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Authors: Adrianne Byrd
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completely.”
Chapter 11
C arissa bolted upright at the phone’s sudden shrill. Sunlight stabbed her eyes and she immediately slammed them shut again. What time is it ?
When the phone rang again, she snatched the receiver off the cradle. “Hello.” Her voice croaked over the line. She coughed to clear it.
“Ms. Cartel?” Liz questioned.
“Yes. What is it?” She looked around to find the clock. It was well past one in the afternoon. She’d slept in two days in a row. That had to be a record. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“Uh, no. It’s nothing like that. I figured you’d want to know that Nathan Edwards, Travis Edwards’s son, has arrived in town.”
“Yeah, I know. I ran into him a couple of times yesterday.” Carissa swung her legs out of bed, but made no attempt to stand. “Luckily for me, he has no idea who I am and I intend to keep it that way.”
“Oh.”
Carissa frowned. “What does ‘oh’ mean?”
“Well, I think you should know that Mr. Edwards had called here at the office asking questions.”
“When? What did he want to know?” she asked, jumping to her feet and pacing in front of the nightstand.
“He called yesterday. He’s coming by the office today.”
“I left a message on your desk, but when I went in your office a few minutes ago I saw you hadn’t gone through all of them yet.”
Liz was right. She hadn’t read all of her messages. “Damn.” Carissa’s mind raced. “No doubt he’ll want to know what happened the other day.”
“He has the right to know.”
“Of course he does. I’m not saying he doesn’t. I just don’t think that it’s a good idea that he hears it from me. Especially since he thinks I’m someone else.” She thought for a moment. “So much for getting through this incognito.”
“Actually, he called here wanting to talk to me.”
“What?”
“Well, I am the one who’d called. I don’t mind talking to him as long as you’re okay with it. Besides, he should be here soon and you’ll never be able to get here on time.”
Carissa hesitated. It was the coward’s way out. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll handle it. Like I said. I called, I should handle it.”
“Thanks, Liz. I owe you big-time.”
When the women hung up, Carissa stood and stared at the phone. A sliver of guilt eased its way into her conscience. She was behaving as if she had murdered someone.
She remembered her long talk with Nathan. They had a lot in common to be so different. Even though Nathan and Travis weren’t exactly close, she still didn’t want yesterday’s nightmare to come true. Besides, maybe she could stop Nathan from making the same mistakes she’d made.
She sat back on the edge of the bed. “Who am I, Dr. Laura?” she said, shaking her head. “I’m definitely losing it.”
A soft knock sounded at the door. “Carissa, sweetheart. Are you up?” Helena asked.
“Does that woman ever sleep?” she mumbled to herself.
The door swung open.
“I heard that,” Helena said, sweeping into the room like a breath of fresh air. Her tightly coiled hair and flawless skin helped her appear twenty years younger. “Unlike you, I don’t intend to sleep this beautiful day away. I’ve already made plans on what we’re going to do for the rest of the day.”
“Plans? Oh, I don’t know, Auntie. I have a millionthings to do.” She moved from the bed and headed toward the bathroom.
“Come on, Risa. I’m sure those things can wait. Let’s go shopping, take in a matinee, then paint the town red when the sun goes down.”
Carissa turned and laughed. “Where on earth do you get your energy from at your age?”
“I have the same amount of energy as you do. I just direct it toward enjoying life instead of leaping tall buildings in a single bound.”
“Hey, I enjoy my life, too. I mean, sure I have my ups and downs, but for the most part, I know how to have a good time.”
“Prove it.”
Carissa fell speechless at the
Chapter 11
C arissa bolted upright at the phone’s sudden shrill. Sunlight stabbed her eyes and she immediately slammed them shut again. What time is it ?
When the phone rang again, she snatched the receiver off the cradle. “Hello.” Her voice croaked over the line. She coughed to clear it.
“Ms. Cartel?” Liz questioned.
“Yes. What is it?” She looked around to find the clock. It was well past one in the afternoon. She’d slept in two days in a row. That had to be a record. “Is there something wrong?” she asked.
“Uh, no. It’s nothing like that. I figured you’d want to know that Nathan Edwards, Travis Edwards’s son, has arrived in town.”
“Yeah, I know. I ran into him a couple of times yesterday.” Carissa swung her legs out of bed, but made no attempt to stand. “Luckily for me, he has no idea who I am and I intend to keep it that way.”
“Oh.”
Carissa frowned. “What does ‘oh’ mean?”
“Well, I think you should know that Mr. Edwards had called here at the office asking questions.”
“When? What did he want to know?” she asked, jumping to her feet and pacing in front of the nightstand.
“He called yesterday. He’s coming by the office today.”
“I left a message on your desk, but when I went in your office a few minutes ago I saw you hadn’t gone through all of them yet.”
Liz was right. She hadn’t read all of her messages. “Damn.” Carissa’s mind raced. “No doubt he’ll want to know what happened the other day.”
“He has the right to know.”
“Of course he does. I’m not saying he doesn’t. I just don’t think that it’s a good idea that he hears it from me. Especially since he thinks I’m someone else.” She thought for a moment. “So much for getting through this incognito.”
“Actually, he called here wanting to talk to me.”
“What?”
“Well, I am the one who’d called. I don’t mind talking to him as long as you’re okay with it. Besides, he should be here soon and you’ll never be able to get here on time.”
Carissa hesitated. It was the coward’s way out. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ll handle it. Like I said. I called, I should handle it.”
“Thanks, Liz. I owe you big-time.”
When the women hung up, Carissa stood and stared at the phone. A sliver of guilt eased its way into her conscience. She was behaving as if she had murdered someone.
She remembered her long talk with Nathan. They had a lot in common to be so different. Even though Nathan and Travis weren’t exactly close, she still didn’t want yesterday’s nightmare to come true. Besides, maybe she could stop Nathan from making the same mistakes she’d made.
She sat back on the edge of the bed. “Who am I, Dr. Laura?” she said, shaking her head. “I’m definitely losing it.”
A soft knock sounded at the door. “Carissa, sweetheart. Are you up?” Helena asked.
“Does that woman ever sleep?” she mumbled to herself.
The door swung open.
“I heard that,” Helena said, sweeping into the room like a breath of fresh air. Her tightly coiled hair and flawless skin helped her appear twenty years younger. “Unlike you, I don’t intend to sleep this beautiful day away. I’ve already made plans on what we’re going to do for the rest of the day.”
“Plans? Oh, I don’t know, Auntie. I have a millionthings to do.” She moved from the bed and headed toward the bathroom.
“Come on, Risa. I’m sure those things can wait. Let’s go shopping, take in a matinee, then paint the town red when the sun goes down.”
Carissa turned and laughed. “Where on earth do you get your energy from at your age?”
“I have the same amount of energy as you do. I just direct it toward enjoying life instead of leaping tall buildings in a single bound.”
“Hey, I enjoy my life, too. I mean, sure I have my ups and downs, but for the most part, I know how to have a good time.”
“Prove it.”
Carissa fell speechless at the
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