seriously."
She scooted forward. "Oh, Ali, I know, I wasn't questioning—"
"Yes, I know, Maureen." Patting her hand, he smiled at her. "You have more than enough to worry about now, and as I've said in the past, there is more than enough money to take care of whatever needs you or Alfred have now or in the future."
Some of the worry left her face. "And you're sure, Ali? I mean, I know how expensive all of Alfred's care is—"
He touched her cheek again. "Please, Maureen. Trust me."
"Oh Ali, you know I trust you. Truly. It's not that…" Her smile was still shaky. "I know I'm being silly but—"
"You are never silly, Maureen. Tell me, what is it I can do to ease your mind?"
"Just to be on the safe side, just so I'll feel better, could you just check my account? I know you've been having some problems with your computers, so if you could just check—"
"But of course." Standing up, Ali glanced at Faith. "Is there a way you can get me into my computer so I can check a balance?"
Faith was so stunned by the affection between Ali and this woman, it took a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her.
"Faith?"
"I'm sorry." She jumped to her feet. "Of course." She crossed the room to his desk and booted up his computer. "Ali, can you put your password in?"
He came around the desk, stopping so close to her their bodies were touching. His masculine scent, his warmth seemed to radiate from him to her. Her pulse sped up and she felt a quick flash of heat, fire.
Her throat went dry while her palms grew damp. Absently, she wiped them down her jeans and shifted her weight away from him, so that they were no longer touching. She couldn't seem to think when he was touching her.
Quickly, with great concentration, Ali tapped in a few letters, then glanced at her, his eyes dark, intent, as if he too had felt the flash of heat between them.
With nervous fingers, Faith plugged in the code that opened the correct accounting program, quickly bringing up the accounts. "I'm sorry, your last name is Jourdan?" She glanced at Maureen.
"Yes."
Faith spelled it out to be certain she typed it in accurately. A screen popped up with Maureen and Alfred Jourdan's names at the top. Faith didn't want to look, or pry, but she would have had to have been blind not to see the amount of money in the account.
She glanced up at Ali. His face was cool, calm, serene. She glanced back at the screen. Something didn't add up. Perhaps there was another account. She punched in another set of numbers, but no other files were found.
Concerned because she'd been privy to their conversation, Faith looked curiously at Ali once again. He met her gaze levelly, as if willing her not to speak. It was not her place, or her business, so she said nothing, stepping back so he could view the computer screen.
Ali retrieved a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and leaned down to examine the screen for a moment.
"There now, see?" With a delighted smile, he straightened, then hit the button that would close it before anyone else could view the figures. "There is more than enough money to cover whatever expenses you and Alfred have. I'm sorry you haven't gotten a statement yet this month."
"Posh, Ali, you know I can never read or understand those blasted things. That's why I tell you to keep them and do it for me."
"Yes, I know, dear." He replaced his reading glasses in his pocket. "So now will you please stop worrying?" He chuckled. "Pretty soon you may have more money than me."
The woman laughed in relief, putting a hand to her heart. "Thank you, Ali." She expelled a deep breath. "I knew I'd feel better if I stopped to see you." She smiled. "You do always calm me down."
He went to her, helped her to her feet, then handed her her cane. "Now, if I promise to come to dinner next week, do you promise to stop worrying?"
She paused at the double door. "I promise." She leaned up and kissed his cheek again. "Thank you, Ali. I don't know what I would do without
She scooted forward. "Oh, Ali, I know, I wasn't questioning—"
"Yes, I know, Maureen." Patting her hand, he smiled at her. "You have more than enough to worry about now, and as I've said in the past, there is more than enough money to take care of whatever needs you or Alfred have now or in the future."
Some of the worry left her face. "And you're sure, Ali? I mean, I know how expensive all of Alfred's care is—"
He touched her cheek again. "Please, Maureen. Trust me."
"Oh Ali, you know I trust you. Truly. It's not that…" Her smile was still shaky. "I know I'm being silly but—"
"You are never silly, Maureen. Tell me, what is it I can do to ease your mind?"
"Just to be on the safe side, just so I'll feel better, could you just check my account? I know you've been having some problems with your computers, so if you could just check—"
"But of course." Standing up, Ali glanced at Faith. "Is there a way you can get me into my computer so I can check a balance?"
Faith was so stunned by the affection between Ali and this woman, it took a moment for her to realize he was speaking to her.
"Faith?"
"I'm sorry." She jumped to her feet. "Of course." She crossed the room to his desk and booted up his computer. "Ali, can you put your password in?"
He came around the desk, stopping so close to her their bodies were touching. His masculine scent, his warmth seemed to radiate from him to her. Her pulse sped up and she felt a quick flash of heat, fire.
Her throat went dry while her palms grew damp. Absently, she wiped them down her jeans and shifted her weight away from him, so that they were no longer touching. She couldn't seem to think when he was touching her.
Quickly, with great concentration, Ali tapped in a few letters, then glanced at her, his eyes dark, intent, as if he too had felt the flash of heat between them.
With nervous fingers, Faith plugged in the code that opened the correct accounting program, quickly bringing up the accounts. "I'm sorry, your last name is Jourdan?" She glanced at Maureen.
"Yes."
Faith spelled it out to be certain she typed it in accurately. A screen popped up with Maureen and Alfred Jourdan's names at the top. Faith didn't want to look, or pry, but she would have had to have been blind not to see the amount of money in the account.
She glanced up at Ali. His face was cool, calm, serene. She glanced back at the screen. Something didn't add up. Perhaps there was another account. She punched in another set of numbers, but no other files were found.
Concerned because she'd been privy to their conversation, Faith looked curiously at Ali once again. He met her gaze levelly, as if willing her not to speak. It was not her place, or her business, so she said nothing, stepping back so he could view the computer screen.
Ali retrieved a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and leaned down to examine the screen for a moment.
"There now, see?" With a delighted smile, he straightened, then hit the button that would close it before anyone else could view the figures. "There is more than enough money to cover whatever expenses you and Alfred have. I'm sorry you haven't gotten a statement yet this month."
"Posh, Ali, you know I can never read or understand those blasted things. That's why I tell you to keep them and do it for me."
"Yes, I know, dear." He replaced his reading glasses in his pocket. "So now will you please stop worrying?" He chuckled. "Pretty soon you may have more money than me."
The woman laughed in relief, putting a hand to her heart. "Thank you, Ali." She expelled a deep breath. "I knew I'd feel better if I stopped to see you." She smiled. "You do always calm me down."
He went to her, helped her to her feet, then handed her her cane. "Now, if I promise to come to dinner next week, do you promise to stop worrying?"
She paused at the double door. "I promise." She leaned up and kissed his cheek again. "Thank you, Ali. I don't know what I would do without
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