LITMIR.BIZ

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Do you want me to have him call you?”

      A long pause preceded Andrea’s response. “No. I’ll try him again later.”

      Rachel picked up on the other woman’s change of tone. “Is something wrong?”

      “Not wrong.” But something was up. Rachel could hear it in Andrea’s voice.

      “Anything I can help you with?”

      “Look, I don’t exactly know how he persuaded you to fill in for me, but you should probably find someone to take over on a permanent basis.”

      “You’re not coming back?”

      “Ned and I discussed it on and off since the middle of my pregnancy. Max is great, but he works such long hours.” Andrea tried for cheerful but her tone fell flat. “Now with Ben not sleeping, I’m even more exhausted than I was before he was born. We just think it would be better if I stayed home for his first year. Maybe longer if we decide to get pregnant again right away.”

      “That makes sense to me.” Rachel’s mind raced. She needed to call Devon right away about possible candidates for a permanent position. “You have to make your family your priority.” If anyone understood that, she did.

      Andrea’s laugh released some of her tension. When she spoke next, she sounded less like she was carrying fifty pounds of salt on her shoulders. “Thanks, Rachel. I hope Max hasn’t been too hard on you. I know what he’s like when things don’t go exactly to his plan.”

      “Well, don’t worry about that anymore. You just concentrate on that baby of yours. He’s the important one.”

      “Thanks.”

      Rachel ended the call and dialed Devon, giving him the heads-up that they were now dealing with a permanent placement.

      “What are you up to now?” a deep voice demanded from behind her.

      Rachel glanced over her shoulder and spied Max standing in his doorway. Her pulse jumped as it always did when he was around. He had an annoying habit of sneaking up on her.

      “I’ve got to go,” she said to Devon, and hung up. She glanced toward the phone and noticed his line was no longer lit up. “That was a short conference call.”

      “After I used your notes to point out to them where their numbers still weren’t good enough, they decided to go back and reassess. We’re scheduled to talk this afternoon. Who was that on the phone?”

      “Devon. Andrea called a few minutes ago. She’s not coming back. We’ve got three candidates for you to interview.”

      His gaze swept her features, settled on her mouth for a moment longer than the rest, then reconnected with her eyes. “How fast can you get them here for interviews?”

      “It would go faster if I could work from my office. I need access to my files. My notes. Those are at my office.”

      “Then go.”

      And just like that it was over. His abrupt dismissal left her floundering in dumbfounded silence.

      What was it about Max that turned her from a hardheaded business woman into a sentimental fool?

      A lean, muscular body made to drive a woman mad in bed.

      A personality that was one-third angry bear, one-third stubborn mule and one-third cuddly tiger.

      But it was the way he looked at her as if she was the only woman he’d ever desired that turned her insides to mush. How could she help but fall under his spell?

      It was a short three blocks back to the building that housed Lansing Employment Agency, and Rachel used the time to gather her scattered emotions into a nice neat ball. Sharp pains began in her stomach as she swallowed the desire to cry or shout out her unhappiness. Max was done with her. What had she expected? A tearful goodbye?

      Devon was on the phone as she went past his office. Knowing he would be full of questions, she took a deep breath and tucked all emotion away.

      “What are you doing here?” he asked from her doorway moments after she dropped into her executive chair. “Did you quit or did we get fired?”

      “Neither.” After playing assistant for Max these last four weeks, she’d forgotten how wonderful it felt to be the one in charge. “Max wants to interview potential candidates as soon as possible. It’ll go faster if I’m here.”

      “You’re on the verge of netting us another big commission and yet you don’t look happy.”

      “Of course I’m happy.”

      But to her intense dismay, tears filled her eyes. Devon stared at her in stunned silence, before rushing in and kneeling beside her chair.

      “What happened? Was it Max? Did he upset you? Do you need me to go kick his ass?”

      The thought of five-foot, nine-inch Devon kicking anyone’s ass, much less Max’s, made her chuckle. Shaking her head, she straightened her shoulders and shook off her melancholy.

      “No. Nothing like that. I did something really stupid.”

      “I don’t believe that for a second. You’re one of the most savvy businesswomen I’ve ever met.”

      “I slept with Max.”

      “Ah,” Devon said cautiously.

      “What do you mean, ah?”

      “I’m not surprised, that’s all. You said you’d known him before. So what happened?”

      Telling Max about Aunt Jesse earlier today had caused a crack in her self-imposed isolation. She’d felt better, lighter, after sharing her struggles in the aftermath of her father’s death. Drawing on Max’s strength had helped make the memories less painful. No matter how much she isolated herself, she wasn’t alone. Telling Devon about Max could provide the same sense of relief.

      “He and I met five years ago in Alabama.”

      The whole story poured out of her. She explained about her affair with Max. She talked about her financial problems with Brody. She told Devon about keeping everything from Hailey and about her slashed tires. Max’s offer of help and her subsequent refusal.

      “I understand everything,” Devon said. “Except the part where you won’t tell Max about the trouble your ex-husband is causing.”

      Rachel dabbed at the tears that had overflowed onto her cheeks. “My being married to Brody is what caused Max to despise me the last time. I don’t want him involved in case Brody sets the loan shark on him.”

      “So, all your problems stem from the fact that you’re trying to keep your sister and Max from worrying about you and pushing them away in the process.”

      “That’s not fair.”

      “But it’s what you’re doing.”

      “So, what am I supposed to do? Explain to Hailey that I stayed married to Brody even though he was stealing from me to pay his gambling debts? That I was then so desperate to get free that I let myself agree to a ridiculous divorce agreement that compelled me to pay back the hundred thousand dollars it cost for her college education? And that I’m being harassed by Brody and whatever goon he owes money to?”

      “For starters.”

      “I can’t. I’ve spent my entire life protecting her. Don’t ask me to stop now.”

      Devon shook his head. “She was a kid back when all the bad stuff happened. She’s an adult now. Tell her the truth and let her be someone you can lean on.”

      “She’s getting married. She’s starting a fresh new life.” Rachel shook her head and dried her eyes. “I don’t want her to have to worry about the past.”

      Devon blew out a breath. “I can see why Max got angry with you.”

      Despite

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