The Boss’s Little Miracle
Barbara McMahon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Ruth Johnson,

May all your travels be happy events,

and may you have books galore to read.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER ONE

ANNA LARKIN came out of the underground station into the pouring rain. The gusting wind made using an umbrella impossible. She bent her head and began walking up Montgomery Street. Her cross trainers were getting wet, but better than soaking the high heels, which she carried in her tote bag. Her hair would be a mess, curls everywhere. But not to be helped, it was the least of her worries.

San Francisco was often rainy in late October and today was no exception.

She just wished it had been sunny—or at least dry. She was coming down with the flu. Walking in the rain would certainly do nothing to help. Bad things came in threes, she mused. First her sister’s call this weekend to jubilantly share the news she was expecting a new baby. Anna had tried to rejoice with her sister, but without the chance of having a baby herself, each time she had to pretend it didn’t matter it got harder.

Then—the flu. She was usually healthy rarely even getting a cold during the winter. She so did not need this.

Now hurrying through the rain to get to work in order to meet the new man who was taking charge of the company today was about the last straw. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

She reached the cavernous lobby of the high-rise building in short order. Entering, she shook as much of the water as she could from her raincoat and hair before getting on one of the express elevators. She hoped there was time to dry her hair before the meeting. The natural curls always dominated in damp weather.

She no sooner stepped off on her floor than her colleague, and friend, Teresa accosted her.

“You look terrible,” she said, grabbing Anna’s arm and hurrying her along to the ladies’ room. Once safely inside, Anna peered at her reflection in the mirror. She looked worse than she felt, if that was possible. Pale with wet hanks of hair framing her face, she looked like she had the flu.

“Today’s the day we finally meet the new boss, you’re certain to make an impression,” Teresa teased. “Hurry up. He’s called for a meeting of department heads at nine.”

“I feel sick as a dog,” Anna said, slipping off her cross trainers. “I think it’s the flu. I’ve been sick all weekend and wouldn’t have come in today if the new CEO wasn’t starting. Just when I need to make a good impression if I want that promotion.”

“I thought Mr. Taylor said it was in the bag,” said Teresa, holding the tote and reaching for Anna’s high heels.

The rain had left her stockings wet, but they would dry soon enough. She took the offered heels, tossing her wet raincoat over one of the stall doors, letting it drip onto the tile floor. Better here than in her office.

Once she was standing in the shoes, she took her comb from her bag and began to pull it through her hair confining the unruly curls as best she could, anchoring them at her nape. This was not the way she normally wore it but a riot of damp curls was not going to win her any points with the new boss. What else could go wrong today?

Teresa checked her watch. “We have five minutes to get into the conference room,” she said. “I’m not going to be late to the first meeting he’s called.”

Anna checked one more time in the mirror. She looked as professional as she could given the circumstances. She pinched her cheeks to get some color into her face, double-checked her lipstick and turned to her friend. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Walking down the long hall she felt the suppressed excitement. Everyone on the floor knew Mr. Taylor was retiring. The Board of Directors had selected a new chief executive officer—but kept all information quiet lest the competition heard about it before they were ready with their announcement. Even the top level of management of Drysdale Electronics didn’t know who would be the new CEO.

Rumors had abounded over the last few weeks that he would make a clean sweep of the current managers and directors and bring in his own people. Of course that kind of rumor went around every time a new man took charge. Sometimes it was even true.

In passing the employee’s lounge, Anna dashed in to get a cup of coffee. She had not felt up to eating anything for breakfast so needed a jolt of caffeine to keep going. If at all possible, once the initial meeting was finished, she would go home and crawl back into bed. She was rarely sick and couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so wonky.

Entering the conference room a couple of moments later she immediately looked at the head of the room. Allen Taylor was talking with a man who had his back toward the gathering. The new CEO obviously. She couldn’t tell much from that view—he was tall, had dark hair with no gray in it and a wide set of shoulders. For a moment she thought there was something familiar about him. But no one even knew the name of the new man, the secrecy surrounding his appointment has been tightly capped.

He obviously wasn’t as old as Mr. Taylor, not if that black hair was any indication.

Anna glanced around, recognizing all the senior management of the home office. Slipping into the seat next to Teresa, she sipped the warm coffee, wishing she was still in bed. How long was this going to take?

Glancing around at the others, she picked up on the tension in the room. She knew they all had questions and concerns.

After her conversation with Mr. Taylor last Friday, however, she wasn’t as nervous as she might have been. He had assured her that her promotion was in the bag. By January she would be in her new position as director of the European marketplace, headquartered in Brussels. She could hardly wait.

Mr. Taylor stepped to the head of the long table as the man beside him turned to face the group. Anna stared at him with stunned, sickening surprise. For a moment heat swept through her and she couldn’t tear her gaze away.

He did have broad shoulders; she remembered rubbing her hands over them, feeling the hot skin, the taut muscles. His lips appeared chiseled, but she remembered how they’d molded hers, bringing wild passion to a mere kiss. For three glorious weeks she and Tanner Forsythe had been constantly in each other’s company. Two days after they made love, he had stopped calling, stopped returning her calls and dropped out of her life completely.

She swallowed hard. Oh. My. God. She had slept with the new head of Drysdale Electronics!

She felt as if she would throw up. She glanced over at Teresa who was looking at the head of the table with all attention. Nobody knew. She had kept their affair quiet last summer, not wanting to be teased about a whirlwind romance. Thank goodness for discretion. If she could just get through today, she’d make sure nobody ever knew. She had to get to him, make sure he didn’t mention anything thinking people might have known about their dating.

Please don’t let him say anything, she prayed, wishing she could slink down in her chair, slip beneath the table and hide forever. She had to find a moment to speak to him alone. Assure him no one knew—and no one need ever know.

They’d met when he’d begun coming to the gym where she worked out several times a week. Dressed in running shorts and a T-shirt, he looked fabulous. She’d been instantly drawn to him the first time he’d showed up. Before her session had ended, he’d asked her out for coffee. From then on they’d found time to meet during the week and on the weekends.

She tried to remember all the details of their dates. But her head throbbed and she felt slightly ill again. She so did not need this.

What would this do to a future working relationship? He couldn’t fire her outright, could he? She wished she had had some prior inkling of Tanner Forsythe taking on the helm of Drysdale Electronic. What was she going to do?

