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one time. Children weren’t something he thought about often, if ever. His thoughts turned to his sister Dara and Zach. He wondered if they planned on having a family. It was a subject he’d never talked about. Not with Dara, Jarrett, or Zach. Why did that seem so strange now?
    His lips twitching a little, he watched a mom whoosh down a slide with a giggling toddler trapped between her thighs. Dara was great with kids, her job a testimony to that. And Zach would make a good father. If Dara ever let him actually hold one. Zach’s job as owner of an outfitting service that catered to thrill seekers would have Dara gray long before her time, he was sure. But their kids would be in heaven.
    The image of several towheaded kids romping around Zach’s big country house played through his mind. He felt … he wasn’t sure. Melancholy. He frowned, then purposely shook off the whole disturbing thing and looked down at his watch.
    Adria’s time was up. He didn’t care what she said, he was taking over. And no matter what, that reporter wouldn’t be leaving here with any information.
    He stepped out from behind the wooden tower. The table Adria and the reporter had been sitting at was empty. “What …?”
    “Looking for me?”
    He swung around to find Adria standing in front of him. She looked remarkably cool in her lemon-colored blouse and pleated khaki shorts. Her fresh-as-a-daisy appeal only darkened his mood.
    “I thought we agreed you trusted me to handle this.” The disappointment he feltshouldn’t be personal. But it was. “What in the hell are you doing talking to a reporter?”
    If Adria was surprised by his outburst, she didn’t show it. She took his arm and pulled him away from the play area. “Watch your language,” she admonished.
    Dane grunted, shocked at how close to the surface his emotions were. He didn’t examine too closely exactly what those emotions were. “I’m sure these little monsters could teach me words I’ve never heard before.”
    She dropped his arm, and smiled at him. “My, my, a bit grouchy, are we?”
    “I’m hot, I’m hungry, and I should be at my office getting some real work done.” He glared at her. “I’m not grouchy.”
    She laughed.
    It was an amazing thing. Her laugh. All light and airy. Her lips opened wide to reveal pretty white teeth. There was even a freckle or two on her nose.
    She looked as if she belonged here, at this playground. With kids. Her own kids.
    He didn’t. He was a “tin-kicker.” A man who spent too much time sorting through twisted metal looking for the cause of horrific devastation. Never had he imagined himself having a family of his own.
    That he was now, with her, didn’t scare him as much as it should have.
    “Did you find out anything?” he asked asthey stepped onto the gravel parking lot. He was determined to stick to the matter at hand.
    “Not much. Mostly I figured out what she doesn’t know. Which is a lot.”
    “What did you have to give up to find out she knows nothing?” His tone was sarcastic. He doubled his effort at regaining his calm, detached perspective.
    “I told her that I’d been reprimanded twice already and that I was a bit more worried than I had let on.”
    Dane went on full alert. This was something he hadn’t questioned her about, as it didn’t pertain to his specific investigation thus far. But there was no denying he was curious about why she’d taken two reprimands lying down. The Adria Burke he was coming to know didn’t take anything lying down.
    “Your work history is a matter of record for anyone wanting to find out,” he said carefully. “She could have gotten that on her own.”
    Adria smiled. Only this time there was nothing light or airy about it. It was smug and confident. And sexy as hell. “Yeah, but she took it anyway.”
    He found himself leaning closer to her, even though he had no trouble hearing what she was saying over the shrieks of the children.
    She stared up into his eyes,