Books by Fern Michaels
Up Close and Personal
Fool Me Once
Picture Perfect
About Face
The Future Scrolls
Kentucky Sunrise
Kentucky Heat
Kentucky Rich
Plain Jane
Charming Lily
What You Wish For
The Guest List
Listen to Your Heart
Celebration
Yesterday
Finders Keepers
Annie’s Rainbow
Sara’s Song
Vegas Sunrise
Vegas Heat
Vegas Rich
Whitefire
Wish List
Dear Emily
The Sisterhood Novels:
Final Justice
Collateral Damage
Fast Track
Hokus Pokus
Hide and Seek
Free Fall
Lethal Justice
Sweet Revenge
The Jury
Vendetta
Payback
Weekend Warriors
Anthologies:
Silver Bells
Comfort and Joy
Sugar and Spice
Let It Snow
A Gift of Joy
Five Golden Rings
Deck the Halls
Jingle All the Way
A Joyous Season
FERN MICHAELS
Up Close and Personal
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
I would like to dedicate this book to four wise and wonderful, not to mention witty, people who on a daily basis make my life easier. In alphabetical order, of course, Audrey and Michael Bernstein, Martin Friedman, and Peter Rubollota. Thank you for your wise counsel and your expertise that allows me to sleep peacefully. Thank you and know that I respect and love you all.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Epilogue
Prologue
The hour was late, the middle of the night to be precise, and the silence was so total it was ominous. The woman standing at the window stared out at the dark night. Here and there she could see tiny pinpricks of light, but she had no idea what they were. She could also see her reflection in the dark window as well as the entire room behind her.
The woman closed her eyes and wondered if she would ever sleep again. How long could a person go without sleeping? She should know the answer. Why didn’t she know? When she opened her eyes she could see the reflection of a woman standing in the middle of the open doorway. She was still as a statue.
The woman knew that the figure in the open doorway wasn’t going to speak until she was spoken to. Strange how she knew that and yet didn’t know how long a person could go without sleep. “Did you do as I asked?”
The woman waited for a response. None came. “Grace, I’m speaking to you. Did you do what I asked you to do?”
Five seconds passed, then five more seconds before Grace said, “Yes.”
The woman at the window turned. She peered at Grace, and said, “You sound unsure. You can’t lie to me, Grace. I gave you enough money to put your four boys through Ivy League colleges. When you told me your husband had
