time
alone. It’s a little crowded back home.”
He watched
her pull her sneakers off her feet and step into the wet sand. What the hell
was he thinking? After two days with Cara, did he really think he could figure
out how the last seventeen years had affected her?
No, he had his
own life plan to figure out. Starting with whether or not he was going to take
the Palmer case. That pile of newspaper clippings and court documents weren’t
going to get read watching Cara’s hip sway as she walked along the surf.
But he couldn’t
help himself. He watched her anyway because it felt good. He kept his eyes on
her even as he heard the sound of the phone ringing in the house, until she was
completely out of sight. When the ringing persisted, he took the stairs two at
a time and bolted through the back door to catch the caller.
He said,
“Hello,” just as the screen door slammed behind him.
“I’m glad
you’re in, Devin. I was just about to hang up.” Ruthie’s voice was as
pleasant as ever. “I was wondering if you could do me a bit of a favor.”
He slumped into
a kitchen chair. “You know I can never refuse you, Ruthie.”
“That’s what I’m
counting on.”
Devin
chuckled. She was up to something all right and he’d be damned if he wasn’t
going to find out what it was. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, it seems
I’ve gotten myself in a pickle.” Her tone was serious.
He frowned.
Reaching back, nestling the phone between his shoulder and chin, he opened the
refrigerator to grab another beer. “Sounds like trouble. Is it a legal
issue? Something with the sale of the house?”
Ruthie’s
charming laughter came flowing over the phone line. “Lord, no. Nothing at all
like that.”
He breathed a
slight sigh of relief. “Good.”
“I happened to
see Penny Brunelle this morning, and we got to talking, and I mentioned you
were in town. Do you remember Penny?”
He thought a
minute. “No.”
“She graduated
with Cara. Very nice girl. Has her own bridal boutique. Anyway, she’s going
through a divorce and with you being a lawyer and all...”
“I’m a defense
attorney, Ruthie. I’m not sure I can be of any help. Unless, of course, she
tries to kill him.”
Ruthie’s laugh
was rich. “Oh, I know, but maybe you could have dinner with her tonight and put
her at ease...about her settlement, of course.”
He half
grinned. “Of course.”
Somehow he
knew there was more than just white frosting on a devil’s food cake here.
Ruthie had been known to bake a few harmless schemes in her day where Cara was
concerned. But this time, Cara wasn’t part of the recipe. She was cooking up
something and Devin wondered just what that was.
“So will you
go?”
He shrugged,
looking at the pile of reading material strewn about the kitchen table, waiting
to be read.
Cara said she
needed time alone to think. He was positive she could see how hot he got just
watching her this afternoon and it had nothing to do with the temperature being
close to 100 degrees! After the way his thoughts had been pulling him to her,
maybe a diversion would help put his mind and his libido back on track, back to
the way things used to be with them.
“Sure, why
not.”
“Great. I took
the liberty of making reservations for seven at the Whaler’s Inn.”
He scribbled
down directions to Penny’s house and the time. He washed down the dregs of his
beer and stared at the ink on the notepad. He tore out the directions and
added the notepad to the pile on the table. He wasn’t going to get any work
done on the Palmer case tonight if he was thinking about Cara. Going on a
blind date wasn’t exactly his style, but Penny Brunelle might just be the
distraction he needed.
“Ruthie and a
bridal consultant,” he mumbled to himself. “I wonder who’s getting married?”
* * *
Cara re-read
the same page from the home interiors magazine
alone. It’s a little crowded back home.”
He watched
her pull her sneakers off her feet and step into the wet sand. What the hell
was he thinking? After two days with Cara, did he really think he could figure
out how the last seventeen years had affected her?
No, he had his
own life plan to figure out. Starting with whether or not he was going to take
the Palmer case. That pile of newspaper clippings and court documents weren’t
going to get read watching Cara’s hip sway as she walked along the surf.
But he couldn’t
help himself. He watched her anyway because it felt good. He kept his eyes on
her even as he heard the sound of the phone ringing in the house, until she was
completely out of sight. When the ringing persisted, he took the stairs two at
a time and bolted through the back door to catch the caller.
He said,
“Hello,” just as the screen door slammed behind him.
“I’m glad
you’re in, Devin. I was just about to hang up.” Ruthie’s voice was as
pleasant as ever. “I was wondering if you could do me a bit of a favor.”
He slumped into
a kitchen chair. “You know I can never refuse you, Ruthie.”
“That’s what I’m
counting on.”
Devin
chuckled. She was up to something all right and he’d be damned if he wasn’t
going to find out what it was. “What can I do for you?”
“Well, it seems
I’ve gotten myself in a pickle.” Her tone was serious.
He frowned.
Reaching back, nestling the phone between his shoulder and chin, he opened the
refrigerator to grab another beer. “Sounds like trouble. Is it a legal
issue? Something with the sale of the house?”
Ruthie’s
charming laughter came flowing over the phone line. “Lord, no. Nothing at all
like that.”
He breathed a
slight sigh of relief. “Good.”
“I happened to
see Penny Brunelle this morning, and we got to talking, and I mentioned you
were in town. Do you remember Penny?”
He thought a
minute. “No.”
“She graduated
with Cara. Very nice girl. Has her own bridal boutique. Anyway, she’s going
through a divorce and with you being a lawyer and all...”
“I’m a defense
attorney, Ruthie. I’m not sure I can be of any help. Unless, of course, she
tries to kill him.”
Ruthie’s laugh
was rich. “Oh, I know, but maybe you could have dinner with her tonight and put
her at ease...about her settlement, of course.”
He half
grinned. “Of course.”
Somehow he
knew there was more than just white frosting on a devil’s food cake here.
Ruthie had been known to bake a few harmless schemes in her day where Cara was
concerned. But this time, Cara wasn’t part of the recipe. She was cooking up
something and Devin wondered just what that was.
“So will you
go?”
He shrugged,
looking at the pile of reading material strewn about the kitchen table, waiting
to be read.
Cara said she
needed time alone to think. He was positive she could see how hot he got just
watching her this afternoon and it had nothing to do with the temperature being
close to 100 degrees! After the way his thoughts had been pulling him to her,
maybe a diversion would help put his mind and his libido back on track, back to
the way things used to be with them.
“Sure, why
not.”
“Great. I took
the liberty of making reservations for seven at the Whaler’s Inn.”
He scribbled
down directions to Penny’s house and the time. He washed down the dregs of his
beer and stared at the ink on the notepad. He tore out the directions and
added the notepad to the pile on the table. He wasn’t going to get any work
done on the Palmer case tonight if he was thinking about Cara. Going on a
blind date wasn’t exactly his style, but Penny Brunelle might just be the
distraction he needed.
“Ruthie and a
bridal consultant,” he mumbled to himself. “I wonder who’s getting married?”
* * *
Cara re-read
the same page from the home interiors magazine
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