shook her head. “You’re amazing. Have you told Mr. Vanderhoof his car has been found?”
“Yes. He’s pretty happy it got stolen. He always did want to buy a red car but never had the courage. When the police told him he could pick it up this morning, I hear he called in for a substitute teacher. No doubt he’s out cruising around in it right now. Before the day is over, the police will probably have to bring him in on a speeding charge.”
Diana laughed. “By the way, I have a message from Gerard.”
“Really.”
There was only one man who had ever broken Annabelle’s heart and he lived in Phoenix, Arizona, which might as well be on another planet. Since that awful night a year ago when everything had fallen apart, Annabelle hadn’t been able to get emotionally involved with another man. But she had to admit Roman’s top PI, Eric-Gerard, whom she always called Gerard rather than Eric, had come closest to breaking down a few barriers.
“He says he wants to start over again and wonders if you would have dinner with him tonight.”
“I have other plans this evening.”
“That’s what he was afraid you would say. I’m supposed to give him your answer when he calls in later because Roman assigned him to work with Chief Gregory on that Utah Steel bombing case this morning and he had to leave here over an hour ago.”
“Gerard’s not serious about us, Diana. You and I both know he’s never gotten over his wife’s death.”
“The same way you’ve never stopped thinking about your ex-fiancé?”
Diana was too perceptive for her own good.
“Annie? I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”
The constricting band around her chest tightened. “You didn’t. I’m just being extra sensitive because it was a year ago today I broke off my engagement to him.”
Diana’s eyes filled with compassion. She reached out and patted her arm. “I didn’t realize.”
“It’s okay. It should be okay. I should have gotten over him a long time ago.”
“You mean the way Gerard should have gotten over Simone.”
Annabelle nodded.
“Apparently you both fell in love with people who were unforgettable.”
“I wish to heaven I’d never met him.”
“Annie? If you’re this broken up after twelve months’ separation, maybe you ought to contact him and find out if he feels the same way.”
Annabelle’s head flew back. “I know for a fact he’s involved with someone else. But even if he weren’t, I would never try to call or see him again. When we said goodbye, it was final.”
Diana’s brows lifted. “It doesn’t sound final to me.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She didn’t want to think about what it felt like to be entwined in his arms, but certain memories continued to flash through her mind without her permission. Memories that sent a wave of suffocating heat through her body.
“Annie?”
Annabelle’s face felt hot.
“Roman just buzzed me. You can go in. Since you found the Honda, maybe he’s already heard about it and is assigning you a new case.”
“Maybe.” But I’m working on one for Trina Martin right now. “Thanks, Diana.”
She headed for Roman’s inner sanctum. As she approached the doorway, she could hear another male voice talking. Her boss wasn’t alone.
“Roman?” She tapped on the door which was ajar. Through the opening she glimpsed the back of a tall, dark-haired man in a conservative blue suit who looked like the number one lineman for the Green Bay Packers.
Her eyelids fluttered closed because there was only one man in the universe who looked like that, who had broad shoulders and powerful thighs like that.
But it couldn’t be. He didn’t know where she worked, and he had no reason to be in Salt Lake.
“Come on in.”
She opened her eyes again, but she couldn’t do Roman’s bidding because the other man had turned around, freezing her in place with his brilliant blue gaze which was as familiar to her as her own face.
“Hello, Annabelle,” came the deep, vibrant voice she’d loved so well. “It’s been a long time.”
Dear God. It was Rand.
Her eyes darted back to Roman in absolute panic. He knew she’d once been engaged to Rand Dunbarton and how shattered she’d felt after the breakup. So how could her boss, how could Diana, be so cruel as to spring him on her like this without warning? She’d never known either of them to hurt anyone.
The shock was so great, Annabelle felt her body go from burning heat to icy cold. There was a strange buzzing in her ears. She wondered if she was going to faint even though she’d never passed out before in her entire life.
Rand must have seen the blood drain from her face because she heard an unintelligible epithet escape his lips before he was at her side, helping her into the nearest chair. His large hand slid to the back of her neck with the ease of long accustomed habit.
“Put your head down for a moment and keep it there till the dizziness passes.”
The voice of command. Rand had no idea how he came across to other people. He took charge without even thinking about it. For once she followed his suggestion because she was too weak and lethargic to do anything else.
With his fingers brushing intimately against her skin, his body so close she could feel his warmth, there was an air of unreality about the whole situation.
It didn’t seem possible that Rand was really here, or that he was touching her in an old familiar way, as if he had every right and was truly concerned.
The last time they’d been together, they’d said unforgivable things to each other and she’d given him back her engagement ring.
Rand had been so forbidding in his anger, she hadn’t known he could get like that. It had been a devastating experience, one she’d never been able to erase from her mind. Since then there’d been no contact Nothing.
Roman handed her a glass of water and told her to drink. “If you’re still feeling light-headed, you need to lie down. We can put this meeting off until another time.”
What meeting?
She drank thirstily and handed him back the glass. Rand’s palm was still molded to her neck.
“I’m all right.” She sat straight up so he would break the contact. “I—I went off without breakfast this morning and should have known better.”
For an infinitesimal
