Getting It Right This Time Read Online Free PDF Page B

tears stung painfully at the back of her eyes. She held up her hand, not caring that he would see how badly it shook. “I don’t want to talk about this. Not with you. Just leave.”
    The moment stretched between them like a gaping wound. Eventually, he pushed to his feet and slowly walked toward her.
    “I don’t care whether it’s today, tomorrow, next week or next month,” he said, stopping in front of her, “we will talk about this, and I will explain why I cut you and James off. I refuse to let you live and work in Foxton without at least talking about it.”
    Huffing out a laugh, Kate turned around and marched to the door. “You refuse? You refuse?
    My God, you really are up your own backside, Mark.” She yanked open the door. “Unfortunately for you, the young girl following you around like a little lamb, laughing at your jokes and massaging your ego is long gone. I am my own boss in every way, and I’ll do what the hell I want. And right now, I want you out of my salon.”
    His eyes locked with hers for a long moment before he squeezed them shut. “Fine. I’ll leave, but we will talk.”
    She glared at him. “Just go.”
    Then he opened his eyes and walked out the door without looking back. Exhaling her held breath in a rush, Kate closed the door and rested her head against the paneled wood as the adrenalin left her body, leaving her bones limp and her brain nothing more than mush.
    The sound of footsteps and muted conversation brought her upright, and Kate automatically planted a smile on her face. Jo led Miss Kingston into the reception area.
    “Here we go. And how would you like to pay today?”
    Kate stole a guilty look at the client she’d terribly neglected. The woman looked as though she’d been woken from a twenty-hour sleep. Mumbling a hurried apology and wishing her a nice day, Kate rushed into her office situated at the back of the salon.
    Suddenly the urge to know Jessica was all right overwhelmed her. Kate needed to anchor and focus her attention on the only solid and trustworthy thing left in her life. She dialed Lucy’s mobile number.
    “Hi, Luce, it’s me.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    Cursing her friend’s ability to detect even the slightest change in her voice, Kate laughed.
    “Nothing’s wrong. Just wanted to check Jess is okay.”
    “Of course she is.”
    “Good. That’s good.” And then before she could stop herself, she blurted, “Mark turned up.”
    Lucy let out a low whistle. “At the salon?”

    Rachel Brimble
    19
    “Yep.”
    “Oh, dear. That’s not good. What did you do?”
    “I sent him out the door with a rocket up his ass.”
    “No, you didn’t.”
    Kate pulled back her shoulders and tilted her chin. “How do you know? You weren’t here.”
    Lucy sniffed. “Because nobody sends Mark Johnston away with a rocket up his ass. Not even you. The man is a fired-up, ambitious, determined robot of tenacity. If you threw him out, I guarantee he’ll be back.”
    Pressing her hand to her stomach where a pocket of swirling panic began to build, Kate sniffed. “No, he won’t.”
    “I’m telling you, Kate, he will. Mark never does as he’s told. It’s what attracted you to him in the first place.”
    Heat surged over her face like Lucy’s words held a blow-torch to it. “Why are you talking about me being attracted to him?” she demanded. “Do I honestly need that right now?”
    “All I’m saying is, if he wants to see you, it’s best you swallow your pride and listen to what he has to say, because he won’t take no for an answer. You know that as well as I do.”
    “Well, for your information, it’s not pride stopping me from seeing him, it’s common sense.”
    “Really? And what conclusion has your common sense led you to?”
    Kate closed her eyes.
    “Kate?”
    Then inspiration struck like a bolt out of nowhere. “I don’t want to be seen with him, that’s why. I’ve got Jessica to think of.”
    “What?”
    “The media. They’ve got him up on