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Gina laughed softly "They’re not dating, Laine He’s her father"

Laine’s head snapped back into forward position and looked at Gina in shock "But"

The girl caave ift card" Then she looked at Laine "Hi," she said, and Laine could see the reseed to someone else Gina

"Ashley, this is Laine Laine, hter, Ashley"

"Nice to ht out to relieve you"

Laine was speechless She didn’t even knohat question to forah-school romance," Gina said "Eric didn’t know about Ashley until about a year ago I was very young and raised Ashley alone, with my mother’s help The deli is my mother’s business--Ashley works there part-time, whenever Mos a week"

"He didn’tabout each other after one date," Gina said with a shrug

"Having a daughter would seeh on the list," Laine said And then she felt the color coht, What the hell? I’o pale, don’t flush, don’t allow personal emotions to dominate my behavior or responses But she said, "You and Eric?"

"Getting along better than I expected ould I located hiet some medical history fro It was Ashley’s decision to meet him and at first it made me very nervous, very paranoid, but it’s worked out well for both of theed a lot in seventeen years But then, so have I"

But for Laine, there was a red flag Having children, having a child, being a parent--even a recent or part-tis toHow had they spent al up? Concealns soton? she chided herself But wait, wasn’t her situation a matter of public safety? National security? Almost?

But she said to Gina, "It seeet under your skin, Laine I’m a very happy woman Mac seems to respect Eric And Mac isn’t easy I’ive you the whole story He’s a very nice guy Now"

"He wasn’t then?"

"I don’t know, that’s a tough one He was nice to me, but he was such a typical nineteen-year-old--shiftless, irresponsible, egocentric And I was a coirl--love was more important than corown those tendencies Look, we all have baggage Don’t we?"

"Sure," she said However, Laine believed she could keep the heaviest of her baggage to herself for a long time And it wasn’t all about her ith the FBI "But you knohat? The best way to take care of this is to take care of this" She stood up "What do I owe you for the cocoa?"

"On the house Don’t draw blood I forgave hi Ashley to myself"

"I won’t hurt hiot out of the diner before she thought about it any further

She jogged down the block, hood up and covering her head, and went straight for the station There were a couple of cars at the pue, she could see sonized, although noearing a coverall of some kind

"Eric?"

He peeked out First he smiled, then he frowned in concern "Laine, you’re all wet"

She stepped toward him "I just rabbed a rag and wiped his hands "I rinned at her "Obviously I can’t keep her a secret The hair, the eyes--she’s either a clone or mine Isn’t she beautiful?"

Laine nodded but felt numb

"She’s beautiful inside, too Just an aweso her"

"It ht be waiting to tell me Because I like the really et involved and then find out there are issues like having a family that wasn’t even ht He was quiet for a moment Then he took a deep breath and spoke "There’s no privacy for talking here, Laine Go hoet dried off I’ll wash my hands and come over I’ll tell you the circuet it all on the table Before tonight"

"Before tonight?" she asked, already disappointed

"I don’t want you to waste your time I like you I want you to like me But I’m not perfect by a stretch So let’s do it" He lifted one of those copper brows "How’s that sound?"