The Man She Knew by Loree Lough

Author:Loree Lough
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS passed with the usual Turner fanfare: too much food, an overabundance of decorations and more gaily-wrapped packages than in years past. Maleah believed her grandmother and mother went overboard because of her grandfather’s diagnosis: Dilated cardiomyopathy, the cause of his shortness of breath, swollen ankles and vague complaints of fatigue. Test results showed that unbeknownst to him, Frank had survived a mild heart attack, prompting a prescription for an anticoagulant. If exercise, changes in diet, and the now-official no-smoking orders didn’t improve the condition, he might need a pacemaker.

But since another more serious heart attack was possible, the family agreed during no-Frank-allowed meetings to coddle him...until he noticed and fought it. And so far, so good. She might have enjoyed the festivities more if her brain hadn’t fixated on Ian. How had he celebrated?

As the new year approached and the subject of resolutions flooded social networking sites, the media and even the Institute, Maleah could think of just one major change that needed to take place in her life: Ian.

It shouldn’t be so difficult, choosing a time and place for the face-off that would provide them both with a conclusion that would open the door to healing...or heartache. The timing needed to be right. Had he recovered enough to return to the bistro?

As she parked in her assigned space at Washburne, Maleah’s cell phone rang.

“Is this my sweet Leah?”

Kent O’Malley. Who else would dare call her that? The only person she’d ever let get away with it had been Ian...

“You’ve reached Maleah Turner,” she replied in her most businesslike voice.

“Oops, my mistake. I forgot you’re not crazy about the nickname.”

“That’s true.” And to assure he realized how disinterested she was in moving forward with him, Maleah added, “Who’s calling, please?”

He punctuated the brief pause with a grating snicker. “Well you’ve sufficiently deflated my bloated ego, Mah-lee-ah. This is Kent. Kent O’Malley?”

“Oh, of course. Hi. Sorry...”

“No problem. But hey, the reason I’m calling... I know it’s last-minute, but I’m hoping you’re free on New Year’s Eve. All day, and beyond the witching hour.”

Day after tomorrow? Nothing like waiting until the last minute. Especially for one of the most important date nights of the year. She considered playing the “Let me check my calendar and get back to you” game, but few things annoyed her more than pretense.

“As it happens, I’ve made other plans.”

Kent laughed. Not the deep, robust sound that made her heart pound, like Ian’s, but not exactly annoying, either.

“My own fault, I guess, for waiting until the last minute. Looks like I’ll have to ring in the new year alone again.”

Again? A self-made millionaire who’d been photographed at red-carpet events with fashion models, TV personalities and corporate types? Maleah had a hard time believing it.

“Well, Happy New Year,” she said, ending the conversation.

The back doorbell rang, and when she saw Vern on the porch, Maleah threw open the door.

“Looks like you got more of that stuff on you than on the walls,” he observed, stepping inside.

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