both in a cold sweat.
Billy covered Roxie’s hand where it lay on the rental truck’s console.Neither of them had yet made a move to leave the vehicle.“You okay?”
She made a noncommittal sound, staring straight through the windshield at the drab gray building in front of them.The square concrete office structure had no character, no flourishes that made it unique or approachable.It sat atop a knoll, staring down at them.Even as adults, the Social Services building seemed imposing and unyielding.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”he asked.
He’d come to this point in his search for his mother, the one where he could have forged ahead or dropped everything.Finding “Uncle Wade” hadn’t been easy, but he’d known the supplier could probably give him the best info on where to find her—or where else she might be scoring her meth.
Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t walked into that little room behind some rundown appliance shop.Would ignorance have been bliss?His jaw certainly could have done without the pounding it took that day.
“They’ve been dragging their heels too long.”She shot him a quick look.“You don’t have to come, though.”
“The hell I don’t.”He didn’t care if she was going in there to volunteer for Meals on Wheels; she wasn’t going to face those people alone.He inhaled purposefully, making his lungs expand.Years had passed.Personnel had surely changed.Hopefully the policies were better, too.
Right.And pigs had started flying.He’d spent nine years in the system.
He’d believe it when he saw it.
“It’s my life,” she reasoned.“I won’t allow them to give me the runaround any longer.”
“Okay.”He kept his feelings reserved.If she wanted to back out, he’d have no qualms about moving on.Sometimes it just might be best not to open Pandora’s box.
Only this woman had more guts than most race car drivers he knew.She clicked her fingernails nervously, but then grabbed the door handle.She was halfway across the parking lot before he could get out of the truck.
Catching up with her, he slid his hand around hers.
She clutched him right back.
“Feet still hurting in those new boots?”he asked.
