Man of the Hour

She didn’t look okay. She looked like hell. Tired, pale, and worried. Despite this, she looked younger than she had the day before, beautiful in no makeup, her hair tied back in a ponytail.

“I’m just so scared,” she said.

“I know you are,” Dan said. “That’s one of the reasons I came by—to tell you that it may take a while, but we’ll find your daughter.”

Impulsively he got up and walked over to where she sat. Reaching down, he took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Then he did something he knew he shouldn’t. He put his arms around Glynnis and held her while she cried.

Holding her trembling body, Dan silently repeated his pledge. He would find this woman’s daughter and bring her safely home…if it was the last thing he ever did.

Dear Reader,

Well, the lazy days of summer are winding to an end, so what better way to celebrate those last long beach afternoons than with a good book? We here at Silhouette Special Edition are always happy to oblige! We begin with Diamonds and Deceptions by Marie Ferrarella, the next in our continuity series, THE PARKS EMPIRE. When a mesmerizing man walks into her father’s bookstore, sheltered Brooke Moss believes he’s her dream come true. But he’s about to challenge everything she thought she knew about her own family.

Victoria Pade continues her NORTHBRIDGE NUPTIALS with Wedding Willies, in which a runaway bride with an aversion to both small towns and matrimony finds herself falling for both, along with Northbridge’s most eligible bachelor! In Patricia Kay’s Man of the Hour, a woman finds her gratitude to the detective who found her missing child turning quickly to…love. In Charlie’s Angels by Cheryl St. John, a single father is stymied when his little girl is convinced that finding a new mommy is as simple as having an angel sprinkle him with her “miracle dust”—until he meets the beautiful blonde who drives a rig called “Silver Angel.” In It Takes Three by Teresa Southwick, a pregnant caterer sets her sights on the handsome single dad who swears his fatherhood days are behind him. Sure they are! And the MEN OF THE CHEROKEE ROSE series by Janis Reams Hudson concludes with The Cowboy on Her Trail, in which one night of passion with the man she’s always wanted results in a baby on the way. Can marriage be far behind?

Enjoy all six of these wonderful novels, and please do come back next month for six more new selections, only from Silhouette Special Edition.

Gail Chasan

Senior Editor

Man of the Hour

Patricia Kay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

This book is dedicated, with many thanks, to Colleen Thompson—terrific writer, knowledgeable reader and great friend.

PATRICIA KAY,

formerly writing as Trisha Alexander, is the USA TODAY bestselling author of more that thirty contemporary romances. She lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about her, visit her Web site at www.patriciakay.com.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

“Mommy, I thirsty!”

“Me, too! I wanna go home.”

Glynnis March glanced down at her tired children. Michael, her seven-year-old, and Olivia, her three-year-old, looked mutinous.

“I’m sorry,” she said as patiently as she could, considering the fact her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was to go home, too. “I know you’re both tired. Five more minutes, okay? Mommy just needs to buy one more Christmas present, then we’ll go to the food court.”

“And get french fries?” Michael said.

Normally, Glynnis didn’t allow the children to eat fast food, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Yes, french fries and a soft drink you can take to the car and have while we’re driving home, all right?”

Michael, skeptical, frowned. “You promise?”

“I promise.”

With an expression that pierced her because it was one she’d seen on his father’s face many times, Michael looked down at his sister and said, “Just five minutes, Livvy. Mommy promised.”

“Fibe minutes?” Olivia frowned in concentration, putting out four fingers one by one.

Glynnis couldn’t help it; she chuckled and pulled out Olivia’s thumb. “Five, honey. One, two, three, four, five.”

Olivia counted along with her mother and then grinned, her dimples deep and adorable. “Fibe.”

Michael didn’t smile. He was too old to be distracted. Glynnis knew she was pushing her luck. But Corinne’s Closet had cashmere sweaters at half price—something she hadn’t known until she’d seen the sign in the window—and she knew if she didn’t go in and get one now, they’d be gone by the time she was able to come back to the mall. And a green cashmere sweater would be the perfect gift for her sister-in-law, Sabrina.

