Don't Say a Word - Barbara Freethy [65]
"Julia?"
She turned her head to look at Alex. "Yes?"
"Beautiful."
"That's a better adjective for the music than nice."
"I wasn't talking about the music," he said, with a dangerous look in his eyes. "I was talking about you."?
Oh, God. She had a feeling those pillows between them weren't going to be enough to keep them apart. She drew in a deep breath, then closed her eyes, conflicted over whether she wanted Alex to make a move or not. She heard him shift on the bed. Her body tensed, and then she realized he'd turned away from her. Was he angry? Should she say something?
"Relax, Julia," he said a moment later. "We don't have to figure out everything tonight. There's always tomorrow."
After an almost six-hour flight, they landed in San Francisco just after eleven o'clock Tuesday morning. Alex was used to traveling and sleeping very little, but he had to admit he was tired. They'd only had a few hours of sleep the night before. And that sleep had been more than a little restless. Lying next to Julia with just a few pillows between them had been quite a test of his self-control. It wasn't the right time-for either of them. He should never have kissed her, never given in to that impulse. But the more he got to know her, the more he liked her, and the more he found her irresistible.
At least their trip had been a success. Julia had found her grandmother. They'd learned quite a bit about Sarah's past. Now they had to concentrate on unraveling the rest of the secrets.
His cell phone rang as they were walking out to the parking lot, and he didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" he asked warily, not sure whom to expect.
"Alex Manning?" a man asked.
"Yes."
"This is Daniel Brady, Alex. I saw the photo in the newspaper, and I spoke to Stan Harding. I think we need to talk."
"We certainly do."
"Can you meet me at the Cliff House in a half hour? I'll buy you a drink."
"All right. I'll be bringing Julia with me."
"I wouldn't have it any other way. See you then."
"Who was that?" Julia asked as he ended the call.
"Daniel Brady. He wants to meet us in thirty minutes."
Her eyes lit up. "That's great news. Finally, everything is clicking into place."
"Let's hope so."
A layer of fog hung over Ocean Beach, painting the sky a dull gray. Alex parked in the lot next to the Cliff House, a historic three-story restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Seal Rocks, where the sea lions came to play. Set at the most western edge of San Francisco, the Cliff House also offered a view of the large ships about to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge, into the harbor of San Francisco. Alex had visited the restaurant once before when he was a child. His father had told him stories about the restaurant and its once-famous neighbor, the Sutro Baths, an extravagant public bathhouse built in the 1800s that was later turned into a seaside amusement park. The baths and the amusement park were long gone, but the restaurant remained.
As soon as they got out of the car, an older man stepped from a charcoal gray sedan parked across from them. Dressed in casual tan slacks and a long164 sleeve brown shirt, he appeared to be in his sixties. His light brown hair was thin on the top and cut short. His stomach had a bit of a paunch to it. He had a cigarette in his mouth, which he quickly stubbed out as he approached them.
"Alex, you look well."
He didn't know why he was surprised or unsettled by the fact that the other man had recognized him. "Daniel Brady?" he asked.
"That's me." Brady offered Alex a smile and removed the dark glasses that covered his brown eyes. "And you must be Julia. I saw your picture in the paper. It didn't do you justice." He paused. "I know I offered to buy you a drink, but something has come up, and I won't be able to stay. Why don't we take a walk and talk for a few minutes?"
Alex fell into step alongside Brady, with Julia following a step behind. "Why have I never heard of you?" he asked. "Stan said you were a good friend of my father's, but I don't recall your name ever being mentioned. And I know we've never met before."