Letters from Peaceful Lane (New Americana 3)

Burke shook his head. “Why do I have the feeling I’m being railroaded here?” he muttered. “All right, I’ll think about it. But not until my back’s stronger. I can’t go climbing around in a boat and risk another injury.”

“Thank you, Dad!” Brianna jumped up and ran around the table to give her father a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t thank me too soon,” Burke said. “By the time I’m fit enough to take the boat out, it’ll be winter. That means nothing’s going to happen until next spring.”

“But you won’t sell her. Surely you won’t!” Brianna’s expression could have melted a heart of granite.

“Honey, with all that’s going on in the next few months, I can’t promise anything,” Burke said. “But with winter coming, it’s not likely I’ll get an offer anytime soon. That’s the best I can do for now.”

Brianna looked downcast, then brightened. “But we can still invite Liam to come this fall, can’t we? We’ll want to do it soon, before it gets too cold, in case he wants to ride his motorcycle.”

“That strikes me as a very long motorcycle ride,” Burke said.

“Not for Liam. A few years ago, he and some friends biked all the way to California and back. He has a book by Jack Kerouac, who used to be his hero. But Liam says he’s got more sense than to take off on that kind of road trip now.”

Burke scowled. “If I’m supposed to be impressed . . .”

“You’ll like him, Dad. I know you will,” Brianna said.

“A long-haired king of the road.” Burke shook his head. “I’ll reserve judgment on that. But all right, go ahead and invite him. Let’s see how he behaves around civilized people.”

“That’s not fair, Dad!” Brianna said. “If you’re expecting Liam to act like he’s not housebroken, you’re going to be pleasantly disappointed!”

They finished the meal under a truce. Brianna offered to clean up the kitchen. Burke mumbled something about paperwork and disappeared into his study. Allison went upstairs to change out of her work clothes. She hung up her jacket and wool slacks, and tossed her blouse and bra in the laundry basket. Finding a stretchy sports bra in the drawer, she pulled it over her head, then put on her warm sweats and slippers. She still needed to tell Burke about her day. After butting heads with his strong-willed daughter, he might be in a sour mood. But Allison couldn’t allow that to matter.

Coming out into the hall, she could hear Brianna’s shower running. Downstairs, Burke’s study was dark and empty. So was the room where he sle

pt these days. Standing in the open doorway, Allison gazed into the shadows, wondering how long this arrangement would go on—her husband sleeping downstairs, while she spent every night alone in their king-size bed on the second floor.

True, Burke wasn’t yet able to climb a long flight of stairs. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t come down and join him in the double bed. Even if they didn’t make love—although, with care, that might be possible—just snuggling could go a long way to easing the tension that had sprung up between them since the accident.

But this was Burke’s room, not hers. If he wanted her in his bed, he would have to let her know. Joining him without an invitation could prove to be awkward—or even humiliating.

From the den, off the far side of the kitchen, she could hear the faint sound of the big-screen TV. Good. At least Burke had decided to relax instead of laboring in his study.

She followed the sound to find him leaning into the corner of the sofa with cushions supporting his back on both sides. Flames glowed in the gas fireplace. Mounted above the mantel, the TV was showing a nature program about coral reefs. Burke used the remote to switch it off as Allison walked into the room. “Come join me,” he said.

She crossed the room and sank down beside him, letting the warmth from the fireplace creep around her. His arm lay lightly behind her shoulders. She settled back against it. “This was a good idea,” she said.

“It was, wasn’t it? So how did your afternoon go?”

Trust Burke to get right to the point. “Well, I didn’t get a chance to look for the contract,” she said. “But I did find out that the new receptionist is a notary. Without the document, there’s no proof that she notarized the signature, but she certainly could have done it.”

“It’s a start. Was Garrett there?”

“He was. But he spent most of the time shut in his office with the lawyer and the big boss from Edgeway.”

“Theo Zacharias. I met him a few days before my accident,” Burke said.

“Garrett introduced us briefly when they broke to go out and eat. Just as you said—straight out of central casting for The Godfather. While they were gone, I tried to get into Garrett’s office, but it was locked. Aside from the busywork I was doing, that about sums up my day.”

Burke’s arm curved around her shoulders, drawing her into his warmth. “I still don’t like your being there, Allison. Zacharias is a dangerous man. Be careful.”

“You, too.” She hesitated, then decided she should tell him. “As they were walking away down the hall, I heard Garrett say that I’d been hired to convince you to join the team. Zacharias asked him what would happen if you refused.”

“And what did Garrett say?”

“I don’t know. By then they’d gone too far for me to hear. But it scared me, Burke. It made me afraid for you.”