LITTLE GIRL LOST by SARAH BETH LEE (best books to read for knowledge TXT) 📕

it here but I am a little surprised that Starbucks hasn’t put him out of business.”

Hannah looked at the nice looking man and winked in Maddie’s direction, “Is he married? He is rather nice in the looks department.”

Hannah watched as Maddie giggled and her cheeks turned a soft rose color. Maddie began to pour cream and sugar into her rich black coffee trying to avoid Hannah’s watchful eye

“Come on Mad, you can pick my brain but you clam up at the mention of Martin is it? Fess up girl, you like him don’t you?”

Maddie looked over her shoulder at the tall black haired man with the piercing black eyes. She shrugged her shoulders and looked back at Hannah.

“As far as I know he doesn’t have a wife unless she’s chained up in the basement.”

“Then what my dear girl are you waiting for? He is gorgeous and he quite obviously has a thing for you.”

Maddie’s cheeks turned a deeper red while she shook her head no, “He does not have a thing for me.”

“Ok continue to delude yourself Mad, but just remember I told you so.”

Maddie laughed as she took a sip of her coffee. Hannah was enjoying her diet coke unaware of Maddie’s watchful eye. Maddie wasn’t sure what was happening with Hannah but she seemed to be transforming right before her eyes. She was no longer that withdrawn young woman who was afraid to look at the world around her much less take part in it. Maddie knew she still had a long way to go but at least now she was actually seeing the possibilities that surrounded her.

“So how are you really Hannah?”

Hannah fiddled with her muffin and tried to sort out her muddled thoughts. She wasn’t sure what to tell Maddie without telling her everything and she already knew how she felt about Nick. Hannah thought it best to keep any mention of Nick out of today’s visit.

“I’m good I think.”

Maddie nodded, “I can see a spark in your eye today and you seem so happy. Tell me did something happen today?”

Hannah smiled as she thought of Zach, “Well do you remember me telling you about the funny guy who knocked on my door last weekend?”

“Sure he was doing a survey or something?”

“Yeah that’s the one, well I ran into him again today.”

Maddie stopped stirring her coffee and looked up as alarm bells went off in her head. The same guy that wasn’t random that was planned.

“Hannah, what do you know about this guy?”

Hannah could hear the alarm tainting Maddie’s normally controlled voice. She was thinking that Zach had ulterior motives but what? How could he possibly know who she really was or what had happened to her all those years ago?

“Maddie he doesn’t know who I am.”

“Hannah you are the daughter of one of the richest men in the world. You have lived a sheltered life out of the public eye for 17 years. Come on Hannah reporters have been trying to get to you since you were born and after your dad died you kind of disappeared.”

Hannah looked at Maddie and knew she was right, “Mad my dad kept me safe and when he died no one knew who I was. When he died no one even knew I was at the funeral.”

Maddie could see the lost little girl peering at her across the table. She loved Hannah and would kill anyone who tried to hurt her. She had no idea how cruel people could be when it came to money and fame.

“Hannah all I am saying is be careful. Your dad made sure that no one could hurt you but now you have to take care of you. Can you imagine what a reporter would do if they could get the inside scoop on Hannah Roberts: The Little Girl Lost All Grown Up”, it would be crazy.”

Hannah knew she was right and she could still see the headlines after her dad died, “Hannah Roberts the Little Girl Lost. They had no idea how right they had been and still were.

“I know all that Maddie why do you think I have been so careful all these years? Why do you think I closed myself off from the world outside?”

Maddie could see the tears trembling on the edge Hannah’s bottom eyelid. She ached for her friend but she had to make Hannah realize the truth behind herself inflicted exile.

“Hannah I think you locked yourself away in the top of that penthouse apartment and watched the world outside your window like some fairytale princess waiting for her prince to come but Hannah this is the real world and there’s no such thing as prince charming. There are just ordinary guys who make mistakes and screw up every day but somewhere out here there is a guy who will love you he may not be perfect he’ll be perfect for you.”

