“Thanks.” She returned his smile as she switched on a lamp in the small foyer for her return; then they stepped outside and she locked the door. “It’s nice to dress up sometimes and not have to make a speech.”
“You’ve been doing this a long time.” He opened the back passenger door for her, and she slid inside. As he got under the wheel he said, “Can’t someone else at Finders take on some of the PR duty?”
“I wish. I’m the face everyone associates with lost children, though, so I’m the one they ask for.”
“But you need a life of your own,” Susanna said, turning around in the front seat and regarding her with somber eyes.
“I have a life,” Milla said. “This is it. This is what I’ve chosen.”
“Or what was chosen for you. You don’t have to keep doing it, you know. You could step down from the day-to-day grind at Finders, only do fund-raisers. The stress you’re under . . .” Susanna shook her head. “I don’t know how you’ve gone on as long as you have. You should at least take regular breaks.”
“Not yet,” she said. Not until she found Justin.
Susanna sighed. “At least get regular checkups, and take vitamins. Prenatal vitamins would be a good choice for you, since you’re under so much stress.”
“Yes, Mother,” Milla parroted, making both Rip and Susanna smile. Vitamins were a good idea, though. She didn’t want to get sick now, when she had the feeling that some breakthrough could happen any day. She had to be ready, had to be in good physical condition.
Susanna gave up nagging, and they began talking about mutual friends, catching up on gossip. Rip made a few comments, but it didn’t take long for Milla to notice that he wasn’t his usual self. His voice and smile were warm whenever he spoke to her, but there was an almost palpable tension between him and Susanna. They had obviously had an argument, which made her uncomfortable. She would rather they had canceled than force her and themselves to sit through a stiff, awkward dinner, but she was caught now.
The restaurant they chose was casually elegant, the type where a tie wasn’t required but jeans were definitely unwelcome. It was, in fact, one of Milla’s favorite places to eat, because they had a wonderful grill. She chose the salmon, which was grilled on a cedar plank, and set about plowing through the evening with relentless small talk. She could enjoy their company even if they didn’t enjoy each other’s.
The meal dragged on, but at last they were almost finished and had just ordered coffee when Milla felt a presence beside her and glanced up into True Gallagher’s lean, weathered face. “True!” she and Susanna said simultaneously. She shot a suspicious look at her friend. Had Susanna set this up, when Milla had specifically told her she wasn’t going to go out with True?
“I just happened to see you,” he said, putting his hand on the back of her chair and touching the back of her shoulder. “Susanna, Rip, how’re y’all doing? Too bad I didn’t spot you earlier, or you could have joined me.”
“We’re fine,” Susanna said, smiling. “Overworked, as usual. You?”
“The same.”
“We just ordered coffee; why don’t you join us, if you aren’t in a hurry?”
“Thanks, I think I will.” He settled his tall frame into the empty chair between Milla and Susanna and slanted one of his intense looks at Milla. “I haven’t seen you lately; is anything new going on? You look—”
“If you say ‘tired,’ I’m going to swat you,” she said firmly.
He grinned. “I was going to say you look great.”
“Um-hmm.” She wasn’t convinced. “And, no, nothing new is going on. Looking for lost people, trying to raise money. I did pick up a new sponsor in Dallas, a software company.”
True said, “That’s good.”
Rip hadn’t contributed anything to the conversation, hadn’t even greeted True. Milla glanced at him and saw that his expression had lost all its usual warmth; his gaze was hooded in a way that reminded her of Diaz.
Damn. She had gone out with the intention of forgetting about Diaz, not being reminded of him. But what was going on with Rip? He was normally a very friendly man. What had True done to get sideways with him?
A beeping noise suddenly erupted in Susanna’s purse. She groaned. “At least it waited until I was finished eating.” She dug her pager out and glanced at the readout. “It’s the hospital. Let me just step outside and call in, and I’ll be right back.” Taking her cell phone, she hurried toward the door.
“A page is never good when you’re a doctor,” True said. His hand was once more on the back of Milla’s chair, and his thumb rubbed gently over her shoulder before he seemed to think better of it and moved his hand back into his own space. Or maybe he was just sneaky, and didn’t want to give her time to move away.
Rip’s jaw was tight, and he didn’t respond to True’s comment. Rather than sit in silence until Susanna returned, Milla said, “Did you find out any more information for me?” If she didn’t ask, he’d be curious.
“Nothing that fits the time frame. I’m afraid it’s a dead end.”
“Information about what?” Rip asked abruptly, and though his question was uncharacteristically rude, Milla realized she had been just as rude in excluding him.
“I thought I’d finally found a name connected with the kidnapping, and I asked True to check it out.” She didn’t have to specify which kidnapping, even though Finders had been involved in many. That awful day was a center of reference for them all.