CAPTURED INNOCENCE (4 page)

As loud speakers announced the zoo’s impending closure, Conley
escorted them to the bus stop. She smiled down at him from the top step of the bus. “Thank you for a wonderful day.”

“My pleasure.” Conley bowed. “Thank
you
for letting me impose.”

             
Jo’s gaze remained glued on him as she stepped back into the bus and the doors whooshed closed. She’d spotted two different men today. Just glimpses. Possibly coincidence but she didn’t believe in coincidence. Could he have found her? Was it time to uproot Alex again and move? She blinked back tears. Just when maybe, they’d made a friend.

              Conley bussed the breakfast tables when Jo entered the restaurant the next morning. His muscles rippled beneath the white tee shirt he wore. He smiled a welcome. Heat rose in her face.

She flashed him a half-smile and disappeared into the back where employees were allowed to deposit their personal belongings. “I can’t believe I was staring,” she muttered. “How embarrassing.”

              “Hey, Jo Jo!”             

Jo turned to greet another waitress. “Hey, Lilly.” The other woman wore ruby red lipstick over full
lips.

Lilly hung her sweater on a peg and fluffed her bleached, over-processed hair. “Have you seen the new busboy? What a find!”

“Yes. His name is Conley.” Jo hung her worn brown sweater next to the other waitress’s fluorescent pink one.

“Oooh, you lucky girl,” Lilly cooed. “You
have
met him.” She turned. The woman’s eyes narrowed and raked over Jo’s sweater. She returned her gaze to Jo’s face. “Why are you so plain Jane all the time? You’re pretty enough if you’d just bother to put a little effort into your appearance.” Lilly smoothed a tight white shirt over ample curves. A black straight line skirt hugged a full bottom. A vinyl belt cinched her waist tight.

“What’s wrong with the way I look?” Jo peered into the mirror hanging above the coat pegs. She wore a loose white blouse tucked into pleated black slacks. She reached up and tightened her ponytail. “Besides, we weren’t talking about me.”

“Oh, yeah.” Lilly wiggled her fingers. “Come on, tell all.”

Jo shrugged. “There really isn’t anything to tell.” She wish
ed she’d kept her mouth shut.

“The fact you’re keeping quiet speaks volumes.” Lilly fluffed her hair.

“Actually,” Conley came up behind Jo. “We had quite a day yesterday. We went to the zoo and ate ice cream. The two of us and her son.” He put his arms around Jo’s waist and pulled her close.

Jo’s eyes widened and she turned
. Her face came in close proximity with his chest. Placing her hands palm flat, she pushed.

Conley winked, and released her. The other woman giggled and slipped from the employee lounge.

“Sorry about that,” Conley said, hanging up his apron. “But that woman is a piranha. You looked caught and helpless. I’ve always wanted to play the role of hero.”

“I’m anything but helpless,” Jo retorted.

He laughed. “Okay, I’m the helpless one. You saved me from her.”

“A lot of men would be pleased with attention from Lilly.”

“I prefer my women clean and natural.” He winked at her again.

“Keep looking. Maybe you’ll find that special someone.” She grabbed a clean apron from a shelf near the door and stalked out.
His laughter followed. In spite of herself, she smiled. He did seem to have a way of making her feel good about herself.

Business boomed that Saturday. Jo’s feet ached
, and she forced a smile as she took yet another customer’s order. She handed the cook the order slip and folded her arms on the counter. With a sigh, she rested her head on them.

“This must be your week for handsome men,” Lilly whispered in her ear. She barked out a menu order and leaned against the corner.

“Why?” Jo asked, not lifting her head.

“Well, there’s this really hot, expensive looking dish sitting in my area. Pricey cologne, Armani suit.”

Jo raised her head.

“He asked about you,” the other woman sang as she turned and walked away, hips swinging.

Jo looked toward the section where Lilly served tables, and observed a man with dark hair exit the restaurant through the side door. Her heart stopped.  He had the same build as the man at the zoo. Why would a man with money be interested in her?

Unless…
She glanced around the diner. And why would he be eating here? The man looked familiar and it continued to nag at her mind the rest of her shift. At one point, she swore someone watched her, and she whirled around to glimpse a man dart past the restaurant window. She shook her head.
I’m getting paranoid
.

After eight hours on her feet
serving customers, and another hour rolling eating utensils inside napkins, Jo was more than ready to head home. She waved to Lilly and pushed the door open to step into a frigid wind. She jumped back as a Harley-Davidson motorcycle roared to a stop beside her.

The driver removed his helmet and gave Jo a lopsided grin. “Want a ride?” Conley asked.

She pulled her sweater tighter around her, and walked away. “No thanks.” She hunched over and stumbled headlong into the biting cold.

He
swung his leg over and hopped off the bike. “Come on. It’s cold out here. We could go get a cup of coffee.”

Jo shook her head. “I’ve got to pick up Alex.”

“Riding on my bike will be faster.”

She
stopped and glared at him. The wind picked up, pulling her hair free of the rubber band and whipping it around her face. With one hand, Jo held her sweater close and with the other, pulled her hair back. Her gaze clashed with Conley’s cobalt blue one. “Why is it so important to you that I be your friend?”

He
blinked. “I like you.”

“How do you know? We’ve only just met.” She turned and
marched away from him. “Go away.”

“One cup.” He hopped and caught up with her.

The pleading in his voice tugged at her heart. She sighed. “One cup, but I’m not getting on the back of that…thing. It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s not dangerous. It’s exhilarating.”

