Against The Odds Read Online Free PDF Page A

of the female race, he threw himself into his
work with a renewed vigor. He promised himself that he would never be fooled by a woman
again.
    He
had never imagined he would see the butterfly again. It never
returned after the day he read the diary and he had often wondered
what had happened to it. He never dreamt that he would see it
literally on some woman’s flesh. He remembered how it had soothed
him during the dark, painful months after Suzanne’s death. He had
missed the butterfly and had felt a sense of loss for a while, but
he had eventually convinced himself that he had been
hallucinating in his grief. It had been a terrible shock to
see it, seemingly so alive, against that woman’s skin, as if it
always belonged there. As she had moved, for a split second he
imagined that it moved with her. That is what had shocked him the
most. The fee ling that the
butterfly belonged on her, with her. If that was so, who was she?
Why had it been there to soothe him, heal him and help him through
his darkest hours?
    ~ ~ ~
~
     
    He
tried to phone Rebecca a few times, but she refused to take his
calls. He was growing desperate. But a part of him saw the futility
of his quest. What would he say to her, that it was his butterfly on her back? She
would laugh at him. Perhaps he was over-reacting. There was no
reason to believe that anything significant or coincidental had
happened. She was just a woman with a butterfly tattoo. He
was being silly and should apologize to her. Also, he wanted to
look into those black eyes again, to drown in their power. He
wanted her, he finally admitted, butterfly or not. But a small voice in his head reminded
him of a unique feature of the butterfly. It lacked a small
patch of color on its left wing. It was a missing color that was so
conspicuous against the bright blue of the butterfly. The small
colorless patch resembled an hour-glass. Hers had been exactly the
same with its missing small
hourglass patch.
     
    He
phoned Bradford Adcock in the hope he would get some
answers.
    “ Hey there. How are you doing?”
    Brad was
pleased and laughed. “Well, well, if it isn’t the lawmaker himself.
How are you doing Clay?”
    “Fine,
like I was last week when we spoke. I really have been fine for a
while. Don’t forget we are meeting on Friday.”
    “ Yes, yes. I know.”
    “I just
need some information, about a friend of yours. Rebecca
Raymond.”
    “Oh
sure, you need her help?”
    “ No, no. I met her with Jono and I am curious.”
    Brad was
silent for a while.
    “She is
not a woman to mess around with. Seriously, Clay. She is very dear
to me. She is a really great psychologist and definitely not one
for you to mess around with.”
    Clayton
laughed. “Okay, relax, I get it. But she is not your type either,
so I am surprised. But I will back off.”
    “ Clayton, I have no sexual intentions with her. She is that
one, you know, that special woman that deserves a decent guy. Yes,
I admit she is very hot, those breasts just call to me and when she
swings those legs and strides off, I admit I get…..”
    “ Damn, Brad, I really don’t want to hear that.”
    Brad
sighed. “I like her, as a person. What exactly do you want from
her?”
    He was
silent for a while. “I don’t know. There was just a connection, you
know, like we knew each other. I want to know who she is. There is
just something….”
    Brad was
silent for a long time.
    “Okay, she is a child psychologist. She deals mostly with
kids who can’t cope, with life, with family with school, you know?
She helps a lot of my divorce kids, and she is my best expert
witness. She’s sweet, caring and gets on well with most people. She
doesn’t date lawyers, at all .”
    “ I see. So you have never tried?’
    “No. The
first time I met her, I did kind of suggest it and she sweetly told
me to remain professional for our mutual benefit. I guess I liked
the way she handled me, and now, we just chat, or have a