LITMIR.BIZ

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and bruised after being drugged and assaulted. No one believed her story—

      Stop it! Amber pushed away the dreadful memories. Buried them. She wasn’t going there again.

      She took another sip of coffee, trying to calm her now thumping heart.

      “So what else needs to be done for the fund-raiser?”

      Amber lowered her cup. “Not much...except maybe round up some volunteers to set up the reception hall and tear it down. So if you have any able-bodied friends who would like to help, let me know.”

      Kim paused between bites. “I’m sure I can convince a few of my coworkers to help.”

      “That would be wonderful. “ Amber added more cream and gave her coffee a stir. “I almost forgot. I have my speech to write, too.” Something she wasn’t looking forward to. The topic was so close to her heart, yet it was a story she remained reluctant to share. What would be gained by her unearthing the painful memories? Her audience knew pain and guilt; what they needed was encouragement.

      She picked up her cup and leaned back in the iron chair, eyeing the horse-drawn carriage trotting down the street carrying tourists on a tour of Savannah’s historic district. “Isn’t it nice to see spring tourists trickling in?”

      At that, Kim chuckled. “As much as I’m happy to have the winter weather behind us, warmer days and tourists make for a busy ER and, if you haven’t noticed, more traffic.”

      Amber noticed, but didn’t care. She enjoyed this time of year. She sipped her coffee, watching the beautiful shires clip-clop past them, and as the carriage moved out of sight what came into view made her heart stop.

      Patrick and his date seated at an outside table across the street. Amber sucked in a mouthful of air to hold in a sigh and twisted in her chair, hoping he hadn’t seen her.

      Kim eyed her with raised eyebrows. “You look as though you just saw a ghost.”

      Worse. She set her cup on the table. “It’s just someone I don’t want to talk to right now.”

      Kim craned her neck to see around her.

      “Don’t look,” Amber snapped, and then softened. “Sorry, I’m a little on edge.”

      “No kidding. So who is it that you don’t want to see? The blonde or the gorgeous hunk she’s with?”

      Actually, Patrick with anyone was what she didn’t want to see. Crazy. It had been years. Unfortunately, at the moment emotion overrode logic.

      Amber picked up the laminated dessert menu on the table and used it as a fan. “The hunk is the detective who is investigating the car bombing.”

      “He’s a cute one. Too bad. It looks as though he’s already taken.”

      Amber fanned faster.

      “Oh, dear.”

      Amber slanted a glance at Kim. “Oh, dear, what?”

      Kim’s eyes grew wide. “Detective Hunk and his friend got up from their table and are heading this way.”

      “Both of them?”

      Kim nodded.

      Amber’s glance flickered to the two people across the street waiting for the light at the crosswalk. Patrick was dressed casually in jeans and a sweatshirt and stood next to a beautiful young blonde wearing slacks and a black sequined sweater. Everything about her exuded elegance and grace.

      Amber had expected no less.

      Still, her heart slipped.

      She yanked her gaze away, hoping they were heading on a walk by the river and not coming her way. Yes, a nice evening stroll sounded like a fun couple’s activity. She chastised herself for being paranoid. Of course that was what they were doing.

      Concern fell away but memories swam to the surface. Of long walks along the riverfront, she and Patrick, hand in hand, talking and laughing as they glanced out across the water and admired the wave runners and colorful sailboats bobbing in the shifting seas while a light breeze rippled around them.

      A simple pleasure that now Patrick probably enjoyed with someone else.

      Casting an inward sigh, Amber picked up her cup and shot a forged smile at Kim, who was nibbling on a cookie and eyeing her warily.

      “You sure you’re okay?”

      Amber nodded with more hope than conviction.

      But within the next heartbeat she made a conscious decision to forget about Patrick Wiley and his personal life. No doubt a lot had changed in his life since she’d handed him back his ring.

      People move on, so why shouldn’t he?

      Amber perked up in her seat and blew out a breath as common sense reasserted itself. Actually, she was happy for him, even if her own prospects of finding love again looked rather bleak.

      “Amber.”

      Her heart clenched when Patrick called her name.

      Shifting in her seat, she looked up as he walked over to her, his friend at his side.

      “I thought that was you.” He grinned widely.

      Too bad he was right. “Hi, Patrick.” Amber pasted on a smile and then gestured across the table. “This is a friend of mine, Kim Livingston. Kim, Patrick Wiley.”

      “Nice to meet you.” Patrick’s gaze shifted from Kim to the woman next to him. “This is Liza Jenson. She’s a police criminologist who will be helping on the case. I thought you’d like to meet her.”

      Even up close, Liza was lovely. Great smile, even teeth. She and Patrick made a nice couple. Amber’s heart slipped further, yet she sat up straighter and held her smile, pretending that seeing him with Liza—or any woman—didn’t rattle her in the least. “Nice to meet you, Liza.”

      Liza nodded. “Patrick and I were just talking about you.”

      Her smile fled. “Oh?”

      “Actually we were discussing your case and trying to decide what direction to pursue next,” Patrick said, curbing any speculation that his conversation with Liza involved anything about their past relationship.

      The breeze intensified, blowing strands of hair against Amber’s cheeks. Reaching up, she tucked them behind her ear and attempted to remain calm and put on a good face. But one look at Patrick’s strong, chiseled features and her stomach did an irrational juvenile tumble. “Well, I appreciate both of your efforts to solve the case.” She glanced at her watch. This little tête-à-tête was going nowhere. “Look at the time. I should get going.”

      “You haven’t even finished your dessert.” Kim shot her a questioning glance.

      “Sorry. I still have things to do tonight and I’m not very hungry.” At least not anymore. Amber abandoned her coffee on the table, and as she launched to her feet, her knee banged into the table leg, sending her cup crashing onto the brick pavers. Curious glances shot her way.

      Amber sucked in a gasp and stumbled forward as searing pain shot through her knee and it buckled. Her ability to stand was further compromised as she tripped over her messenger bag that had slid from her shoulder.

      “Amber!” Patrick called out as his strong arms wrapped around her, catching her before she hit the ground.

      Patrick’s solid arms kept her steady but sent her heart into palpitations. She stiffened against him, working to catch her breath as the familiar scent of his aftershave wrapped around her senses. Calm never seemed possible again.

      “Are you okay?” Patrick slanted her a wary look, probably wondering why she was gasping for air like a beached trout.

      She gazed into his dark eyes and nodded, her cheeks hot. “Yes, just clumsy.”

      Kim

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