Read Online Circle in the Sand by Lia Fairchild - Free Book Online Page B

head.
    “Yes, he’s my sweetheart.” Lydia reaches up and touches his arm on the chair handle.
    Introductions are made all around, and then the two older women talk while Jax and
     Dante stand off to the side to speak. I listen as grandmother and Lydia speak about
     dinner last night and how dry the chicken was, but at least there were three dessert
     choices. I can’t tell if it is an act, but grandmother smiles and laughs through their
     whole two-minute conversation.
    After Dante rolls his aunt away, Jax plays grandmother’s favorite song on the piano:
     Fur Elise. Jax’s father taught her to read music and play the guitar, but most of
     the songs she knows on piano she learned on her own. I should be relieved that they
     have each other, and I am. But I don’t want to keep being an outsider. Shouldn’t I
     be doing all the things that Jax is doing? Maybe I would if only I knew that grandmother
     wanted that too.
     
    ●●●
     
    “It doesn’t look like you’re in a retirement home to me,” Christine says.
    I am at Jax’s house at the desk in her room, live video-chatting with my boss. I do
     my best to remain stoic even though all my senses have come alive with memories. She’s
     back in her old room. How many times have I slept on this floor, or in that bed? In
     this room we talked, laughed, danced, swore, and pledged our undying friendship to
     each other over and over.
    “I’m at a friend’s house. My grandmother needed to rest and eat dinner, but we’re
     going back later.” Jax is actually in the bathroom, packing toiletries for the weekend.
     I haven’t decided if I’ll stay both nights at this point, but after seeing Emily,
     I’m excited about tonight.
    “Did you get Mr. Klein’s priority list?” she says as she swivels in her chair tapping
     her pencil. I shouldn’t be surprised that she went back to the office.
    “Yes, he emailed me a few minutes ago. I’ll forward it to you.”
    “This is the perfect client for you, Sage. You’re getting in with him pretty early
     in the game, so you need to stay on top of it.”
    “I will,” I say. “I am,” I correct. “I’ve already worked up some preliminaries and
     will send them as well.”
    “We should be working on this now…together. But I see where your priorities lie.”
    “Christine, he said he was going out of town this weekend with his family. He doesn’t
     even expect to hear from us until Monday or Tuesday.”
    “Which means you need to be ready to run everything by me by Monday morning.”
    “And I will…trust me.” I can never understand where this doubt comes from. I have
     never let her down. It’s possible she believes it’s because she’s always on my case.
     But if she would give me a little freaking breathing room, I’d show her she’s wrong.
     In the back of my mind, another thought creeps in. She knows what happened that night.
    Christine pauses and picks up her latte from her desk. “Mr. Fitzgerald is having a
     party at his home next month. He’s inviting the team and their significant others.
     I’ll be bringing David.”
    “Oh…how nice of him.” Mr. Fitzgerald is a long-standing client, but also a friend
     of Christine’s. We’ve been managing his money for years. A party like that could make
     for a potentially explosive situation, knowing that Christine’s husband will be there.
     “I’m not sure I have someone to bring.”
    “I’m sure you can manage to find a man,” she says.
    Her words slice through me, leave me confused. If she found out what happened at the
     Christmas party, why has she not confronted me? I won’t be able to get out of this
     party, and I don’t want to show up alone. I immediately think of Ned. He’s come to
     my rescue before, and I guess I would get over feeling pathetic asking him. “I’ll
     work it out. Is there anything else?”
    “I guess not.” She reaches forward but stops short. “On second thought, email me tomorrow
     morning what you’ve