Page 83 of Girl Anonymous

“Fair enough.” She took a breath. She was a fool if she let weariness alienate the guy who was cooking her breakfast. “Did I see you at Mrs. Arundel’s funeral?”

Owen grimaced. “I’m objectionable to some of the less enlightened family members, and I wanted that dear lady’s send-off to be lovely and as peaceful as she deserved.” He hugged her shoulders. “Thank you for trying to save her.”

“I wish I…”

“I wish, too. I loved her dearly, as did Connor, and now that she’s deceased, the crooks and killers in the family are restless and jockeying for position.” He took a breath. “If I’d been at the funeral, Connor would have had to behave like a civilized person instead of the Arundels’ biggest mouth.”

“Biggest ass,” Maarja muttered.

“Ha! Yes, exactly. My thanks; you’ve certainly taken the pressure off me as the unwanted in-law!”

“Glad to help.” She had always done sarcasm well, but she was becoming one of the world’s leading experts.

“What exactly is going on?” Owen wanted a rundown.

“I don’t know where to start. What have you heard?” When he told her, it was almost everything, so Maarja filled him in on the details of the previous night: the bottle, the ceremony, the escape without cell phones—she let him fill in the blanks about what happened after the dinner in the Live Oak kitchen—their wakening to the news of Connor’s death, the calamitous drive up the coast, and the explosion of the elevator.

As she spoke, Owen was on his phone looking stuff up. “Caltrans reports a slough-off on the Pacific Coast Highway. A car went over the edge and burst into flames.”

“May they burn in hell,” Maarja said fervently.

“You must have been tossed around by that stunt driving.” Owen looked at the length of her bare leg. “Honey, you’ve got bruises!”

She pulled the leather aside and winced at the ladder of black and blue climbing up her thigh. “In the adrenaline rush, I didn’t realize.”

“Connor had laser surgery, so I’ve got ice bags in the freezer, a bottle of extra-strength Tylenol, and a year’s supply of arnica.” Owen shot her a wry grimace. “He is such a baby. Go into the bathroom and strip down. I’ll get you a robe, and we’ll check you out.”

She looked at him like,Huh?

“I said I was a contractor. If I had a nickel for every framer who’s ever needed his boo-boo fixed on the spot, I’d have a shitload of nickels. Now go.” He waved his hand at the bathroom beside the kitchen. “We’ll make you more comfortable.”

When she and Owen came out of the bathroom, Connor andDante stood in their damp boxers and stared at them, at Owen’s dark blue bathrobe wrapped around her.

“Connor, get the ice bags out of the chest freezer. We’ve got to stop the swelling in her elbow and her hip.” As Connor headed into the utility room, Owen glared at Dante. “Someone didn’t take good care of his new wife!”

Dante didn’t protest his innocence, but instead drew Maarja gently into his embrace. “You should have said something.”

“I’m okay,” she mumbled. “I’ve been bruised before.”

“Saving your mother!” Owen snapped at Dante.

Dante helped her to the table and sat her down. Kneeling beside her, he said, “Maarja, you have to tell me. I’m here to care for you, always.”

He actually looked guilty. Anxious.

“You must be hurt, too!” she said.

“Swimming in that frigid pool took care of my bruises,” Dante assured her.

“Sissy.” Connor dropped eight ice bags on the table. “Let me know if you need more.”

Dante looked at her knee and clucked like a mother hen, then examined her elbow and helped Owen attach the ice bag with a long elastic strip.

When she’d taken the Tylenol, and Dante was satisfied Maarja had been made as comfortable as possible, they settled down at the round table while Owen poured coffee for the guys. He told Maarja, “You’re tired and we don’t want caffeine to dilate your capillaries, so you drink water and milk.”

She wanted to object that she needed caffeine, but…he was right, and she liked the mothering. “Thank you,” she said meekly.

“I looked up everything Maarja told me.” Owen placed wheat toast, scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and sausage, and a huge bowl of fruit before them. “San Francisco cops are investigating a suspicious explosion in the Arundel building. The elevator blewup. People were trapped on all floors. Dante Arundel has been reported missing.”

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