Praying the children would last long enough for her to snag the sweater, Glynnis—children in tow—entered the shop. She nearly turned around and walked out when she saw how many women were ahead of her. It was a mob scene. But she wanted that sweater for Sabrina.

Maneuvering through the crowd, she spied the sweater section. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to work her way to the table where the sale sweaters were stacked. Oh, good, she thought, seeing that there were several different shades of green. She especially liked the mossy shade, which would be a perfect complement to Sabrina’s eyes.

“Glynnis! Fancy seeing you here.”

Glynnis whirled at the sound of the Scottish accent. As she’d thought, Isabel McNabb, head of the creative writing program at Ivy Community College, where Glynnis taught art and art history, stood grinning at her. “Hi, Isabel. Yeah, I’m braving the madding crowd.”

“Isn’t it just.” Isabel pushed back a strand of wayward blond hair. “But my mum is coming tomorrow, and I still haven’t bought anything for her. So here I am.”

“Mommy! Come on!” Michael tugged his hand away from Glynnis’s grip.

Glynnis looked down at her unhappy son. His dark eyes, another reminder of his father, were accusatory. “Honey,” she began.

“I wanna go. You promised.”

“You pomised,” Olivia echoed, her tongue not able to navigate her Rs very well. She, too, started trying to release herself.

Glynnis hefted Olivia into her arms. “Isabel, I’m sorry. I can’t talk. I’ve got to get one of those sweaters and get out of here or my kids are going to have a meltdown.”

Isabel nodded. Lowering her voice, she said, “See why I have no desire for the little darlings?”

Glynnis grinned. Isabel’s dry humor and fearlessness about expressing an unpopular opinion never failed to amuse her. “Have a wonderful Christmas,” she said as Isabel waved goodbye.

“You, too.”

Turning to the table with the sweaters, Glynnis began a one-handed search for a mossy-green one in a size small. Olivia, held in the other arm, began sucking her thumb. On another day, Glynnis would have tried to distract her and gently pull the thumb out of her mouth, but right now she was too frazzled. If the thumb gave Livvy some comfort and allowed Glynnis to get her sweater and get out of there quickly, so be it. She’d deal with her daughter’s insecurities some other time.

Just when Glynnis found the size she was looking for, there was a huge crash as one of the nearby circular racks holding leather jackets collapsed onto the floor. Glancing over, she spied the unmistakable red sneakers of her son protruding from underneath the fallen rack.

“Michael!” Putting Olivia down, Glynnis rushed over to help one of the sales clerks right the rack. A dazed-looking Michael stared up at her. There was a bloody cut on his cheek. “Oh, Michael, honey,” Glynnis said, reaching down to help him up. “Are you okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

Glynnis took a deep breath. Her heart was racing. She gathered Michael into a hug. “I’m so sorry,” she said to the clerk.

The sales clerk just rolled her eyes. “Hey, he’s a kid. We’re used to it.”

Glynnis smiled thankfully. Reaching into her pocket, she extracted a tissue and gently wiped away the blood from Michael’s cheek. Grateful to see the injury was only a surface scratch, she mentally dismissed the green sweater and said, “C’mon, honey, let’s go.”

“Okay,” he said.

“Livvy, sweetie, we’re going home.” Glynnis turned, then frowned as she realized Olivia wasn’t behind her. Remembering that she’d put Olivia down when the rack fell, she called out, “Livvy? Livvy, honey, where are you?” She made a quick sweep of the store, but she didn’t see her daughter or the bright yellow jacket she was wearing anywhere. “Livvy!” she called louder, the first small seeds of panic beginning to take hold. “Stop hiding. This isn’t funny.”

“What is it?” the clerk who’d helped her with Michael said.

“My little girl. I can’t see her. She…oh, God.” Fear caused her voice to shake. “I—I had her in my arms, and I put her down when I saw Michael under the rack.” Glynnis was practically crying now. “She’s gone! I don’t see her anywhere.”

