Long Slow Burn by Isabel Sharpe Read Free Book Online Page B

from Mom and Dad…
    Marie’s eyes jumped down the list. One from Quinn? How did he get home so much faster than she had?
    Her phone rang and she did a comical back and forth, phone to email to phone, before grabbing the receiver and checking caller ID. Candy. She’d take it.
    â€œHey, woman, what’s up?”
    â€œUgh.” Candy’s melodramatic exasperation made Marie smile. “I just came back from the cocktail party from hell. The caterer was late, someone stole half the booze, one guest drank the other half and threw up, you name it.”
    â€œThat does not sound fun.” She touched her mouse, staring at Quinn’s email, then snatched her hand back.
    â€œAnyway, I’m looking ahead and life is going to be a little calmer for a week or two, so we should get serious about planning Kim’s party.”
    â€œRight. We should.” She swiveled her chair away from the monitor so Quinn’s note wouldn’t tempt her while talking to her friend, but it was as if it was sending out rays that burned her back. “I’ve already enlisted her brother, Kent, and that Nathan guy to help.”
    â€œPerfect. We’ll need pictures of her at various ages, maybea few personal items, like, I don’t know, some favorite stuffed animal or toy, old favorite outfits, diplomas, awards, anything like that. Her mom might have some stuff to contribute. We should also find out her favorite foods, beverages, all that, too. And figure out where we want to have it.”
    â€œWe can do it at my office or we can—”
    â€œOoh, I forgot to ask, how did her meeting with you go? Did she like Troy?”
    Marie tsk-tsked. “Client confidentiality, Candy. You can ask her.”
    â€œAw c’mon. You can’t even—” A deep voice sounded in the background, then Candy sighed. “Justin says I shouldn’t snoop.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t.”
    â€œI hope she finds someone. She’s so sweet.”
    Marie scratched under Jezebel’s chin. “Ah, but I’m betting there’s a vixen in there somewhere.”
    â€œA vixen! ” Candy whistled. “Has anyone used that term in the past twenty years?”
    â€œSo I’m old.” She rolled her eyes. “Go jump on Justin and leave me alone.”
    â€œMmm, good idea.” Candy sighed blissfully. “So I’ll plan and you set our spies in motion. Oh, and I had a great idea for an early birthday present from the three of us, you, me and Darcy. Next Saturday I want to try out a salon where I might get my wedding hair done. I think we should make it a spa day, invite everyone and then pay for Kim.”
    â€œI love it! I was thinking along the lines of sexy underwear to inspire her on the dating quest.”
    â€œHa!” Candy giggled. “That is too perfect. Let’s do both.”
    â€œDone.” Marie gave in, twisted around and peeked. She hadn’t dreamed it; the email was still there.
    Candy chatted a minute more, then Marie made her escape and shamelessly spun the chair back to her computer, Jezebel giving a brief mrrf of protest. Marie clicked openthe email from Quinn, scanned the words, caught her breath and read them again, her brain whirling in confusion.
    Â 
    Go back though your life looking for messages you received about your sexuality…
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    Why had he sent the email to her? A blind copy? A carbon? A mistake? She peered at the header. He’d sent it to her directly. And she’d been sitting right there at Roots; he hadn’t sent it twice. What the hell?
    That reminds me of someone I know. He’d been talking about another woman who didn’t realize how sexy she was.
    He couldn’t be talking about Marie.
    She hit Reply, typed quickly.
    Â 
    Did you send this to me by mistake? Or is this a blind copy?
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    Then she hit Send and got up from the desk, pushing a very annoyed Jezebel off her lap because there was no