So Much Trouble When She Walked In by Judy Angelo Read Free Book Online Page A

inviting
that kid to come chill in California for almost two years now.  What is it with
London?  He just can’t tear himself away.”
    “Our
kid brother’s a workaholic.  That’s the problem.”
    Duke
chuckled.  “Good thing he loves what he does.  At least he’s having fun on the
job.”
    “Yeah,
who wouldn’t?” Max asked, his tone sardonic.  “He chose the fashion industry so
he could surround himself with scores of beautiful models.”
    “Do
I detect a note of envy?” Duke asked, ribbing Max.  “I haven’t seen any
beautiful women on your arm lately.  You’ve got to get with the program, big
bro.”
    “Don’t
you worry about me,” Max countered.  “What about you?  I don’t see you looking
like you have any significant other in your life.  What’s up with that?”
    Duke
groaned into the phone.  “Too busy with the business,” he said, then gave a
grunt.  “And too soon.  I’m not ready for the dating game.”
    “Aw,
come on.  It’s been almost a year since you and Amy broke up.  When are you
going to move on?”
    Duke
sighed.  “After what she did to me, I don’t know if I can ever trust a woman again. 
Lying, cheating-”
    “All
right, let’s not go there.  You found out in time to cancel the engagement
before she got her claws on your money.  Give thanks little brother.  Things
could have been worse.”
    “Yeah,
I know.”  There was a pause as if Duke was deep in thought.  Then he spoke
again.  “But it still hurts, you know?”
    “Yeah,
I know,” Max said, his voice quiet.  “Been there, done that.”
    There
was another pause, a longer one this time, then Duke broke the silence by
changing the subject.  “Have you heard from Mom and Dad?”
    “Yeah,
they’re back home in the Cayman Islands.  They say the cruise was great.”
    Duke
gave a sigh. “Oh, to be retired on an island with nothing to do but tour the
world.”
    Max
chuckled.  “You’d hate it and you know it.  You’d be bored out of your wits.”
    “Yeah,
you’re right.  With all that time on my hands I’d be yanking my hair out, just
for something to do.”
    Max
could relate to that.  “Me, I’ll be working on new projects till the day I
die.  Can’t see myself doing otherwise.”
    “I
feel you.”
    Max’s
phone began to buzz.  He glanced at the screen.  “Listen, I’ve got to go.  My
project manager's calling in.”
    “Okay,
no problem.  Catch up with you later.”  With a click, Duke was gone.
    Immediately,
the second call came through.  “I’m here,” Max said, his voice brusque.  “Talk
to me.”
    "Mr.
Davidoff, something’s come up,” Frank Slater said, his tone anxious, "and
it’s not good.” 
    ***

It
took Silken and Suave four more days of research before they made any more
progress in their hunt for information.  “Doctor Raul Pintero,” Silken said,
feeling like this was almost unreal.  “That’s our doctor.  The man who brought
us into this world.”
    “Raul
Pintero.”  Suave repeated the name, her voice soft and breathless.  “Wow.” 
Then she dropped her armful of laundry in the middle of the sofa and pulled up
a chair beside Silken.  “He’s the key to this mystery, Silken. If we find him,
we’ll find her .”
    Suave’s
emphasis on the last word was not lost on Silken.  “Our mom,” she said
reverently, staring unseeing at the screen in front of her.  Her eyes glazed
over as her thoughts played the scene in her head, the scene she’d imagined
ever since she was a little girl.  Their mother, seeing them for the first time
since their separation, holding her arms out to them, tears in her eyes.  “I’m
sorry, so sorry,” she would sob and it would be tears of sorrow and of joy
because she would be so relieved to have them back in her life.
    And
they would forgive her for everything, for giving them up at birth, because
there would be a good reason for her action.  There had to be.  And she and
Suave would