going to realize her dream.
After business was discussed, Cameron pushed back his chair and was about to leave when Sapphire stopped him.
"I read palms, too."
"You do."
"I'm mighty good."
What the hell. He was game. He gave her his hand and she studied it with fierce concentration.
"You are one proud man."
He smiled.
"But she's gonna get you, this mystery woman."
"I hope so."
"No, no, not just the nasty dance! I mean, she’s gonna get your heart. All of it. Body and soul, the best there is. And you're gonna love her for the rest of your life! Look at that love line!" she said, gesturing for Nancy to see his palm.
Cameron felt strangely self-conscious but squelched the urge to pull his hand from her grasp. Perhaps if he acted as if what she said was of no importance then it would have no effect.
What was he saying? Of course it would have no effect.
When the reading was over, Sapphire gave his hand a pat. "You remember what I said. You got a happy life ahead for yourself."
He couldn't help smiling.
As he left, voodoo charm in his briefcase, he heard Sapphire and Nancy planning furiously over a pot of coffee and a basket of sweet potato muffins.
"I've got a catfish recipe that'll make you think you've died and gone to heaven..."
* * *
She'd known this day was coming but had thought she might have a little more time. Even though Michaela knew her pregnancy barely showed, no one had missed the tremendous expansion of her bustline or the fact that she spent at least a third of the day in the bathroom.
Dr. Mallory had told her that some unfortunate women seemed to suffer from morning sickness a little longer than the first trimester. And she was one of the unfortunate few.
Still, she'd thought she'd covered her tracks a little better than that.
Today she'd barely made it to Julian's office before slumping down in the chair by his desk, her head in her hands.
She simply felt awful.
She also didn't hear the older man come in. When she finally realized he was in the office with her, she slowly raised her head and gazed into a pair of gentle, twinkling blue eyes.
The eyes of a child, still filled with wonder. But the soul of a very gentle man.
She swallowed against the tightness in her throat and felt her eyes fill with tired tears.
"How long have you known?" she whispered.
She watched as tears filled his eyes. He came around the desk and sat in the chair next to hers. Taking her hands in his own, he kissed her cheek.
"Thank you," he said. "You have no idea what this child means to me."
"You're not... angry with me?"
"Angry? I'm as happy as Mike Larkin would be if he were here. The only thing I regret about this moment is that he isn't around so we can go out and raise some hell. It isn't every day a man discovers he's about to become a grandfather. Or a great-grandfather."
His mentioning her father was her emotional undoing. Great sobs worked their way up her chest and out her mouth. Julian handed her tissues and let her cry herself out, then ordered in some coffee for himself, a glass of juice for her, and sandwiches for both of them.
Mrs. Monahan, tactful as ever, didn't mention the fact that Michaela had obviously been crying.
Once they were alone again, she found she needed the counsel of an older, wiser man. She poured her heart out to Julian, telling him her fears, her regrets , her reluctance to tell Cameron about the child just yet. And her instinctual knowledge that she was about to be fired from her firm.
"Joshua Burrell has been and always will be a complete ass. Doesn't the man realize a company is always about its people?"
She sniffled into a tissue.
"If you need anything, anything at all, Michaela, you come to me."
"Oh, no! That wasn't why I came here today. There's a contract—"
"It can wait. Now, what time does that slave driver Burrell expect you back?"
"Sometime after lunch."
Julian grinned. "There's a spare office down the hall with a lovely couch in it, just perfect
After business was discussed, Cameron pushed back his chair and was about to leave when Sapphire stopped him.
"I read palms, too."
"You do."
"I'm mighty good."
What the hell. He was game. He gave her his hand and she studied it with fierce concentration.
"You are one proud man."
He smiled.
"But she's gonna get you, this mystery woman."
"I hope so."
"No, no, not just the nasty dance! I mean, she’s gonna get your heart. All of it. Body and soul, the best there is. And you're gonna love her for the rest of your life! Look at that love line!" she said, gesturing for Nancy to see his palm.
Cameron felt strangely self-conscious but squelched the urge to pull his hand from her grasp. Perhaps if he acted as if what she said was of no importance then it would have no effect.
What was he saying? Of course it would have no effect.
When the reading was over, Sapphire gave his hand a pat. "You remember what I said. You got a happy life ahead for yourself."
He couldn't help smiling.
As he left, voodoo charm in his briefcase, he heard Sapphire and Nancy planning furiously over a pot of coffee and a basket of sweet potato muffins.
"I've got a catfish recipe that'll make you think you've died and gone to heaven..."
* * *
She'd known this day was coming but had thought she might have a little more time. Even though Michaela knew her pregnancy barely showed, no one had missed the tremendous expansion of her bustline or the fact that she spent at least a third of the day in the bathroom.
Dr. Mallory had told her that some unfortunate women seemed to suffer from morning sickness a little longer than the first trimester. And she was one of the unfortunate few.
Still, she'd thought she'd covered her tracks a little better than that.
Today she'd barely made it to Julian's office before slumping down in the chair by his desk, her head in her hands.
She simply felt awful.
She also didn't hear the older man come in. When she finally realized he was in the office with her, she slowly raised her head and gazed into a pair of gentle, twinkling blue eyes.
The eyes of a child, still filled with wonder. But the soul of a very gentle man.
She swallowed against the tightness in her throat and felt her eyes fill with tired tears.
"How long have you known?" she whispered.
She watched as tears filled his eyes. He came around the desk and sat in the chair next to hers. Taking her hands in his own, he kissed her cheek.
"Thank you," he said. "You have no idea what this child means to me."
"You're not... angry with me?"
"Angry? I'm as happy as Mike Larkin would be if he were here. The only thing I regret about this moment is that he isn't around so we can go out and raise some hell. It isn't every day a man discovers he's about to become a grandfather. Or a great-grandfather."
His mentioning her father was her emotional undoing. Great sobs worked their way up her chest and out her mouth. Julian handed her tissues and let her cry herself out, then ordered in some coffee for himself, a glass of juice for her, and sandwiches for both of them.
Mrs. Monahan, tactful as ever, didn't mention the fact that Michaela had obviously been crying.
Once they were alone again, she found she needed the counsel of an older, wiser man. She poured her heart out to Julian, telling him her fears, her regrets , her reluctance to tell Cameron about the child just yet. And her instinctual knowledge that she was about to be fired from her firm.
"Joshua Burrell has been and always will be a complete ass. Doesn't the man realize a company is always about its people?"
She sniffled into a tissue.
"If you need anything, anything at all, Michaela, you come to me."
"Oh, no! That wasn't why I came here today. There's a contract—"
"It can wait. Now, what time does that slave driver Burrell expect you back?"
"Sometime after lunch."
Julian grinned. "There's a spare office down the hall with a lovely couch in it, just perfect
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