they couldn’t stand the sight of each other.
When did this happen? Annie didn’t have a clue how she wasgoing to pull off this event with them constantly picking at each other. Hopefully it was nerves and everything would go back to normal in short order.
As if he was a true gentleman, Oliver opened the back passenger door and helped her grandmother out. Kent didn’t wait and was already halfway across the parking lot. Julie hurried to catch up with him.
“Everything will work itself out,” Oliver assured her.
“How can you say that?” Annie whispered, ready to weep. “This is a disaster.”
“It’s not so bad,” he said, discounting her fears. “They’re just a little stressed out with all this fuss over their anniversary.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t have gone to the trouble to plan this party?” she flared. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
“I’m saying don’t worry; it’s going to turn out just fine.”
Annie sighed, hoping he was right. She wiped a hand across her face. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little stressed out myself.”
“I could help you relax,” Oliver offered, and pressed his hand to the small of her back.
“Yeah, right.”
“I could always kiss you … again.”
“You don’t want to go there, Oliver Sutton,” Annie murmured, and slapped his hand aside.
“Ah, but I enjoyed it so much the first time.”
Chapter 10
At the sound of George’s voice coming over her cell phone, Mary’s knees shook so badly that she needed to find a place to sit down. Thankfully, the Adirondack chair on the veranda was close by. She sank into the wooden seat while pressing the cell phone hard against her ear.
“Where are you?” George asked with a sense of urgency as though she were in desperate need of help.
“Washington.”
“State?”
“Yes.” Her own voice sounded breathless, as if she’d raced up several flights of stairs.
“Are you all right?” His voice became less frantic. “Do you need anything?”
To her horror, tears flooded her eyes and she found it impossible to speak.
“Mary? Talk to me.”
“I … I have can … cer.” She hiccupped the words.
Her announcement was followed by a long pause, as though he was as shocked by the diagnosis as she’d been when she first heard the word. He recovered quickly, though. “When can I see you?”
By the sheer force of her will, Mary managed to gain control of her emotions. She grabbed a tissue from inside her purse and held it to her nose. When next she spoke her voice was steady and strong. “Seeing me isn’t such a good idea.”
“I beg to differ.”
George, sweet George, always so polite and caring. How he ever convinced himself he was in love with her was beyond Mary’s comprehension.
“I need to see you,” he said.
Clearly the fact that she had cancer had hit him hard. Blurting it out like that had been a mistake. As big a mistake as contacting his office had been.
Mary struggled within herself.
“Tell me where you are,” he insisted, “and I’ll come right away.”
Mary refused to let him even consider leaving. “You’re supposed to be in court,” she reminded him.
“Screw that.”
“George, no.”
“Then promise me you’ll let me see you.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Mary battled down the nearly overwhelming desire to agree, but she couldn’t. Even now she didn’t understand what craziness had taken hold of her to seek him out. In any other circumstances she would never have given in to this weakness.
The threat of her own mortality made her weak in areas whereshe’d always been strong. Nineteen years ago she’d walked away from George. She’d never intended to see or talk to him again and here she was craving his touch, craving his gentleness and caring. It would make everything worthwhile if she could see him again. One last time.
“Mary, did you hear me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He hesitated, and then softly, ever so softly, he added,
When did this happen? Annie didn’t have a clue how she wasgoing to pull off this event with them constantly picking at each other. Hopefully it was nerves and everything would go back to normal in short order.
As if he was a true gentleman, Oliver opened the back passenger door and helped her grandmother out. Kent didn’t wait and was already halfway across the parking lot. Julie hurried to catch up with him.
“Everything will work itself out,” Oliver assured her.
“How can you say that?” Annie whispered, ready to weep. “This is a disaster.”
“It’s not so bad,” he said, discounting her fears. “They’re just a little stressed out with all this fuss over their anniversary.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t have gone to the trouble to plan this party?” she flared. “Is that what you’re telling me?”
“I’m saying don’t worry; it’s going to turn out just fine.”
Annie sighed, hoping he was right. She wiped a hand across her face. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little stressed out myself.”
“I could help you relax,” Oliver offered, and pressed his hand to the small of her back.
“Yeah, right.”
“I could always kiss you … again.”
“You don’t want to go there, Oliver Sutton,” Annie murmured, and slapped his hand aside.
“Ah, but I enjoyed it so much the first time.”
Chapter 10
At the sound of George’s voice coming over her cell phone, Mary’s knees shook so badly that she needed to find a place to sit down. Thankfully, the Adirondack chair on the veranda was close by. She sank into the wooden seat while pressing the cell phone hard against her ear.
“Where are you?” George asked with a sense of urgency as though she were in desperate need of help.
“Washington.”
“State?”
“Yes.” Her own voice sounded breathless, as if she’d raced up several flights of stairs.
“Are you all right?” His voice became less frantic. “Do you need anything?”
To her horror, tears flooded her eyes and she found it impossible to speak.
“Mary? Talk to me.”
“I … I have can … cer.” She hiccupped the words.
Her announcement was followed by a long pause, as though he was as shocked by the diagnosis as she’d been when she first heard the word. He recovered quickly, though. “When can I see you?”
By the sheer force of her will, Mary managed to gain control of her emotions. She grabbed a tissue from inside her purse and held it to her nose. When next she spoke her voice was steady and strong. “Seeing me isn’t such a good idea.”
“I beg to differ.”
George, sweet George, always so polite and caring. How he ever convinced himself he was in love with her was beyond Mary’s comprehension.
“I need to see you,” he said.
Clearly the fact that she had cancer had hit him hard. Blurting it out like that had been a mistake. As big a mistake as contacting his office had been.
Mary struggled within herself.
“Tell me where you are,” he insisted, “and I’ll come right away.”
Mary refused to let him even consider leaving. “You’re supposed to be in court,” she reminded him.
“Screw that.”
“George, no.”
“Then promise me you’ll let me see you.”
Squeezing her eyes shut, Mary battled down the nearly overwhelming desire to agree, but she couldn’t. Even now she didn’t understand what craziness had taken hold of her to seek him out. In any other circumstances she would never have given in to this weakness.
The threat of her own mortality made her weak in areas whereshe’d always been strong. Nineteen years ago she’d walked away from George. She’d never intended to see or talk to him again and here she was craving his touch, craving his gentleness and caring. It would make everything worthwhile if she could see him again. One last time.
“Mary, did you hear me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He hesitated, and then softly, ever so softly, he added,
Similar Books
