I can't find out anything, but I've put together a network. I'll find her."
"The thing is, she doesn't want to be found. That isn't going to make things any easier."
He didn't want to ask, but he had to know. "Why doesn't she want to be found?"
"Because you're marrying Audrey at Christmas," Colby said simply.
"I'm not marrying Audrey," came the sort reply. "I never meant to marry Audrey. She outflanked me while I was getting used to the idea of being a media snack."
"Well, Cecily doesn't know that," Colby replied.
"Great," he muttered. "That's just great. I leave the country and come home to find myself engaged to a woman I wouldn't have, at any price!"
"That's not the only reason Cecily left," Colby said tersely. "She knew you wouldn't forgive her for not telling you about Matt Holden."
Tate ran a hand through his hair, missing the former length of it. "I've had a rough few weeks."
"So has she," the other man said curtly.
"She could have told me about my mother and Holden!"
"Cecily gives her word and keeps it. There aren't a lot of people on the planet who could make that claim. She promised the senator she wouldn't tell you anything."
The senator. His father. Tate paced with the phone to his ear, his mind busy with possible places she might have gone to. "She might have told my mother where she was going."
"I'd bet good money that she didn't," Colby returned immediately. "She doesn't want you to find her."
Tate stopped pacing. He scowled. "She doesn't want to find her?"
"Actually, she doesn't want any of us to find her. Especially you."
Tate's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Any particular reason for that? Other than what I already know?"
"Oh, boy." Colby made a rough sound in his throat. "I still don't think I should tell you. But if something should happen to her…"
"Damn you, tell me!"
Colby took a breath and went for broke. "All right. Cecily's pregnant. That's why she ran."
"You son of a bitch!"
The phone slammed down so hard that Colby shuddered at the noise. He put the receiver down with a grimace. He shouldn't have blown Cecily's cover. But what else could he do? She was pregnant and alone and an attempt had been made on her life. It Tate wasn't told, and Cecily was hurt or lost the baby, he might never get over it. That went double for Tate.
"The thing is, she doesn't want to be found. That isn't going to make things any easier."
He didn't want to ask, but he had to know. "Why doesn't she want to be found?"
"Because you're marrying Audrey at Christmas," Colby said simply.
"I'm not marrying Audrey," came the sort reply. "I never meant to marry Audrey. She outflanked me while I was getting used to the idea of being a media snack."
"Well, Cecily doesn't know that," Colby replied.
"Great," he muttered. "That's just great. I leave the country and come home to find myself engaged to a woman I wouldn't have, at any price!"
"That's not the only reason Cecily left," Colby said tersely. "She knew you wouldn't forgive her for not telling you about Matt Holden."
Tate ran a hand through his hair, missing the former length of it. "I've had a rough few weeks."
"So has she," the other man said curtly.
"She could have told me about my mother and Holden!"
"Cecily gives her word and keeps it. There aren't a lot of people on the planet who could make that claim. She promised the senator she wouldn't tell you anything."
The senator. His father. Tate paced with the phone to his ear, his mind busy with possible places she might have gone to. "She might have told my mother where she was going."
"I'd bet good money that she didn't," Colby returned immediately. "She doesn't want you to find her."
Tate stopped pacing. He scowled. "She doesn't want to find her?"
"Actually, she doesn't want any of us to find her. Especially you."
Tate's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Any particular reason for that? Other than what I already know?"
"Oh, boy." Colby made a rough sound in his throat. "I still don't think I should tell you. But if something should happen to her…"
"Damn you, tell me!"
Colby took a breath and went for broke. "All right. Cecily's pregnant. That's why she ran."
"You son of a bitch!"
The phone slammed down so hard that Colby shuddered at the noise. He put the receiver down with a grimace. He shouldn't have blown Cecily's cover. But what else could he do? She was pregnant and alone and an attempt had been made on her life. It Tate wasn't told, and Cecily was hurt or lost the baby, he might never get over it. That went double for Tate.
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
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