Hannah knew that Maddie was right but she wasn’t ready to admit it. She raised her napkin to her eyes to catch the tears that were threatening to fall. She hoped when she found him that his name was Nick.

“Maddie is it so hard to believe that maybe just maybe that Zach is a nice guy and maybe he likes me for me? Why does he have to be some bloodthirsty reporter or some money hungry monster? I have managed to keep the vultures at bay for twenty-five years do you think I would let them in now?”

Maddie reached across the table and patted Hannah’s hand, “I know I just want you to be careful.”

Hannah laughed through her tears, “Mad that’s one thing I will always be, hell it’s been ingrained in me since I was born.”

Maddie nodded her head in agreement and looked at her watch, “Hannah it’s almost 11 and I have an appointment at 11:15. Some guy from the pentagon.”

Hannah knew Maddie was sworn to secrecy due to the nature of her contract with the government but she wondered what the guy or girl’s story was and if Mad would be able to help.

“Well I hope things work out for him or her.”

“It’s some science genius who has unresolved issues from his childhood that may or may not be affecting his current assignment.”

Hannah wasn’t really paying attention to the words coming out of Maddie’s mouth. She was entranced by a tall brown haired figure walking down the sidewalk with his hands shoved in his pockets and a pair of dark aviator glasses covering his eyes. She was almost sure that if he were to remove the glasses she would see a pair of electric blue eyes.
Chapter Six Cold Empty Spaces

CHAPTER SIX
COLD EMPTY SPACES
Hannah stared out the window and wondered if it would be wrong to run out without saying goodbye to Maddie. She wanted to rush out the door and catch up with the guy in the aviator glasses. She had to see the eyes behind them to know she wasn’t crazy and that it was Nick and that he was real. She pushed away from the table just as Maddie began to talk again. She pulled her eyes away from the window and looked across the cold empty space at her friend. She had to get a grip and stop having these crazy impulses. She had always been a sensible person she played it safe and she didn’t take chances what had gotten into her?

“Ok Maddie thanks for the bagel and the diet coke but I have to run I am due at the office for a board meeting that isn’t going to be fun. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Of course I’ll give you a call later today to see how things went.”

“Ok good luck with your mystery guy.”

Hannah smirked at Maddie as her eyes drifted to Martin still standing at the counter with his eyes on Maddie. He straightened and looked away sheepishly as he realized Hannah had caught him staring.
Maddie wasn’t sure if Hannah had been referring to her client or Martin.

“Umm thanks I guess.”

Hannah leaned across the space that separated them and hugged Maddie, “Mad the guys is crazy about you anybody could see it. Promise me you will talk to him?”

Maddie began to follow Hannah to the door when she heard her name drifting across the room. She looked over her shoulder and saw Martin walking toward her. She blushed and stopped.

“I’ll call you later after my appointment which obviously I am going to be late for.”

“Trust me if I don’t hear from you soon I’ll be knocking on your door later.”

Maddie laughed as Hannah pushed the door open and disappeared in the midmorning flow of traffic heading to the business district.

Maddie wasn’t sure what to do or say so she waited as Martin spoke to a few of his regulars on his way to the door. Maddie wondered how her hair looked and if she was perspiring as much as she felt like she was. She began to pull at her jacket as the temperature in the room seemed to go up a hundred degrees, she felt as if she were in a sauna.

“Hey Maddie I was just wondering if you might want to go have drinks with me one night after work?”

Maddie looked up into those magnetic black eyes and she felt her knees grow weak just looking at him. She reached for the door to steady herself. She took a deep breath and smiled at Martin, my but he was gorgeous.

“I would love to let me give you my number and you can give me a call.”

She reached in her messenger bag and took out her business card. She then took a pen and wrote her personal cell phone number on the back.

“There you go just call me.”

Martin took the card and immediately put it in his pocket. He took two steps eliminating all the space that was between them and leaned in and dropped a chaste kiss on her rosy cheek. He laughed as he saw the wide-eyed surprise that filled Maddie’s face.

“I’ll call now you better get to work and have fun psychoanalyzing me.”

Maddie looked away from his amused expression. She realized he was joking as her soft laughter