LITMIR.BIZ

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since I’ve worked here?”

      “Well, sure. That and the fact that you look and sound like one of those high-class types they use in ads to sell mink coats and pearls. You’re light-years above the yahoos we get in here, and we both know it.”

      Annie winced, but recognized that now was not the time to dwell on what it was about her that prompted people to see the surface, rather than the person underneath. “Be that as it may, I am married. And Gavin is very, very real.”

      “So where’s he been? Is he military or CIA or something?”

      “No.”

      “Alien abduction, then?”

      Annie took a deep breath. “He’s been in prison.”

      Nina nodded. “That was gonna be my next guess.” Her eyes narrowed. “So what’d he do? He didn’t beat on you, did he?”

      Annie shook her head, shocked at the very idea. “No. Gavin would never do that.”

      “So what are we talking here? Too many traffic tickets? Mass murder? What?”

      Annie sighed. “The charge was accomplice to criminal fraud.”

      “Huh. And what does that mean in real-people English?”

      “It means he worked for my father, who owned a company that specialized in building big commercial structures—high-rises, shopping malls, that sort of thing. Gavin started as a carpenter, but eventually became one of KinnairdCo’s most valuable foremen. Until three and a half years ago, when a Pueblo high-rise under construction collapsed. A worker was badly injured. It turned out—” she stared into her coffee “—it turned out the company was in financial trouble. And that my father had tried to economize by substituting substandard steel and other low-grade materials for what was specified in the bid, even though he knew it could compromise the structure. Charges were brought, but before anything could be proved, he had a heart attack.”

      “And?”

      Annie pushed her coffee mug aside and looked up. “And by then, Gavin and I had been married for three months, and Daddy had made him a partner in the business. So he—” she exhaled tiredly “—became the one held accountable.”

      Nina stared. “But…but that’s not fair! How could he be blamed if he didn’t know?”

      “He knew,” Annie said quietly. “He wasn’t part of it, but at some point he found out and chose to say nothing, and that was enough to make him legally responsible as far as the Pueblo County D.A. was concerned. He came after Gavin with everything he had. On advice of counsel, Gavin pleaded ‘no contest’ in return for a reduced sentence. Not,” she added tiredly, “that he ever discussed it with me. Verbal communication was not our strong suit.”

      Nina studied Annie’s drawn face. “God. No wonder you left him.”

      Annie’s mouth quirked with a faint, ironic smile. “That’s just it. I didn’t. He broke it off—” she paused “—the day I was going to tell him about Sam.”

      “He didn’t know you were pregnant?”

      Annie shook her head.

      “And you didn’t say anything?”

      “No.”

      There was another long silence as Nina digested this last. “But why?”

      Annie shrugged, no more willing to explain to Nina than she had Gavin. “It’s not important.”

      “I see.” Nina regarded her thoughtfully. “So why didn’t you divorce him?”

      Annie toyed with a spoon, her gaze on the dull metal handle gripped in her slender fingers. “I guess at first I hoped he’d change his mind. And then later, after I left Denver, I didn’t have either the money or the energy to bother. I simply wanted to forget.” She laid down the spoon and looked up at her friend. “And now…well, now, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that he knows about Sam and he showed up at my house tonight. That’s why I was late.”

      Nina whistled inelegantly between her teeth. “No wonder you’re all shook up. So what does he want?”

      “I don’t know. I’m not sure he does, exactly. We’re supposed to get together later today to discuss it.”

      Nina, hardheaded about everything else, was still a romantic at heart. “I bet he wants you back.”

      Annie shook her head. “No.” It was the one thing she didn’t doubt. “He’s only interested in Sam.”

      Nina didn’t look convinced. “How about you?”

      “How about me what?”

      “Do you still love him?”

      “No.”

      Nina looked even more skeptical, but wisely didn’t say so. Instead she cocked her head. “So what do you want to have happen?”

      “I—I want him to go away. I want him to be a good father to Sam, but from a distance.”

      “Then tell him to take a hike,” Nina said flatly. “And if that doesn’t work, demand money. In my experience that’s usually enough to make most guys take off. Look at the trio of losers I was married to.”

      “You don’t know Gavin,” Annie said, remembering his warning about leaving. “When he wants something, he’s the most single-minded, determined person I’ve ever known.”

      Nina made a rude sound. “Except you.”

      Annie stared at her in surprise. “What do you mean by that?”

      Nina reached over and patted her hand. “It means that if anybody can handle good old Gavin, it’s you, hon. Open your eyes. At least where Sam is concerned, you’re not some lily-livered little girl. And if nothing else—” her expression turned wry “—you’ve got the advantage of intelligence. After all, your hubby already proved he wasn’t too bright when he let you go.”

      Annie’s face softened. “You’re a good friend, Nina,” she said softly.

      The redhead nodded. “You bet. Try and remember that the next time we’re working different shifts and I need you to fill in for me.”

      “You can count on it.”

      They fell silent. After a few moments Nina glanced at her watch. “Lord, it’s after four.” She yawned and climbed to her feet. “Good thing it’s Saturday. I’m going to go home and sleep a zillion hours. How about you?”

      Annie stood and gathered up their coffee cups, dropping them onto the bussing cart as they went to get their purses. “First the grocery store, then sleep, then Sam.” Then Gavin.

      As if she’d heard that last, Nina reached over and gave her a quick squeeze. “It’ll be okay,” she said softly.

      Try as she might, Annie didn’t think so.

       Two

      He had a son.

      The realization had kept Gavin up most of the night.

      Yet it was only now, as he once again drove toward Annie’s house, that it was really beginning to sink in.

      After a week of wondering, of cautioning himself against getting his hopes up, he finally knew.

      He had a son. A bright, bold, beautiful little boy with an angel’s face and the Cantrell talent for trouble.

      Joy, as fierce as anything Gavin had ever known, threatened to overwhelm him.

      He took a deep breath and attempted to rein in his elation, a little uncomfortable with the strength of his feelings.

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