Mr. Taylor nodded at the group and began to speak, “As you all know, I’ve talked about retiring for a long time. Mrs. Taylor has finally convinced me to act, not dream. Many of you know the Board met two weeks ago to finalized negotiations with my successor. I spoke with some of you individually last Friday in an attempt to make a smooth transition between my leaving and the assumption of power by our new CEO. I’d like to introduce Tanner Forsythe. He takes over with the full and enthusiastic endorsement of the Board of Directors. He has an impressive background with electronic firms in taking troubled companies and turning them around to make them more profitable than ever. A copy of his impressive résumé is in the packet Ellie will give each of you on the way out. The Board of Directors and I do hope you all will be able to guide Drysdale Electronics to new heights under Tanner’s guidance. I expect each of you to give him your full cooperation and support.”

Mr. Taylor waited for the polite applause to die down, then nodded to the man on his right. “How about each of you introduce yourself, give the department or division you head up and say anything else you think Tanner may need to know for now. He’ll be meeting with each of you individually before the week is out.”

Mr. Taylor checked his watch. “However, let’s keep it brief, I have a lot to review with him myself before I take off for the Bahamas.”

There was some good-natured teasing for a moment. Then Hank Brownson began the introductions with the explanation he ran the accounting department. One by one each person around the table introduced himself or herself and gave a brief description of their area of responsibilities. Teresa’s turn came fast. Anna felt sick. She was next. She heard Teresa explain she was the head of Human Resources, then the silence that followed.

Anna looked at Mr. Taylor rather than into the dark familiar eyes of Tanner Forsythe.

“My name is Anna Larkin. I’m the under-director for European operations.” She could say nothing further. For one awful moment she wondered if Tanner would rescind the promotion promised and refuse to let her move to the Brussels office.

She had been working toward that particular position for more than ten years. For the last five she’d studied French assiduously. Recently all her vacations had been in Europe to familiarize herself with the different countries, and to practice her language skills. She had devoted fifteen years of her life to becoming the best international marketing employee Drysdale Electronics ever had.

For one heart-stopping moment she wondered if it all had been in vain.

So if bad things came in threes, was this the end? Maybe she’d make a miraculous recovery within the next ten minutes. The news from her sister wouldn’t hurt so, and Tanner would send her to Europe with a bonus in her pocket.

And pigs would fly.

As Neil Patterson introduced himself, Anna leaned back in her chair. She had no illusions that life would change in an instant. Her only hope was that she could make it home before collapsing. Looking at the bright side of things, if she were home, he couldn’t fire her, could he?

Once introductions were complete, Tanner gave a short speech. Upbeat and direct, he challenged everyone to rise to the new level of expectations. It motivated without casting any aspersions on Mr. Taylor and his stint at the helm. Anna was impressed.

She’d been impressed before—in the summer. They’d spent endless evenings walking around San Francisco after working out together at the gym, enjoying the city when the crowds were gone, and when the weather was at its best. Talking about everything under the sun, or so she thought, he had never mentioned his exact job. And she had only said she was in marketing. She was not defined by her job.

In fact, she’d only talked about it in great detail right before he stopped contacting her.

The penny dropped. He’d known he was being sought for this position and had stopped dating a future employee.

She wished he’d finished things before they’d gone to bed together. Not only for the awkwardness of finding they had to work together, but for the glorious event itself, which would never be repeated. She had begun to fall a little in love with Tanner, even knowing it could lead nowhere. But she’d never found making love to be so exciting, so enthralling as the night they’d spent together.

She kept her gaze on her notepad, her mind drifting to that night, try as she might to focus on his words to the group. She’d wondered if she’d somehow been lacking—beyond the obvious of course. Now at least she had a more logical reason for his lack of follow up.

Tanner Forsythe moved his gaze around the room studying the features of each of the men and women who now reported to him as they introduced themselves. He knew Anna would be in this group. That had been the sole reason he had stopped seeing her. But when his gaze locked in on her, when he heard her voice, he was surprised by a shock of awareness. They dated for several weeks. Once he learned that she worked for Drysdale Electronics, he had stopped seeing her immediately. Preliminary negotiations for his new position had already begun—and he did not date fellow employees. Especially when they would soon be reporting to him.

Should he have suspected she worked for Drysdale when he met her at the gym? As part of the compensation package he got membership. He’d gone to see if he liked the facility. It was two blocks from the office, crowded after work each day. He should have pushed more at the time to find out where she worked, but he’d been more interested in Anna herself than her employer.

He was not into long-term relationships as a rule. He’d learned his lesson well from Cindy. He wasn’t going to get suckered into anything like marriage again. But he and Anna had meshed in many areas. She made no demands, nor had he. They’d been two people who had a lot in common, and had ended up for one terrific night in bed.

He’d not been out with anyone else since he stopped calling her. The demands on winding up the former job and preparing for this one had been arduous. Nothing he couldn’t handle, but he wanted to hit the deck running. There’d be a sizable bonus in it if he increased the bottom line within a year. Tanner was into achievement.

Forcing his attention back to the meeting, he continued to listen to the different managers and directors and wondered only briefly if Anna would cause a problem. He suspected she was too professional to make a scene in front of everybody, but with women, one never knew. He’d have to make sure their former relationship didn’t throw an additional complication to the new challenge. There was enough to do to turn this business around with the competition facing it, without having to worry about any problems within.

When the last manager finished, Tanner spoke again. “I’ve inherited Ellie Snodgrass as my PA. She has a list of those to whom I wish to speak today. I’ll keep the initial meetings short. I’ve been working for a number of weeks on ideas and changes in strategy, so I hope you’ll show up with an enthusiasm for a new direction and a determination to see Drysdale Electronics regain the preeminent position in our field.”

He turned to Mr. Taylor and offered his hand. “I’ll do my best with your company, sir,” he said.

Everyone broke into spontaneous applause at the comment.

The sound made Anna feel even worse. She felt dizzy and achy and so tired she could hardly hold up her head. Her stomach ached. She hoped she wasn’t contagious. Her fellow employees wouldn’t thank her if the flu ran rampant through the office.

Tanner led the way from the conference room. Everyone scrambled to their feet and quickly left except Anna. She wanted to put her head down and cry at the unexpected turn of events. Or sleep for a dozen years until she felt able to deal with things.

“Coming?” Teresa asked at the door.

Mr. Taylor’s secretary Ellie peered in. She still had several packets left.

“In a minute,” Anna said. Ellie came in and placed the large envelope beside Anna’s notepad and left.

