nothing too scary."
Jo peered out the window. "That Lexus good in the snow?"
"It's not bad. I've been pleasantly surprised." At the sound of dishes in the kitchen, Kristin squeezed Molly's hand to get her attention. "I'm going to go up and change out of this monkey suit, okay?"
'"Kay," Molly answered distractedly, her eyes still focused on the television screen. "On the left, Darby! The left! Good."
Kristin headed upstairs, peeking in both rooms looking for her bags. Finding them on the
queen-sized bed, she headed over to it, taking in the soft comforts of the room itself,
feeling a little like she was at a bed and breakfast in the woods. The idea wasn't unpleasant and she gazed out the window at the snow sparkling in the moonlight. Breathing deeply, she
tried to exhale all the stress of the past couple days, wanting to see it dissipate in the air like steam.
That was when her Blackberry buzzed from inside her briefcase.
"God damn it," she muttered, rifling through the leather case and pulling out the
contraption. Reeves's number showed on the screen. "Son of a bitch," she said to the room, took another deep breath, and clicked on.
"Hey, Jack. What's up?" Quick and to the point, hoping he'd notice her clipped tone and take the hint.
"Just wanted to make sure you got Howard's e-mail. I told him you'd get right back to
him." His booming bass voice vibrated in the pit of her stomach. She used to find him
powerful and intriguing. Lately, he just annoyed her.
"Yeah, I got it. I'l give him a shout in the morning."
"He's working late tonight. You can catch him at his desk right now." His tone left no room for doubt about what he expected.
Kristin poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Fine. I'll call him now."
"That's my girl." The line clicked off.
"I'm not your girl, you asshole," Kristin whispered as she dialed her client's number.
Standing at the window, gazing out but not really
seeing anything, she waited while the phone rang on the other end. Once, twice, three
times...she allowed the hope for voicemail to creep in, thereby jinxing herself. The line was picked up. Damn it.
"Howard Felt." Her client's voice was gentle and friendly. She liked the guy and it irritated her that Reeves was making him the enemy.
"Howard. It's Kristin Collins. How are you?" As she listened to his response, she turned away from the window. Molly stood in the doorway, her face a combination of hurt, anger,
and disappointment.
"Five minutes," Molly said. "You've been here all of five fucking minutes. Jesus Christ, Kristin." She turned and tromped back down the stairs, her footsteps reverberating
against the hardwood.
Kristin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger,
knowing she didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of staving off the headache that was
suddenly ripping through her mind like a freight train. "I'm sorry, Howard. Can you say that again? I think my phone cut out for a second there."
Thursday, December 29
THE GANG'S ALL HERE
I
hate that I always let it get to me like this." Molly sniffed, determined not to cry, but still feeling the threat of tears welling up in her eyes. She swiped at her nose with her
mittened hand and held tighter to Darby's elbow as they plodded through the new-fallen
snow, their boots leaving a path of fresh tracks behind them in the woods.
"Why wouldn't it get to you? You'd have to be pretty cold and unfeeling for it not to. And I don't think that's who you are." Darby strolled casually, enjoying the feel of Molly beside her, holding fast to her arm.
It was early. Only Jo was awake when Molly had come down the stairs looking like she
hadn't slept more than five minutes in a row the entire night.
"Hey, gorgeous," Jo had greeted her, the expression on her face a mix of sympathy and concern.
"Morning." Molly had kissed the top of Jo's head as she passed. "I need some air. Is there a travel mug around here? Me and my coffee want to
Jo peered out the window. "That Lexus good in the snow?"
"It's not bad. I've been pleasantly surprised." At the sound of dishes in the kitchen, Kristin squeezed Molly's hand to get her attention. "I'm going to go up and change out of this monkey suit, okay?"
'"Kay," Molly answered distractedly, her eyes still focused on the television screen. "On the left, Darby! The left! Good."
Kristin headed upstairs, peeking in both rooms looking for her bags. Finding them on the
queen-sized bed, she headed over to it, taking in the soft comforts of the room itself,
feeling a little like she was at a bed and breakfast in the woods. The idea wasn't unpleasant and she gazed out the window at the snow sparkling in the moonlight. Breathing deeply, she
tried to exhale all the stress of the past couple days, wanting to see it dissipate in the air like steam.
That was when her Blackberry buzzed from inside her briefcase.
"God damn it," she muttered, rifling through the leather case and pulling out the
contraption. Reeves's number showed on the screen. "Son of a bitch," she said to the room, took another deep breath, and clicked on.
"Hey, Jack. What's up?" Quick and to the point, hoping he'd notice her clipped tone and take the hint.
"Just wanted to make sure you got Howard's e-mail. I told him you'd get right back to
him." His booming bass voice vibrated in the pit of her stomach. She used to find him
powerful and intriguing. Lately, he just annoyed her.
"Yeah, I got it. I'l give him a shout in the morning."
"He's working late tonight. You can catch him at his desk right now." His tone left no room for doubt about what he expected.
Kristin poked the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Fine. I'll call him now."
"That's my girl." The line clicked off.
"I'm not your girl, you asshole," Kristin whispered as she dialed her client's number.
Standing at the window, gazing out but not really
seeing anything, she waited while the phone rang on the other end. Once, twice, three
times...she allowed the hope for voicemail to creep in, thereby jinxing herself. The line was picked up. Damn it.
"Howard Felt." Her client's voice was gentle and friendly. She liked the guy and it irritated her that Reeves was making him the enemy.
"Howard. It's Kristin Collins. How are you?" As she listened to his response, she turned away from the window. Molly stood in the doorway, her face a combination of hurt, anger,
and disappointment.
"Five minutes," Molly said. "You've been here all of five fucking minutes. Jesus Christ, Kristin." She turned and tromped back down the stairs, her footsteps reverberating
against the hardwood.
Kristin closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger,
knowing she didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of staving off the headache that was
suddenly ripping through her mind like a freight train. "I'm sorry, Howard. Can you say that again? I think my phone cut out for a second there."
Thursday, December 29
THE GANG'S ALL HERE
I
hate that I always let it get to me like this." Molly sniffed, determined not to cry, but still feeling the threat of tears welling up in her eyes. She swiped at her nose with her
mittened hand and held tighter to Darby's elbow as they plodded through the new-fallen
snow, their boots leaving a path of fresh tracks behind them in the woods.
"Why wouldn't it get to you? You'd have to be pretty cold and unfeeling for it not to. And I don't think that's who you are." Darby strolled casually, enjoying the feel of Molly beside her, holding fast to her arm.
It was early. Only Jo was awake when Molly had come down the stairs looking like she
hadn't slept more than five minutes in a row the entire night.
"Hey, gorgeous," Jo had greeted her, the expression on her face a mix of sympathy and concern.
"Morning." Molly had kissed the top of Jo's head as she passed. "I need some air. Is there a travel mug around here? Me and my coffee want to
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