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 Whoa ho, I thought it was a few more miles up the road. Making a sharp right turn
into the parking lot, they bounced off the curb. So much for convincing Stanley she was
a safe driver. She glanced over at him. He had both hands braced on the dashboard and
he d lost some of the color in his face. Yeah, a real wild man.
The parking space fairy was sitting on her shoulder and she found a spot near the
front door. Good, she wouldn t freeze to death in her skimpy shawl. The wonderful
aromas wafting about the restaurant convinced her it was a great choice.
As they followed the hostess, Juliana caught a glimpse of a familiar profile seated
alone at a table near the wall. Her stomach flipped and she did a double take. It couldn t
be.
 Enjoy your meal, said the hostess, placing menus on a cozy table with a white
cloth and a cheery vase of daisies. Stanley stood back and held out her chair.
 Will you excuse me for a minute? I think I see someone I know. She wove her
way through the tables and waiters, hardly noticing them or the other patrons in the
restaurant. She stopped next to the man she d spotted. Her brain registered the half-
eaten dinner and the empty chair opposite him.
 Alex! When did you get back?
He glanced up from signing the credit receipt. His expression ran from puzzlement
to surprise to shock and seemed to settle somewhere between embarrassment and
anger.  Juliana. What are you doing here? He stood and tossed his linen napkin onto
his plate.
 I thought you were out of town until Monday. She leaned in to kiss him but he
drew back.
 What are you doing here? he repeated, glancing behind her.
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Waltz Me Through Time
He wore khaki slacks and a blue knit shirt she had given him. It perfectly matched
his eyes. She inched closer and ran her hand up his arm, savoring the feel of his sinewy
muscles.  Why didn t you call? A queasy sensation tightened her stomach.
His gaze scanned the restaurant and focused across the room.  Look, something
came up and I got back early. I ll call you. I ve got to go. He stepped aside to pass her
but she held on to his wrist.
 Alex? What s going on? Her chest constricted and a sour taste rose in the back of
her throat. Alex shook off her hand.
Before she had time to process his reaction a short plump woman with a gurgling
baby came up next to him and shoved a denim diaper bag at him.  Okay, honey. I think
the princess and I are ready to go. Oh, hi. She gave Juliana a wide smile.  Have we
met?
Juliana s throat closed up until she thought she would gag. Her pulse thundered in
her ears and air raced into her lungs in a silent gasp. She shot Alex a look. His eyes
pleaded with her and in an instant it hit her like a curtain crashing down after the final
act.
Her gaze shifted from Alex to the woman to the baby whose pudgy arms reached
out to the man Juliana had thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Even if she
could find words, her mouth wouldn t work. It had shut down along with the rest of
her brain as she fought back tears. She gulped and shook her head, the only response
she could make.
 Oh, in that case, I m Stephanie but everyone calls me Steph. I m Alex s wife and
this little handful, she shifted the squirming baby to her other arm,  is our spoiled little
princess Nicole. Do you work with Alex?
Just when Juliana thought her knees would give out and she d humiliate herself by
sobbing, a strong arm circled her waist and pulled her close to a lean, hard body.
 Caldwell. Stanley Caldwell. This is my lovely Juliana. A pleasure to meet you.
Juliana heard the mix between cordiality and steel in his voice but a quick glance at
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Eileen Ann Brennan
 Steph assured Juliana the woman was preoccupied with her daughter. Not so Alex.
His eyes narrowed and his lips pursed into a thin line.
 Caldwell. I don t recall you mentioning anyone named Caldwell. Alex fixed her
with a cold gaze, as if he were the wronged person, as if she had betrayed him.
Something deep inside Juliana rebelled against his churlish attitude. All her
mortified feelings fled. What the hell? He was the one cheating on her and on his wife.
Juliana stiffened. One word from her would have him careening down the expressway
to divorce court, alimony payments and child support. The bastard deserved that and
worse. She opened her mouth, knowing that this time she d find the words to ruin his
life like he d just ruined hers. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]