Holding on to Michael tightly, Glynnis raced through the store. Livvy had to be here somewhere! Maybe she was hiding under one of the racks. The kids loved to do that. Once, Michael had scared her half to death by hiding and not answering when she called. When she’d finally found him, he giggled, completely unaware of the fact he’d taken a few years off her life expectancy.

By now, many of the customers and all the clerks realized what had happened and they were clustered in worried-looking groups.

“Ma’am, ma’am, slow down. Tell me what your daughter looks like,” the clerk said.

“She…she’s only three. Th-three and a half. She’s small with reddish-gold hair like mine, hazel eyes, dimples, sh-she’s wearing a bright yellow down jacket with a hood. Um, navy blue corduroy pants and white sneakers.” Glynnis fought her fear, telling herself Olivia was tired, and she’d probably just curled up somewhere.

“Anything else, ma’am?”

“Sh-she was sucking her thumb.” The mention of the thumb caused something inside Glynnis to splinter. “She’s probably just hiding somewhere.” Please, God, let her just be playing hide-and-seek.

“I’ll get security,” the clerk said. Calling to a coworker, she added, “Help her look.”

The other clerk organized the staff and remaining customers, all of whom seemed to have stopped whatever they’d been doing to commiserate. Systematically, they began searching under and behind racks and counters.

Soon they’d exhausted all possibilities, and Livvy was nowhere to be seen.

Glynnis, holding on to Michael as if her life depended upon it, raced to the door and out into the mall. Her gaze darted around. Livvy, Livvy, Livvy, where are you? But no matter how hard she looked, she saw no yellow jacket. She saw no Olivia. Biting her lip to keep from crying, Glynnis stood numbly. She had never felt so helpless in her life.

“Mommy? Where’s Livvy?” Michael’s voice trembled.

Looking down into his worried eyes, Glynnis could see he was on the verge of tears. She tried to make her own voice reassuring. “We’ll find her, honey. Don’t worry. We’ll find her. M-maybe she just wanted to get some french fries.” But even as Glynnis said the words, the fear she’d been trying to keep tamped down erupted, threatening to totally overwhelm her.

A few seconds later, two black-uniformed security guards—one an older man, the other, a plump young woman—converged on the store.

The sales clerk who had been so helpful took Glynnis by the arm. “Come back inside,” she said. “We’ve got a security camera. Let’s look at the tape and see if your daughter wandered outside.”

“What happened, ma’am?” the female guard said.

By now, Glynnis was so panicked, she could hardly talk, so the clerk hastily filled in. As soon as the vital information was imparted, the male guard got out his walkie-talkie. Within minutes, the background music that was so much a part of the mall went silent and the public address system blared into life.

“Don’t worry, ma’am,” the male guard said. “We’re closing off every exit. If your little girl wandered off by herself, she won’t be able to get out. We’ll find her.”

“Lucy,” called one of the clerks.

The clerk, who had been so helpful from the beginning, turned.

“We’ve got the security tape rewound.”

“Let’s go look at that tape, ma’am,” the female guard said.

In the store’s office, Glynnis, with Michael, the store manager, the two guards and Lucy, the helpful clerk, stood and watched the security tape.

“Oh, God!” Glynnis gasped. “There! There! That’s her!” She began to cry, for there, on the now-stopped tape, was Olivia. But she wasn’t wandering out the door alone. She was being held in the arms of a young woman, and she was crying. “That woman is taking my baby!”

The male guard grabbed the phone and punched in some numbers. “I’m calling the police,” he said. Inclining his head toward the female guard, he said, “Alert everyone. Be on the lookout for a female, teens or twenties, wearing a short jacket and jeans, spiked hairdo, probably streaked blond, carrying a female youngster. Give them a description of Mrs. March’s little girl. Tell them not to try to apprehend, just to watch and follow. The doors are all locked now, so she can’t leave. Call me the minute you see them.”

His eyes met Glynnis’s and, unknowingly, he parroted almost the exact words she’d used to reassure Michael. “We’ll find her, ma’am. Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

Please God, Glynnis prayed, please let him be right. Please let them find her. Don’t let her be hurt. Just bring her back to me, and I’ll never ask you for anything again.

