Love on Call by Shirley Hailstock Read Free Book Online

just a place for kids to sleep and get a good meal.”
    Mallory knew it was more than that. She also realized that Brad didn’t waste a lot of words but he often downplayed things. She was sure this shelter must mean something to him, or else why would he be so involved? What was his connection to it? Was he trying to save someone in particular?
    â€œDo you mostly find children on the streets and take them to the shelter?” Mallory kept her voice low.
    He looked at her as if she’d touched a raw nerve, but nodded.
    â€œWere you looking for someone tonight?”
    â€œNo one in particular. There are so many. They get lost, die, never have a chance at life. I try to get them help.”
    Mallory listened to the tone of his voice, the inflection as he talked about reaching out and trying to save a child. Most people hurried past the homeless, not wanting to see them, not trying to help. Brad searched them out, trying to give them a second chance.
    â€œWhat about the little girl?”
    â€œShe was about twelve, and dirty. She looked ill, but she was belligerent, the way a lot of them are. They have to fend for themselves, steal food, eat out of garbage cans and avoid the law—often for so long that anyone who extends a hand to them is suspect.”
    Mallory’s heart softened, both for the children and for the man in front of her.
    â€œDo you want to go and search for her now?”
    He shook his head. “I’d never find her during the day. These kids are night creatures, hunting in the dark for whatever they can find. During the day they stay hidden in alleys and abandoned buildings. They have a million avenues of escape, and they’re agile enough to get away from anyone looking for them.”
    When he finished speaking Mallory didn’t say anything. She recognized the voice of experience when she heard it. Brad might have been searching the streets for homeless children for years, but nothing could put that tone in his voice except having his own life touched by that same grueling education.
    â€œHow old were you?” she asked, again keeping her voice as nonintrusive as possible.
    â€œNine,” he answered without hesitation. He was no longer looking at her. His mind had gone back to his childhood, a time when he was a kid on the street. “My brother was eleven. My mother left us one day and never came back. We stayed in the apartment as long as we could. Then we slept on the street, hiding by day, eating what we could find at night. For years I searched for her.”
    His gaze came back to Mallory—direct, but notchallenging. “But I never found her. I don’t know if she’s alive or dead, or why she never came back for us.” He leaned forward, his hands cradling the empty mug. “And that’s the story of my life.”
    It was obvious there was more to his life than that simple statement. His mother had left him, but he’d gone on to become a doctor. Mallory understood more about his attitude now. The huge chip on his shoulder wasn’t for the world. It was for one woman, someone he wasn’t likely to find.
    Brad touched the coffeepot, testing it for heat. Finding it to his liking, he poured another cup.
    â€œHow do you feel now?” she asked.
    â€œBetter,” he said.
    â€œSee?” Mallory smiled one of her rare smiles. “Therapy does work.”
    She got up and headed for the door. The sun was tinging the sky, banishing shadows. As Mallory reached the living room, Brad called her name. She turned back as he rose from his chair and came toward her. Mallory watched him move. His stride was sure, predatory, catlike, quiet.
    She held her breath. She’d never been this affected by a man before. She lifted her head as he got closer to her, imagining her body rising to meet his, her arms clasping his shoulders, her nipples hardening against his chest.
    â€œThank you,” he said.
    â€œWhat?” Mallory