in search of another phone. On the third ring, her eyes led her to the source of the sound: the man standing in front of her.
She nearly dropped her phone. “ You called me?” she shouted.
Eric burst out laughing.
“You did !”
He doubled over in laughter. “Kate, I—”
“I can’t believe this!” She thrust her phone back into her purse and shoved Eric’s shoulder. “You punk! No wonder you had that stupid smile on your face up there today!”
Eric straightened and wiped tears from his eyes. “You should’ve seen your face when Loraine asked you to stand in for Cecilia.”
Oh, hell. Kate dropped her purse to the ground. “Where’s your phone?” She reached for the lapels of Eric’s sports coat, but he backed away and started to run. She took off after him. “Why won’t you let me see your phone, huh? What are you hiding?”
Eric laughed as he ran. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Oh, yes, you do! I’m going to prove it as soon as I get a hold of you!” Kate chased him around the terrace and through the front yard. She was still trying to catch him when she noticed a couple approaching the inn from the parking lot. Not wanting to alarm them, she slowed to a halt. “Eric!” she hissed.
He stopped to face her.
She motioned toward the couple. “Knock it off!”
The man and woman stepped onto the terrace, and Kate used the opportunity to her advantage. Eric isn’t going to run from me in front of them. She walked over to Eric, then smiled warmly at the people as they passed. “Good evening.”
“Good evening,” the gentleman nodded.
Once the front door of the inn had closed behind the couple, Kate turned to Eric and grabbed the lapels of his coat. “Give me your phone,” she demanded.
He met her gaze, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Like hell.”
Kate shook her head slowly. “Wrong answer, Mr. Wagner.” She yanked his coat open and plunged her hand into one of his pockets. Finding it empty, she started toward another—and brushed against something in his shirt pocket. She reached inside and pulled the object out. “Ah, ha! Your phone!” She pressed a button, and the screen lit up. “What do you know? ‘Missed Call’, with my name and number.” She turned the phone around so Eric could see it. “Looks like I’m vindicated.”
He laughed. “Looks like I’m busted!”
Kate lowered the phone. “Why did you call meduring the pre-rehearsal? What were you thinking?”
Eric straightened his coat. “I wanted to practice with someone I knew, and since I didn’t know most of the women there, I decided to give Loraine some guidance in her selection.” He grinned. “I’m just glad you had your phone on.”
“How did you call me without anyone noticing?”
“When Loraine said she needed someone to stand in for Cecilia, you should’ve seen the women. They were looking down, around, everywhere but toward the front of the room—which meant they weren’t looking at me, either. Your number’s in my phone, so all I had to do was highlight your name and press send.”
“I see.” His line of reasoning is valid, but I can’t let him off that easy. Still holding Eric’s phone, Kate started walking toward the fountain on the terrace.
“Where are you going?” she heard Eric ask. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Hey, give me my phone!”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll take care of your phone.” With no intention of throwing it in the water, she stepped up to the fountain.
Suddenly, she felt Eric’s arms wrap tightly around her from behind. “You’re not throwing my phone in the fountain!”
Good, you sound nervous. “Watch me!” She tried to raise her arm so she could pretend to toss it in, but she couldn’t wriggle out of his grasp. “Let go, chump! This phone’s going to get it!”
“ You’re going to get it if my phone ends up in the water!”
“Eric?”
Kate stopped squirming and looked up. Cecilia stared
She nearly dropped her phone. “ You called me?” she shouted.
Eric burst out laughing.
“You did !”
He doubled over in laughter. “Kate, I—”
“I can’t believe this!” She thrust her phone back into her purse and shoved Eric’s shoulder. “You punk! No wonder you had that stupid smile on your face up there today!”
Eric straightened and wiped tears from his eyes. “You should’ve seen your face when Loraine asked you to stand in for Cecilia.”
Oh, hell. Kate dropped her purse to the ground. “Where’s your phone?” She reached for the lapels of Eric’s sports coat, but he backed away and started to run. She took off after him. “Why won’t you let me see your phone, huh? What are you hiding?”
Eric laughed as he ran. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Oh, yes, you do! I’m going to prove it as soon as I get a hold of you!” Kate chased him around the terrace and through the front yard. She was still trying to catch him when she noticed a couple approaching the inn from the parking lot. Not wanting to alarm them, she slowed to a halt. “Eric!” she hissed.
He stopped to face her.
She motioned toward the couple. “Knock it off!”
The man and woman stepped onto the terrace, and Kate used the opportunity to her advantage. Eric isn’t going to run from me in front of them. She walked over to Eric, then smiled warmly at the people as they passed. “Good evening.”
“Good evening,” the gentleman nodded.
Once the front door of the inn had closed behind the couple, Kate turned to Eric and grabbed the lapels of his coat. “Give me your phone,” she demanded.
He met her gaze, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Like hell.”
Kate shook her head slowly. “Wrong answer, Mr. Wagner.” She yanked his coat open and plunged her hand into one of his pockets. Finding it empty, she started toward another—and brushed against something in his shirt pocket. She reached inside and pulled the object out. “Ah, ha! Your phone!” She pressed a button, and the screen lit up. “What do you know? ‘Missed Call’, with my name and number.” She turned the phone around so Eric could see it. “Looks like I’m vindicated.”
He laughed. “Looks like I’m busted!”
Kate lowered the phone. “Why did you call meduring the pre-rehearsal? What were you thinking?”
Eric straightened his coat. “I wanted to practice with someone I knew, and since I didn’t know most of the women there, I decided to give Loraine some guidance in her selection.” He grinned. “I’m just glad you had your phone on.”
“How did you call me without anyone noticing?”
“When Loraine said she needed someone to stand in for Cecilia, you should’ve seen the women. They were looking down, around, everywhere but toward the front of the room—which meant they weren’t looking at me, either. Your number’s in my phone, so all I had to do was highlight your name and press send.”
“I see.” His line of reasoning is valid, but I can’t let him off that easy. Still holding Eric’s phone, Kate started walking toward the fountain on the terrace.
“Where are you going?” she heard Eric ask. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Hey, give me my phone!”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll take care of your phone.” With no intention of throwing it in the water, she stepped up to the fountain.
Suddenly, she felt Eric’s arms wrap tightly around her from behind. “You’re not throwing my phone in the fountain!”
Good, you sound nervous. “Watch me!” She tried to raise her arm so she could pretend to toss it in, but she couldn’t wriggle out of his grasp. “Let go, chump! This phone’s going to get it!”
“ You’re going to get it if my phone ends up in the water!”
“Eric?”
Kate stopped squirming and looked up. Cecilia stared
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