“Okay,” he agreed, hugging my shoulders.

“So, when is she coming?” I pulled away from him and went to retrieve my purse from the chair. “How much time do I have to get ready?”

“Only about half an hour,” he admitted, looking at his watch. “She’s supposed to be here by six.”

“Well, then, I better hustle!” I flashed him a smile as I passed, heading for the stairs, already wondering what I was going to change into.

“Ronnie,” he called, pouring himself another glass of wine. I stopped, watching as he poured another, too, leaving it on the table. “There’s one more thing.”

“What?” I asked as he lifted his glass to the hamster cage.

“Here’s lookin’ at you, Taffy,” he said, drinking it and looking like he was wishing it was a shot of whiskey. Somehow I knew what he was going to say, although my breath caught anyway and my heart hammered at his words. “The Baumgartners have invited us to Key West with them over the holiday break.” He tapped on the glass, trying to look nonchalant, and the hamster yawned, showing its long teeth before turning and snuggling back into the little nest it had made for itself in the cedar.

I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. I just turned around and went upstairs, wondering just what I was going to do now.

Chapter Two

There wasn’t any preparing myself, even if I told myself there was as I stood in front of the mirror and double-checked my hair and make-up, smoothed the brown silk skirt and tucked in my blouse. I was glad I was upstairs when she rang the doorbell. Just hearing her voice made my hands tremble and I pressed them to my thighs to keep them still as I paused at the top of the stairs.

“So nice to meet you!” Gretchen’s smile was for TJ, but her look was just for me, and I knew it. She took a step toward the stairs, meeting my gaze with hungry eyes. I couldn’t help my smile, even though it felt goofy on my face as I came the rest of the way down.