Dan O’Neill’s shift began at three, but he’d been bored at home and decided to come in to the station early. Although you’d think the opposite would be true—that perps would take a break during the Christmas holidays—crime seemed to increase at this time of year.

Even Ivy, Ohio, with its population of less than 35,000, wasn’t immune. Of course, instead of non-stop homicides, drug deals gone bad and armed robbery—which had been the menu in Chicago—the majority of crime in Ivy was confined to domestic disputes and vandalism, with a few drunk drivers thrown in.

Not exactly exciting, he thought wryly.

But then he hadn’t moved to Ivy for excitement. In his years with the Chicago PD, he’d had enough excitement to last him a lifetime.

Remembering Chicago and the reasons behind his leaving, he felt a familiar mantle of depression settling onto his shoulders. Quickly, before it could gain a firm hold, he shook it off. He was tired of feeling bad. Tired of feeling guilty. Tired of the old Dan.

Soon it would be a new year.

A new year.

He repeated the phrase mentally several times. New years meant changes. Resolutions. Getting rid of bad habits and adopting new ones.

“It’s a new life,” he muttered.

“You say something?”

Dan looked up. Romeo Navarro, aptly named because he considered himself God’s gift to women, was looking at him curiously.

“Just talking to myself,” Dan said.

“Gotta watch that. That’s what old people do.”

Dan shrugged.

Romeo started to say something else when the phone rang. Both men turned to look at Elena, the dispatcher. “Oh, that’s awful!” she said, her dark eyes getting big as she listened. “Someone will be right there.” She disconnected the call and then knocked on the glass window of the chief’s office. “Chief Crandall!”

Gabe Crandall—short, bald, paunchy, and counting the months until retirement—looked up.

“A little kid disappeared from one of the stores at the mall,” Elena said.

Dan and Romeo were on their feet before Chief Crandall barked out their names. Dan reached for his suit coat. Putting it on, he checked to make sure it didn’t catch on his .40 caliber Glock, holstered on his belt. The change from a shoulder holster was a welcome one, although he knew some police departments were still debating its merits, mainly because old-timers were resistant to any kind of change, no matter how much proof there was that a cop’s range of motion was too limited with the shoulder holster.

By the time Dan had put on his overcoat, Romeo was ready.

Chief Crandall stood in the doorway of his office. “O’Neill, you’re in charge.”

Dan nodded. He wondered what Romeo was thinking. Until Dan joined the department three months earlier, Romeo had been the senior officer on the force.

“You need more backup, call Elena. She’ll round up everyone she can find,” the chief added.

Elena gave them the particulars and five minutes later they were on their way in a department Malibu, with Romeo driving. As they sped toward the mall, which was located on the west side of town, they went over the meager information they’d been provided.

The victim was a three-year-old girl. She’d been picked up and carried off by an unknown woman. Dan swore under his breath.

Three years old.

Luckily, the snatch had been caught on the store’s security tape. Maybe they’d keep being lucky. Maybe by the time they reached the mall, the little girl would be found, and there’d be nothing for him and Romeo to do but go back to the station. Holding on to that thought, he tried to not to think about the alternative.

When they arrived at the Ivy Mall, Dan was glad to see the outside doors had been secured. He just hoped they’d been secured in time.

He and Romeo showed their badges, and a tall, dark-haired civilian unlocked the doors to let them in.

“I’m Jack Robertson,” he said, “the mall manager.” His gray eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses reflected his concern. “Thanks for getting here so fast.”

Dan and Romeo introduced themselves and then followed Robertson through the crowded mall to a spot near the center, where the mall’s Santa was enthroned. Dan didn’t have to be told that the shop labeled Corinne’s Closet was the scene of the snatch, not just because there were so many people congregated outside the store, but because the air fairly hummed with excitement. The tension was a dead giveaway that here was the unusual, here something had happened that was outside the norm.

