breathe; how could she have missed something as major as a husband? Good Lord!
Kate didn’t have any rings on her fingers, but then that didn’t necessarily mean anything; how could she have been so stupid? Of course someone as special as Kate would be taken.
Just as Jay was trying to figure out how she could extricate herself gently from the situation without making too much of an idiot out of herself, a beautiful golden retriever came bounding around the corner from another part of the house. The dog had a stuffed parrot in his mouth and what the writer thought passed for a big smile on his face.
“There you are,” Kate said, still oblivious to her companion’s distress. “Now be a gentleman and introduce yourself.” The dog sat obediently, sticking out his right paw for Jay to shake, his tail wagging furiously and his whole body shaking in excitement. “Jay, this is Fred.
Fred, meet Jay.”
The feeling of profound relief that flooded through her left the blonde feeling light-headed. She kick started her brain again, reaching out to take Fred’s extended paw.
“Oh, and Fred,” Kate said in a stage whisper, “no kissing on the first date.” She winked at Jay, who stood there with a lopsided grin on her face. Now that she was pretty sure her heart was going to recover, she was absolutely smitten with Fred.
“How old is he?” Jay asked as she scratched him on the chest.
44
The Price of Fame
“Two years,” his mother replied. “His parents are both breed champions.”
“He’s charming and handsome.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed with obvious pride and affection. “But don’t tell him that, it’ll go right to his head.”
The anchorwoman indicated that Jay should follow her further into the house, showing her to the living room and inviting her to sit on the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
“I’d light the fireplace, but I don’t think we have enough time to enjoy it.”
“That’s okay, Kate, you don’t need to worry about me. You must be exhausted.”
After a short silence, Jay decided to take advantage of the moment.
“By the way, I’ve always wanted to thank you for all that you did for me in college,” she started conversationally. Kate made a dismissive motion as if to say, “it was nothing.”
“No, really,” Jay persisted. “You were always taking your clothes off for me,” she said earnestly, referring to the sweatshirt and Kate using her ski jacket to warm her on the ski slope.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth and Jay got a good look at her companion, whose eyebrows had hiked all the way up into her hairline, she realized what she had said. She scrubbed furiously at her face, which had turned beet red.
“Uh-oh. Damn, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I mean, I did mean it but,” she stammered. “Oh, never mind,” she finished miserably.
Kate was utterly charmed both by the adorable blush and the attempted explanation; she tipped her head back and gave a full, throaty laugh.
Jay thought it was the most wonderful sound she’d ever heard. “Let’s just rewind the conversation, okay?”
Kate decided she should let her friend off the hook. “You’re welcome, Jay, I was glad to be in the right place at the right time.”
In an effort to lighten the conversation, knowing that they were both too tired just then for anything really heavy, Kate said, “Listen, I need to take a shower in the worst way.”
“Me, too,” Jay agreed.
“Well, come with me, I’ll give you the nickel tour so you can find your way around and show you to the guest suite.”
Fred led the way out of the living room and into a fully stocked library, complete with built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves. Jay made a mental note to come back and check the titles in Kate’s collection; some of them clearly looked like first editions. On the wall opposite the 45
Lynn Ames
bookshelves was what appeared to be a well-used
Kate didn’t have any rings on her fingers, but then that didn’t necessarily mean anything; how could she have been so stupid? Of course someone as special as Kate would be taken.
Just as Jay was trying to figure out how she could extricate herself gently from the situation without making too much of an idiot out of herself, a beautiful golden retriever came bounding around the corner from another part of the house. The dog had a stuffed parrot in his mouth and what the writer thought passed for a big smile on his face.
“There you are,” Kate said, still oblivious to her companion’s distress. “Now be a gentleman and introduce yourself.” The dog sat obediently, sticking out his right paw for Jay to shake, his tail wagging furiously and his whole body shaking in excitement. “Jay, this is Fred.
Fred, meet Jay.”
The feeling of profound relief that flooded through her left the blonde feeling light-headed. She kick started her brain again, reaching out to take Fred’s extended paw.
“Oh, and Fred,” Kate said in a stage whisper, “no kissing on the first date.” She winked at Jay, who stood there with a lopsided grin on her face. Now that she was pretty sure her heart was going to recover, she was absolutely smitten with Fred.
“How old is he?” Jay asked as she scratched him on the chest.
44
The Price of Fame
“Two years,” his mother replied. “His parents are both breed champions.”
“He’s charming and handsome.”
“Yeah,” Kate agreed with obvious pride and affection. “But don’t tell him that, it’ll go right to his head.”
The anchorwoman indicated that Jay should follow her further into the house, showing her to the living room and inviting her to sit on the couch. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
“I’d light the fireplace, but I don’t think we have enough time to enjoy it.”
“That’s okay, Kate, you don’t need to worry about me. You must be exhausted.”
After a short silence, Jay decided to take advantage of the moment.
“By the way, I’ve always wanted to thank you for all that you did for me in college,” she started conversationally. Kate made a dismissive motion as if to say, “it was nothing.”
“No, really,” Jay persisted. “You were always taking your clothes off for me,” she said earnestly, referring to the sweatshirt and Kate using her ski jacket to warm her on the ski slope.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth and Jay got a good look at her companion, whose eyebrows had hiked all the way up into her hairline, she realized what she had said. She scrubbed furiously at her face, which had turned beet red.
“Uh-oh. Damn, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I mean, I did mean it but,” she stammered. “Oh, never mind,” she finished miserably.
Kate was utterly charmed both by the adorable blush and the attempted explanation; she tipped her head back and gave a full, throaty laugh.
Jay thought it was the most wonderful sound she’d ever heard. “Let’s just rewind the conversation, okay?”
Kate decided she should let her friend off the hook. “You’re welcome, Jay, I was glad to be in the right place at the right time.”
In an effort to lighten the conversation, knowing that they were both too tired just then for anything really heavy, Kate said, “Listen, I need to take a shower in the worst way.”
“Me, too,” Jay agreed.
“Well, come with me, I’ll give you the nickel tour so you can find your way around and show you to the guest suite.”
Fred led the way out of the living room and into a fully stocked library, complete with built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves. Jay made a mental note to come back and check the titles in Kate’s collection; some of them clearly looked like first editions. On the wall opposite the 45
Lynn Ames
bookshelves was what appeared to be a well-used
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