Chapter 23
The next day, Anna sank into her office chair, exhausted to the bone. She’d had a really long day and night at the hospital with Wendy, and then last night at Owen’s...
“It’s only three in the afternoon,” Mari said as she let herself in to drop a stack of mail on Anna’s desk. “And you already look done in.”
Anna fought a yawn and lost. “I’m fine.”
Mari grinned. “Must be hard being kept up all night long by a really hot guy.”
Anna refused to take the bait, even if it was true. “Hey, maybe I’m just trying to catch up from Wendy having the babies.”
Mari gave her a droll look. “Really? That’s the story you want to go with when you have a love bite on your neck?”
Damn Owen’s sexy mouth. She put a hand over the love bite in question and, ignoring Mari’s laugh, pulled the mail toward her. Unfortunately, most of it was bills and not payments from clients. Damn. Well, at least she’d just taken on two new cases, both possible insurance frauds—her specialty. With luck, she’d have a happier bank account by the end of the month.
Mari took in her expression and sank to a chair in front of Anna’s desk. “What can I do to help?”
This was why she loved Mari. She’d do whatever Anna needed, no questions asked.
“I could go through the bills for you.” Mari nudged her chin toward the stack. “Prioritize them. Push as many off as possible until you sink your teeth into our new cases and bring in the dough.”
“It’s okay, I’ve got this. Plus, I just put a whole bunch of searches I need handled on your desk, and I don’t want you to have to stay late when you’re having so much fun on that new dating app.”
Mari jabbed her thumbs at herself. “This girl’s drought is finally over!”
Someone knocked on Anna’s office door, and the two women turned in unison to take in Owen leaning against the jamb looking better than any man had a right to look, ever.
“Afternoon, ladies.” He turned those deep green eyes on Anna. “You busy?”
“She is not,” Mari said before Anna could speak for herself. “She’s free. Free as can be. So whatever you had in mind, she’s game. And free. Did I mention she’s free?”
Anna pointed to the door, and Mari hopped up. “Right. The searches.” She winked at Owen as she left.
Anna watched the man walk toward her, his mouth curving as he perched a hip on the side of her desk. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.”
“How you doing?”
“I can’t stop yawning. Know anything about that?”
He let out a soft, sexy laugh. “Not my fault you’re a sex fiend who kept us up all night.”
Dammit. And true. “Weren’t you taking some clients up to Spooner Lake today?”
“Yep, and we’re already back. I was on my way home when Ruby’s caretaker called me. She said my aunt’s having a really good day, so I should stop by. And if she’s having a good day...”
Anna stood. “She might be able to talk to us about the coins and Ruby Red.”
He nodded. “I take it you have time to come with?”
Time? No. But that wasn’t going to stop her. She eyed the stack of mail in her hand. “Mari?”
Mari stuck in her head so fast that Anna knew she’d been eavesdropping. “Just wanted to be close by in case you needed anything, boss.”
“Uh-huh.” Anna handed over the stack of mail. “I need your help.”
“Thought you wanted me to get laid, not pay bills.”
Owen grinned. “Wow, what a nice boss.”
Anna sighed, grabbed her purse, and nudged Owen out the door ahead of her. She took the time to turn back and narrow her eyes at Mari.
“Have fun,” Mari said, grinning and waving. “Don’t worry about me at all. Make good choices! Be safe! Oh, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” Then she wisely vanished.
“I need new help,” Anna muttered.
Owen, the sexy ass, was still smiling when they climbed into his truck.
Leaning in, he clicked her seat belt for her, then used his close proximity to kiss the daylights out of her. When he pulled back and took in her undoubtedly dazed expression, he smirked. “Mari said don’t do anything she wouldn’t do.”
“Except there’s nothing Mari wouldn’t do.”
“Good to know.” The heat in his eyes gave her a hot flash, because as she already knew, there was nothing Owen wouldn’t do either.
Ten minutes later, he parked in the lot of his great-aunt Ruby’s memory care facility. When he hesitated, Anna took his hand. “Are you sure? I don’t want to do this if it’s going to upset her.” Or you...
“I called ahead and let them know that if she’s still doing good, we’d like to take her out for a few hours. We just have to get her back for dinner so she doesn’t get upset at the loss of her routine. She’s got a few old friends visiting, but according to her caregiver, they’ll be leaving any time now.”
At the front desk, he signed them in, and they walked down the hall until Owen stopped in front of one of the apartments. He knocked twice and then opened the door with a key. “Hello?”
“Come in!” Ruby called out.
They stepped into a small but comfortable living room area. A trio of elderly ladies stood up from the couch and raced to be the first to hug Owen.
Anna couldn’t help but smile as he gamely endured being squeezed tight by each of them, none who came up past his elbow. His aunt, however, he hugged back and held tight to his chest for a moment.
“And who’s this?” Ruby asked, smiling at Anna.
Anna didn’t let on that they’d already met, just smiled in return. “I’m Anna Moore, Owen’s... er, um, associate.”
Ruby beamed. “Well, any ‘er, um’ associate of Owen’s is an associate of mine. Owen, honey, how are you?”
“He’s too skinny, that’s how he is.” This from the friend with blue hair and a mischievous smile. She patted Owen’s butt. “Not enough meat on the bones.”
“Definitely needs some fattening up,” the second friend agreed, her metal gray hair curled into rows of tiny coils that quivered when she winked at Anna. “How are you going to catch this pretty girl?”
“I think he’s already caught her,” the third said. Her hair was a mix of firecracker orange and magenta. “Which is a shame because my great-granddaughter’s available and ready for kids.”
“If I was two decades younger, I’d be first in line,” Blue Hair said.
“More like four decades,” Metal Gray muttered.
“Hey, being a cougar is all the rage,” Blue Hair said.
Since Owen was looking uncharacteristically out of his comfort zone, Anna moved to his side. “Sorry, ladies, but Skinny Hot Stuff is all mine.”
The ladies all said “Damn” in unison, made all the more amusing because they wore matching velour tracksuits in the same purple with white walking shoes.
“We’re on the same bowling team,” Blue Hair said. “In fact, we’ve got a game today, so we need to skedaddle.” She leaned in close to Owen, using the excuse to put her hand on his biceps. “She’s doing great today. So good to see her.”
Owen ushered them all out, thanking them for keeping his aunt company. When he shut the door, he turned and met Anna’s eyes. “All yours, huh?”
She shrugged. “Anything for the cause.”
He smiled, then turned to Ruby. “You look good.”
“Oh, you.” She had a hat on her head and her purse hanging off her arm. “Tell me you’re breaking me out of this joint for a bit.”
“We’re breaking you out of this joint for a bit.”
Ruby’s eyes lit up. “For ice cream?”
“Thought you might want to go to the house for a few hours.”
“Oh, yes!” She put a hand to her chest. “Hurry, let’s make a break for it before someone catches us.”
Owen took her hand. “It’s okay. We have approval to go.”
“Oh. Well, okay then. Though sneaking out might’ve been fun.”
“We could pretend, if that would make you feel better.”
Ruby looked at Anna. “He always did have a smart mouth.”
Anna smiled at her. “Still does.”
Ruby beamed at her. “Most women don’t appreciate that about him.”
“I’m not most women.”
Owen held the door open for Anna, then leaned in, pressing his mouth to her ear. “Remind me to thank you later. Slowly. In great detail.”