The silence was welcomed. Anna folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them. She had to see if her name was on today’s list. If so, she prayed it was soon. Then she had the journey home—through the pouring rain, the short train ride and then the few blocks walk straight up a hill to her apartment. But once there, she could cuddle up with her cat and sleep until she felt well. Or died, whichever. It was bad enough to get the flu, but to have the shock of Tanner Forsythe as her new boss was beyond anything she’d ever anticipated.

For a moment she wished it was last August again and they had just met. First thing she’d do is tell him she worked for Drysdale.

Or maybe she should wish that they had never met at all.

She heard a sound in the hall and lifted her head. The room spun around a little, then settled. Slowly she rose, picked up her coffee cup and the thick envelope and headed for her office.

There was a note on her desk, Mr. Forsythe would see her at one o’clock.

It was only a little before ten. She had almost three hours to get through. She called Teresa’s extension.

“Human Resources,” her friend’s secretary answered.

“This is Anna, is Teresa available?”

“No, she’s in with Mr. Forsythe.”

“Have her call me when she’s free,” Anna said. So her friend was one of the first to talk to the new man. She wondered what Teresa’s assessment would be. Could Anna get her opinion about how to deal with him? She couldn’t risk revealing anything. She wasn’t even sure Teresa knew she’d been seeing someone, she couldn’t tell her she’d slept with their new boss! She’d have to decide how to handle things on her own.

Reaching for a stack of phone messages, Anna saw several were from the East Coast. She’d get those returned first, then call the local ones. Might as well make best use of her time.

Promptly at one, Anna arrived at Ellie’s desk. She’d had some soup for lunch and was feeling marginally better. The rain had tapered off. All in all, the day seemed to be improving.

“I’m here for my appointment with Mr. Forsythe,” she said. She’d brought the latest plans she and Thomas Ventner had discussed. Thomas was the current Director in Brussels. Scheduled to retire in December, he’d been grooming Anna for his position for months.

“Ben Haselton’s still in there. Be another minute or two,” Ellie said. “Tanner has been good about not running long with anyone.” She peered at Anna. “Are you all right?”

“Think I’m coming down with the flu,” Anna said. “I’m trying to stay away from everyone so I don’t pass it around.”

“Have a seat, dear. I take public transportation. There’s no avoiding some illness during the winter months.”

Anna had scarcely sat when the door opened and Ben Haselton emerged. He looked upset. Charging ahead, he didn’t speak to either of them.

The buzzer sounded on Ellie’s desk.

“Is Anna Larkin there?”

“She’s been waiting,” Ellie said, smiling at Anna.

Anna took a deep breath and rose, heading into Tanner’s office like she was heading into a lion’s den. She still hadn’t a clue how to handle this interview. Did she pretend they had never met? Accuse him of dumping her? Or try to keep a cool facade and let him take the lead?

Tanner stood near the window that overlooked San Francisco Bay. She entered the room and closed the door behind her. It had been shut for Ben and if anything personal was said, she’d just as soon Ellie not hear.

He turned and looked at her. For a moment their eyes met and she felt a catch in the region of her heart. He still had the ability to cause a flutter in her heart rate. She’d been well on her way for falling for the man. He’d called a halt and a good thing, too. She had her life mapped out and getting deeply involved with a man did not figure in her plans. She knew better.

“Hello, Tanner,” she said, hoping he’d ask her to sit before her wobbly knees gave way.

“Anna. Have a seat. I won’t keep you long. I’ve already spoken with Thomas in Brussels. He brought me up to speed on the European division. He said you had a few new ideas you wanted to try when you’re at the helm. I’d like to see them. And get your assessment of our European standing.”

So he was playing it strictly business. She could deal with that. She placed the folder on his desk. “The new plans, complete with rationale and implementation schedules, are all laid out. After you review them, I’d be happy to discuss any questions you have. Otherwise, I think you’ll find Thomas’s assessment matches mine—robust in the U.K. area, not so strong in Italy and France. We’re running into a lot of competition from local interests. But cell phones are expanding and our new components are the best around. We just have to convince all customers of that.”

He nodded, sitting behind his desk. He drew the folder over and opened it. After a minute, he looked up, studying her for a moment.

“Are you all right?”

“I will be. I think I have a touch of the flu.” If she had to say that one more time today she would scream.

“Maybe you should go on home and rest up,” he suggested.

“I’ve stuck it out this long. I can hang in the rest of the day.” She wasn’t going to have the new CEO think she couldn’t handle her job no matter what. Or that she expected any favors. Once she might have thought she knew Tanner, but now she felt he was a stranger. The man who had shown her a fabulous time for three magical weeks was barely recognizable in the hard face opposite her.

Tanner looked back at the papers in the folder, quickly scanning them. Anna was on pins and needles watching him. Each second seemed to move in agonizing slowness. With him focused on the report, she could study him with impunity.

There were new lines around his eyes, his hair was cut shorter, his business suit fit to perfection. He looked like the successful businessman he was. Had circumstances been different, she would have been immensely proud of him for achieving such a high level position at a relatively young age. He was younger than she was and already CEO of a major corporation.

She’d hesitated dating him when she’d discovered he was four years younger. She’d never been sure exactly why this dynamic thirty-four-year-old man had wanted her company. She soon forgot the age difference. They had so much in common, from liking similar kinds of movies and books, to enjoying walks along the deserted San Francisco’s streets after the businesses had closed for the day. Exploring out-of-the-way streets, eating at little restaurants that were mere holes-in-the-wall had been exciting and new with Tanner.

There had been certain topics tacitly off-limits. She rarely talked about her work, nor did he talk about his. She’d been too caught up in the dizzying feelings around him, the physical attraction as well as the stimulation of their conversation. He’d been someone special.

He glanced up and caught her eye. She froze. He couldn’t read minds, could he?

Closing the folder he put it to the left side of the desk where a stack of folders rested.

“I’ll review this in greater detail tonight. If I have further questions, I’ll call.”

Taking that as a sign the interview was over, she rose swaying slightly, feeling light-headed. She gave a polite smile and turned to go. Her hand was already reaching for the knob when he spoke again. Glancing over her shoulder she saw he’d risen and was leaning casually against the side of the desk, resting on one hip.

“How are you really, Anna?” he said in that low, sexy voice of his.

She shrugged, turning slightly to better see him. “At the time I wondered why you didn’t call. In light of today’s events, I understand perfectly.”

“If there had been any other way—” he began.

She shook her head. “We wouldn’t have had that long together anyway. I’m headed for Brussels in January.” She looked at him closely. “I am still headed for Brussels, right?”

