McIver's Mission

Arden nodded. “Yes. I thought about waiting to return it, but I wasn’t sure if I’d have a chance to speak to you alone. Not that I want to be alone with you. I mean—”

She broke off, drew in a deep breath. He fought against the grin that tugged at his lips. Damn, but she was cute when she was flustered.

“I only meant that I didn’t want Nikki to know that I had your handkerchief, because then she’d have a ton of questions. She worries about me,” Arden admitted reluctantly.

“It’s natural to worry about those you love.” He tilted his head, studying her. “Why does that bother you?”

She shrugged. “Because it’s unnecessary.”

One day, he promised himself, he would get to the bottom of this stubborn independence of hers. He’d find out what had happened to make her so unwilling to rely on others, so reluctant to accept help when it was offered. For now it was enough that she was here.

“I saw you and Warren Blake having coffee at the courthouse Monday.” He wasn’t sure what compelled him to blurt out the statement. He hadn’t realized that the sight of Arden with the assistant district attorney had bothered him, but apparently it had, more than he wanted to admit.

“And?” she prompted, sounding baffled.

He shrugged. “I thought you didn’t date lawyers.”

“Is that a not-so-subtle way of asking about my relationship with Warren?”

He didn’t give a damn about being subtle, and he didn’t like the way the man’s name had rolled off her tongue. “Do you have a relationship with Blake?”

“Do you have a problem with the new ADA?” she countered.

“He’s arrogant and self-righteous and unreasonable.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did he refuse to grant bail to one of your clients?”

He had, but “That’s not the point.”

She smiled.

“He was hanging all over you.”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Arden told him. “But we were having a professional discussion over coffee.”

Her explanation failed to appease him. A professional discussion. “Since when do you represent criminal defendants?”

“I do a lot of work with young offenders,” she told him.

“Oh.” He’d forgotten that. Still, he didn’t like the way Blake had been looking at her. Not that he could blame the man for finding Arden attractive, but he sensed it was something more than that. He had no grounds for his suspicions, though, so he kept them to himself.

“Any more questions?” Arden asked.

“Not right now.”

“Good.” She stood up. “I have to get back to the office.”

But Shaun was reluctant to let her go. “I haven’t forgotten about your bookshelves,” he told her. “I just haven’t had a chance to get the wood.”

“I’m not in a hurry.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll call you, then, when I’m ready to get started.”

“Sure,” she agreed. Then, “I’ll see you at Colin and Nikki’s tomorrow?”

He nodded, already looking forward to it.

It was amazing, Arden thought as she stepped out of the path of an oncoming child, how vocal a group of six-year-olds could be. And it wasn’t a particularly large group, either. She tried to count the heads as they rushed past, but they changed direction in midstream, circled around and disappeared up the stairs again.

“How many kids are here?” she asked Nikki.

“Six,” her cousin answered. “Including Carly.”

“I never would have thought that six kids could make so much noise.”

Nikki shrugged. “You get used to it.”

“How long is this party supposed to last?”

“Until three o’clock.”

Arden glanced at her watch. It was a little past one. The party had started at noon, with hot dogs and potato chips for lunch. Then Carly had opened her presents, and now the kids were playing some kind of game that apparently required running around the house at full speed and full volume. Arden concentrated on helping Nikki pick up the scattered remnants of wrapping paper and ribbon, refusing to think about the fact that Shaun had yet to make an appearance.

“How’s your new associate working out?” Nikki asked.

“Good. It took her a while to get her bearings, but she’s settling in well.”

“So what’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.”

Nikki sent her a pointed look; Arden sighed.

“I’m not sure.”

“Must be a man,” Nikki said, smiling.

“No. Well, sort of.”

“He’s sort of a man?”

Arden laughed. He was definitely a man. “He sort of bothers me.”

“It’s about time.”

“What do you mean?”

“You always close yourself off from people, never letting anyone get too close. If he bothers you, it means he’s getting to you.”