Inside, the crowd parted, and he and Romeo were taken to the back of the store where there was a small office. Dan immediately knew the pretty redhead seated in the corner was the mother of the three-year-old. Her haunted eyes and strained, pale face told the whole story. Standing beside her was a small, dark-haired boy who looked tired and frightened. Dan nodded to the woman, and their eyes met briefly. He could feel the weight of her fear. He wished he could tell her there was no reason to worry, but experience had taught him the opposite.

Also crowded into the office was a middle-aged male security guard with a name tag that read Harold Fury, and two women who wore name tags identifying them as store personnel.

Dan held out his hand to the security guard. “Lieutenant Dan O’Neill. Ivy Police Department.”

Romeo stepped forward. “Sergeant Romeo Navarro.”

The security guard introduced himself, then gestured toward the woman. “This here is Mrs. March, the missing child’s mother.”

Dan looked at the mother again. “We’ll talk in a minute.”

She bit her lip and drew the boy—Dan imagined it was her son—closer to her.

Addressing the guard again, Dan said, “I understand there’s a security tape.”

“Yes.”

“May we see it, please?”

When the tape reached the point where it showed the abduction, Dan asked that the tape be stopped so he could study the woman. She was distinctive, even though they couldn’t see her face. That punk hairdo alone would make her stand out in a crowd.

“Did anyone see this woman in the store?” he asked.

“I did,” said the younger-looking clerk, a pretty blonde.

Dan glanced at her name tag. “Tell me what you saw, Lucy.”

“I only saw her briefly. She was at the counter in the front where we have a display of turquoise jewelry. I was going to go ask if I could help her, but another customer asked me a question and I forgot about her.”

“Was there anything unusual about her? Other than her hair?”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t notice anything in particular. She was young, in her teens or early twenties, maybe, that’s about all I remember. And her jacket was black. I did notice that. Black leather. It was nice. Oh, and I think she had on blue jeans.”

Dan smiled. “Good. That’s good. Most people remember more than they think.”

The girl smiled, obviously proud of herself.

“Has the entire mall been secured?” Dan asked the guard.

“Yes. All the outside doors are locked.”

“In all the stores?”

“Yes.”

“You checked them all?” Dan said dubiously.

“No, but the order went out.” For the first time, the guard showed hesitation. “Everyone was told to lock their doors.”

“How many security people do you have on duty?”

“Four, counting me.”

“And how many stores are in this mall?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Including the big anchor stores?”

“Yes.”

Dan realized they would need all the police and security personnel they could round up if they were going to conduct the kind of search that needed to be conducted.

While Romeo and the security guard called for backup, Dan turned his attention to the mother.

“Mrs. March, I want to assure you that we’ll do everything in our power to find your little girl.”

She swallowed. “Thank you.”

“Do you have a picture of her?”

“Yes, yes, I do.” Reaching down, she picked up a handbag from the floor and opened it. A moment later, she held out a photograph. Her hand was trembling.

Dan knew there was no place for emotion during an investigation. The mother’s naked fear and silent plea for him to accomplish a miracle was bad enough. But the sight of the beautiful child in the photo was the ultimate test of his ability to stay objective and professional. She was a real cutie, with a dimpled smile, laughing hazel eyes and curly red-gold hair the same shade as her mother’s.

Although he fought them, he couldn’t stop the memories as the image of another beautiful little girl assaulted him. Pain, as fresh as if the death of his beloved daughter had taken place yesterday instead of nine years ago, punched him in the gut.

For a moment, he stood paralyzed. Then from somewhere he found the strength to push those agonizing memories away so he could concentrate all of his attention and skill on finding this child.

“May I keep this picture?” His voice was more brusque than he’d intended. Softening it, he added, “In case we need it.”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“I just have a few more questions.”

“All right.”

“Is there any chance someone you know could be behind this abduction?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Someone I know? No one I know would ever do anything like this.”

“There’s no ex-husband? Nobody who might wish you harm?”

Her look of outrage faded. She shook her head. “No. I—I’m a…widow.”

“I’m sorry. Look, finding your daughter might take a while. Is there anyone you can call to come and be here with you?”