Does She Love You? by Rachel Spangler

Author:Rachel Spangler [Spangler, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
ISBN: 9781602829251
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2013-05-25T16:00:00+00:00

*

“Ms. Taylor?”

Annabelle looked away from the bookstore patio for the first time in she didn’t know how long. She must have zoned out. When her realtor had suggested they meet here, she’d thought it might be a fitting test for her return to the city, but now she wished she’d started with a smaller step. She didn’t want to spend the first day of her new life reliving the worst day of her old one, but it was too late. Her chest constricted, her stomach seized up, and tears threatened as all the memories rushed back. At least she hadn’t fainted. That had to count as some sort of progress.

“Ms. Taylor, I’m Cassandra Riggins, your realtor.” She extended her hand, flashing French-tipped nails.

“Right, hello.” She tried to smile, but it was more important to breathe. “Sorry, I was just a little distracted.”

“I bet.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s hard to focus in this heat.” The realtor smiled politely. She was attractively polished. Her pantsuit looked custom-made to show off her curves, and her blond hair was professionally highlighted a shade brassier than Annabelle’s natural color. This woman clearly paid attention to fashion trends, and with great results, but instead of inspiring any genuine appeal, her appearance only made Annabelle feel more out of place in her cotton skirt and pink scoop-neck blouse. Since arriving yesterday she felt more like country-come-to-town than an independent woman.

“Right. The heat.” The weather, such a perfectly normal excuse for being lost in thought. It sounded more reasonable than explaining her distraction stemmed from standing in the spot where the love of her life had shattered her hopes and dreams.

“Shall we go find you an apartment with an air-conditioner then?”

“Please.”

As they walked down Market Street, she tried to orient herself to her surroundings. Outside of that one intersection, she had no ties to this or any other part of the city. She’d chosen the area only because it was close to the school where she’d be teaching. She wondered for about the hundredth time if she remembered how to teach but pushed the thought quickly from her mind. One step at a time.

“How many places do we have to look at today?”

“Unfortunately, only two. This is a popular neighborhood. There’s not a lot in the price range you mentioned on the phone.”

It had been a long time since she’d had to worry about finances, and in all honesty her nest egg was well padded after selling the house, but she didn’t want to live off Nic’s guilt money. She needed to see if she could really make it on her own, and that meant living within her means as a schoolteacher. At least it was a private-school salary, or she wouldn’t bother looking in this neighborhood at all. “That’s okay. I know it’ll be hard. I’m getting used to that, but I do appreciate you meeting with me today.”

“It’s not every day I get a call from a Fortune 500 business consultant asking me to find an apartment for his goddaughter.

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