Bride for a Single Dad. Laura Iding

emphasized the high curve of her breasts. In the hospital her long white lab coat and conservative business clothes had given her a professional, hands-off image.

      Now, with her hair falling in waves around her shoulders, Jillian looked young. Fresh. Beautiful. And close. Very close.

      Well within reach.

      “Hi!” Her breathless smile almost sent him to his knees. “I hope you weren’t waiting long?”

      He shook his head, trying to convince his lame brain not to fail him, now. He pried his tongue from the roof of his mouth. “Not at all.” He pulled the door open for her, somewhat surprised she wasn’t driving something a little more fun and sporty. He could easily see her in a flashy convertible. “I finished up early.”

      “I’m hungry,” she confided as they were seated at a cozy table for two. “I’m glad you suggested meeting for lunch.”

      “Me, too.” He knew better than to think of a simple sharing of a meal as a date but it was a difficult fact to remember when he wanted nothing more than to kiss her. He pulled his gaze from the temptation of her mouth with an effort. Once seated, they pondered the menus and placed their orders. When they both chose the same Italian dish, she laughed.

      He sucked in his breath. She went from beautiful to stunning when she laughed.

      It didn’t take much to imagine her smiling and laughing with his family. He came from a loud, noisy clan and he knew his parents and five siblings would love her. He suspected his youngest sister, Abby, especially would get on with Jillian.

      Maybe he should invite Jillian to Abby and Nick’s wedding next month?

      Or not, as he already had a date. With his daughter.

      “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful about your case, Alec,” she said in a soft, apologetic tone. “But I promise as soon as Monday comes, I’ll make sure you get the list of staff members you requested.”

      He shrugged, hiding his disappointment. He appreciated her need to go through proper channels, but it wasn’t easy to hold off on the investigation when kids’ lives were at stake. “That’s all right. I did want to ask you about something kind of related to the case.” He flashed a chagrined smile. “Percocets are pain pills, right?”

      She nodded. “Yes.”

      “Can you think of any reason why a sixteen-year-old would have them in his pocket?”

      She sat back in her chair, tilted her head and drew her brows together in a small frown. He liked the way she carefully considered his questions, as if they were important. She didn’t just give an easy answer off the top of her head. “Not really, unless he’d recently had surgery, which could be verified on autopsy. If not, I can only assume he planned to sell them, but, from what I hear, percocets don’t have the same street value as other drugs, like oxycodone.”

      He raised a brow at her perceptiveness. “You’re right about that. I’ve asked questions and heard the same thing. Still, it’s unusual for kids to have this kind of drug. Our narcotics division has seen more marijuana or crack cocaine or even heroin. Anything but percocets.”

      Jillian shivered. “I don’t even like to think about any of those drugs ending up in kids’ hands.”

      Yeah, he was totally in sync with her on that one. The image of Shelby’s innocent smile flashed in his mind as he added a heartfelt, “Me either.”

      “I guess I lived a pretty sheltered life,” Jillian mused. “I didn’t know much about any of this stuff until I started working in the ED.”

      Alec found himself wanting to know more about Jillian Davis. He leaned forward. “Did you grow up here in Milwaukee?”

      “Yes.” She shrugged a graceful shoulder. “My parents were older when they had me, and they were a bit over-protective. As they were both college professors, I ended up spending a lot of time in classrooms. Not that I minded. I loved books.”

      “So you were good in school.” He could easily see her, studying intently in the library.

      “Good enough to be granted a college scholarship.” She paused when the waiter brought their food to the table. “This looks delicious.”

      For a few minutes they concentrated on their respective meals. Alec glanced at her, his gaze drawn to her lovely face. She’d mentioned having a sheltered life and he could see how that might be the case. Heck, as far as he was concerned, Jillian shouldn’t have to take care of any victims of drug abuse. He took a bite of his chicken marinara, wishing the ugly side of his job hadn’t touched her. No one liked dealing with criminals at any level. Unfortunately, there was little he could do except continue his investigation and then hand over the details to his boss.

      Which reminded him of one more thing. “At some point I’d like to see your medication dispensing machine.”

      “Stop by while I’m working and I’ll show it to you,” Jillian offered. “The way the machines work isn’t a big secret and when you get the list from Administration, make sure you ask for the names of the staff members who accessed it during those time frames.”

      “I will. Thanks for the tip.” The way Jillian dug into her pasta with gusto made him grin. He could appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite.

      She was beautiful. Successful. Financially secure. He hid a grimace. She probably made at least twice as much money per year as he did. She was way out of his league.

      So what was he doing here, watching her eat? What was the point of fantasizing about asking her out again? If he had the chance, he’d take her out to a fancy restaurant for a nice, quiet dinner. One where she might agree to invite him to her place afterwards.

      The phone at his waist chirped loudly. He glanced at the display, and then flashed Jillian an apologetic smile.

      “Excuse me, this is my daughter.” He opened his phone. “Hi, munchkin, what’s up?”

      “Daddy!” Shelby shrieked in his ear. “I slid down a water slide and my whole head went underneath the water!”

      A moment of panic made him tighten his grip on the phone. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Did you cry?”

      “No, silly.” To his relief she giggled. “I just held my breath. I didn’t like it when water went up my nose, though.”

      Swimming lessons, he thought, relaxing one finger at a time from the death-like grip on his phone. Shelby needed swimming lessons, and fast. “You’re supposed to blow air out your nose, so water doesn’t come in.”

      “Ew. Gross.” He chuckled, imagining the scrunched expression on her face. “Auntie Alaina is calling me so I have to go, Daddy. I love you.”

      His throat tightened. He’d never, ever get tired of hearing her say that. “I love you, too, Shelby. See you later.” He cleared his throat as he snapped his phone shut.

      Jillian stared at him, her eyes wide with shocked surprise. Then she pulled herself together, although he noticed her smile was strained. “Your daughter sounds adorable. How old is she?”

      “Six. Almost seven.” He tried to think of a way to explain without going into the whole complicated story. “She’s only lived with me for the past year, since her mother died.”

      “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Jillian’s expression softened. “That must have been very difficult.”

      “Kids are incredibly resilient. Shelby seems to have adjusted fairly well. So have I. We make a pretty good team.”

      Jillian glanced away, making him realize he’d given the impression that he wasn’t interested in expanding that team.

      A fact he hadn’t meant to state so boldly.

      She reached for her water glass but as she lifted it, the stem slipped from her fingers and fell back onto the table. The glass didn’t break, but a