Her Secret Life

“When Willie was called to the principal’s office, they tried to contact me. I was in the office, but in a meeting with an important client on a matter of extreme confidentiality. My sister Diane heard who was calling, and took the call. She knew, because Willie had told Charlie, that when I took Willie back after he’d been accused of cheating, I’d asked the teacher to give him a verbal exam, right there on the spot. And that Willie had answered everything correctly. She suggested that they give the girl the same chance. She didn’t know a single answer.”

There was no real reason for tears to spring to her eyes. But they did. Real tears. And she let them fall.

Michael had been steadfast in his actions, showing his family that Willie was worth another chance.

He seemed to believe she could be everything she wanted to be, too. A Beverly Hills success, and a woman with a home and family life, too. He knew that was what she was after.

And he’d agreed to mentor her until she was there.

He believed in her. Believed that she could have it all.

Maybe it was time she started believing, too.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“MY FAMILY THINKS I have a girlfriend.” Michael grinned at her as he dug his teeth into the bagel she’d just brought him. Cinnamon with butter. She was having half of one of his quarters.

Or had planned to. Her stomach dropped at his statement. “You have a girlfriend?”

That was good news. It was just...right then...they were kind of in touch a lot, growing their friend

ship. Would his girlfriend approve of him being emotionally intimate with her?

Had he told her?

She brushed aside guilt for not telling her own boyfriend about Michael. She hadn’t wanted Bo to taint things—to ask too many questions or imply things that weren’t there.

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. She’d ordered it hot and strong, just as he liked it, along with a cup of tea for herself. Green and full of antioxidants, just as she liked it.

He’d still been with a resident from the Stand, explaining something about Windows 10, when she’d finished with her Friday morning fashion and makeup class, so she’d run down to the corner for their goodies.

“I merely let them know that my activities had been curtailed with Willie in residence,” he explained, “and let them draw their own conclusion.”

“Don’t you think you should be honest with them?”

“It gives me more freedom for private conversations.” He grinned at her. Implying that those conversations would be with her?

Her belly warmed. And not from her tea.

“But won’t they be bugging you to introduce them?”

“I don’t think so.” He frowned. “I think they’re so shocked—and probably so thankful—that they don’t want to rock the boat. If I’d known it was going to be this easy, I’d have invented someone a long time ago.”

“Michael...” It wasn’t like him to be duplicitous.

“Don’t worry. I’ll break up with her before it gets out of hand.”

Something else was bothering Kacey. “Exactly how long has it been since you’ve dated anyone?”

“A while.”

“What’s a while?” This was important. Michael was in his prime. And a prime catch.

His shrug told her the truth was not good. “More than a year?”

“How much more?”

He was no longer grinning. His stare was hard, piercing as he looked at her. “Why all the questions? Why does it matter?”