See Me in Your Dreams by Patricia Rosemoor Read Free Book Online Page A

you believe me?"
    "I
believe you know something about Cheryl," he agreed, the proof in his
hand. "What I don't know is if you're telling the truth about these dreams
of yours."
    "But the
charm–"
    He slipped it
in his pocket. "Could have been planted. Or you could have had it all
along, palmed it, pretended to have found it." He loomed over Keelin and
grabbed her upper arms, wishing he could wring the truth from her. "Did
you have anything to do with my daughter's disappearance?"
    The excited
light extinguished from her eyes, she said, "No!" and pulled her arms
free, one at a time. Features saddened by disappointment and disgust, she
turned her back on him and marched across the lawn.
    Tyler lost no
time in following. "Where do you think you're going?"
    "To my
hotel."
    "What
about my daughter?"
    "What
about her?" She stopped and faced him. "What truth did she learn that
was so devastating that she ran from you?"
    "I don't
know what you're talking about." But, deep in his heart, Tyler was
beginning to fear he might.
    "At this
moment, is anything more important to you than your daughter's safety?"
    "Nothing."
She was his whole life. If anything happened to her...
    "Then
prove it. Take some responsibility and stop placing the blame."
    His "All
right" seemed to take her off guard. She blinked and took a big breath.
    "Suddenly
you believe me?" Keelin asked quietly. "Just like that?"
    He couldn't
say the words. "I'll stop placing the blame," he promised instead.
    Innocent or
guilty, Tyler sensed Keelin would lead him to his daughter. In the long run,
bringing Cheryl home safe was all that mattered to him.
    "So what
have we accomplished by coming here?" he asked. "Other than your
treading the path in your dream?"
    "It makes
the connection real for me. I hoped to see something I missed earlier...but I
didn't. Still, it makes tangible what I knew in my heart." Her tone
fervent, she said, "I wish it did for you, as well."
    Tyler held
fast to his distrust. "Nothing more? No indications of who might have
found Cheryl? What the person looked like, for instance?"
    "I'm not
a psychic," she protested. "At least not in the way you're
suggesting. I can't make predictions. I can't envision places or people I
haven't seen through physical contact.
I experience real events and emotions through dreams. That's it."
    Keelin rubbed
a lethargic hand across her forehead, and Tyler responded despite himself. She
looked exhausted, as if she could hardly stay on her feet. And there was a
fragility about her that he hadn't noticed before. Not physically, perhaps, but
of spirit.
    "Perhaps
I'd better get you to your hotel."
    Keelin sighed
and the sound was a weary one. "I could use some sleep."
    "And
maybe you'll dream again."
    "I cannot
force it," she warned him.
    "I'll
take my chances."
    Including the
opportunity to talk further with this mysterious woman. If there was one thing
he knew how to do, it was to make members of the opposite sex open up to him.
    Tyler
determined that whatever her game, Keelin McKenna would be no exception.

 
 
    ON THE SHORT RIDE HOME, KEELIN couldn't
rid herself of the bitter aftertaste Tyler Leighton provoked. He'd brought up
all the old insecurities. The feeling of helplessness. Of being thought a liar
or a fool. She couldn't blame him, she supposed, and yet it was difficult to be
generous when it was his daughter she was trying to help.
    If only she
could have done this alone.
    The Hotel Clareton , tucked on a side street of the Gold Coast,
blended perfectly with other limestone and brownstone buildings surrounding it.
Elegant yet understated, the modest establishment offered all the amenities of
a larger hotel with even more personal service.
    Swinging open
the Jaguar's passenger door, the liveried doorman said, "Miss McKenna, I
trust you're having a good evening."
    Keelin forced
a smile and let the polite inquiry hang.
    "Take
care of the car," Tyler said, handing the man a large bill.
    "Certainly."
The doorman motioned