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“Be sure the door is securely
closed so it will lock.”
“Of course.”
She pulled open the door, and they were struck with a blast of hot air. She said, “Depending on circumstances, this could be the last time I’ll see you.”
“Could be.”
She paused, then gave a self-conscious shrug. “I can’t think of anything to say that seems appropriate.”
“Small talk seems smaller.”
She smiled faintly at the reminder of her words to him the night they’d met.
“You don’t have to say anything, Laura.”
“Then…” She stuck out her right hand. “Good-bye.”
He took her hand. They looked down at their clasped hands, then at each other. She released his hand and his gaze simultaneously, and turned toward the open door.
But she did only that. Turned and stopped.
Griff hesitated only heartbeats before acting. He moved in close behind her, reached over her shoulder, put his hand flat against the door, and slowly pushed it shut.
Laura stared at herself in the vanity mirror. The reflection looking back seemed to be of someone else. The woman in the mirror was disheveled, not as meticulously turned out as usual. Most disturbing, her eyes were filled with uncertainty. Where was the characteristic self-confidence? What had happened to the surety that she had a grip on the situation? Who was this tremulous stranger?
She ran her fingertips across her lips and dabbed at the smudge of mascara at the corner of her eye. No question, the image in the mirror was hers.
“Laura?”
She spun around, flattening her hand against her chest. “Foster. I didn’t hear you.”
“Obviously not. You nearly jumped out of your skin.” His wheelchair was straddling the threshold between bedroom and bath. “Manuelo told me you were home.”
She had parked in the detached garage, entered the house through the mudroom, and used the back staircase. “He said you were on the telephone.” She forced a light laugh. “At least I think that’s what he said. I didn’t want to interrupt your call. I’m glad you chose to stay at home today. The heat is unbearable. It’s making everyone cranky. People were driving like maniacs, so rush hour was more hazardous than usual.”
Realizing that she was talking too much and too fast, she forced herself to slow down. “All this to say, I’m a mess and wanted to take a quick shower before seeing you. How was your day?”
“Uneventful. Besides the weather and the traffic, how was yours?”
“I had back-to-back appointments this morning, including the one with the reps from the FAA to discuss Southwest’s and American’s complaints.”
“You’ll have to be more specific. Southwest and American are always filing complaints against us.”
“Highest form of flattery.”
He grinned. “If we were failing, we’d never hear a peep out of them. How did your appointment with Griff Burkett go?”
The question came so suddenly and out of context, it took her off guard. “The same as before. Briefly. Efficiently.”
“I thought he might be the reason you’re so late getting home.”
“Why would you think that?”
“No reason.”
She let it drop. “I hope you didn’t wait dinner on me.”
