her but then calmly announced one Sunday afternoon, without warning, that he was leaving her for someone else.
Someone else was a tall blonde with baby blue eyes and a voluptuous figure. Lacey had sized up the competition, decided she didn’t stand a chance, and signed the divorce papers. Oh, there’d been some haggling, but she’d left that to her attorney and stayed out of it as much as possible. As soon as her divorce was final, she’d uprooted herself, moved to San Francisco, located a job she loved, and started life all over again.
Sort of.
This time, she was playing it smart. Men were completely out of the picture. For the first time, she was supporting herself. For the first time, she didn’t need anyone else. Because it could happen all over again. Another blonde with a Playboy figure could disrupt her life a second time. It was best to play it safe. Who needed that kind of grief? Not her!
Lacey wasn’t discounting her assets. With her straight brown hair sculpted around her ears, and equally dark eyes, she resembled a lovable pixie. She was barely five feet tall, while her brother, who was five years older, was nearly six feet. Why nature had short-changed her in the height department, she would never understand.
After the divorce, Lacey had felt emotionally battered and lost. Bringing Cleo into her life had helped tremendously, so much that Lacey figured she could do without a man. Her cat provided all the companionship she needed.
“Okay, okay, you’re right,” Lacey said, glancing down at her fidgeting feline friend. “I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a gutless wonder. The real problem is I don’t want to quit my job. All I’m looking for is to be paid what I’m worth, which is a whole lot more than I’m making now.” She’d come out of the divorce with a hefty settlement; otherwise she’d be in dire financial straights.
Cleo concurred with a low wail, unlike any sound Lacey could ever remember her making.
Lacey studied her cat. “You all right, girl? You don’t sound right.”
Cleo thrust her hind end into the air again and shot across the room to attack her catnip mouse. Whatever was troubling her had passed. At least Lacey hoped it had.
Muttering to herself, Lacey returned to the kitchen and reexamined the contents of her refrigerator. There wasn’t anything there she’d seriously consider eating. The leftover Chinese containers were filled with hard, dried-out rice and a thick red sauce with what had once been sweet-and-sour pork. The meat had long since disappeared, and the sauce resembled cherry gelatin. The only edible items were the tulip bulbs, not that she’d seriously consider dining on them.
She’d hoped to treat herself to something extravagant to celebrate her raise. Domino’s Pizza was about as extravagant as she got. But she wasn’t doing any celebrating this night. If she wanted dinner, she’d need to fix it herself.
Her cupboards weren’t promising: a couple of cans of soup mingled with fifteen of gourmet cat food.
Soup.
Her life had deteriorated to a choice between cream of mushroom and vegetarian vegetable. Blindly she reached for a can and brought out the vegetable. The freezer held a loaf of bread. Her choice of sandwiches was limited to either peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese.
“Sometimes I think I hate you!” The words came through the kitchen wall as clearly as if the person saying them were standing in the same room.
Lacey sighed. Her neighbor, Jack Walker, and his girlfriend were at it again. She hadn’t formally met the man who lived next door, which was fine with her. The guy suffered from severe woman problems; from what she’d heard through the wall, it sounded as if the pair was badly in need of therapy. Lacey avoided Jack like the plague, despite his numerous attempts at striking up an acquaintance. She was polite but firm, even discouraging. She had to give him credit. He didn’t accept no easily. Over the months, his
Someone else was a tall blonde with baby blue eyes and a voluptuous figure. Lacey had sized up the competition, decided she didn’t stand a chance, and signed the divorce papers. Oh, there’d been some haggling, but she’d left that to her attorney and stayed out of it as much as possible. As soon as her divorce was final, she’d uprooted herself, moved to San Francisco, located a job she loved, and started life all over again.
Sort of.
This time, she was playing it smart. Men were completely out of the picture. For the first time, she was supporting herself. For the first time, she didn’t need anyone else. Because it could happen all over again. Another blonde with a Playboy figure could disrupt her life a second time. It was best to play it safe. Who needed that kind of grief? Not her!
Lacey wasn’t discounting her assets. With her straight brown hair sculpted around her ears, and equally dark eyes, she resembled a lovable pixie. She was barely five feet tall, while her brother, who was five years older, was nearly six feet. Why nature had short-changed her in the height department, she would never understand.
After the divorce, Lacey had felt emotionally battered and lost. Bringing Cleo into her life had helped tremendously, so much that Lacey figured she could do without a man. Her cat provided all the companionship she needed.
“Okay, okay, you’re right,” Lacey said, glancing down at her fidgeting feline friend. “I couldn’t agree with you more. I’m a gutless wonder. The real problem is I don’t want to quit my job. All I’m looking for is to be paid what I’m worth, which is a whole lot more than I’m making now.” She’d come out of the divorce with a hefty settlement; otherwise she’d be in dire financial straights.
Cleo concurred with a low wail, unlike any sound Lacey could ever remember her making.
Lacey studied her cat. “You all right, girl? You don’t sound right.”
Cleo thrust her hind end into the air again and shot across the room to attack her catnip mouse. Whatever was troubling her had passed. At least Lacey hoped it had.
Muttering to herself, Lacey returned to the kitchen and reexamined the contents of her refrigerator. There wasn’t anything there she’d seriously consider eating. The leftover Chinese containers were filled with hard, dried-out rice and a thick red sauce with what had once been sweet-and-sour pork. The meat had long since disappeared, and the sauce resembled cherry gelatin. The only edible items were the tulip bulbs, not that she’d seriously consider dining on them.
She’d hoped to treat herself to something extravagant to celebrate her raise. Domino’s Pizza was about as extravagant as she got. But she wasn’t doing any celebrating this night. If she wanted dinner, she’d need to fix it herself.
Her cupboards weren’t promising: a couple of cans of soup mingled with fifteen of gourmet cat food.
Soup.
Her life had deteriorated to a choice between cream of mushroom and vegetarian vegetable. Blindly she reached for a can and brought out the vegetable. The freezer held a loaf of bread. Her choice of sandwiches was limited to either peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese.
“Sometimes I think I hate you!” The words came through the kitchen wall as clearly as if the person saying them were standing in the same room.
Lacey sighed. Her neighbor, Jack Walker, and his girlfriend were at it again. She hadn’t formally met the man who lived next door, which was fine with her. The guy suffered from severe woman problems; from what she’d heard through the wall, it sounded as if the pair was badly in need of therapy. Lacey avoided Jack like the plague, despite his numerous attempts at striking up an acquaintance. She was polite but firm, even discouraging. She had to give him credit. He didn’t accept no easily. Over the months, his
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