He nodded. “From what Thomas Ventner and Allen Taylor have said, you are by far the best person qualified for the position. I haven’t seen anything to contradict that.”

She turned back to the door. Suddenly she almost doubled over in pain. Her stomach was cramping. Please don’t let me be sick in Tanner’s office!

“What the hell?” Tanner dashed around his desk to get to Anna. She clutched her abdomen, almost bent in half. The pain was sharp, but already beginning to ease. She tried breathing again. She’d be mortified if she threw up over her new boss’s shoes.

“Are you in pain?” he asked the obvious.

“I need a rest room. I think I’m going to be sick again. I’m sorry!” So much for looking professional. With the way her luck was going, she’d infected him and he’d have the flu by the end of the week.

“Ellie,” Tanner said, opening the door. “Can you take Anna to a rest room?”

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Seeing Anna with her hand over her mouth, she swiftly put her arm around her shoulders. “We better hurry, right?”

Anna nodded.

Five minutes later Anna was splashing cool water on her face.

“You should go home,” Ellie said, patting her back.

“You’re right.”

“Call your doctor and see if he can recommend anything to ease the symptoms.”

Anna mumbled, “Nothing the doctor can do.”

“Have you eaten anything today?” Ellie asked.

“I had some soup for lunch. I felt better after that. Guess I was fooling myself.”

Anna hated all the fuss that was being made. All she wanted to do was slink away to her apartment, pull covers over her head and sleep the clock around. Instead she’d made a spectacle of himself in her new boss’s office. Even more, she was worried Tanner would hold this against her when considering making her head of the European division.

“Still, call your doctor. It can’t hurt,” Ellie suggested.

Anna nodded reluctantly. “First things first, though. I’m taking a cab home. And then I’ll call the doctor. But you know, the most he’ll tell me is to drink plenty of fluids and get a lot of rest.”

“You tried to do too much today,” Ellie said. “Don’t come in tomorrow unless you’re feeling fit again.”

“Now that’s something I can easily comply with.”

Within a half hour Anna was home. She gave her doctor a call, but as she suspected, he was already booked for the remainder of the day. The nurse agreed to squeeze her in early the next morning. And as Anna had predicted, the recommendation was to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of bed rest. Not a hardship. She put on her warmest nightie and made sure her cat, Mitzie, had fresh food and water then crawled into bed and pulled up the covers. In no time she was fast asleep.

The telephone woke her. It was dark. How long had she been asleep? Anna fumbled for the phone. “Hello?”

“What did your doctor say?” Tanner asked.

CHAPTER TWO

ANNA leaned back against the pillows and groaned. She didn’t want to talk to Tanner. It had been hard enough today to face him. Why was he calling? Would he do this with all employees?

“Just what I expected him to say, drink fluids and rest. What does your doctor say when you have the flu?”

“I rarely get the flu,” Tanner said.

It figured, she thought.

“I’m seeing him at nine o’clock in the morning,” she said. “He couldn’t see me earlier. And quite frankly I wanted to be in bed and not in the waiting room the way I felt this afternoon.”

“It’s after nine,” Tanner said. “Have you have dinner?”

She shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see. Actually she didn’t feel as bad as she had that morning. Maybe she was already getting better.

“I can heat a can of soup,” she said.

“I’ll bring a carton of soup from the deli near my place,” he said.

Her eyes opened wide. “You can’t come over here.”

“Why not?”

“Because…because, you’re now my boss.”

“It’s not a date, Anna, I just want to make sure you’re okay. A good leader makes sure his people are in fighting shape.”

“So are we fighting?” she asked, confused for a moment. She really wanted to slip back down and go back to sleep.

“No. I’m just bringing soup.”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t want to be entertaining guests.”

“You won’t be entertaining me, you’ll be eating the soup from the deli. You still like vegetable and beef?”

“You know it’s my favorite.” She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. She was not trying to reinforce the relationship they had at one time. Anna held her breath waiting for his response.

He merely said, “I’ll be there within a half hour.”

Hanging up the phone, she gingerly got out of bed and went to use the bathroom. Then she brushed her hair, rinsed her mouth with mouthwash and tried to see if she looked better for having slept half the evening away.

She checked the living room to make sure it looked presentable and then continued into the kitchen to heat water for tea. Her fleece robe and fuzzy slippers kept her warm. She could hear the rain still falling outside. The thick robe was not the kind of attire she would have worn had Tanner been coming over for any other reason. That alone should clearly emphasize to him that she no longer considered them a couple. Not that he would think so. But she didn’t want any wrong impressions from this visit!

Still, she checked that she had on some lipgloss before he arrived. No point in looking as bad as she felt.

When the doorbell rang a short time later, she tried to calm her nerves as she went to open the door. Raindrops glistened in his hair and on the shoulders of his jacket. Tanner carried a large bag with the deli’s logo. The aroma of the hot soup immediately had her mouth watering. She took in a deep breath. Suddenly she was ravenous. She held out her hand for the bag.

“Thank you,” she said.

He pushed past her and walked into the apartment as if he had every right to be there. He had visited several times when they dated so he knew his way around. Without hesitation he headed for the kitchen. Anna followed him reluctantly. She paused in the doorway and watched as he swiftly poured the hot soup into a bowl and found a spoon. She gave up and went to sit at the table.

“Eat up,” he said a moment later, placing the bowl in front of her.

Anna took a taste. It was wonderful. Tanner waited until she began to eat, then rummaged around in the bag and withdrew some hot rolls. He took a plate down and put them beside her, along with a handful of wrapped butter pats.

Anna looked at him. “Did you eat?”

He nodded. Leaning his shoulder against the archway he watched her.

She became flustered. Glancing at him, she frowned. “Could you stop staring at me?”

He pushed away from the wall and came to sit beside her. Reaching out, he took one of the rolls, broke it open and buttered it.

Mitzie came in from the bedroom. She walked toward Tanner, her tail high.

“Hey, girl,” he said, noticing the cat. She showed no hesitation in coming over and rubbing herself against his ankles. He leaned over and scratched her back. The loud purr indicated her delight.

“I wanted to explain about us,” he said, still leaning over a little. He glanced at Anna.

She continued to eat. “It’s not necessary. I figured it out today when I saw you’re the new CEO. I have my own rules against dating fellow employees. You might have mentioned the reason at the time, however.” She wouldn’t tell him how hurt she’d been, how confused. She’d taken weeks to get over him. For one haunting moment that morning she feared she wasn’t over him. But she knew there was nothing to do but go on.

