cities.”
“What location do you work out of?”
“Baton Rouge. I’ve worked there since graduating college. Being a Southern girl born and bred, I couldn’t stray too far from home, not like Kathy here.”
“And a very good lawyer she is too.” Kathy volunteered, steering the focus back to Liz. “In fact she’s flying into L.A. tomorrow on instructions from the senior partner of the New York office, who specifically requested Liz assist on a very high profile insurance case.”
While Liz’s career was fascinating, his interest lay with Kathy, so as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he turned the conversation back to her.
“What do you do, Kathy?” he inquired with genuine interest.
“Nothing nearly as exciting as you two, I’m afraid. I teach a class of six-year olds at the local Catholic school.”
“Not Saint Benedict’s? My Goddaughter Meredith Frost goes there.”
“She’s in my class, one of my favorites in fact.”
Kathy gave him a wraparound smile. He frowned, more than a bit disconcerted. He might want to get into her pants, but he didn’t want her invading his private space, and the connections were getting too damn close for comfort. First, she lives on his doorstep, now it turns out she’s Meredith’s teacher. If that wasn’t bad enough, Sarah Frost would probably somehow ferret out that he was screwing Meredith’s teacher, and make no mistake, screw her he would. Sarah would then let it slip to Frosty, who’d blab to the guys, and knowing them as he did, they’d never let up. Damn, if he didn’t want her so bad, he’d split right now.
“What a small world, are you related to one of her parents?” Kathy asked. The phrase—and getting smaller by the minute—crossed his mind. “Not technically, her dad Patrick’s a SEAL. We met at training years ago, so yeah, I guess you could say we’re close.”
Liz topped up the wine glasses and passed Ice another beer. “That’s a nasty bruise on your forehead Shane, compliments of the job?”
“Ah no, to be truthful, Cindy here was the cause. When she woke me, I mistook her yelps as someone in trouble. I leaped out of bed and while pulling on my jeans tripped in the dark and smacked my head on the nightstand. Pretty clumsy, hey?”
“No, not at all,” Liz said.
“Shane, I’m so sorry,” Kathy gushed. “I didn’t have the heart to abandon her, and I promise she’ll be gone tomorrow. I’ve arranged for a friend to take her until we can find her a home.”
“It sounds like you’ve got it sorted out, but Liz told me I scared you last night, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled like that,” he said, making his own apology.
“That’s okay Shane. You shouldn’t have been disturbed at that hour of the morning.”
“Don’t sweat it—you did what you had to do. I probably would have done the same.”
As the evening wore on and the wine diminished the girls became chattier. Liz again lassoed him, this time it was to take them to the beach tomorrow—Kathy couldn’t swim and needed a few pointers. He was happy to be roped in, eager to get an eyeful of Kathy in a skimpy swimsuit.
It was nudging eleven o’clock when he called it a night, not wanting to overstay his welcome.
“Thanks for a great night ladies. Dinner was almost as good as the company.” The compliment came easily as he got to his feet, but before he reached the door the telephone shrilled.
“Who could that be at this hour?” Liz exclaimed looking to Kathy for enlightenment.
Kathy ignored her and rushed to the phone. “Hello,” she said lifting the handset. The single word came out sounding a trifle flustered.
As he watched, Kathy schooled her face into a blank mask and without another word severed the connection.
“Wrong number,” she explained visibly shaken.
“Wrong number my ass, what did they say?” Liz challenged.
“He didn’t say anything really.”
Kathy downplayed the call, but it was clear that the jerk on the
“What location do you work out of?”
“Baton Rouge. I’ve worked there since graduating college. Being a Southern girl born and bred, I couldn’t stray too far from home, not like Kathy here.”
“And a very good lawyer she is too.” Kathy volunteered, steering the focus back to Liz. “In fact she’s flying into L.A. tomorrow on instructions from the senior partner of the New York office, who specifically requested Liz assist on a very high profile insurance case.”
While Liz’s career was fascinating, his interest lay with Kathy, so as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he turned the conversation back to her.
“What do you do, Kathy?” he inquired with genuine interest.
“Nothing nearly as exciting as you two, I’m afraid. I teach a class of six-year olds at the local Catholic school.”
“Not Saint Benedict’s? My Goddaughter Meredith Frost goes there.”
“She’s in my class, one of my favorites in fact.”
Kathy gave him a wraparound smile. He frowned, more than a bit disconcerted. He might want to get into her pants, but he didn’t want her invading his private space, and the connections were getting too damn close for comfort. First, she lives on his doorstep, now it turns out she’s Meredith’s teacher. If that wasn’t bad enough, Sarah Frost would probably somehow ferret out that he was screwing Meredith’s teacher, and make no mistake, screw her he would. Sarah would then let it slip to Frosty, who’d blab to the guys, and knowing them as he did, they’d never let up. Damn, if he didn’t want her so bad, he’d split right now.
“What a small world, are you related to one of her parents?” Kathy asked. The phrase—and getting smaller by the minute—crossed his mind. “Not technically, her dad Patrick’s a SEAL. We met at training years ago, so yeah, I guess you could say we’re close.”
Liz topped up the wine glasses and passed Ice another beer. “That’s a nasty bruise on your forehead Shane, compliments of the job?”
“Ah no, to be truthful, Cindy here was the cause. When she woke me, I mistook her yelps as someone in trouble. I leaped out of bed and while pulling on my jeans tripped in the dark and smacked my head on the nightstand. Pretty clumsy, hey?”
“No, not at all,” Liz said.
“Shane, I’m so sorry,” Kathy gushed. “I didn’t have the heart to abandon her, and I promise she’ll be gone tomorrow. I’ve arranged for a friend to take her until we can find her a home.”
“It sounds like you’ve got it sorted out, but Liz told me I scared you last night, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled like that,” he said, making his own apology.
“That’s okay Shane. You shouldn’t have been disturbed at that hour of the morning.”
“Don’t sweat it—you did what you had to do. I probably would have done the same.”
As the evening wore on and the wine diminished the girls became chattier. Liz again lassoed him, this time it was to take them to the beach tomorrow—Kathy couldn’t swim and needed a few pointers. He was happy to be roped in, eager to get an eyeful of Kathy in a skimpy swimsuit.
It was nudging eleven o’clock when he called it a night, not wanting to overstay his welcome.
“Thanks for a great night ladies. Dinner was almost as good as the company.” The compliment came easily as he got to his feet, but before he reached the door the telephone shrilled.
“Who could that be at this hour?” Liz exclaimed looking to Kathy for enlightenment.
Kathy ignored her and rushed to the phone. “Hello,” she said lifting the handset. The single word came out sounding a trifle flustered.
As he watched, Kathy schooled her face into a blank mask and without another word severed the connection.
“Wrong number,” she explained visibly shaken.
“Wrong number my ass, what did they say?” Liz challenged.
“He didn’t say anything really.”
Kathy downplayed the call, but it was clear that the jerk on the
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