even her Mom was going to mess this up for her. She wiped away the tears and headed to deliver her flowers where they would make someone happy.
Chapter Ten
“Mom, I love you but you have to know that Craig and I are over. We aren’t going to have a do-over on this relationship.” Annie had called her mom as soon as she had walked in the door to the apartment. She needed to clear the decks so she could repair things with Abbott tomorrow. Having more flowers delivered at work would just prolong the agony. She’d be in Abbott’s doghouse until the woman figured out a way to fire her. Annie wasn’t giving her that opportunity.
“Honey, I swear, I haven’t talked to Craig in months. I don’t know how he found out you were coming home this weekend or where you worked unless…” The phone line went dead for a second.
“Unless what, Mom?” Annie pushed. It wasn’t nice but she was fighting for her career here, her life.
“I might have mentioned it to his mother when we ran into each other at Shop A Lot.”
“Mom!” Well, the secret was out. Now Annie knew how Craig had gained his information.
“She asked how you were doing,” her mom responded. “And you know she always has that poor little Annie tone to her voice. I just wanted to let her know that you were doing great without her weasel of a son. I guess I bragged you up a little too much.”
And Craig wanted a piece of the happy, successful Annie. It was so like him. He had told her in the email he’d sent after not showing up for the wedding that he was looking for someone who wanted more out of her life. He didn’t want a wife who rested on his laurels. Now Annie guessed she was good enough for the mighty Craig who ran his father’s chain of tire stores.
“Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s typical Craig. Sorry I blew up at you. It’s been a bad day.”
“I hope I didn’t mess up anything with one of your work pals. Are you dating?”
Annie heard the unsaid ‘yet’ to her mother’s question. “No, I’m not. Hey, I’ve got to go. And I won’t be coming down this weekend. Maybe I’ll come next weekend. I don’t think I can handle the Craig show right now.”
“You know I love you, right?”
“I love you too. I’ll call you Sunday.” Annie hung up the phone. Well, one puzzle down. Let Craig show up at her mom’s on Saturday looking for her. She didn’t really care. Maybe she’d call and tell him to leave her alone next week. Today all she wanted to do was run.
She headed to the bedroom to change into her running clothes. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful spring day in the seventies and she’d taken off from work early. It was time to run and clear her head.
* * *
“And then what did you say?” Sara sat cross-legged on his leather couch, her writing forgotten as Troy relayed the events of the day.
“Nothing. I went to lunch. When I came back, she’d taken a patient to x-ray and I didn’t see her again.” Troy sipped his beer. He had to admit it. What Annie thought mattered to him. He was smitten.
“You like this girl.” Sara grinned at him. “My brother has a little romance going on.”
“I wouldn’t call it a romance. Besides falling in love was not in my five-year plan. I wanted to be settled first. To have something to offer a woman.”
“Are you crazy? You have a lot to offer a woman. Annie is lucky to have your attention. You’re a great guy. You care about others. You know how to do laundry. And someday, if you don’t knock this Matt guy on his butt like you want to, you may be the doctor that cures cancer.”
“I’m a long way from being a catch.” Troy held out his hand and counted on his fingers. “Look at my flaws. I’m obsessive. I’ve got a job that demands most of my time, including hours I should be sleeping. And I have a sister who’s not only overly involved in my life, she’s living in my apartment.”
A pillow flew from Sara’s side of the couch. “I’m not living
Chapter Ten
“Mom, I love you but you have to know that Craig and I are over. We aren’t going to have a do-over on this relationship.” Annie had called her mom as soon as she had walked in the door to the apartment. She needed to clear the decks so she could repair things with Abbott tomorrow. Having more flowers delivered at work would just prolong the agony. She’d be in Abbott’s doghouse until the woman figured out a way to fire her. Annie wasn’t giving her that opportunity.
“Honey, I swear, I haven’t talked to Craig in months. I don’t know how he found out you were coming home this weekend or where you worked unless…” The phone line went dead for a second.
“Unless what, Mom?” Annie pushed. It wasn’t nice but she was fighting for her career here, her life.
“I might have mentioned it to his mother when we ran into each other at Shop A Lot.”
“Mom!” Well, the secret was out. Now Annie knew how Craig had gained his information.
“She asked how you were doing,” her mom responded. “And you know she always has that poor little Annie tone to her voice. I just wanted to let her know that you were doing great without her weasel of a son. I guess I bragged you up a little too much.”
And Craig wanted a piece of the happy, successful Annie. It was so like him. He had told her in the email he’d sent after not showing up for the wedding that he was looking for someone who wanted more out of her life. He didn’t want a wife who rested on his laurels. Now Annie guessed she was good enough for the mighty Craig who ran his father’s chain of tire stores.
“Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s typical Craig. Sorry I blew up at you. It’s been a bad day.”
“I hope I didn’t mess up anything with one of your work pals. Are you dating?”
Annie heard the unsaid ‘yet’ to her mother’s question. “No, I’m not. Hey, I’ve got to go. And I won’t be coming down this weekend. Maybe I’ll come next weekend. I don’t think I can handle the Craig show right now.”
“You know I love you, right?”
“I love you too. I’ll call you Sunday.” Annie hung up the phone. Well, one puzzle down. Let Craig show up at her mom’s on Saturday looking for her. She didn’t really care. Maybe she’d call and tell him to leave her alone next week. Today all she wanted to do was run.
She headed to the bedroom to change into her running clothes. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful spring day in the seventies and she’d taken off from work early. It was time to run and clear her head.
* * *
“And then what did you say?” Sara sat cross-legged on his leather couch, her writing forgotten as Troy relayed the events of the day.
“Nothing. I went to lunch. When I came back, she’d taken a patient to x-ray and I didn’t see her again.” Troy sipped his beer. He had to admit it. What Annie thought mattered to him. He was smitten.
“You like this girl.” Sara grinned at him. “My brother has a little romance going on.”
“I wouldn’t call it a romance. Besides falling in love was not in my five-year plan. I wanted to be settled first. To have something to offer a woman.”
“Are you crazy? You have a lot to offer a woman. Annie is lucky to have your attention. You’re a great guy. You care about others. You know how to do laundry. And someday, if you don’t knock this Matt guy on his butt like you want to, you may be the doctor that cures cancer.”
“I’m a long way from being a catch.” Troy held out his hand and counted on his fingers. “Look at my flaws. I’m obsessive. I’ve got a job that demands most of my time, including hours I should be sleeping. And I have a sister who’s not only overly involved in my life, she’s living in my apartment.”
A pillow flew from Sara’s side of the couch. “I’m not living
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