Page 96 of About that Fling
“You don’t have to justify anything to me, sweetheart,” Gertie said, squeezing her hand. “Sometimes the chemistry is just there.”
“You’re telling me.”
The old woman smiled. “So you’re keeping things quiet for now?”
“For now.” Jenna bit her lip. “There are rules against colleagues dating at Belmont, and then there’s the other complication of Mia and?—”
Ding-dong!
Jenna frowned at the front door. “Now what?”
“Probably Jehovah’s Witnesses. I made the mistake of giving them some cookies last week, and now they keep coming back.”
Jenna glanced at her watch. It was only ten past three, so it couldn’t be Mia yet. Her birthing class was a full hour long. Jenna reached for the knob, ready to announce that her soul was beyond salvation and no, she wouldn’t like a copy of their special magazine.
But as she yanked open the door, a cold gust of wind hit her in the face.
So did the full force of what was about to happen.
“Mia.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said, wiping a smear of rain from her cheek. “I just couldn’t do it. I know it’s my last birthing class and this probably makes me a terrible mother. But I got halfway there and just couldn’t stand the thought of going in there alone without my husband when—Adam?”
Jenna turned slowly, knowing before she did that she’d see him standing behind her, looking as perplexed as his ex-wife did.
She held her breath as she watched the wave of emotion wash over his face, from recognition to anger to guilt all in the blink of an eye.
“Mia.”
Chapter 14
Adam stood staring at his ex-wife for what seemed like an eternity. He stole a look at his watch, which was absurd. But knowing that didn’t stop dumb words from slipping out of his mouth.
“It’s after three,” he said stupidly, swallowing back a sour lump in his throat.
Mia frowned from the doorstep. “Is that your impression of a cuckoo clock? If so, I’ll just wait here while you crow three times and then go back in your little hut.”
He watched Jenna look from Mia to him and then back again. She cleared her throat, clearly not any better at coming up with a lie on short notice than he was. Maybe he should feel glad about that, but right now gladness didn’t fill his heart.
“Mia,” Jenna said. “I wasn’t expecting you. I—please, come in.”
Adam stepped back, trying desperately to think of an excuse for being in Jenna’s house. Something about a personnel issue at Belmont, or maybe an urgent need for her best banana bread recipe, or perhaps?—
“There you are!”
He turned around and closed his mouth—grateful no words had emerged from it yet—and saw Gertie marching into the living room. She beamed at him and held out her hand. “Adam, can we please get to work now? I have a meeting in an hour, and I really want to review those contracts. You have everything on your laptop?”
He blinked at her, then looked down at the computer case gripped in his hand. “Yes—I—where would you like to set up?”
“Let’s head to the office and give these girls some privacy. Mia, dear—so good to see you again.”
“Gertie,” Mia said, her expression dubious. “How do you know my ex-husband?”
“Oh, it’s such a funny story. I had a little trouble at the grocery store last week, and Adam here came to my rescue. We got to talking and I learned he’s an attorney with some expertise in literary contracts.”
Mia frowned and turned to Adam. “I thought you didn’t practice law anymore. And you said there wasn’t enough money in literary contracts.”
“I don’t. There isn’t.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I mean, Gertrude needed someone to look over her contracts, and she offered to pay me in home-cooked meals, so what could I do?”
