Caught Red-Handed by Jan Burke Read Free Book Online Page B

mementos into it.
    â€œAfter all your hard work, you should keep something for yourself,” Alice said. “I know they’re rather silly little treasures, but are you sure there’s nothing here you’d like to have?”
    â€œThey aren’t so silly after all, are they? And they’ve been buried together for all these years. I wouldn’t want to separate them.”
    â€œSo, you are sentimental after all.” Alice smiled. “Don’t look so surprised, Leila. When you bought this old house, I wondered about you. You seemed so business-like, so self-possessed, so emotionless. But why, I asked myself, would such a modern person want such an old house? I don’t know who made you believe that feelings don’t matter, but they were very wrong.”
    Leila looked out across the yard. “You know, Alice, until I moved here and worked on this garden, I don’t think I would have been able to understand that.” And before she knew it, Leila had told Alice the story of Sam and Marietta.
    Alice listened patiently. “This Marietta sounds a lot like Monica. A perfectly dreadful girl. But I’m not sure Sam has forgotten you any more than Jonathan forgot Chloe. I think Sam just needs to wake up and realize that you’re a person with feelings. It sounds as if you’ve been more like a mother, or perhaps another male friend, than a partner to him. The next time you see him, don’t be afraid to let him know you have feelings. And if he can’t respond to them, find a man who can.”
    Leila laughed and thanked her.
    Alice gave her a hug, and carrying the box of treasures, took her leave.
    Leila made a big bowl of soup for dinner, went to bed and slept soundly.
----
    The next day was a work day . She noticed that for some reason, men in the office were paying attention to her. She wondered if they had paid attention before, without her being aware of it, or if something about her had changed.
    Later that evening, in line at the grocery store, a good-looking man stood just ahead of her. He smiled at her. When she smiled back, he spoke to her, laughing with her about an article featured on the cover of a tabloid. Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
    â€œLeila?”
    She turned to see Sam and Marietta at the next checkout stand. She waved, and turned back to talk to the man who had been flirting with her. “Friend of yours?” he asked.
    â€œFormer boyfriend,” she whispered, as the checker handed the man his change.
    The man looked back at Sam and Marietta and shook his head. “He’s crazy,” he whispered back, and to her shock, leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, Leila,” he said loudly, “Don’t forget our date!” He winked and smiled as he walked out with his groceries.
    Leila blushed deeply, but then smiled to herself. The checker had to announce the amount she owed twice before Leila returned her attention to matters at hand. As she pushed her cart from the store, Sam came up beside her.
    â€œWho was that?” he demanded.
    â€œWho?”
    â€œThe man with whom you just made a spectacle of yourself. The one who kissed you in the store. Or are there so many men kissing you in public that it is no longer a memorable experience?”
    â€œReally, Sam, I don’t think it’s any of your concern.”
    Before he could answer, they heard Marietta from behind them. “Sam!” she wailed as she tried to catch up to them with her own cart. “Sam, get over here and help me.”
    â€œYour master’s voice,” Leila said, and started to load her groceries into her car.
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?” he said angrily.
    â€œLeila, is this fellow bothering you?”
    She turned to see the man from the store. He had pulled up next to them and rolled down his window.
    Sam looked so dismayed, it was all she could do not to laugh out loud. “No,