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kitchen counter. “Great. We made pizza, and now we’re having a little manicure party.”
    “You’re doing Katie’s nails?”
    Amber pictured Brian’s smile at the other end of the phone. “Yes. And she’s doing mine.”
    “What color?”
    “Pink.”
    “I had an image of blue or green. Maybe both.”
    Amber laughed. “We miss you.”
    “And I miss both of you,” Brian said. “Very much.”
    Amber’s eyes grew misty. “I’ll put Katie on.”
    ***
    “I wish you’d stop working for Sumner,” Brian said. “Come back and work for me.”
    Brian had returned from his business trip the night before.  Now he and Amber were out to dinner.
    “Why?” Amber asked him.
    Brian shook his head. “I just don’t like the guy.”
    “Don’t worry,” Amber said. “He treats me well.”
    Brian’s jaw ticked.
    Amber sighed. She knew Brian still felt guilty about how he’d treated her.
    She ran her hand down his arm. “It’s just that things are going well. He’s given me some extra responsibility.”
    Brian frowned. “What kind of extra responsibility?”
    Amber shook her head. “Brian, I can’t talk about it.”
    Brian closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them and nodded. “He’s in a separate area of technology, but I suppose I understand.”
    Amber pressed her lips together. If Brian only knew that Peter Sumner was also working on wi-fi coding for smartphones. But she couldn’t tell him.
    At any rate, Brian’s business was thriving. Unless Sumner Systems came up with something revolutionary, she doubted Brian’s business would suffer in the least.
    Brian had a contract with the largest smartphone company and Peter Sumner was free to go after another.
    From the correspondence she ’d had with Sumner Systems’ potential client, it looked like the smartphone company was just looking to catch up.
    Amber squeezed Brian’s arm. “Let’s change the subject,” she whispered. “Okay?”
    Brian’s jaw clenched again. But he nodded.
    Brian and Amber were sitting on the sofa in the family room several nights later. Brian’s arm was wrapped around her.
    “Thank you for agreeing to take things slowly.”
    He kissed her gently. “Life really does offer second chances. When Diana and I met, she’d just broken off an engagement.”
    Amber looked up at Brian. “ Really?”
    Brian nodded. His eyes locked onto Amber’s. “I honestly never thought I’d feel this way again, Amber.” He stroked her cheek. “I’m falling in love with you.”
    Amber’s heart beat hard at the look of tenderness in his eyes.
    “Me too.” Her voice was choked as she spoke the words.
    Brian’s words meant everything to Amber. But a sliver of doubt nagged at her.
    “Brian, there are still things I haven’t told you,” she whispered. “Things you don’t know about me.”
    Michelle had gone on a limb to hire her.
    What would happen when Brian found out? Would he fire Michelle?
    Brian took her hands and drew them to his chest. “I like a woman of mystery. You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
    On Valentine’s Day, several days later, Brian and Amber took Brian’s yacht into San Francisco. They docked at the pier and had dinner at a restaurant on Fisherman’s Wharf.
    Brian stood at the wheel on the way home, an arm around Amber. Strong gusts of wind invaded the crisp night. Brian had wrapped a blanket around Amber. Now he squeezed her to him and grinned down at her.
    Brian hadn’t been on the yacht since Diana had passed away. Hadn’t wanted to be. Until now.
    He was happy again. Truly happy. He hadn’t known it was possible.
    But t he misery of last year no longer hung like a heavy weight around his neck.
    ***
    Two nights later, Amber and Brian were in Brian’s bedroom.
    Katie was asleep. Mrs. Quinn had the night off. She was out with a friend.
    Amber and Brian lay on his bed, kissing.
    Brian pulled away. “Are you on anything?”
    Amber shook her head. “No.”
    His body stiffened. “Have you done this