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Francesca froze She didn’t want to hear any more, but she couldn’t see and would guess her , but was too quiet to be audible

"I should have been stronger I should have run away rather than agree"

Francesca heard her ed

"We’re all to blame," Grammy M said, her voice heavy with pain "We all carry the burden"

Francesca took a step back, then another She didn’t knohat her farabbed her purse and hurried toward her truck Once she was inside, she turned on the engine and cranked up the stereo as loud as it would go Maybe the pounding beat would drive everything she’d just heard froh her small house Nor, but not tonight Even er fool herself about the nature of her discontent Restlessness when combined with excess ice-cream consuht about pounding her head against the wall, if only to experience the relief when she stopped, but hoould she explain the bruising?

Obviously her little crush on Zach had beco While she knew she wasn’t in love with hiht…infatuation

It was the naked thing If she hadn’t had sex with him, she would be fine She drew in a deep breath Okay She’d learned her lesson She was a mature, adult woman who empowered herself and her life and…was there any ice creae brownie, she lanced at her tennis shoes tucked in a corner Maybe she should go to the gy would give her a strongas a counterbalance to all those ice-cream calories she’d consuyym Or clean out her closet That always co about perfect orderliness that made her life seey her doorbell She glanced at her watch and frowned It was seven in the evening, e, her fa?

The answer to that question stepped across her threshold when she opened the door He was tall, dark, and very dangerous He also in a quick salsa step through her midsection

"Zach," she said unnecessarily, because it wasn’t as if they both didn’t knoho he was But she couldn’t think of anything better tofroainst the wall, looking both appealing and far too good-looking for her ured one of us had to befor it to be you," he said

"What?" Outrage pushed aside confusion "When was I notafter No note, nothing A guy would think you were just using hienuinely didn’t knohat to say "If I was, it would serve you right How ed "Every time It’s what I do But we’re not here to talk about me"

"Why not? It’s your favorite topic"

He raised his eyebrows "You have a temper"

"I called and you blew me off"

"You called about the party and that’s e talked about"

Good point "Yeah, well, if you’d taken fifteen seconds to listen, Ielse"

"I’round her teeth together "Why exactly are you here?"

The corners of hisso rudely"

She couldn’t believe it "I…You…But you…" She glared at hile you right here"

"No, you wouldn’t Because I’y That’s the kind of guy I aized At least she didn’t think she had Her head was starting to spin and she couldn’t be sure of anything

She led the way to the living room and sat on her floral-print sofa, then waited until he took the club chair opposite Her thoughts slowly collected and organized "I should have left a note," she said cautiously

"Agreed," he said with just enough cheer to make her hair hurt "And I…" His voice trailed off and his hus on my mind David mostly"

She instantly went on alert "What happened?"

"We had a fight He stalked out of the house and I haven’t been able to talk to hiht up in a hellish divorce case and worrying about him"

That she could understand Zach was the kind of father orried

"Okay We’ve both apologized," she said "Want me to open a bottle of Marcelli private reserve as a peace offering?"

"That sounds great"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>