“Hey, Em, are you there? Or have we lost you to a daydream about your honeymoon?” Even over the intercom system, Emily could hear that Carolyn’s voice was tinged with friendly laughter. What in the world was she going to tell her? Carolyn was probably the kindest, most sympathetic woman in San Antonio, but that didn’t make it any easier for Emily to confess that she’d been dumped by her fiancé, hours before the wedding.
Whatever story she settled on, Emily decided, she couldn’t break the news over an intercom. She cleared her throat. “I’m here, Carolyn, and the gates are open. I’ll be with you in a couple of minutes.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you at the head of the stairs. When you’ve parked the car, you’ll see the signposts to our office.”
The gates swung closed behind her, and Emily followed the winding, tree-shaded drive to the ranch. The driveway was almost long enough and wide enough to be considered a road, and on another day, in different circumstances, she might have been intrigued by this chance to observe one of the San Antonio region’s oldest and most successful cattle ranches. As it was, her brain was so stuffed full of worry that she could just as easily have been driving to the local mall for all the attention she paid to the view.
Parking on a flagstone apron shaded by a pair of giant live oaks, she followed rustic wooden signs that pointed her to a side entrance and a stairway that led up to the second-floor offices of Finders Keepers.
As promised, Carolyn greeted her at the head of the stairs. “I’m glad you could make it, Em. With the wedding tomorrow, I half expected to get a phone call saying that some last-minute glitch in the arrangements was keeping you in town.”
“No.” Emily drew in a shaky breath. “I decided to get the hell out of Dodge for an hour or two and leave everyone else to cope with the disasters.”
Carolyn laughed. “I should have known you would be much too well organized to be panicked just because several hundred of the most important people in Texas are coming to watch you get married. Now me, I’m already chugging antacids just because I’m going to be your maid of honor. I know people aren’t going to pay the least bit of attention to anyone except you, and maybe a glance or two at Michael, but I’m not used to moving in the sort of high-society circles that you inhabit, and I don’t want to mess up.” She rolled her eyes. “The Chambers family is so nose-in-the-air Old Money that I’m never quite sure whether to curtsey or tell them to lighten up and get a life.”
This was simply awful. Emily wondered if she should faint, have hysterics, or cut short her torture by jumping out of the nearest window. “Look, Carolyn, you probably need to know that you don’t have to worry anymore about being—”
A man came out of a door to her left. “Ms. Sutton? I’m Dylan Garrett, one of the partners in Finders Keepers. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
Years of social training took over and Emily extended her hand, smiling politely. “Yes, I’m Emily Sutton. It’s good to meet you, Dylan.”
“I’ll get back to straightening out the petty cash accounts,” Carolyn said with a quick wave. “See you tonight, Em. I’m looking forward to it.”
Oh, God! Should she keep Dylan waiting while she told Carolyn what had happened? Panic started to whirl in Emily’s stomach and she leaned against the banister, afraid she might pass out if she didn’t grab on to some solid support.
“Come into my office and we’ll get started,” Dylan said, taking the decision of what to do next out of her hands. “I know how busy you must be, and I’ll try to do this as fast as we can.” He held the door, standing back so that she could pass him.
He would never know what an effort of will it required to straighten her shoulders, move away from the support of the stair rail, and follow him into his office, Emily thought.
“What a pleasant room,” she said as Dylan closed the door behind them. Her reaction was mechanical, but as she spoke, she realized she had instinctively responded to the simple, masculine comfort of the room. As a trained interior designer, it was second nature for her to notice the settings people chose to live and work in, and she heartily approved Dylan’s taste.
The office had walls of natural stone and rough-hewn timber, contrasted with sections of whitewashed plaster that gave the whole room an airy feel that was simultaneously timeless and fashionably rustic. The furniture was obviously custom-designed to fit the niches and contours of the room, and the natural clutter of a working office was cleverly contained within several purpose-designed cabinets and open tray systems.
“You have wonderful natural light, and you’ve made the most of the available space,” she said, looking around. “You must enjoy working here.”
“I sure do. It’s turned out well, hasn’t it?” Dylan sat down behind an oversize desk and gestured for her to take the comfortable armchair that faced him. “It’s hard to imagine that this second floor has been part of the ranch for a hundred years, but it wasn’t much more than wasted space until my sister and I decided to convert the area into our offices.”
“With Carolyn to keep the administration running smoothly, and this great setting to impress your clients, I’m sure Finders Keepers will soon be the most successful investigative firm in the state.”
Dylan grinned. “We can only hope. But let’s get down to business. I know this is a very busy day for you and I’m sorry we couldn’t arrange to get together any earlier. You’re the only person I know whose schedule is more full than mine right now.”
Emily managed a sickly smile. If only he realized just how empty her schedule was about to become.
Dylan gave her an intent look, then leaned back in his chair, deliberately casual. “Tell me what you would like Finders Keepers to investigate for you, Ms. Sutton. Carolyn said that it was a family matter, but that’s all she told me.”
“Call me Emily, please.” She had agonized over her decision for weeks before coming to consult with Dylan Garrett. Ironically, now that she was here, her emotions were so numb that it didn’t seem such a big deal after all. “I’m here because I need you to find my birth mother,” she said.
“Need?” Dylan asked mildly. “Do you really need to find your birth mother for something like medical reasons, or was that just a figure of speech?”
“A figure of speech. At least I think it was.” Emily smiled wryly. “I don’t have any hereditary diseases as far as I know, and psychologically I’m sure I’ll survive if I never find out who my birth mother was, but I guess I’ve grown more and more curious about my origins as I’ve gotten older. Don’t get me wrong. My parents, Sam and Raelene Sutton, are wonderful people. They’ve given me a great education, a secure home, and lots of material possessions. Most of all, they’ve loved me more than any child could possibly hope for. In fact, they were such terrific parents I made it all through the teenage years without ever once being tempted to run away to search for my ‘real’ mom. So I guess it kind of took me by surprise a couple of months ago when I found myself wondering about my birth mother.”
“You never thought about her before? That’s unusual for an adopted child.”
“I thought about her occasionally, but not with any real intensity. On my birthdays, I would wonder if she remembered the day I was born, and if she missed me. But suddenly, after twenty-seven years, I have this nagging sense of urgency, and I’ve even started to dream about her at night. It’s as if time’s running out for me to find her. When I’m awake, the feeling of urgency isn’t so strong, but I keep