Her focus now was totally on relocating to Brussels. The brief affair they’d enjoyed was relegated to bittersweet memories. The story of her life.

“There was a lot of secrecy around the transition,” he said. “Both at the company I was leaving as well as at Drysdale Electronics.”

“I know how to keep my mouth closed about secrets,” she said stiffly.

“It wasn’t my secret to keep,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure you knew that it wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy being with you.”

Anna felt a little spurt of happiness in his words. She had wondered at the time if he had just tired of her. Or if that one night that had been so magical to her—hadn’t be so special for him. She’d been totally swept away by the love they’d shared. Had he not stopped calling her, would she have convinced herself things could be different this time? Maybe she could find a man to love, who would love her.

She frowned at her wayward thoughts and concentrated on eating. The soup was delicious and so far she didn’t feel queasy.

“Thank you for clearing up the situation,” she said.

He laughed. “I’ve missed that about you, the innate politeness. What have you been up to lately?” He settled back in his chair, watching her eat. Mitzie strolled over to the sofa and leaped up, soon settled with paws beneath her.

Anna looked at him suspiciously as she reached for a roll. Taking her time to butter it slowly, she glanced at him again. “Pretty much the same as I did before I met you. I go work, I go to the gym. Occasionally I hang out with friends. I don’t see you at the gym anymore.”

“Once I knew you worked at Drysdale, I stopped going. I’ll be starting up again now. Membership is part of my compensation package.” He waited a beat, then said, “No special man?”

She almost responded but thought about it for a moment, shaking her head. “That’s really not any of your business at this point is it?” she asked. It sounded better than the truth, that she hadn’t even thought about seeing another man after him.

“Ouch,” he said with a grimace. “No, it’s not, but I’m curious.”

She shrugged. “Thank you for bringing the soup. I’m feeling much better for eating it.” He’d delivered the soup, seen that she ate it. Would he leave now? She wasn’t sure she wanted him to, but his staying would only lead her to regret the way things were.

“You still see the doctor tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes, boss.”

Tanner rose and leaned over Anna, resting one hand on the back of her chair and one on the table.

“Don’t come into work until you’re completely well. Call and tell me what the doctor says.”

Feeling trapped, she glared up at him. “Don’t get so close, you could get the flu.”

“I’ll chance it,” he said and closed the short distance between them until his lips brushed hers.

Tanner left the apartment building and plunged into the rain. He strode the two blocks to where he’d left his car, annoyed with himself for reacting so strongly to seeing Anna. She looked as pale as she had that morning. He was glad he’d thought to bring her something to eat. When a person felt bad, they often didn’t feel like preparing meals.

For a moment he remembered the good times they’d shared. He’d enjoyed her company more than he had anyone else in a long time. When he’d met her, it had been months since he’d been in a relationship with a woman. Jessica had been pushing for marriage, and after the disaster of his early marriage, that institution was the last thing he wanted. He’d broken it off with her last winter and concentrated on work.

Until he met Anna.

Most women followed a similar pattern—date, have fun, begin to talk about commitment and long-term. It was at that point he always cut the relationships.

But he and Anna had not reached that stage. In fact, she was the first one to ever ignore the possibility of a future together. Never once in the three or four weeks they’d dated had she even hinted. He’d been intrigued.

Now that he knew she was planning to move to Brussels at the beginning of the year it made sense.

He reached his car and climbed in, shaking some of the rain from his hair. Starting, he pulled out into traffic and headed home. He had a stack of files to review tonight, more interviews tomorrow. The thrill of the new job, the changes he planned, kept him keyed up.

Taylor had told him about each of the managers, their strengths and weaknesses. He’d been glowing about Anna. Each word emphasized Tanner’s decision not to date an employee. But he missed her. He would like to discuss company strategy, to find out more how she viewed the European market. To see if she still indulged herself with Ghiradelli chocolates and then did an extra ten minutes on the treadmill.

And, if he were honest with himself, he wanted more than a light brush of the lips.

In fact, he was surprised at how much he missed her. He hardly remembered Jessica. Before her he’d been involved with a woman named Margo. While his focus had always been on business and the push to succeed, he did like having a pretty companion to go to social events with.

With Anna it had been different. He was still attracted to her. He and Anna had laughed a lot, he remembered that. For a little while he’d thought he’d found the perfect companion—someone to relax with, to share interests and entertainment. And someone who would not expect to end up married. He should have known it was too good to last.

His rule was hard and fast. He had certain standards he adhered to and not dating a fellow employee was one—especially when she reported directly to him.

Still—she was leaving in a few weeks. Maybe they could work something out.

He shook his head, astonished he’d even give thought to such an idea. Business was business and pleasure was entirely separate. He planned to see it stayed that way!

Tonight he had a stack of files to review, tomorrow it would be back to business. Anna could take care of herself. She didn’t need him bringing soup, or calling to check on her. And he certainly didn’t need to be kissing her.

Anna entered the doctor’s office the next morning feeling as sick as she had the day before. The brief respite she’d found last night had not lingered for long. As soon as Tanner had left, she returned to bed and slept the night away.

She refused to think about Tanner’s kiss. They were no longer involved. He had made that very clear. And she had her move to Brussels to look forward to. As soon as she was well, she needed to begin getting her things packed, decide what to take and what to store at her parents’ place and begin winding up her own position in the home office in preparation to her new posting in Europe.

“Miss Larkin?” One of the nurses called her from the doorway.

She showed Anna into an exam room asking her how she felt. Anna told her she was there for anything that could mitigate the symptoms of flu.

“There’s not much,” the nurse said as she took Anna’s blood pressure. “Bed rest is about the best thing. Sometimes we can give medication that will ease the nausea and diarrhea to avoid dehydration. Do drink plenty of fluids.” She noted the blood pressure reading on the chart and glanced over it. “I see it’s been a while since you’ve been in to see the doctor.”

Anna nodded. “Normally I’m as healthy as an ox.” She wished she felt healthy this morning. She longed to get back to bed.

“The doctor will be only a few minutes. Why don’t you change into the gown while I tell him you’re here.”

Normally Anna liked seeing Dr. Orsinger. He was an old-fashioned general practitioner who took a friendly interest in his patients. When he breezed into the exam room, he asked how she had been aside from the flu, jotting notes as she talked. She took that opportunity to ask him if he knew of any special medical forms she would need in anticipation of her move to Europe. He asked about the new assignment, where she would be living and for how long she would be out of the States.

