hours after the car accident. “Hopefully my security system will be in place by Monday and I won’t have to impose long.”
Everything between the wreck and now had happened in a blur—the police statements, EMS checking her over at David’s insistence, then packing on the fly. She’d done her best not to frighten her son, but there was no shielding him from the fact that their car had been totaled.
As for why they were staying with Madison Palmiere? She’d told Brice there was a glitch in getting the security system installed and they were spending the weekendhere until things could be sorted out on Monday. He’d accepted her story and shifted into excitement over hanging out with his friend for a couple days.
Now, here they were in this chic home that certainly didn’t look like it had ever seen children’s chocolate smudged fingerprints on the wall or coloring-book pages on the fridge. Madison’s place was mostly black lacquer, white leather, and marble. Minimal clutter with high-impact art pieces. Splashes of color showed up in each room with a different theme. In here, the guest room for Brice, a mammoth Asian silk flower arrangement rested on top of the chest of drawers, a green marble Buddha underneath.
Sophie just prayed her son didn’t break anything.
Madison settled into a black lacquered rocker. “No problem. It’s not like I have anything going on in my life.” She draped her other arm negligently along the curved wooden rest. Her bracelets collected along the top of her dangling hand. “David knows I’m not one for schedules or rules.”
“Well, he really should have called ahead first.” Unpacking Brice’s jeans and shirts, Sophie slid them into an empty drawer.
“Nah, would have taken all the fun out of it.”
“I should probably take a page from your philosophy book.” But she couldn’t escape reality. She did still have the case to focus on. Thank God they’d been able to retrieve her purse and briefcase from the car. The fire department arrived in time to douse the flames, forestalling any explosion.
Madison’s bracelets sang like wind chimes with each gentle movement of the rocker. “So, do you and David have something going on?”
Going on? Only in her restless dreams. “No.”
“Yeah, right.”
“This is purely professional.” Or rather, it had to be. “We’re going to work on a case together this weekend.”
“Oh well, have it your way.” Madison brushed a hand along the green Buddha, dusting the immaculate surface. “Besides, I know how he feels responsible for the world. Part of being a bad-ass warrior, I guess.”
“So he dumps strays on your doorstep often?”
“You’re the first.”
“Oh.” A flutter of excitement threatened to fill the hollow space with a yearning far worse than any simple ache. Trying to lose herself in routine, she focused on the contents of her son’s suitcase.
Madison nudged the figurine an inch to the left. “Wanna hear all about David’s past?”
Sophie looked up sharply. “Excuse me?”
“Do you want to know all about his ex-wife?”
Desperately. “No, thank you.”
Sophie lifted a folded pile of Brice’s sleep shirts. The faded cotton folded on top proclaimed, “I lost my shirt in Monte Carlo.” She stuffed the stack into the back of the drawer.
“Sure you do.”
“Wait a minute.” Sophie perched on the edge of the bed, hand resting on the open roll bag. “If I wanted to know about your brother—which, believe me, is a bad idea—aren’t I supposed to pump you for information and then you tell me I’ll have to ask him if I want to know anything?”
“Too predictable and a big waste of time.” Madison fidgeted with the clasp on one of her bracelets. “Besides,he’d never tell anyway. David has some misguided idea that he shouldn’t tarnish the image of Haley Rose’s mother.”
“Maybe I should respect that.” In fact, she did respect that about him.
“You’re not even curious?”
Everything between the wreck and now had happened in a blur—the police statements, EMS checking her over at David’s insistence, then packing on the fly. She’d done her best not to frighten her son, but there was no shielding him from the fact that their car had been totaled.
As for why they were staying with Madison Palmiere? She’d told Brice there was a glitch in getting the security system installed and they were spending the weekendhere until things could be sorted out on Monday. He’d accepted her story and shifted into excitement over hanging out with his friend for a couple days.
Now, here they were in this chic home that certainly didn’t look like it had ever seen children’s chocolate smudged fingerprints on the wall or coloring-book pages on the fridge. Madison’s place was mostly black lacquer, white leather, and marble. Minimal clutter with high-impact art pieces. Splashes of color showed up in each room with a different theme. In here, the guest room for Brice, a mammoth Asian silk flower arrangement rested on top of the chest of drawers, a green marble Buddha underneath.
Sophie just prayed her son didn’t break anything.
Madison settled into a black lacquered rocker. “No problem. It’s not like I have anything going on in my life.” She draped her other arm negligently along the curved wooden rest. Her bracelets collected along the top of her dangling hand. “David knows I’m not one for schedules or rules.”
“Well, he really should have called ahead first.” Unpacking Brice’s jeans and shirts, Sophie slid them into an empty drawer.
“Nah, would have taken all the fun out of it.”
“I should probably take a page from your philosophy book.” But she couldn’t escape reality. She did still have the case to focus on. Thank God they’d been able to retrieve her purse and briefcase from the car. The fire department arrived in time to douse the flames, forestalling any explosion.
Madison’s bracelets sang like wind chimes with each gentle movement of the rocker. “So, do you and David have something going on?”
Going on? Only in her restless dreams. “No.”
“Yeah, right.”
“This is purely professional.” Or rather, it had to be. “We’re going to work on a case together this weekend.”
“Oh well, have it your way.” Madison brushed a hand along the green Buddha, dusting the immaculate surface. “Besides, I know how he feels responsible for the world. Part of being a bad-ass warrior, I guess.”
“So he dumps strays on your doorstep often?”
“You’re the first.”
“Oh.” A flutter of excitement threatened to fill the hollow space with a yearning far worse than any simple ache. Trying to lose herself in routine, she focused on the contents of her son’s suitcase.
Madison nudged the figurine an inch to the left. “Wanna hear all about David’s past?”
Sophie looked up sharply. “Excuse me?”
“Do you want to know all about his ex-wife?”
Desperately. “No, thank you.”
Sophie lifted a folded pile of Brice’s sleep shirts. The faded cotton folded on top proclaimed, “I lost my shirt in Monte Carlo.” She stuffed the stack into the back of the drawer.
“Sure you do.”
“Wait a minute.” Sophie perched on the edge of the bed, hand resting on the open roll bag. “If I wanted to know about your brother—which, believe me, is a bad idea—aren’t I supposed to pump you for information and then you tell me I’ll have to ask him if I want to know anything?”
“Too predictable and a big waste of time.” Madison fidgeted with the clasp on one of her bracelets. “Besides,he’d never tell anyway. David has some misguided idea that he shouldn’t tarnish the image of Haley Rose’s mother.”
“Maybe I should respect that.” In fact, she did respect that about him.
“You’re not even curious?”
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