“I said no. Now, do you want me to have a cup of coffee with you or not?”

“Okay.” He ran back, kicked up the kickstand and pushed the bike alongside her
. A huge grin split his face.

She
laughed. “You’re like Alex. A little boy, nagging his mother for some candy after he’s been told he’s had enough.”

“You’re as sweet as candy.”
His gaze caressed her face.

Her face grew warm despite the cold evening, and she turned away from him.

They didn’t speak again until Conley held the coffee shop door open for her. “Your pleasure awaits, mi’lady.”

The aroma
of hot coffee and warm cinnamon buns hung in the air of the shop. Since she wasn’t paying, she decided to splurge and chose a frozen mocha drink with whipped cream. She chose a booth in the back and waited for Conley to join her.

The forest green vinyl creaked beneath her as she settled into a comfortable position. The flecked Formica top shone with a heavy wax. Jo absently shoved the napkin dispenser to watch it slide.

She glanced up and shook her head as Conley smiled and flirted with the young girl behind the counter. She couldn’t help but return his smile when he flashed one in her direction. The man definitely oozed charm.

Conley set her frozen coffee before her. “Can’t understand why you want a cold coffee when it’s freezing outside.” He scooted into the booth.
He wrapped his hands around his Styrofoam mug and blew into his hot coffee.

Jo wrestled her gaze away from his lips.

“I’ll tell you,” he said.

Jo sucked on her straw. Sharp pain infused her sinuses
, and she pinched the bridge of her nose against the ache. “Tell me what?”

“Why I’m pursuing you.” He lifted the paper mug to his nose, and sniffed.

“Pursuing me?” Despite her struggle to control the mounting fear, Jo’s voice squeaked.

He
unwrapped his hands from around the cup and leaned back. “Well, not really pursuing, but when I saw you the first time, I knew I had to help you. That you were more than just a job to me.”

She o
pened her mouth to reply and stopped. Over Conley’s shoulder, she caught a glimpse of a man with dark hair, standing by the door. The man turned, and Jo caught a quick look of his profile. She quickly registered the fact he sported a short beard and moustache. She frowned. If she could only get a look at his face.

“What?” Conley looked over his shoulder.

“That man by the door. I swear I saw him at the zoo yesterday, and I
know
he was at the restaurant today. He asked about me. I feel like I know him, but I can’t get a good look at his face. There’s something about the way he walks. The way he carries himself.”

Conley turned back. “He asked about you?”

“Yes. To Lilly.”

“What did she tell him?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He left.”

             
Conley’s entire demeanor changed from carefree to rock-hard serious. He reached across the table and grabbed Jo’s hand. “Let’s go.” He stood and pulled her with him. “You’re riding my Harley. No arguments.”

             
“Wait. What’s going on? Who is that man?”

             
He led Jo out the back door and pulled her along so she had to run to keep up with his long stride. Conley plopped the motorcycle helmet on her head. She grimaced as it banged against her skull. Before Jo had time to register the horrifying fact she was on the back of a motorcycle, they roared down the street toward her apartment.

             
Forgetting modesty, she plastered herself to Conley’s back and wrapped her arms around his waist. Shivers took control of her body, and she pressed closer to capture some of his warmth.

             
She found it difficult to breath with her nose flattened against his back, and she turned her head. The mild vibration of the bike aggravated the beginning of a headache.

             
The cold wind brought tears to Jo’s eyes and made her nose run. She sniffed. The city buildings zipped past them. The growl of the Harley drowned out the city sounds. Conley veered the bike sharply to the right, around a parked car and a small shriek escaped Jo. She tightened her grip.
God, help me. What am I doing on this death trap?

             
When they screeched to a halt outside her building, Conley helped her from the bike and deposited her on shaky legs.

             
“Th…thank you, I think.” Jo handed him the helmet.

             
Conley nodded. “I’ll stay here until you’re safely inside.”

             
“There’s no need.” She stepped back and studied him. His gaze stayed glued on her face, his full lips set into a firm line. The blond curls were tangled and tousled from the windy ride.

             
“What happened back there?” she asked.

             
He put the helmet on his head and fastened the strap beneath his chin. “What?”

             
“Do you know the man in the coffee shop?”

             
Conley averted his eyes. “No. I’ve never met him.”

             
“Let me be more specific. Do you know
who
he is?”

             
Exhaling sharply, he removed the helmet. “Let’s get your son, and then we’ll talk.”

             
“We’ll talk now.”

             
Conley steered her into the building. “After we get Alex.” He kept her arm firmly in his grasp as they climbed the stairs.

             
Mr. Every met them on his way down. He opened his mouth to say something, took one look at Conley’s face, and promptly clamped his lips closed. Jo tossed an anxious glance over her shoulder as they left the apartment manager staring after them.

             
She tried to pull her arm free from Conley’s grip. “You’re going too fast. Conley, stop. You’re hurting me.”

             
“Sorry.” He didn’t loosen his grip until they stopped before Mrs. Leonard’s door.

             
Jo glanced up at him. “How do you know where my babysitter lives?”

             
Ignoring her, Conley banged on the door. Once it opened, he shoved Jo inside and closed the door behind them.

             
“Excuse me,” Mrs. Leonard said, taking a step back. “You leave my apartment this instant. I don’t know who you are. You have no right to barge in here…”

             
“As soon as we have Alex.” Conley glanced around the room. “Where is he?”