Read Online Entangled by Barbara Ellen Brink - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Ellen Brink
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Handel’s bold statement
was an absolute lie of course, but his surprise at my decision had
been masked well.
“Sure you did.”
He glanced my way and a car cut in front of
him.
“Watch the road!” I yelled, not yet used to
the traffic congestion or rude California drivers. “I’d prefer to
live long enough to enjoy my newfound wealth.”
He grinned and zipped into the flow of cars.
“You’ll live. I promise.”
“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,”
I said, remembering how my father gave up after realizing he wasn’t
really in control of anything.
Handel glanced my way again, his eyes
narrowed into slits against the sun. “Could you check in the glove
box for a pair of sunglasses? I forgot mine this morning.”
I pushed the button and let the little door
fall open. A flashlight, the car’s instruction manual, and a
package of tissues filled the small space. “Sorry. Don’t see any.”
I pushed it closed again.
“Terrific,” he grumbled, adjusting the visors
at the best possible angle.
I opened my purse and handed him my shades.
“Here, try these. You drive like a girl anyway.”
“Red?”
“They match your shirt.”
He smiled and put them on. “Thanks for
noticing. So - was the girl remark derogatory or
complimentary?”
“I said girl, not woman. You figure it
out.”
“Ouch. You’ve wounded me to the quick.” He
pressed his hand to his chest where his heart was supposed to
reside, and then accelerated, passing cars one after another until
I thought we’d suddenly run onto the Indy 500 track. I gripped the
door handle hard enough to turn my knuckles white.
“How’s this?” he asked, his lips curving into
a self-satisfied grin.
“Now you’re driving like a woman with a death
wish.”
He laughed and slowed down, moving into the
center lane. “Did you read the letter? Is that what changed your
mind?” he asked, his curiosity undisguised now.
I reached for my purse and pulled the
envelope out of the side pocket, holding it up for him see. “Is
this what you want to know about? Are you driving like a maniac so
I’ll spill my guts?” I asked. “No pun intended.”
“Nope, the driving is a bonus. I’m just
curious. You’re an attorney. Doesn’t it bother you when a client
leaves you completely in the dark, hiding information you might
possibly have used for their defense? Not that Jack needed
defending. You know what I mean.” He chewed at his bottom lip as he
drove, one hand guiding the steering wheel, the other resting in
his lap.
I watched him drive, his attention equally
divided between the task at hand and the information he was trying
to pull out of me, not even diverted by the length of my bare legs
stretched out beside him. I tugged at the edge of my skirt, my own
thoughts making me self-conscious. Did I want him to notice me?
He reached up and scratched at his jaw in
that slow way I’d noticed before when he was deep in thought. Of
course, I didn’t know if his deep thoughts were about the
exorbitant amount of road-kill on the highway this morning or
something deeper. “Don’t want to tell me, huh?” he finally asked
when I made no response.
I pulled the pages out and spread them open.
I’d taken the key off earlier and slid it into my coin purse, but
for some unknown reason kept the empty letter also. “You might be a
bit disappointed when you see what he wrote,” I said, turning the
pages toward him.
Handel looked down and his jaw tightened, a
frown forming tiny little lines of age that weren’t there before.
He made a scoffing sound and glanced back at the road. “What’s
this?” he asked, as though I were telling him a joke. “Where’s the
letter?”
I cleared my throat. “This is the letter. Two
pieces of blank paper.”
He suddenly looked like a small boy who
dropped his ice-cream cone upside down in the dirt. “No way. Jack
wasn’t a practical joker. What are you trying to pull?” He locked
his eyes back on the road, but
was an absolute lie of course, but his surprise at my decision had
been masked well.
“Sure you did.”
He glanced my way and a car cut in front of
him.
“Watch the road!” I yelled, not yet used to
the traffic congestion or rude California drivers. “I’d prefer to
live long enough to enjoy my newfound wealth.”
He grinned and zipped into the flow of cars.
“You’ll live. I promise.”
“You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,”
I said, remembering how my father gave up after realizing he wasn’t
really in control of anything.
Handel glanced my way again, his eyes
narrowed into slits against the sun. “Could you check in the glove
box for a pair of sunglasses? I forgot mine this morning.”
I pushed the button and let the little door
fall open. A flashlight, the car’s instruction manual, and a
package of tissues filled the small space. “Sorry. Don’t see any.”
I pushed it closed again.
“Terrific,” he grumbled, adjusting the visors
at the best possible angle.
I opened my purse and handed him my shades.
“Here, try these. You drive like a girl anyway.”
“Red?”
“They match your shirt.”
He smiled and put them on. “Thanks for
noticing. So - was the girl remark derogatory or
complimentary?”
“I said girl, not woman. You figure it
out.”
“Ouch. You’ve wounded me to the quick.” He
pressed his hand to his chest where his heart was supposed to
reside, and then accelerated, passing cars one after another until
I thought we’d suddenly run onto the Indy 500 track. I gripped the
door handle hard enough to turn my knuckles white.
“How’s this?” he asked, his lips curving into
a self-satisfied grin.
“Now you’re driving like a woman with a death
wish.”
He laughed and slowed down, moving into the
center lane. “Did you read the letter? Is that what changed your
mind?” he asked, his curiosity undisguised now.
I reached for my purse and pulled the
envelope out of the side pocket, holding it up for him see. “Is
this what you want to know about? Are you driving like a maniac so
I’ll spill my guts?” I asked. “No pun intended.”
“Nope, the driving is a bonus. I’m just
curious. You’re an attorney. Doesn’t it bother you when a client
leaves you completely in the dark, hiding information you might
possibly have used for their defense? Not that Jack needed
defending. You know what I mean.” He chewed at his bottom lip as he
drove, one hand guiding the steering wheel, the other resting in
his lap.
I watched him drive, his attention equally
divided between the task at hand and the information he was trying
to pull out of me, not even diverted by the length of my bare legs
stretched out beside him. I tugged at the edge of my skirt, my own
thoughts making me self-conscious. Did I want him to notice me?
He reached up and scratched at his jaw in
that slow way I’d noticed before when he was deep in thought. Of
course, I didn’t know if his deep thoughts were about the
exorbitant amount of road-kill on the highway this morning or
something deeper. “Don’t want to tell me, huh?” he finally asked
when I made no response.
I pulled the pages out and spread them open.
I’d taken the key off earlier and slid it into my coin purse, but
for some unknown reason kept the empty letter also. “You might be a
bit disappointed when you see what he wrote,” I said, turning the
pages toward him.
Handel looked down and his jaw tightened, a
frown forming tiny little lines of age that weren’t there before.
He made a scoffing sound and glanced back at the road. “What’s
this?” he asked, as though I were telling him a joke. “Where’s the
letter?”
I cleared my throat. “This is the letter. Two
pieces of blank paper.”
He suddenly looked like a small boy who
dropped his ice-cream cone upside down in the dirt. “No way. Jack
wasn’t a practical joker. What are you trying to pull?” He locked
his eyes back on the road, but
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