Past Due Read Online Free PDF Page B

wiser. He’s even more beautiful than he was fifteen years ago. He has no right to be here. Pushing her soft lower lip against her teeth and biting at the tender flesh, she stared out the window. Her eyes followed his every movement as he toured the grounds. He turned and stared at the building. She jumped back from the window, tipping her coffee cup and spilling it down the front of her shirt. She groaned and wiped at the white cotton. It was useless. She couldn’t wipe away a coffee stain, nor could she escape this moment. She had to face him.
    Just a few pictures, then she would be done. She took a deep breath and told herself that she was being absolutely ridiculous, she was an adult now; she shouldn’t be acting like this over a boy…even if he looked…forget it. She laid her hands alongside her nose and breathed through her cupped hands until her racing heart slowed enough for her to still her shaking. She pulled her camera out of her bag and set the aperture and lighting meter. Squaring her shoulders and assuring herself she had on her big girl pants, she braced herself to survive a meeting with Tres Coulter one last time.
    She left the building and walked purposefully across the lawn. The temptation to bolt for her car and run away from this nightmare frustrated her. Be an adult, she reminded herself. She kept a safe distance and took plenty of shots of him while he worked, so as not to be an intrusion. Capturing an ample amount of good shots with the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the background and certain that he desired candid shots, not portraits, she finished with her heart still on one piece. Tres gathered with a few of the workers and seemed engrossed in what they were saying. Quickly approaching Russ while Tres was distracted, she said, “I’ve got lots of good shots, Russ. I’ll e-mail them to Esther and she can forward them to Mr. Coulter. I’ve got a busy day scheduled, so I’m going to scoot.”
    “Stick around, Jenna, he’s not so bad.”
    “Please, Russ. Not you too?”
    “I like him. And he keeps lookin’ over his shoulder ... I think he’s watchin’ for ya.”
    “I’m too old for these kinds of games. Besides, Esther sort of caught me between obligations this morning.” Jenna didn’t mention one of the obligations was to get even more of the same pictures for Lois. She said nothing of it because she had absolutely no intention of sticking around as Tres Coulter lurked in the same atmosphere. “Be good, Russ. Don’t you try to fix me up too.”
    Russ nodded, and Jenna gave him a smile. Turning toward her car, it suddenly seemed miles away and Tres’s presence threatened to overwhelm her. Just knowing he was nearby, somewhere, made her heart beat erratically, and she felt winded as if she jogged to her car instead of walked. He’d be gone soon. She just needed to get out of here ... right now. Lengthening her stride, she breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the black top. But only steps away from escape, a deep smooth voice in her ear knocked her off kilter. “Have a cup of coffee with me, Jenna?”
    Jenna jumped and dropped her keys on the ground. She bent over to pick them up and righting herself, she found him leaning against the door of her car.
    She tapped her foot on the pavement, “I just had coffee.” Didn’t he notice the big coffee stain on her shirt?
    “Then have a soda, lunch, anything. I just want to spend a few minutes with you. To talk to you.” He reached out and took her cool, trembling hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’d only take a minute. Jenna, I need some answers. I just want to talk to you, nothing more.”
    Jenna’s eyes narrowed and she jerked her hand from his grip as if it burned. “I have an appointment, so, if you don’t mind, I have to go.”
    Tres closed his eyes briefly as if he needed a moment to compose his thoughts or steady his patience. He opened his eyes and offered, “Agree to meet me later and I’ll move.”
    Jenna