something together for us.”
Her voice was tired. “I would like nothing more than to relax with you this evening.” She took a deep breath. “But no, unfortunately. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company, and I have quite a bit of work to do.” Her voice seemed strained.
“Okay.” I wasn’t going to push. I reached for the door handle and was about to open it when she interrupted.
“I didn’t realize Beth had a little boy.” Her voice was quiet and even. “She’s not married?”
Annie had no idea that she was opening up one of my wounds. “No, not anymore. She’s been divorced for a couple of years now. The whole case was a nightmare, actually. Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime.” Why was I telling her this?
Annie was nodding slowly, digesting this.
“Are you and Beth partners?”
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t be certain that I’d heard her correctly.
She seemed to falter and appeared to be shocked by her own words. Her eyes met mine, and her smile was uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.” Her eyes dropped, and she waved the topic aside.
“No. It’s okay. I just wasn’t sure if I heard you correctly.” It crossed my mind again that Annie might be interested in Beth. Then I remembered that she was married.
She looked at me squarely. “I asked if you and Beth are partners.”
“I thought that’s what you said.” My laugh sounded strangled, and I caught my breath as I stared back at her. “No, we’re not. But not for a lack of effort on my mother’s part.” My laugh was hearty.
“Your mother?” For the first time in hours, Annie’s smile was genuine.
“Yeah, she adores Beth. My dad too.”
“But there’s nothing between you?”
Now that was a tough question to answer. “Well, we’ve known each other most of our lives, so there’s plenty between us. But nothing romantic. Not since about the seventh grade, anyway.”
“Seventh grade?” Another leading question.
“Yes. We were crazy about each other back then. We experimented a little…” I purposely let the sentence trail off.
Annie’s smile was lopsided as she nodded. “Experimented, eh? I suppose that’s another story that you’ll have to tell me about sometime.”
I shrugged, enjoying her banter. “Maybe,” I said. “I did invite you in.”
“I know. I appreciate it. But I really should get some work done tonight. Can I have a rain check?”
“Of course,” I nodded, reaching for the door handle once again. Then it struck me. She probably had to get home to her husband. My heart fell again, and then I thought about the confrontation that would probably occur when she walked in the door.
“I didn’t know you were married.” The words were out before I could stop them.
Her face held no expression. “I’m not. Anymore.”
Her words were simple and direct, but said far less than the hard eyes that bore into mine. I felt a tingle somewhere between my heart and my belly and almost shivered. She wasn’t married. And the look she was throwing my way told me clearly that it wasn’t Beth that she was interested in.
CHAPTER NINE
Melanie Barnes looked better than I’d ever remembered seeing her. She wore a fine summer dress that fit snugly, quite a difference from the tan suit that I was wearing. She was a natural redhead, with the whitest skin and more freckles than I’d ever seen on another human being.
She wrapped thin arms around my neck and gave me a big squeeze when she greeted me.
“Kate, you look so good.”
“You mean I look better than I did the last time you saw me,” I laughed.
“You were beginning to look like you never went to bed,” she admitted. “I’m just glad to see that the change has been good for you.”
“It has,” I admitted.
The restaurant where we’d arranged to meet was near Copley Plaza in downtown Boston. The café had several tables outside, shaded from the strong sun. We decided to enjoy the fine weather and settled
Her voice was tired. “I would like nothing more than to relax with you this evening.” She took a deep breath. “But no, unfortunately. I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company, and I have quite a bit of work to do.” Her voice seemed strained.
“Okay.” I wasn’t going to push. I reached for the door handle and was about to open it when she interrupted.
“I didn’t realize Beth had a little boy.” Her voice was quiet and even. “She’s not married?”
Annie had no idea that she was opening up one of my wounds. “No, not anymore. She’s been divorced for a couple of years now. The whole case was a nightmare, actually. Maybe I’ll tell you about it sometime.” Why was I telling her this?
Annie was nodding slowly, digesting this.
“Are you and Beth partners?”
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t be certain that I’d heard her correctly.
She seemed to falter and appeared to be shocked by her own words. Her eyes met mine, and her smile was uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.” Her eyes dropped, and she waved the topic aside.
“No. It’s okay. I just wasn’t sure if I heard you correctly.” It crossed my mind again that Annie might be interested in Beth. Then I remembered that she was married.
She looked at me squarely. “I asked if you and Beth are partners.”
“I thought that’s what you said.” My laugh sounded strangled, and I caught my breath as I stared back at her. “No, we’re not. But not for a lack of effort on my mother’s part.” My laugh was hearty.
“Your mother?” For the first time in hours, Annie’s smile was genuine.
“Yeah, she adores Beth. My dad too.”
“But there’s nothing between you?”
Now that was a tough question to answer. “Well, we’ve known each other most of our lives, so there’s plenty between us. But nothing romantic. Not since about the seventh grade, anyway.”
“Seventh grade?” Another leading question.
“Yes. We were crazy about each other back then. We experimented a little…” I purposely let the sentence trail off.
Annie’s smile was lopsided as she nodded. “Experimented, eh? I suppose that’s another story that you’ll have to tell me about sometime.”
I shrugged, enjoying her banter. “Maybe,” I said. “I did invite you in.”
“I know. I appreciate it. But I really should get some work done tonight. Can I have a rain check?”
“Of course,” I nodded, reaching for the door handle once again. Then it struck me. She probably had to get home to her husband. My heart fell again, and then I thought about the confrontation that would probably occur when she walked in the door.
“I didn’t know you were married.” The words were out before I could stop them.
Her face held no expression. “I’m not. Anymore.”
Her words were simple and direct, but said far less than the hard eyes that bore into mine. I felt a tingle somewhere between my heart and my belly and almost shivered. She wasn’t married. And the look she was throwing my way told me clearly that it wasn’t Beth that she was interested in.
CHAPTER NINE
Melanie Barnes looked better than I’d ever remembered seeing her. She wore a fine summer dress that fit snugly, quite a difference from the tan suit that I was wearing. She was a natural redhead, with the whitest skin and more freckles than I’d ever seen on another human being.
She wrapped thin arms around my neck and gave me a big squeeze when she greeted me.
“Kate, you look so good.”
“You mean I look better than I did the last time you saw me,” I laughed.
“You were beginning to look like you never went to bed,” she admitted. “I’m just glad to see that the change has been good for you.”
“It has,” I admitted.
The restaurant where we’d arranged to meet was near Copley Plaza in downtown Boston. The café had several tables outside, shaded from the strong sun. We decided to enjoy the fine weather and settled
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