house and I returned to my sketchpad. I felt antsy and wanted to go for a run, but I knew that wasn’t yet possible. I missed the feeling of my feet pounding the pavement as the wind blew in my face. The doctors assured me that I would be able to run again very soon. It was all a matter of time.
Juana poked her head out the sliding glass door again. “Mrs. Adams?”
“Yes?”
“There is someone here to see you,” she said, looking apprehensive.
“Who is it?”
“He told me to say it was a surprise.”
“ Oh. Okay. Bring him here.” Juana hesitated, looking upset and unsure of what to do. I raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
“No, Mr s. Adams.”
She disappeared. Within a few moments a tall man with broad shoulders and wearing dark glasses walked towards me. He was casually dressed in a pair of slim black pants and close fitting blue shirt that flattered his muscular frame. Juana stood in the doorway with a worried look on her face. She was wringing her hands nervously.
“Still as pretty as ever,” the man said.
I recognized the voice at once. “Lance!”
Lance Adams took off his glasses t o reveal brilliant blue eyes that were incredibly similar to those of his older brother. The only difference was that they lacked the hardness of Michael’s authoritative stare.
“It’s damn good to see you again, Zoë,” he said, bending down towards the lounge chair to give me a hug.
I returned my brother-in-law’s embrace. “It’s so good to see you, too. How are you?”
“I’m fine, but more importantly, how are you ?”
“I’m getting bett er every day.”
“That’s great .” He paused and looked at me in awe. “I can’t get over it…you look exactly the same as when I last saw you.”
“So do you.”
Lance’s hair was the same sandy brown that Michael’s had been before it turned grey. He wore it shoulder length and slicked back, tied at the nape. Michael, who disapproved of long hair, had constantly criticized his younger brother’s appearance.
I looked to Juana, who was still hovering in the doorway.
Lance followed my gaze. “Do you still bake those amazing cookies, Juana?” he asked.
Juana looked uncomfortable as she nodded in response to his question.
“ She baked a batch yesterday, in fact,” I said, eyeing her closely. “Juana, why don’t you get us some refreshments, please?”
“Of course, Mrs. Adams,” she replied before leaving Lance and I alone on the patio.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you,” he said, turning his attention back to me.
“S ame here.” I smirked and asked, “So…how old are you now? Forty?”
Lance feigned a mad face . “Easy there, sci-fi girl,” he teased playfully. “I’m still thirty-nine.”
“Sci-fi girl?”
“Would you prefer cryo-chick?”
I laughed. There had always been a high comfort level between us, and the easy banter we shared was usually fraught with humor.
“I bet you never thought you’d make internati onal headlines someday,” he said softly.
I shook my head slowly. “Never .”
“Time, Newsweek, New York Times, L.A. Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post…how does it feel to be a celebrity?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t been out in public much. I’ve already been warned that when I’m fully recovered I’ll be expected to do many interviews. Michael won’t let anyone near me until I’m ready. You know how protective he is.”
“Only too well,” he said as he pulled the other lounge chair closer to me and took a seat.
I bit my bottom lip and lowered my eyes. “I asked about you while I was in the hospital. I wondered why you hadn’t come to see me.”
Lance reached over an d gave my hand a squeeze. “I was overjoyed when I heard the news that you were awake and okay. It’s been so long…I never gave up hope.” His eyes were intense and he added quickly,
Juana poked her head out the sliding glass door again. “Mrs. Adams?”
“Yes?”
“There is someone here to see you,” she said, looking apprehensive.
“Who is it?”
“He told me to say it was a surprise.”
“ Oh. Okay. Bring him here.” Juana hesitated, looking upset and unsure of what to do. I raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”
“No, Mr s. Adams.”
She disappeared. Within a few moments a tall man with broad shoulders and wearing dark glasses walked towards me. He was casually dressed in a pair of slim black pants and close fitting blue shirt that flattered his muscular frame. Juana stood in the doorway with a worried look on her face. She was wringing her hands nervously.
“Still as pretty as ever,” the man said.
I recognized the voice at once. “Lance!”
Lance Adams took off his glasses t o reveal brilliant blue eyes that were incredibly similar to those of his older brother. The only difference was that they lacked the hardness of Michael’s authoritative stare.
“It’s damn good to see you again, Zoë,” he said, bending down towards the lounge chair to give me a hug.
I returned my brother-in-law’s embrace. “It’s so good to see you, too. How are you?”
“I’m fine, but more importantly, how are you ?”
“I’m getting bett er every day.”
“That’s great .” He paused and looked at me in awe. “I can’t get over it…you look exactly the same as when I last saw you.”
“So do you.”
Lance’s hair was the same sandy brown that Michael’s had been before it turned grey. He wore it shoulder length and slicked back, tied at the nape. Michael, who disapproved of long hair, had constantly criticized his younger brother’s appearance.
I looked to Juana, who was still hovering in the doorway.
Lance followed my gaze. “Do you still bake those amazing cookies, Juana?” he asked.
Juana looked uncomfortable as she nodded in response to his question.
“ She baked a batch yesterday, in fact,” I said, eyeing her closely. “Juana, why don’t you get us some refreshments, please?”
“Of course, Mrs. Adams,” she replied before leaving Lance and I alone on the patio.
“You have no idea how good it is to see you,” he said, turning his attention back to me.
“S ame here.” I smirked and asked, “So…how old are you now? Forty?”
Lance feigned a mad face . “Easy there, sci-fi girl,” he teased playfully. “I’m still thirty-nine.”
“Sci-fi girl?”
“Would you prefer cryo-chick?”
I laughed. There had always been a high comfort level between us, and the easy banter we shared was usually fraught with humor.
“I bet you never thought you’d make internati onal headlines someday,” he said softly.
I shook my head slowly. “Never .”
“Time, Newsweek, New York Times, L.A. Times, Boston Globe, Washington Post…how does it feel to be a celebrity?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t been out in public much. I’ve already been warned that when I’m fully recovered I’ll be expected to do many interviews. Michael won’t let anyone near me until I’m ready. You know how protective he is.”
“Only too well,” he said as he pulled the other lounge chair closer to me and took a seat.
I bit my bottom lip and lowered my eyes. “I asked about you while I was in the hospital. I wondered why you hadn’t come to see me.”
Lance reached over an d gave my hand a squeeze. “I was overjoyed when I heard the news that you were awake and okay. It’s been so long…I never gave up hope.” His eyes were intense and he added quickly,
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