her forehead. “Not getting
romantic, are you?” he asked.
“No. I just want to feel you beside me,” she said. He embraced her and she fell asleep in the crook of his arm, opening her eyes for an instant when she heard the distinct sound of their doors being checked by the ever present, efficient security service that kept the residents of Emerald Lakes feeling secure and safe.
For some inexplicable reason, tonight Kristin didn’t feel that way. She fell asleep wondering why.
5
“HELLO,” Teddy called from the foyer. “Anyone home?”
“Daddy!”
Jennifer came running down the hallway and across the living room. Kristin, who had been on the back patio, slid the door open and entered.
“Where were you?” she asked before he came down the marble steps. “I called the office nearly an hour ago and they said you had just left.”
“Stopped to pick something up,” he said cryptically. He scooped Jennifer into his arms and kissed her.
“I got a gold star today, Daddy.”
“Really? For what?”
“Desk neatness.”
“Well, what do you know? Must take after your mother. My desk was always a mess and still is.” He paused and looked at Kristin. “Everything all right?” From the look on her face, he already knew the answer. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been outside reading the directory. Our copy was delivered by one of the security guards.”
“Directory?”
“Our interview, remember? Look at this. I never told them this, did you?” She thrust the booklet toward him.
He took it with his free hand and gazed at the paragraph. Then he looked up sharply and lowered Jennifer to the floor.
“I never told them that either.”
“How would they know I had a miscarriage last year, Teddy?” He shrugged.
“Maybe you let it slip somehow. I remember Jean was rattling on about her children and Nikki asked a lot of questions about our earlier days together, but . . .”
“Even if I had referred to it, which I didn’t, why put something like that in here?”
“I don’t know,” he said shaking his head. “Maybe they’re frustrated journalists.” He shrugged. “Well, it’s over and done. No sense—”
“I want it out. I want you to call Mr. Slater and tell him how upset I am.”
“If it’s already been printed and delivered, Kristin, what good will a retraction do?”
“Maybe everyone doesn’t consider this a best-seller and everyone hasn’t dipped right into it, Teddy. I’m just not happy about it being there. How do you think it makes me feel to open this thing and read it in black and white, and know that these strangers know some intimate details about our lives? I knew this whole thing was a stupid idea. I just knew it.”
“All right. Don’t get yourself worked up.”
“What?”
“I’ll call. I will,” he added when she gazed at him furiously. “I promise,” he said.
“Anything else in here I should see?”
“It’s all stupid. Calling me an amateur composer with dreams of being another Andrew Lloyd Webber. I never even mentioned his name. I write ballads, not musicals.”
“They fancy themselves writers and took some creative license, I suppose.”
“They don’t have to be creative with my background and my life. It’s . . . it’s like standing naked in the street. If I want people to know my fantasies, I’ll tell them myself.”
She widened her eyes with emphasis. Her face had turned crimson with indignation.
“All right. It’s not like anyone but the people who live here will see it,” Teddy said as calmly as he could. But the more relaxed and coolly he behaved, the more infuriated Kristin became.
“How do we know that? The way Nikki Stanley talks, everyone in America is dying to
read and hear about the people of Emerald Lakes.”
“Well, this is a model community. Hank Porter was telling me that even when the real estate market took a dip two years ago, the property values continued to escalate in Emerald Lakes.”
“So why doesn’t he
romantic, are you?” he asked.
“No. I just want to feel you beside me,” she said. He embraced her and she fell asleep in the crook of his arm, opening her eyes for an instant when she heard the distinct sound of their doors being checked by the ever present, efficient security service that kept the residents of Emerald Lakes feeling secure and safe.
For some inexplicable reason, tonight Kristin didn’t feel that way. She fell asleep wondering why.
5
“HELLO,” Teddy called from the foyer. “Anyone home?”
“Daddy!”
Jennifer came running down the hallway and across the living room. Kristin, who had been on the back patio, slid the door open and entered.
“Where were you?” she asked before he came down the marble steps. “I called the office nearly an hour ago and they said you had just left.”
“Stopped to pick something up,” he said cryptically. He scooped Jennifer into his arms and kissed her.
“I got a gold star today, Daddy.”
“Really? For what?”
“Desk neatness.”
“Well, what do you know? Must take after your mother. My desk was always a mess and still is.” He paused and looked at Kristin. “Everything all right?” From the look on her face, he already knew the answer. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve been outside reading the directory. Our copy was delivered by one of the security guards.”
“Directory?”
“Our interview, remember? Look at this. I never told them this, did you?” She thrust the booklet toward him.
He took it with his free hand and gazed at the paragraph. Then he looked up sharply and lowered Jennifer to the floor.
“I never told them that either.”
“How would they know I had a miscarriage last year, Teddy?” He shrugged.
“Maybe you let it slip somehow. I remember Jean was rattling on about her children and Nikki asked a lot of questions about our earlier days together, but . . .”
“Even if I had referred to it, which I didn’t, why put something like that in here?”
“I don’t know,” he said shaking his head. “Maybe they’re frustrated journalists.” He shrugged. “Well, it’s over and done. No sense—”
“I want it out. I want you to call Mr. Slater and tell him how upset I am.”
“If it’s already been printed and delivered, Kristin, what good will a retraction do?”
“Maybe everyone doesn’t consider this a best-seller and everyone hasn’t dipped right into it, Teddy. I’m just not happy about it being there. How do you think it makes me feel to open this thing and read it in black and white, and know that these strangers know some intimate details about our lives? I knew this whole thing was a stupid idea. I just knew it.”
“All right. Don’t get yourself worked up.”
“What?”
“I’ll call. I will,” he added when she gazed at him furiously. “I promise,” he said.
“Anything else in here I should see?”
“It’s all stupid. Calling me an amateur composer with dreams of being another Andrew Lloyd Webber. I never even mentioned his name. I write ballads, not musicals.”
“They fancy themselves writers and took some creative license, I suppose.”
“They don’t have to be creative with my background and my life. It’s . . . it’s like standing naked in the street. If I want people to know my fantasies, I’ll tell them myself.”
She widened her eyes with emphasis. Her face had turned crimson with indignation.
“All right. It’s not like anyone but the people who live here will see it,” Teddy said as calmly as he could. But the more relaxed and coolly he behaved, the more infuriated Kristin became.
“How do we know that? The way Nikki Stanley talks, everyone in America is dying to
read and hear about the people of Emerald Lakes.”
“Well, this is a model community. Hank Porter was telling me that even when the real estate market took a dip two years ago, the property values continued to escalate in Emerald Lakes.”
“So why doesn’t he
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