was waving me aside.
“Annie,” I pleaded, my voice rising. “I’m a lawyer. Let me go after this guy.”
“I have a lawyer, Kate.”
“But I...”
“How would it look to have my lover represent me against my ex-husband? Now that would go over well.” She sounded unreasonable.
“But, Annie, this isn’t about us. It’s about theft and —”
“I have a lawyer, Kate.” She practically screamed the words, stopping me in my tracks.
“Okay, Annie. I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I was just trying to help.”
“I know.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I raised my voice. I’m just so frustrated.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted so much to put a plan into action. My logical mind was already scripting the suit that we should file. But it was painfully obvious that she didn’t want my help in the matter. I couldn’t understand why. Why would she be protecting him like this?
The sadness in her eyes made me forget my own questions. Without another word, I circled the counter and held my arms open. She had never held me tighter.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Tonight was wonderful.” Annie murmured the words against my ear as she snuggled deeper against my neck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I told her while reaching up to smooth her hair.
“Beth is so sweet. Do you think she had fun?” Annie raised her head just enough so that our eyes could meet.
“I know she did,” I told her. We had invited Beth and her son over for a barbeque, using the excuse that we wanted her to see what we had done to the great room. Beth had no idea that we were really celebrating her birthday. And if she had been suspicious, she never let on.
It felt good to have Beth and Annie in the same room, even though they’d teased me mercilessly about everything and anything imaginable. Privately, Beth had pulled me aside to tell me how happy she was that Annie and I had gotten together.
“The two of you are wonderful together, Kate.”
“Do you think so?” I’d asked, suddenly insecure.
“Absolutely,” she’d insisted. “Everything that I’ve seen tonight tells me that the two of you are so happy together. The way you laugh and interact. You’re both so attentive to each other.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “It’s a little sickening, actually, the way you two moon over each other.”
I slapped her arm playfully.
“We don’t moon,” I insisted.
“Yes you do. You both do. But it’s very sweet.”
I tried to muster up a snarl but failed. Beth’s face sobered.
“It’s good to see you happy like this, Kate. And it’s quite obvious that Annie cares for you.”
Now I smiled as I remembered Beth’s words.
“Beth said that it’s obvious that you care for me,” I told Annie. She was busily twining her fingers through mine.
“She thinks so, eh?”
I couldn’t see her eyes, but could tell by the sound of her voice that she was feeling lighthearted.
“That’s what she said,” I told her.
“Hm.” Annie pulled away again to look into my eyes. “And what do you think? Do you think it’s obvious that I care for you?” She studied my face while her fingers continued their dance with mine.
Her question made me nervous. “I can only hope that you do,” was my reply.
She seemed surprised by my response. “It’s not obvious to you?”
I suddenly felt shy. “Well,” I began, searching for the right words. “We never really talk about us, do we? It seems like we’re always so busy doing things together that we never really get many quiet moments like this.” I watched for her reaction, but her face was carefully blank. “Don’t get me wrong, Annie. I love the time that we spend together. But you must admit that we keep very busy.”
Her smile was slow. “Life does seem rather full these days, doesn’t it?”
“It certainly does,” I agreed. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“Really?” Her eyes were twinkling. “There’s nothing you would
“Annie,” I pleaded, my voice rising. “I’m a lawyer. Let me go after this guy.”
“I have a lawyer, Kate.”
“But I...”
“How would it look to have my lover represent me against my ex-husband? Now that would go over well.” She sounded unreasonable.
“But, Annie, this isn’t about us. It’s about theft and —”
“I have a lawyer, Kate.” She practically screamed the words, stopping me in my tracks.
“Okay, Annie. I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I was just trying to help.”
“I know.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I raised my voice. I’m just so frustrated.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted so much to put a plan into action. My logical mind was already scripting the suit that we should file. But it was painfully obvious that she didn’t want my help in the matter. I couldn’t understand why. Why would she be protecting him like this?
The sadness in her eyes made me forget my own questions. Without another word, I circled the counter and held my arms open. She had never held me tighter.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Tonight was wonderful.” Annie murmured the words against my ear as she snuggled deeper against my neck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I told her while reaching up to smooth her hair.
“Beth is so sweet. Do you think she had fun?” Annie raised her head just enough so that our eyes could meet.
“I know she did,” I told her. We had invited Beth and her son over for a barbeque, using the excuse that we wanted her to see what we had done to the great room. Beth had no idea that we were really celebrating her birthday. And if she had been suspicious, she never let on.
It felt good to have Beth and Annie in the same room, even though they’d teased me mercilessly about everything and anything imaginable. Privately, Beth had pulled me aside to tell me how happy she was that Annie and I had gotten together.
“The two of you are wonderful together, Kate.”
“Do you think so?” I’d asked, suddenly insecure.
“Absolutely,” she’d insisted. “Everything that I’ve seen tonight tells me that the two of you are so happy together. The way you laugh and interact. You’re both so attentive to each other.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “It’s a little sickening, actually, the way you two moon over each other.”
I slapped her arm playfully.
“We don’t moon,” I insisted.
“Yes you do. You both do. But it’s very sweet.”
I tried to muster up a snarl but failed. Beth’s face sobered.
“It’s good to see you happy like this, Kate. And it’s quite obvious that Annie cares for you.”
Now I smiled as I remembered Beth’s words.
“Beth said that it’s obvious that you care for me,” I told Annie. She was busily twining her fingers through mine.
“She thinks so, eh?”
I couldn’t see her eyes, but could tell by the sound of her voice that she was feeling lighthearted.
“That’s what she said,” I told her.
“Hm.” Annie pulled away again to look into my eyes. “And what do you think? Do you think it’s obvious that I care for you?” She studied my face while her fingers continued their dance with mine.
Her question made me nervous. “I can only hope that you do,” was my reply.
She seemed surprised by my response. “It’s not obvious to you?”
I suddenly felt shy. “Well,” I began, searching for the right words. “We never really talk about us, do we? It seems like we’re always so busy doing things together that we never really get many quiet moments like this.” I watched for her reaction, but her face was carefully blank. “Don’t get me wrong, Annie. I love the time that we spend together. But you must admit that we keep very busy.”
Her smile was slow. “Life does seem rather full these days, doesn’t it?”
“It certainly does,” I agreed. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
“Really?” Her eyes were twinkling. “There’s nothing you would
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