He drew routine blood work, reviewed her medical history to make sure she was up-to-date on tetanus. When he finished his exam he asked her to wait a little while so that he could go online to see if there were any health alerts for Europe of which she should be aware. She agreed. Changing back into her street clothes, Anna hoped the wait wouldn’t be long. She still felt shaky and tired. A short time later Dr. Orsinger returned. He looked at her oddly.

“No health crises in Europe, I hope,” she said.

He motioned for her to sit down and he leaned against the edge of the counter containing the sink.

“Did you suspect you’re pregnant?” he asked.

Anna stared at him, certain she had not heard correctly. He had been her doctor for years. He knew it was impossible for her to get pregnant.

“You know I cannot have children.” Her voice sounded calm. She’d long ago come to terms with her inability. Except for each time when her younger sister called to announce she was pregnant. The most recent call this weekend was the third time. That hurt.

Or when her best friend had her first baby two years ago.

So most of the time she’d come to terms with her inability.

He lifted the report the nurse had given him and read it again. “Anna, we can repeat the test, but I don’t think the report got mixed up.”

Anna stared at him in shocked disbelief. From the time she was sixteen years old she’d known she would never have children. The automobile accident she had been involved in had caused such great scarring both externally and internally. The external scars had faded over the years, but internally she was still messed up. Doctors had told her she would never conceive. Over the years, she’d grown used to the fact, even if she still railed against fate from time to time. She put on a good front when visiting home and seeing her sister’s children or her brother’s daughter. Just last weekend she had once again feigned happy recipient to the news her sister was pregnant again. Inside she’d screamed with the unfairness of life, but she let none of those feelings spill out. Even those who knew her best never had a clue how much she’d longed for a child.

It was a cruel stroke of fate that had ended that hope years ago. But she had her career.

Her career!

“I can’t be pregnant.” The room seemed to swirl around. She closed her eyes against the dizziness.

Tanner! Oh God. He would kill her when he found out. She had told him there was no danger of getting pregnant. He’d used a condom, it broke. She told him not to worry, she couldn’t have a baby. How could this happen?

The doctor was looking at her with compassion. “Actually I believe the prognosis was it would be highly unlikely for you ever to conceive. Obviously even doctors make mistakes.” He smiled at her. “I know this is a surprise, but a happy one, I hope.”

“I would like a second testing please.” She could not let her hopes be raised. The disappointment would be too great.

She had been in love in a college, had even been asked to marry her sweetheart—Jason Donalds. But when Jason found out she was unable to have children he’d ended their relationship so fast she hardly knew what hit her.

Since graduation, she had focused on her career to the exclusion of any long-lasting relationships. Her parents had urged her to be more open to men who were interested in her. Not every man wanted children. Adoption was an alternative if they did. But the trauma of losing Jason because she couldn’t have a baby was almost too much to overcome. She was not going to risk her heart that way again.

And somehow she could not blurt out at the first introduction, “Hi, I’m Anna and I am unable to have children, you still want to date?”

The thought that she could be pregnant after all these years, after all the tests, was unfathomable. It had only been one night.

Despite the prognosis, she had always practiced safe sex the few times she’d felt close enough to a man to take the step into the bedroom. Never in a hundred years would she have suspected she could get pregnant.

Tanner was going to be furious. When she told him. Or if.

The doctor complied with her request to conduct a second set of tests. It was late morning by the time he rejoined her to confirm his original diagnosis. He spent several minutes talking with her about prenatal care, what changes she could expect in her body as pregnancy progressed and what risks were present for a woman of her age to be pregnant for the first time. With the uterus scarring, it may prove impossible to carry the child to term. He wanted to monitor her closely as the pregnancy progressed. They set up weekly appointments.

For more than half her life Anna believed she could never conceive a child. To learn she had was hard to grasp. On the way home the reality gradually seeped in. By the time she reached her apartment she was cautiously thrilled. She knew there was no guarantee, but if she’d come this far after conceiving, surely she could deliver a full-term baby.

Hurrying to the phone she quickly dialed her mother’s number.

“Mom you need to sit down, I have some amazing news.”

Ginny Larkin quickly raised a question about Anna’s transfer.

“It’s not that. I’m pregnant!” Anna blurted out.

There was silence at the other end for a long moment. Then her mother asked, “How could that be?”

“It’s a miracle is how,” Anna said. “I didn’t believe it when the doctor told me, so I had him run the tests a second time. It’s true I am pregnant. Isn’t that the most amazing thing? After all these years, I’m going to have a baby!” Anna burst into tears. She felt no different from how she’d felt that morning, still feeling nausea, still tired beyond belief and a bit achy. But she didn’t have the flu; she had a baby beneath her heart.

The fabulousness was beyond belief. She wanted to share the miracle with the whole world, starting with her mother. But caution took hold. She needed to wait until she was used to the fact herself and knew better if chances would improve to carry this child to term. The next few weeks would see how she progressed. The doctor had warned her to take things easy, get plenty of rest and call him if there were any signs of complications. He’d given her something for the nausea and stomach pains and urged her to eat healthy and frequently. He’d given her a prescription for prenatal vitamins. And scheduled her for an ultrasound in a month—to check the viability of the baby.

“I can’t believe it,” Ginny said again. “After all this time. All the doctors said it was impossible.”

“The doctor is backpedaling now—saying it was highly improbable. Of course it’s not impossible—I’m pregnant!” She wanted to shout it from the rooftop!

Then her mother asked, “Who’s the father? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone special.”

Her bubble burst. Anna squeezed her eyes shut, but saw Tanner’s face. She could imagine the fury when he discovered she was pregnant. Yet, there was nothing she could have done differently.

“He’s a really great man, Mom. We were involved this summer. But he had a new job assignment and had to move on. We aren’t seeing each other anymore.” Not in the same way.

Her mother asked, “Is there any chance he’d marry you—just to give the baby a name?”

“Oh, Mom, please. I’m a competent woman. I’ve been on my own for years. I’ll be heading up the European office of the company in a couple of months. I don’t need a man to raise a baby.”

“Of course you don’t need one, but babies do well with both parents,” her mother responded. “Are you still going to Brussels? That’s so far away. How often can I see my grandchild if he or she is five thousand miles away.”

“You’ll probably rack up frequent flier miles. I’ll get a big enough place to have you stay over for weeks at a time.”

“And your father. Your sister and brother and their families will want to see the baby. Can you take leave from work to return to have it here?”

“It’s complicated, Mom. I haven’t worked anything out. I just learned of the baby about an hour ago. Give me some time to get used to it and make plans.”

