Page 63 of Deception

She was quiet a minute. “Like my grandfather’s death.”

“Yeah. And the port wine stain on my niece’s face.”

“Your niece has a birthmark on her face?”

He nodded.

“Can’t they remove it?”

“Maybe. But my sister has a ten thousand dollar deductible on her insurance, and it’s doubtful the company would even approve it. I hate it that when people think of Ava, the birthmark is all they see.”

“I’d like to meet her sometime.”

“She’d love to meet you too.” They’d finished their sandwiches, and he looked through the basket again. Clayton was sure that Nadine put some kind of dessert in the basket. Maybe in the little tin box he found. Sure enough, the tin box held four cookies—two were chocolate chip and two were oatmeal raisin.

He offered Madison first choice, and she took an oatmeal raisin and bit into it. “Mmm. That’s so good.”

“I like the chocolate chip.” He glanced toward the river. “Oh, look...”

The sun had escaped from the clouds and hovered like a giant red ball over the horizon. Beside him, Madison sucked in a breath.

“Oh wow,” she murmured.

Neither of them said anything until the fiery ball sank out of sight, leaving a red glow in the sky. She turned to him, her eyes soft. “Thank you for this.”

He grinned. “I don’t think I can take credit for the sunset.”

The cookie had left crumbs near the corner of her mouth, and he gently brushed them away, the touch like an electric current to his fingers. She leaned into his touch, and his gaze fell to her lips. He brushed them with his thumb. At that moment, all he could think of was how much he wanted to feel his lips on hers.

A car backfired, and Clayton jerked his hand away. What was he thinking? “We need to go.” He threw their trash in the basket and pulled Madison to her feet.

“What happened?”

“We’re out in the open, exposed. Whoever fired at us this afternoon could have easily followed us.”

She quickly scanned the area. “You’re right.”

He hurried her to the SUV. This was why he didn’t need to think about a relationship, especially one with the person he was working a case with. His carelessness could get them both killed.

35

Thank you.” Madison smiled and accepted the caramel cake from a silver-haired member of her grandfather’s church and handed it off to Nadine. It seemed like most of the food that had been dropped off in the last two hours came from the older ladies at St. Matthews. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Judith Winslow,” she said. “Your grandfather and I go way back.”

“Good evening, Judith,” Clayton said as he appeared by Madison’s side.

“Clayton. I’m surprised to see you here. I didn’t realize you and the judge’s granddaughter were that close.” Then she looked from Clayton to Madison and tapped her head. “Of course—I hardly noticed you’re both wearing park ranger uniforms. Are you working together?”

“Sort of.” He turned to Madison. “Judith runs Bright Horizons, a pregnancy center. My mom is a volunteer there. If y’all will excuse me,” he said, taking the cake from Nadine, “I’ll take this to the dining room.”

“Wait.” Madison held up her hand. “Set it on the island. I’d like a slice before I go to bed.” Just then the doorbell rang. “That’s the front door—would you see who it is?”

“Sure.”

After Clayton left, Madison studied the thin woman dressedin business attire. Was it possible Judith’s pregnancy center could’ve had something to do with Madison’s adoption? “How long has Bright Horizons been in operation?”

“Later this year will be thirty-four years.”

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