Read Not Quite an Angel for Free Online Page B

damned bad. One of them needed to take control of things.
    â€œI grew up on an, umm, farm. In the country.”
    â€œI see. What part of the country?”
    â€œThe western part.” She wasn’t at all flustered, the way he thought she’d be. “What about you, Mr. Hawkins?”
    â€œNew York. You ever been there, Ms. Smith?”
    She shook her head and frowned. “Please, Ms. Smith makes me nervous. Why not just call me Sameh,” she suggested, turning her attention to Bernie. “How about you, Mr. Methot? Have you ever been to New York?”
    â€œEnough with the Mr. Methot here, too. It’s plain old Bernie, okay?” She nodded, and he went on, “I was in New York on my honeymoon once, for five days that felt like a century.” He held out his fingers one by one. “First day, I got in a fight with a cabdriver. Second day, Frances, that’s my wife, almost got mugged in the park. Third day, I gotthe flu, had to stay two extra days to the tune of two hundred fifty a night plus call in a doctor who barely spoke any English. He figured Frances was somebody I’d picked up in Times Square. It’s a wonder I’m still married. I think you gotta be born there to appreciate New York.”
    Adam frowned at his partner. He couldn’t believe the way Bernie was responding to this woman. He’d never told Adam this story about visiting New York, and Adam could have sworn he’d heard all Bernie’s stories at least twice.
    Sameh laughed. “Your wife must be an exceptional person to stick with you after that,” she teased. “You have any children, Bernie?”
    Adam recognized the flicker that passed over Bernie’s face a moment before he answered, and something in his own gut reacted in sympathy.
    â€œTwo kids, a girl three and a boy eighteen months. You like kids, Sameh?”
    â€œChildren are miracles,” she said softly, and her voice as well as her eyes seemed to glow. “There’s nothing I like better than children.”
    â€œYou oughta come over and meet my kids, then, and Frances, too. Tomorrow’s Saturday—why not come over and have dinner with us? You busy tomorrow evening?”
    Adam couldn’t believe he’d heard properly. Since Corey was born a year and a half ago, he doubted that Bernie and Frances had invited anyone except himself to dinner.
    Sameh turned the full force of her smile on Bernie, and Adam felt the radiant warmth of it from where he sat. “Oh, I’d be so pleased to come. Thank you for inviting me. I really haven’t met many people here, and I miss being around children. What time is best?”
    â€œCome early, you can meet the kids before they go to bed. Why don’t you come over in the afternoon? We usually eat early, anyway.” He paused for a long moment, his smilefading and an uncomfortable look settling on his face. “I should warn you that my son, Corey, has cerebral palsy.”
    Sameh reached over and took Bernie’s hand in her own. “That makes him an extra special little boy then, doesn’t it? I look forward to meeting him.”
    Bernie supplied his address, and he and Adam left. There was silence in the car as Adam deftly wound his way through traffic, heading back to the office. He drove even faster than usual. He was both astounded and furious at his partner, and finally he was unable to contain his anger any longer.
    â€œGood God, I can’t believe you did that back there, Bern,” he burst out, squealing the tires as he rounded a corner. “Asking Smith to your house for dinner is plain dumb when we have no idea who or what she really is. Exposing Frances and the kids to somebody you don’t even know—and you’ve told me Frances is really on edge these days, anyway. And what the hell’s wrong with your eyesight? This is one gorgeous woman. What if your wife gets it into her head there’s something