“Well, of course. And I’m happy to help. Come home this weekend.”

“I’m not sure.” She wasn’t feeling any better for knowing she didn’t have the flu. Added to that was the stress that grew as she contemplated telling Tanner he was going to be a father. Nothing had been said in all the times she saw him about a long-term affair and especially not children.

“Tell me how you’re feeling. When is it due? When will you know the sex? Have you thought of any names? I can’t wait to see you. Oh, honey, I’m so delighted. I never thought—Wait until I tell your father!” Ginny’s enthusiasm came across the lines like a balm to Anna’s jangled nerves. She began to relax as her mother started to admonish her about eating well, sleeping extra hours and keeping up an exercise program. She urged her to take time away from work as much as possible to store up sleep—she’d need it when the baby came.

The two chatted for almost an hour. At the end of the conversation, Anna extracted a promise from her mother not to tell anyone else in the family—she wanted to share than news in a couple of weeks at the Thanksgiving holiday when everyone would be together. Reluctantly Ginny agreed.

“But how I’m going to keep this from your father, I’m not sure,” she said.

“Please, Mom. This is so special. It may never happen again. I want to be there when they hear it. I want to see their expressions as well.”

“I’ll do it. Call me right away if you need anything.”

Anna agreed and hung up. She still felt surreal. Her hand went to her stomach in the instinctive manner of all pregnant mothers.

“Hello, little one,” she said softly. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Tired, Anna went back to her room to lie down. She was too keyed-up to sleep, however. She began to make plans. As soon as she felt up to it, she’d visit a bookstore to get as many prenatal and newborn baby books she could locate. Then she’d have to go online and check out rentals in Brussels. The apartment Thomas Vintner had found for her wouldn’t do. She needed more room.

She’d have to get baby furniture, find child care and decide what to do about school when the child was older.

And in the meantime, she had to find a way to tell the baby’s daddy.

CHAPTER THREE

TANNER hung up the phone and looked at his watch. It was after two. He’d asked Ellie to check on Anna for him when she had not come into work today. She was supposed to be seen by her doctor. He wondered if she had kept the appointment. He had a few minutes before the next department head was scheduled. Unable to concentrate on the report in front of him, he dialed Anna’s number. A moment later she answered.

“Did you see the doctor?” Tanner asked without preamble.

“I did,” she said. “You woke me up for that? I said I would go.”

“And? What was the prognosis? Could he do anything for the flu?”

“Actually he gave me some medicine for the symptoms. I’m already feeling better.”

She sounded much better, he noted. Her voice had an inflection he hadn’t heard for a while. He remembered their frequent talks on the phone. Before he’d go to bed many nights he’d call and they’d ramble about any and everything. He remembered each conversation, how they’d good-naturedly argue about silly things. They rarely talked seriously. Once she’d told him she had a broken engagement behind her and that she couldn’t have children. That would have been the perfect opening to tell her about Zach. But the pain was still sharp when he thought of the boy, so he had kept silent.

Not that it mattered. It happened so long ago. He had to keep moving, tried to forget Cindy’s betrayal and focus on the present.

Most of the time, however, their late night sessions had been lighthearted and fun. A welcome change from the stress and cutthroat business at hand. He had welcomed the diversion when negotiating this position and winding up his chief operating officer position at his prior company.

The way he calculated it, he owed Anna. More than he’d given her when he’d stopped seeing her so abruptly. They had no commitments. No long range plans. But it still had to have hurt when he stopped seeing her with no word. He could have said business was too intense and he had to call a halt. It would have been better than silence.

“That’s good.” I was worried about you sounded too personal. Yet he had been. He’d never seen her look so frail as she had on Monday.

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll probably take the rest of the week off and be back on Monday,” she said. “I have lots of sick leave on the books. I’m never sick.”

“Get better. Call if you need anything.” He knew she had an exemplary attendance record as well as outstanding performance reviews. She hadn’t risen as high as she had in the company without a strong work ethic.

He replaced the receiver on his phone and looked at the stack of papers on his desk. He had made the right decision to sever their relationship. But for a moment, he enjoyed hearing her voice.

It had been a pleasure dating Anna. He missed the easy way they could talk about everything, or remain silent for long stretches without any awkwardness. He liked the fact she enjoyed similar activities. The way she jumped on and off the cable car like a native. Her love of crab cocktails at the Wharf. Her delight in watching kites flying at the marina.

He rose and paced to his window. Glancing out on Montgomery Street, he remembered the Sunday afternoon they’d walked along the deserted thoroughfare peeking into some of the windows of the closed shops and businesses. They had made up stories about who owned them, the kind of businesses they were and the dreams of the future the owners were likely to have. Then they had hiked to the wharf to have crab cocktails and sourdough bread for lunch. That had been two days prior to the discovery that she worked for Drysdale Electronics. His own code of ethics had demanded he stop seeing her. For once he wished he wasn’t so good about following his own rules.

He walked to his office door and opened it. Ellie was working diligently on her computer.

“Order some flowers for Anna Larkin,” he said. “Have them delivered today.”

Ellie looked up in surprise. “Sure thing. Is she worse?”

“No, but she is going to stay home a few days to get over the flu.”

“What shall I put on the card?” Ellie asked.

“Best wishes from your friends at Drysdale Electronics,” Tanner said. He didn’t want to give rise to speculation with the rest of the staff. But he wanted some flowers to brighten her apartment.

He returned to his desk better able to focus on the work. But always in the back of his mind was the image of Anna he had seen last night in her warm pink fleece robe and fluffy slippers. He felt a tightening in his stomach any time he thought about her. Why wasn’t she as easy to forget as other women he had dated over the years? Was it only because they were forced into proximity from now on? Or was there something particularly special about Anna Larkin? He could almost feel her soft skin under his fingertips. Smell her special scent. Hear her laughter and see the sparkle in her eyes.

He’d need a cold shower if he didn’t stop daydreaming about her. Turning, he plunged back into work finding relief in the myriad of facts to be absorbed.

Anna spent the next few days lounging around her apartment, sleeping as much as she could. She had been delighted with the bouquet of flowers from the office the day she’d learned her news. She took them as a positive omen. A celebration—though only she knew why. The lavish arrangement of colorful fall flowers with chrysanthemums and other blossoms raised her spirits whenever she looked at it.

When not resting, she went on the Internet to search sites about pregnancy and newborns. She studied housing listings for Brussels. She had so much to think about. First to make it through the pregnancy. She’d follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. Any risk would be ruthlessly dealt with. She yearned for this baby with all in her.

