Daddy By Decision. Lindsay Longford

do you think I recognized you?” Taking her time, she sat down.

      “Didn’t you?” Sharp, determined, his eyes fastened on hers.

      “Wouldn’t I have said so if I did?”

      “Don’t know. Would you have?”

      “Of course. Anything else would be—weird.” She smiled brightly.

      “And you’re the last person I’d ever call weird. However—” He touched her nose and she snapped her head back.

      “What on earth are you doing?” She rubbed her nose fretfully.

      “Checking to see if that elegant nose is growing.”

      “For goodness’ sake, why on earth would I pretend not to know you?” She sipped delicately from the glass and hoped he’d buy the act. “And why would I lie about something like that?” She leaned forward, curious in her own right “At any rate, Jonas, why were you at the hospital? I hope it’s nothing serious?” That much was true. She placed her glass carefully on the table. “Is everything all right?”

      “Don’t want to answer my questions, so you’ll ask your own? I remember you used to do that.” He rolled the chilled glass across his cheek. “We’ll play it your way, then, Jessica. As you said earlier, nice seeing you again. How are you?” His gaze held hers as he pressed the glass against his forehead, and once more she saw the hint of exhaustion in the lines around his mouth and eyes.

      Compassion moved her to say, “Better than you, apparently, Jonas, to judge by the looks of you. What happened? Did all of your investments fall out the bottom of the market?”

      Setting the glass down and not answering, he looked at the table and stood up. Striding to the window, he nudged aside the curtain and watched Gopher chasing Skeezix. “Nice kid. Full of beans.”

      “He has his moments.” Remembering some of them, Jessie smiled.

      Glancing over his shoulder, Buck caught that smile, the way her face softened, and his breath hitched in his chest. “I thought you were dead set on never getting married or having a family, Jessie. You said you didn’t have time for a family. All you wanted was to make partner in the firm, be the next lawyer to have her name in gold leaf on the door. But you got married after all, huh?”