break-ins had been reported, nothing similar in any way. She couldn't just dismiss the whole thing.
Absently, she laid her arm over the armrest between her and Cable. He immediately laced his fingers through hers, his eyes intently on the screen. She tugged, but he wouldn't let go. She sighed and left her hand there. God knew that's where she wanted it to be.
As for Darcy, Cable might not have seen her, but Brie knew for a fact that the woman hadn't given up. She'd called Brie every single day, asking for her help with various tasks for the decorating. Her manner was simpering and saccharine, but she always managed to say something about Cable. She'd made comments and asked questions that mocked Brie's relationship—or lack of one—and made implications about her own relationship with Cable. Brie knew they weren't true, but she also knew Darcy had a plan. She wanted Brie well and truly out of the way, then she'd move in with full aggression.
But men didn't get that women would act that way. They were so easy to manipulate. Even if he knew what was happening, Brie was afraid eventually Cable would fall for Darcy's schemes. And he really deserved better. He was just as good a man as Jake was. What the hell was Darcy's problem with the Macgregors? Why did she always have to go after their men?
And Cable was her man, dammit. She was such an idiot, letting her irrational fear keep her from being happy. Leaving Cable vulnerable to the wolf. He was worth fighting for, wasn't he? Of course he was. History wasn't going to repeat itself. If Darcy hadn't killed Jake, she wasn't going to kill Cable.
Anger disappeared, replaced with elation. She relaxed and glanced at Cable. He was watching her. She squeezed his fingers and smiled. He smiled back.
And just like that, they were back on.
* * * *
"You're freakin’ kidding me."
Brianna tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and flipped through the folder of purchase orders on the table in front of her.
"No, they're not supposed to be orange and yellow.” She flipped to the end and started over, going more slowly. “They're supposed to be white. Yes, all of them. Wait, here it is.” She scanned the order, holding her breath, until she found the color section. The “white” box had a big, dark X through it, while the orange and yellow boxes, two columns and three rows away, were completely empty. “Tell George he's nuts. We didn't make a mistake on the purchase order, and we've never had anything but white lights at the ball before. Yeah, I know. Thanks."
She hung up and pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead. The holiday ball, a charity event held at the country club every year—every freakin' year—was two days away. She was supposed to have been working out with Cable this afternoon, but at three-thirty-two her phone started ringing. Country club staff who had been enlisted to receive and store the supplies and decorations had one problem after another and somehow Brie had ended up designated fire stomper.
"Knock knock."
"That works better when you don't open the door first,” Brie told her sister Sophie as she walked in the back door.
"Actually, it works better in the summer. But it's fifteen degrees outside, so what can I say.” Sophie unbuttoned her long Berber coat and dropped it over a chair, then settled into the one next to Brie. “What's going on?"
"Crises. One after another."
Sophie pulled a few papers around to frown at them, then nodded. “Decorations committee, that's right. What could be going wrong with that? Most of the stuff is there already, isn't it?"
Brie lifted her head. “Oh, no. Darcy's heading the committee this year, didn't you know? She had Visions. Things were going to be Different this year. Plus, the club had a water pipe burst and soak a lot of the staples.” She stood and grabbed the teakettle off the stove to fill at the sink. “When the plumbers went down to fix it, they knocked over the box of lights and
Absently, she laid her arm over the armrest between her and Cable. He immediately laced his fingers through hers, his eyes intently on the screen. She tugged, but he wouldn't let go. She sighed and left her hand there. God knew that's where she wanted it to be.
As for Darcy, Cable might not have seen her, but Brie knew for a fact that the woman hadn't given up. She'd called Brie every single day, asking for her help with various tasks for the decorating. Her manner was simpering and saccharine, but she always managed to say something about Cable. She'd made comments and asked questions that mocked Brie's relationship—or lack of one—and made implications about her own relationship with Cable. Brie knew they weren't true, but she also knew Darcy had a plan. She wanted Brie well and truly out of the way, then she'd move in with full aggression.
But men didn't get that women would act that way. They were so easy to manipulate. Even if he knew what was happening, Brie was afraid eventually Cable would fall for Darcy's schemes. And he really deserved better. He was just as good a man as Jake was. What the hell was Darcy's problem with the Macgregors? Why did she always have to go after their men?
And Cable was her man, dammit. She was such an idiot, letting her irrational fear keep her from being happy. Leaving Cable vulnerable to the wolf. He was worth fighting for, wasn't he? Of course he was. History wasn't going to repeat itself. If Darcy hadn't killed Jake, she wasn't going to kill Cable.
Anger disappeared, replaced with elation. She relaxed and glanced at Cable. He was watching her. She squeezed his fingers and smiled. He smiled back.
And just like that, they were back on.
* * * *
"You're freakin’ kidding me."
Brianna tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and flipped through the folder of purchase orders on the table in front of her.
"No, they're not supposed to be orange and yellow.” She flipped to the end and started over, going more slowly. “They're supposed to be white. Yes, all of them. Wait, here it is.” She scanned the order, holding her breath, until she found the color section. The “white” box had a big, dark X through it, while the orange and yellow boxes, two columns and three rows away, were completely empty. “Tell George he's nuts. We didn't make a mistake on the purchase order, and we've never had anything but white lights at the ball before. Yeah, I know. Thanks."
She hung up and pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead. The holiday ball, a charity event held at the country club every year—every freakin' year—was two days away. She was supposed to have been working out with Cable this afternoon, but at three-thirty-two her phone started ringing. Country club staff who had been enlisted to receive and store the supplies and decorations had one problem after another and somehow Brie had ended up designated fire stomper.
"Knock knock."
"That works better when you don't open the door first,” Brie told her sister Sophie as she walked in the back door.
"Actually, it works better in the summer. But it's fifteen degrees outside, so what can I say.” Sophie unbuttoned her long Berber coat and dropped it over a chair, then settled into the one next to Brie. “What's going on?"
"Crises. One after another."
Sophie pulled a few papers around to frown at them, then nodded. “Decorations committee, that's right. What could be going wrong with that? Most of the stuff is there already, isn't it?"
Brie lifted her head. “Oh, no. Darcy's heading the committee this year, didn't you know? She had Visions. Things were going to be Different this year. Plus, the club had a water pipe burst and soak a lot of the staples.” She stood and grabbed the teakettle off the stove to fill at the sink. “When the plumbers went down to fix it, they knocked over the box of lights and
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