“That’s what I’m best at,” he replied with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
“For what it’s worth,” she added quickly, “I don’t have any regrets. It wasn’t all fun—but it was definitely interesting.”
“Tara—”
“I think you’re a very special man, Blake. And whatever it is that keeps you moving from place to place, always alone, never able to really share yourself with anyone—whatever it is you’re looking for—well, I hope you find it someday. I’m only sorry you couldn’t find it with me.”
“Tara,” he said again, and this time there was a catch in his voice.
She hung up quickly, instantly regretting her impulsive words, knowing she’d revealed much more than she’d intended. She half expected the phone to ring again immediately, for Blake to try to convince her that she was better off without him, or some such nonsense to ease his conscience.
He didn’t call back.
Tara drew a long, deep breath, dried her eyes and reached for her pain pills. Just one more brief escape into oblivion before she had to face reality, she promised herself. When she woke up, she had some calls to make.
Blake might be content to spend his life hiding from whatever demons drove him. Tara refused to follow his example.
SEVEN WEEKS LATER, Tara sat once again on the couch in her living room. A pile of file folders and computer printouts were scattered across the coffee table in front of her, along with two rapidly cooling cups of coffee, a half dozen pencils, two calculators and a laptop computer.
“There’s no doubt that Mr. Washington has a case,” she said, rubbing her temple with one finger. “This is obviously an IRS mistake. He should in no way be responsible for all these penalties and interest.”
“That’s what I told him.” The plump, pleasant-looking woman sitting next to her smiled in satisfaction. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a new client, partner.”
Tara smiled weakly. “Bringing the number to a grand total of three.”
“Hey, we knew we’d have to start slow, right?”
“Right.” Tara tossed her pencil onto the table and flexed her left arm, which was still a bit stiff after the weeks in the cast. “Want me to freshen your coffee?”
“Sounds good.” Carmen Reyes began to gather papers as she spoke, shuffling them into neat stacks that she stowed in an inexpensive briefcase. “I hope our new office will be ready on Monday like they promised. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to work at a real desk for a change instead of in your living room or at my kitchen table.”
Tara smiled. “Me, too. Who would have believed it would take so long just to paint a few...”
She was interrupted by the sudden chime of her doorbell. Her eyebrows rose. She wasn’t expecting anyone at this hour on a Saturday morning.
And then someone began to tap on the door. A recognizable rhythm. Shave and a haircut—two bits.
She could almost feel the blood drain from her face. “Oh, God.”
Carmen was instantly on her feet. “Tara? What’s wrong?”
Smiling a weak reassurance at her friend and new business associate, Tara crossed slowly to the door. She had to brace herself for a moment before she could open it.
Dressed in a pale yellow shirt, baggy gray slacks and black suspenders, his gray felt fedora tilted to a cocky angle on his golden head, Blake held a single, dazzlingly red rose in his right hand. His bright blue eyes went immediately to her hair, which was still a bold, dark red, but he didn’t comment.
“Got any coffee?” he asked, his expression unreadable.
She stepped back to let him in. She didn’t try to speak yet; she couldn’t trust her voice not to break.
Blake smiled at the dark-haired, dark-eyed, oliveskinned woman who had stepped protectively to Tara’s side, sensing Tara’s distress. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Blake Fox.”
Tara blinked. Blake Fox? Was that his real name, or just another one he’d pulled out of the air? And then she remembered his tattoo, and she thought that maybe this time he’d spoken the truth.
Carmen studied him with the wary eyes
of a woman who’d had all too much experience with charming, good-looking men. “Carmen Reyes. Tara’s law partner.”
Blake’s left eyebrow rose. He turned to Tara. “Law partner?”