Annie's Answer by Hanson Pam Andrews

Author:Hanson, Pam Andrews [Hanson, Pam Andrews]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2013-05-12T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

He never acted on impulse, but this time he had. Nathan didn’t know what had come over him at lunch when he’d asked Annie to go out with him. Now he worried she might read too much into it. He didn’t have the time or the inclination for a long-time commitment, but his instinct told him Annie was a woman who took things seriously. The thought of misleading or hurting her warred with his expectation of a pleasant evening in her company.

Whatever his reservations, he wanted to spend time with her. She was funny and earnest, hardworking and kind. In fact, no one could have made his aunt happier, and that alone earned his deep respect.

He woke up Wednesday morning wishing it were Thursday. At least he would be through with the court case by this afternoon and could catch up on the huge load of work his father had left for him. Spending the summer in Europe had been his mother’s idea. She was outspoken about how boring Westover could be, but he was surprised his dad had agreed to be away from the office that long. Maybe it was his trial by fire to see if he could manage on his own.

Before he could get to the shower, there was an insistent pounding on his bedroom door.

“Just a minute.” Roused to full wakefulness, he threw on a robe and went to answer it.

“Aunt Mattie.”

“Sorry if I woke you, but my sink isn’t draining properly. Should I call a plumber?”

She was wrapped up in an oversized blue terrycloth robe he recognized as an old one of his father’s. Since she’d left with very few things of her own, the family had scrambled to give her a temporary wardrobe, soon replaced by mail order clothes she picked out online. Apparently she had a fondness for the secondhand robe.

“Maybe we have some of that stuff that clears drains,” he said. “You didn’t drop anything down it, did you?”

“Certainly not!” Mattie indignantly denied.

“I’ll take a look,” he said, padding barefooted to her part of the house.

By the time he checked out the sluggish drain, found something to unstop it, and convinced Mattie he had to get ready for work, he was half an hour behind schedule.

It was a bad start to an impossibly busy day, but he did get to his car just as Annie was pulling into the drive, her car making a racket seldom heard in this part of town. He could make time to say hello to her.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said with beguiling breathlessness. “I had to stop at the flower shop to tell them I’ll be able to buy it, then I picked up ad copy from two of my regulars. I’ve spent the last hour knocking on back doors, hoping people have gone to work early.”

“You’re all of seven minutes late,” he teased, checking his watch. “Remember, I said your hours are flexible. If you need to do something during the day, it’s not a problem.

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