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stand up for herself, or else she would get trampled beneath a lot of heavy ghost-hunter boots.
    Cooper’s boots were heavier than those of most hunters.
    He looked up from his sandwich and beer, showing no sign of surprise. She knew that he had seen her enter the bar a moment ago and had tracked her progress through the crowd. Very little escaped Cooper’s notice. He had a hunter’s natural awareness of his environment.
    â€œElly,” he said in the low, dangerously soft voice that never failed to stir the hair on the nape of her neck. He got slowly, politely to his feet. “Nice to see you again. When I got your call a few minutes ago, I was surprised to hear that you were in the neighborhood.” He indicated the rowdy tavern scene with a faint inclination of his head. “Not exactly your kind of place.”
    She set her oversized tote very carefully on the seat across from the one Cooper was using.
    â€œWhen you’re looking for a hunter,” she said, slipping out of her coat, “you go to places where they tend to congregate. Unfortunately, the Trap Door is just that sort of dive. The big surprise here is you. Back in Aurora Springs you didn’t spend a lot of time in the usual hunter hangouts.You’re not wearing your seal ring, either. What’s up? Are you here incognito or something?”
    â€œYes, as a matter of fact, I am.” He took her coat and hung it on the hook at the front of the booth. “Guild bosses tend to attract attention. I’d like to avoid that on this trip. Luckily only a couple of people here in Cadence know me by sight.”
    She sat down beside the tote. “Why all the secrecy?”
    â€œI’m in town on personal business, not Guild business.” He lowered himself onto the red plastic cushion across from her. “I’d prefer not to be recognized. There are reasons.”
    Oh, damn. He’s got a mistress here in Cadence. He’s trying to protect her from the media. The tabloids loved to cover illicit Guild boss affairs and associated gossip.
    Her heart plummeted. The fizzy feeling deep inside that had been bubbling like mad ever since she’d gotten the phone call from her mother that afternoon, suddenly went flat.
    Should have considered the possibility that he was involved with someone else, she told herself. It’s been six months, after all. What did you expect? That he had been pining away over there in Aurora Springs, missing you?
    When her mother had phoned to tell her that she’d heard that Cooper was on his way to Cadence, she’d been unable to suppress the little jolt of hope and excitement. He was coming after her at last.
    Except that he hadn’t come after her. The drive from Aurora Springs took an hour and a half, at most, and probably a good deal less in Cooper’s sleek, high-powered Spectrum EX. Guild bosses didn’t worry a lot about posted speed limits. Cooper had no doubt been in town for hours, but he hadn’t called or come by the shop. Now she knew that he had probably gone straight to his lover’s place.
    But if that was the case, why wasn’t he with her tonight? It was after eight o’clock. Maybe she was married.
    Pull yourself together, woman. You’re here on a mission.
    Still, she found she had to give herself a couple of minutes to adjust to being this close to him again. She had not actually forgotten the impact he made on all her senses. She relived it frequently late at night when she was alone in her bed. Nevertheless, when she had learned he was due to arrive in town today, she had convinced herself that, after all these months away from him, she would be able to handle the sexy thrill.
    It was downright annoying to discover that she had not developed any real immunity to Cooper in the past few months. But being on her own here in the big city and running a business had taught her a few new social skills.
    â€œHow did you know I was in