Read Online Beyond Doubt by Karice Bolton - Free Book Online Page B

anything that will disappoint me.”
    I nodded as I turned into my cubicle and Gabby took a seat at the opening. “That makes sense.”
    “Jason gave me a heads up about a dinner at my parents’ house, and Aaron will be there. I was hoping you’d come for moral support. I talked to him about it quickly downstairs. I think it will be good. I hope it will be good.”
    Shit!
    “Sure. You know I’ll be there for you any way you need. Do you think you’ll find out what’s been going on?” I wiggled my mouse to wake up my computer, and my email popped up with a message from Aaron. I minimized it quickly and turned around to see Gabby staring at the floor. My heartbeat was racing and a rush of adrenaline flooded my system. I liked what this was doing to me, what Aaron was doing to me, and I really enjoyed the secrecy of it, which was peculiar.
    “I do. But something tells me there’s more to it than just my brother so I’m glad there will be other people there. Might diffuse my temper.”
    “You…a temper? I can’t even imagine,” I teased.
    She rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair.
    “So who sent you flowers?” she asked, glancing at the arrangement. “It’s like I’m distracted for a couple weeks, and your whole dating life blows up.”
    “I still have no dating life,” I laughed. “But I don’t know. They just showed up with no sender.”
    “That’s weird.”
    Tell me about it.
    “I’m guessing Shane?”
    “I don’t think he’s gotten over you, and you’re so nice to your exes that I don’t think they ever quite get the message,” she said, grinning.
    “And the alternative is never speaking to them and changing my number?”
    “Works for me,” she laughed. “So I think Decker might be into you.”
    I spun around in my chair and laughed. “Really? What makes you think that?”
    “I ran into him outside, and he seemed all flustered and completely unlike himself.” She grinned and pointed at the flowers. “Maybe they’re from him?”
    He probably seemed flustered because your brother—his ex-boss—scared him to death.
    “I doubt it. I think he just has a lot on his mind,” I said. “I went around the office to see if there were any projects that I could help with, and everyone seemed set, so would you mind if I snuck in—”
    Gabby held up her hand. “I told you not to ask. You know I don’t care if you study when the workload falls.”
    “I just feel weird.”
    “You shouldn’t. Just because you get your job done quicker than any other admin I’ve seen, doesn’t mean you should get penalized and get more work dumped on you. Take advantage of it while you can. Now, I better get back to my office and see what fiery email my father sent about this week’s lackluster results in the cheese department.”
    I couldn’t help but giggle. I knew Gabby was doing all of this because it was what was expected of her to make her father happy, but she never really did care about the corporate world. I hoped that she’d find what would make her happy because spending twenty or thirty years trapped in a life that wasn’t her own would wear anyone down. I knew I was lucky. My parents were supportive of anything any of us wanted to do. I just happened to be the oddball that enjoyed volunteering in my mom’s not-for-profit legal center. I hoped to follow in her footsteps and make both my parents proud. But I had no doubt that being an attorney was what I wanted to do. Gabby used to have that passion and certainty when she was taking the culinary classes, and I hoped she’d find that again.
    I clicked on my email and Aaron’s message popped up. The thrill of hearing from him was now outweighing the doubt. I glanced at my flowers and then at the email.
     
    To: Brandy Rhodes
    From: Aaron Sullivan
    Subject: Lunch
     
    I hope it came to you who might have sent you the flowers. I only wish I beat whoever it was to the punch.
     
    I’ll be in touch and I do hope to see you at my