Broken Honor Read Online Free PDF Page B

For some idiotic reason, they didn’t understand that all her receipts went up in the fire. They also expressed concern that the cause was arson. There would be, they said, an investigation before they could pay out.
    As if she would have burned her own house with her livelihood, dog, and herself inside.
    Thank God, she didn’t have a class today. Fortunate for the students anyway. She’d had Sherry cancel her appointments.
    â€œAmy?” The voice on the other end of the telephone sounded concerned.
    â€œHe didn’t say what he wanted?” She didn’t want to talk to another insurance agent, fire investigator, or police officer for the next ten years. Especially not today.
    â€œNo but he’s one hell of a good-looking guy. He’s in uniform and looks very cool in it.”
    â€œWhat kind of uniform?”
    â€œArmy. I think. He had enough decorations to fill a Christmas tree.”
    Army . She got an all-too-familiar bitter taste in her mouth. She tried to wash it out with the glass of wine she’d poured on her return from the insurance company. For a moment her throat tightened, constricted. She had to force out a breath of air.
    This had to have something to do with her grandfather. Possibly the article she’d seen a week earlier … a lifetime ago. She’d forgotten all about it after the fire.
    She knew one thing. She couldn’t cope with it today. Maybe not tomorrow.
    â€œWhat should I tell him?” Sherry prompted.
    â€œNothing,” Amy said. “Tell him you couldn’t reach me.”
    There was a silence, then in a small voice, “He’s standing here.”
    Amy groaned. Sherry was usually more protective of her than this. The soldier must be very good-looking.
    â€œTell him I’m going to Alaska.” That seemed as reasonable as any place to her. She wondered if there were firebugs in Alaska.
    â€œI think he’d follow you there. He has a determined glint in his eyes.”
    If she knew Sherry, her assistant had already assessed every physical characteristic of her unwanted visitor, down to his shirt size. “What color are they?”
    â€œPaul Newman,” Sherry said.
    Now she knew how the man had gotten as far as he had. Sherry was a sucker for Paul Newman. Amy sighed. She might as well get it over with. “Tomorrow,” she said. “At the office.”
    She heard Sherry talking to someone, then a question. “He wants to know if he can take you out to dinner tonight.”
    â€œNo,” Amy said abruptly.
    Whispers again on the other end of the line, then Sherry’s questioning voice. “You won’t reconsider?”
    â€œNo,” Amy replied.
    Sherry sighed again. “You have a class at nine and meetings at ten and eleven.”
    â€œTwo o’clock,” Amy said. “At the office.” A week ago she wouldn’t have thought twice about meeting someone outside of the office. She didn’t like the fear that had become a part of her.
    She hung up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. Bo crawled up beside her, and she rubbed his head.
    Amy had never been a coward. She had taken care of her mother in down-and-out neighborhoods since she was in grade school. She’d learned to be tough. Lenis Mallory had been into drugs, and though she tried to quit, she’d always fallen back on them. She was one of those flower children who had never grown out of it.
    Amy had loved her with all her heart. She had been gentle and sweet, and had a voice that would make angels weep. But she’d had no strength. People had used her. Strength was important to Amy. She hated the feeling of being out of control.
    She rose, went to the small kitchenette, and made a cup of coffee. She could only guess at what her insistent caller wanted. Something to do with her grandfather, probably with the recent investigation. Well, she wasn’t going to give him anything that might hurt her