and she
sagged. Her T-shirt clung to her clammy skin.
There, that was it. He had to have gotten the point. She didn't want to talk to him. It was over.
She sniffed and blinked hard. "It" hadn't even started, and my, hadn't she been lucky?
The phone rang again. She shot away from it until she was pressed against the opposite wall.
This time he sounded worried.
"Mary, if you're still there, please pick up. If you don't, I'm coming over-"
She' lunged, snatched up the receiver and said breathlessly, "No, don't! Don't come over! That's
all right-I'm fine! Everything's fine here now, and and I have to leave the house for' the whole
day, so that's it. Thanks for calling-"
"Wait a minute!" he interrupted sharply. "What's gotten into you? I told you I was going to call
today you gave me your number. What's going on, babe?"
Her hand shook badly. Her voice did, as well. "I've changed my mind, that's all. Please don't call
again. I-I-I'm sorry, I just made a mistake yesterday. I was tired, I didn't know what I was doing-"
"Victor," he snarled. "What the hell did he say to you?" There was a faint, tight sound, as if he'd
sucked in his breath. "I want to talk to you," he said more calmly. "I'm on my way."
"No-please-" The connection went dead.
He was on his way over. He was coming over here, oh, yes, because he knew where she lived,
didn't he? Now what did she do? She would just have to tell him to his face-she would just have
to look up into his face...Her hands fluttered frantically; her eyes darted around.
A cowardly part of her lifted up a finger. Or she could just run away.
Right! She'd told him she was leaving; he couldn't say she hadn't warned him. She raced up the
stairs, grabbed her purse from her bedroom, fumbled for keys as she ran back down and out the
door and toward her Cabriolet convertible that was parked in its usual ...
No Cabriolet convertible. Not anywhere she looked. Oh, DAMN! It was still back in the DAMN
hospital parking lot because he'd given her a ride home since she was too DAMN tired to drive
herself!
She shook the fist that held her useless keys, spun around to stare at Janice's Toyota parked to
one side, and spun back toward the house. Janice's keys. That's what she needed.
She froze then, hearing a sound that couldn't be happening.' No, that's not a car coming up the
drive. Her back hunched, and her shoulders crept around her ears. No, that had to be someone
else. Nobody could get here that fast, call one moment and arrive the next.
Unless he had a car phone, Mary. Do you remember if he has a car phone, Mary?
She peeked 'Over her shoulder, took one look at the black Jeep Cherokee that was pulling
smoothly to a stop twenty feet away, squeaked and ran Into the house she streaked, flying past
Tim up the stairs and into her room. She locked the door, panting, and leaned against it.
Other people could deal with Chance. Tim could. Tim would tell Chance she wasn't home. Oh,
God. She put her face in her hands. Chance got out of the car, watching her disappear into the
house like a frightened rabbit that's smelled a hawk. His tension eased a bit as soon as he had
seen that she was all right, at least physically.
He removed his sunglasses and stretched himself, squinting at the door. Something certainly
must have happened between last night and this afternoon; unless he had severely misjudged her,
Mary was not the sort of woman to play stupid games. She really was spooked. He glanced at the
Toyota parked beside the driveway and wondered if it was Victor's. No, he thought, smiling in
spite of himself. Dr. Prentiss. probably drove a Mercedes, or something equally impressive.
He debated for only a moment about whether to follow her or not, and then strode purposefully
to the porch. Whatever Victor had told her, Chance was not about to concede without a battle.
He leaned on the doorbell until Tim answered. The boy was chewing pretzels from a bag in his
hand. His grin, at least,
sagged. Her T-shirt clung to her clammy skin.
There, that was it. He had to have gotten the point. She didn't want to talk to him. It was over.
She sniffed and blinked hard. "It" hadn't even started, and my, hadn't she been lucky?
The phone rang again. She shot away from it until she was pressed against the opposite wall.
This time he sounded worried.
"Mary, if you're still there, please pick up. If you don't, I'm coming over-"
She' lunged, snatched up the receiver and said breathlessly, "No, don't! Don't come over! That's
all right-I'm fine! Everything's fine here now, and and I have to leave the house for' the whole
day, so that's it. Thanks for calling-"
"Wait a minute!" he interrupted sharply. "What's gotten into you? I told you I was going to call
today you gave me your number. What's going on, babe?"
Her hand shook badly. Her voice did, as well. "I've changed my mind, that's all. Please don't call
again. I-I-I'm sorry, I just made a mistake yesterday. I was tired, I didn't know what I was doing-"
"Victor," he snarled. "What the hell did he say to you?" There was a faint, tight sound, as if he'd
sucked in his breath. "I want to talk to you," he said more calmly. "I'm on my way."
"No-please-" The connection went dead.
He was on his way over. He was coming over here, oh, yes, because he knew where she lived,
didn't he? Now what did she do? She would just have to tell him to his face-she would just have
to look up into his face...Her hands fluttered frantically; her eyes darted around.
A cowardly part of her lifted up a finger. Or she could just run away.
Right! She'd told him she was leaving; he couldn't say she hadn't warned him. She raced up the
stairs, grabbed her purse from her bedroom, fumbled for keys as she ran back down and out the
door and toward her Cabriolet convertible that was parked in its usual ...
No Cabriolet convertible. Not anywhere she looked. Oh, DAMN! It was still back in the DAMN
hospital parking lot because he'd given her a ride home since she was too DAMN tired to drive
herself!
She shook the fist that held her useless keys, spun around to stare at Janice's Toyota parked to
one side, and spun back toward the house. Janice's keys. That's what she needed.
She froze then, hearing a sound that couldn't be happening.' No, that's not a car coming up the
drive. Her back hunched, and her shoulders crept around her ears. No, that had to be someone
else. Nobody could get here that fast, call one moment and arrive the next.
Unless he had a car phone, Mary. Do you remember if he has a car phone, Mary?
She peeked 'Over her shoulder, took one look at the black Jeep Cherokee that was pulling
smoothly to a stop twenty feet away, squeaked and ran Into the house she streaked, flying past
Tim up the stairs and into her room. She locked the door, panting, and leaned against it.
Other people could deal with Chance. Tim could. Tim would tell Chance she wasn't home. Oh,
God. She put her face in her hands. Chance got out of the car, watching her disappear into the
house like a frightened rabbit that's smelled a hawk. His tension eased a bit as soon as he had
seen that she was all right, at least physically.
He removed his sunglasses and stretched himself, squinting at the door. Something certainly
must have happened between last night and this afternoon; unless he had severely misjudged her,
Mary was not the sort of woman to play stupid games. She really was spooked. He glanced at the
Toyota parked beside the driveway and wondered if it was Victor's. No, he thought, smiling in
spite of himself. Dr. Prentiss. probably drove a Mercedes, or something equally impressive.
He debated for only a moment about whether to follow her or not, and then strode purposefully
to the porch. Whatever Victor had told her, Chance was not about to concede without a battle.
He leaned on the doorbell until Tim answered. The boy was chewing pretzels from a bag in his
hand. His grin, at least,
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