before he could answer her, she nudged another pie forward. “Hold on! If I remember correctly, you had two big wedges of the coconut chocolate walnut.”
He nodded, then held up a cautionary finger as he gulped down his coffee.
That didn’t stop her from declaring, “But wait! No fair answering until you try this one, too!” Her eyes opened wide as she grabbed a pie from the far corner of the counter and nudged it his way. “It’s called an ‘Apple Jack.’ It’s got Granny Smiths drenched in Jack Daniels, topped with a sea salt caramel sauce.”
He groaned, but stuck his fork in it anyway.
Jillian pursed her lips in anticipation of his answer.
She had to wait until he was satisfied with four more forkfuls. Finally, he moaned blissfully and patted his stomach. “Jillian, doll, you’re killing me here! I’ll be the fattest forest ranger in the Presidio.”
She plopped down on his lap and nuzzled his neck. “You’re such a tease! Just look at these six-pack abs.” In a blink of an eye, her fingers unbuttoned his shirt. She stopped to admire his hairy chest. “Don’t ever take off your shirt in the woods, or every female hiker will go crazy.”
“Trust me, they’d run in the opposite direction. They’ll think I’m a grizzly.” He laughed. “Or worse! Sasquatch!”
Jillian shrugged. “Scott was as hairless as a Chihuahua. I guess he spent his lunches getting manscaped.”
Caleb grinned. “You make him sound like such a pussy.”
His remark stopped her cold. Her smile faded.
Seeing it disappear, his did, too. “You’re also still in love with him, aren’t you?”
Jillian pretended she didn’t hear him. “What do you think—was the crust on the Apple Jack flaky enough? If it wasn’t—”
“I thought so.” Caleb shoved his plate away. “Guess it’s time to waddle off into the sunset.”
“No! Wait!” She reached for his arm. “Caleb, we were married for ten years. We had two children together. I thought I’d be spending the rest of my life with him. And now…”
“And now you’re not.” He shrugged. “He’s got some other woman in his life. And you’ve got me, remember?”
She nodded. “Yes. He’s got her, and I…I have you.” The first tear fell before she could turn her head, or wipe it away.
He stepped back from her. “And I’m the one who loves you. I have since the moment I saw you running down the street, screaming after the girls’ runaway stroller.”
She almost choked as her sobs turned to giggles, but just for a moment as he continued, “But Jillian, I’m not him. And I’ll never be anything like him, either. Considering how he treats you, don’t you think that’s a good thing?”
She should have screamed “Yes” at the top of her lungs.
She wanted to, really she did, but there was still too much of Scott there in the house. In her memories.
As if reading her mind, Caleb picked up his coat and walked out the front door.
She started to run after him, to call him back, but the crash behind her stopped her dead in her tracks.
One of the girls had yanked the tablecloth. The pies and plates had fallen to the floor. Both girls now sported pie-tin hats. Whatever filling and crust they weren’t wearing was making its way into their mouths as they scooped up the goodies with their plump little fingers.
Jillian plopped down on the floor to cry. Instead, she laughed.
Chapter 9
Tuesday, 5 February
“Well, well, well,” Ellis muttered to Ally. “Your Mr. Pierce handled himself admirably. He’s been a big hit with Mr. Bracknell.”
Ally turned toward the conference room’s window, where Brady stood with Laurence Bracknell, admiring the incomparable bay and city views afforded them from the highest floor in the renowned Transamerica Pyramid Center.
During the meeting, she too had been impressed. It was a side of Brady she’d never seen before. After she’d given him a formal introduction, Brady turned on the charm. He was modest about his
He nodded, then held up a cautionary finger as he gulped down his coffee.
That didn’t stop her from declaring, “But wait! No fair answering until you try this one, too!” Her eyes opened wide as she grabbed a pie from the far corner of the counter and nudged it his way. “It’s called an ‘Apple Jack.’ It’s got Granny Smiths drenched in Jack Daniels, topped with a sea salt caramel sauce.”
He groaned, but stuck his fork in it anyway.
Jillian pursed her lips in anticipation of his answer.
She had to wait until he was satisfied with four more forkfuls. Finally, he moaned blissfully and patted his stomach. “Jillian, doll, you’re killing me here! I’ll be the fattest forest ranger in the Presidio.”
She plopped down on his lap and nuzzled his neck. “You’re such a tease! Just look at these six-pack abs.” In a blink of an eye, her fingers unbuttoned his shirt. She stopped to admire his hairy chest. “Don’t ever take off your shirt in the woods, or every female hiker will go crazy.”
“Trust me, they’d run in the opposite direction. They’ll think I’m a grizzly.” He laughed. “Or worse! Sasquatch!”
Jillian shrugged. “Scott was as hairless as a Chihuahua. I guess he spent his lunches getting manscaped.”
Caleb grinned. “You make him sound like such a pussy.”
His remark stopped her cold. Her smile faded.
Seeing it disappear, his did, too. “You’re also still in love with him, aren’t you?”
Jillian pretended she didn’t hear him. “What do you think—was the crust on the Apple Jack flaky enough? If it wasn’t—”
“I thought so.” Caleb shoved his plate away. “Guess it’s time to waddle off into the sunset.”
“No! Wait!” She reached for his arm. “Caleb, we were married for ten years. We had two children together. I thought I’d be spending the rest of my life with him. And now…”
“And now you’re not.” He shrugged. “He’s got some other woman in his life. And you’ve got me, remember?”
She nodded. “Yes. He’s got her, and I…I have you.” The first tear fell before she could turn her head, or wipe it away.
He stepped back from her. “And I’m the one who loves you. I have since the moment I saw you running down the street, screaming after the girls’ runaway stroller.”
She almost choked as her sobs turned to giggles, but just for a moment as he continued, “But Jillian, I’m not him. And I’ll never be anything like him, either. Considering how he treats you, don’t you think that’s a good thing?”
She should have screamed “Yes” at the top of her lungs.
She wanted to, really she did, but there was still too much of Scott there in the house. In her memories.
As if reading her mind, Caleb picked up his coat and walked out the front door.
She started to run after him, to call him back, but the crash behind her stopped her dead in her tracks.
One of the girls had yanked the tablecloth. The pies and plates had fallen to the floor. Both girls now sported pie-tin hats. Whatever filling and crust they weren’t wearing was making its way into their mouths as they scooped up the goodies with their plump little fingers.
Jillian plopped down on the floor to cry. Instead, she laughed.
Chapter 9
Tuesday, 5 February
“Well, well, well,” Ellis muttered to Ally. “Your Mr. Pierce handled himself admirably. He’s been a big hit with Mr. Bracknell.”
Ally turned toward the conference room’s window, where Brady stood with Laurence Bracknell, admiring the incomparable bay and city views afforded them from the highest floor in the renowned Transamerica Pyramid Center.
During the meeting, she too had been impressed. It was a side of Brady she’d never seen before. After she’d given him a formal introduction, Brady turned on the charm. He was modest about his
Similar Books