She needed to find a flat in Brussels larger than originally planned. She’d have to furnish a room for a child. Perhaps she could hire a live-in nanny or au pair to help out with the baby once he or she was born. That would require an even larger place—especially if she wanted room for her family to stay.

Would it be a boy or girl? She had no preference. Daydreaming about either, she let her imagination soar. A tough little boy like Tanner, charging ahead, learning things fast, making a difference. Breaking hearts.

Or a little girl. Would she have dark hair like her daddy? Sparkling eyes full of mischief?

Either would be loved to bits. She prayed it would be healthy—and that she could deliver her baby safely into the world.

She also had to decide when to tell people. Because of the high risk of miscarriage throughout the pregnancy she didn’t want to tell anybody until the doctor gave her some encouragement things would work out.

How cruel to be granted this precious wish and have it snatched away if she miscarried. Once again she searched the Internet for high-risk pregnancies and ways to get around the problems. There was no getting around the scarring; the rest she’d do her best to minimize.

She would tell her family in a couple of weeks at Thanksgiving. They would rejoice with her news. And be there if the unspeakable happened.

She knew the exact day they had made love—it wasn’t everybody who could say exactly when a child was conceived. She was not quite two months along but after Christmas the first trimester would have passed. If she were still pregnant, and had her doctor’s blessing, she’d tell friends then. She wanted everyone to know before she moved to Brussels. It was so much better to hear it in person rather than via e-mail or a letter.

Though she still had the problem of how to tell Tanner. And when. She could imagine his reaction—she suspected he would not be happy. The last thing he wanted was to get tangled up with anybody. Dating was fine—even having a steady relationship for a few weeks fit his game plan. She’d have to make sure he knew she expected nothing from him. Should she wait to tell until right before she left for Europe? Or maybe waiting until she was in Brussels would be safer.

Safer? What did she expect, he’d change his mind about her transfer?

Actually she hadn’t a clue how he’d take the news—but she didn’t feel it would be a warm and happy reaction.

She dreaded the confrontation. Brainstorming different ways to relay the news, she didn’t have a comfortable plan by end of the day. Maybe something would come to her soon.

By Saturday, Anna was going crazy being cooped up. The rain had passed and the day was glorious. The mild medication the doctor had prescribed had cleared up her nausea and the endless hours of rest had her feeling fit again.

She bundled up against the breeze coming off the Bay and headed for the marina. There was a large bookstore there that would have everything she needed.

As she walked along, her spirits soared. It was a beautiful day and she was pregnant! She couldn’t wait until she showed and the entire world would know with just one glance.

Spending hours browsing in the bookstore, Anna finally emerged with six books, one on what to expect during pregnancy and five on child care. She had watched her sister’s children from time to time, and always rocked the babies when they were little, but this was different. She would be responsible for the entire care of this child. She needed to learn so much. She wanted to be the best mother possible.

She was only a couple of blocks from the wharf. Since it was so pretty, and she was loathe to return to her apartment this soon, she decided to walk to Pier 39 and have something to eat. Frequent small meals were the key to ending the nausea according to her doctor.

One of the treats at the Pier was the bunch of sea lions at the end. Their antics always caused laughter. She could hear their hoarse barking from blocks away. Feeling buoyed by the day, she almost walked on air. When the baby was older and they visited the States, she’d bring him or her to see the sea lions. There was so much she wanted to share with her child.

Her favorite city spot on the Bay was as crowded as most Saturdays. She dodged in-line skaters, kite fliers and families with children running back and forth. The tourists lined up to ride the excursion boats. Joggers ran along the outside of the wide sidewalks, dodging the occasional pedestrian that veered into their paths. The breeze was brisk, cool and refreshing. She shifted the bag of books to her other hand and looked around with interest. She loved people watching.

“Anna?”

She recognized that voice. Stunned, she looked over her shoulder. Tanner veered from the edge of the sidewalk to jog over to her. He’d obviously been running a while. His long legs showed beneath dark blue shorts. His T-shirt was marked with perspiration. His hair was totally windblown. Gone was the staid business professional. He looked hot and sexy. Her eyes drank in every inch. He looked like he had at the gym, fit and athletic, and gorgeous enough to stop her heart.

“Hi,” she said. They’d never gone jogging together, but they had discussed it a couple of times. Golden Gate Park had wonderful jogging trails through the eucalyptus groves and on out to the ocean. She’d thought they’d explore some of them together. But that was before he stopped calling.

“Feeling better, I take it. You look good,” he said.

She nodded, pleased with the compliment. “First day out. I couldn’t stand to stay in the apartment a minute longer. I see you’re getting some exercise.”

“First time this week. It’s been hectic, as I’m sure you’d expect. Long hours, lots to review even when I get back to the apartment at night.”

“Talked to everyone?”

“All the managers. I’m getting some resistance in certain quarters. Nothing I can’t handle,” he said confidently.

She could imagine Tanner handling anything. Except—maybe her announcement. Of course she instantly wanted to tell him. Yet she wasn’t ready. And if the baby didn’t make it, there’d be no reason to tell him. She wasn’t sure which way to go.

“Want to grab a cup of coffee?” he asked. “That is if you don’t mind being seen with me like this.”

Anna hesitated. His attire was the least of it. She was suddenly conscious of the books in the bag, of the secret she kept. Yet a part of her yearned to spend a few more minutes in his company. She had missed him over the last few weeks. Soon she’d be living thousands of miles away and any chance of running into him would vanish.

“I might be talked into a fruit smoothie,” she said. There were several places on the Pier that offered caffeine-free beverages.

He fell into step as they headed toward the Pier. “Been shopping?”

“Just a few books to while away the time. I wish I’d had them this week.” She hoped he wouldn’t ask her titles. They shared a liking of mysteries. Quickly to forestall him, she asked, “Did you finish your run? Or am I interrupting?”

“I was winding down,” he said. “You’re not interrupting.”

“So how was your first week?” She had mixed emotions, knowing she would not be at the head office long to watch Tanner in action. She was excited about her promotion, however, and couldn’t wait to head an entire division herself. Maybe he’d give her some pointers about taking over from someone who was retiring.

“Exhilarating,” he said. “There is so much more challenge at Drysdale than I had my previous place. That was a growing company and had its own set of challenges. With Drysdale Electronics I have to reverse some ill advised decisions to regain market share. The company is larger and more diverse, so the challenges greater.”

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