The Color of Hope (The Color of Heaven Series) Read Online Free PDF

field, stepped onto the bleachers, and his smile sent every woman into a swoon.
    “Who is he?” I asked, sipping my water.
    My friend Candace was an attorney as well, but she specialized in property law. She started at the firm a year before I did, and to our mutual delight, her office was situated next to mine, near the photocopy machine.
    “I don’t know,” she said, “but I’m going to find out.”
    Before you assume that Candace and I were a couple of fast women on the prowl, I should set the record straight and mention that she was happily married to a lovely man, and they were expecting a baby. That afternoon, Candace was eating for two and had a belly she could use as a tray to balance a small cheese plate. She was not looking for action. To the contrary, she was on a mission to hook me up with my future husband, so that we could all live happily ever after together, and our children could go to the same preschool.
    Later that afternoon, she attempted to set her plan in motion. When the game ended and everyone moved onto the field to thank the ball player, Buddy Gilroy – who had surrendered his afternoon to pitch for a team of little leaguers – Candace pretended to recognize Rick, and asked him if he worked at another law firm in our building.
    “No, I’m Buddy’s agent,” Rick explained with that killer smile as he shook her hand. “Rick Fraser.”
    Candace charmingly apologized for the confusion and introduced herself – and me – while complimenting him on the great work he was doing, arranging for his client to donate his time to such a worthy cause.
    Then Candace jolted with surprise and reached into her pocket. “My phone’s vibrating.” She whipped it out and said, “Can you excuse me for a sec?”
    As she backed away from us to answer it, I knew that was all a sham. Her phone hadn’t vibrated, and there was no one on the other end.
    Rick and I stood for a moment, watching Buddy sign baseballs for the kids while a news crew recorded everything.
    “Do all your clients do charity work?” I asked.
    “Most of them,” he replied. “Some have regular organizations they support, but others offer their time to anyone who asks. Buddy’s like that. When it comes to charity work, he has eclectic tastes.”
    “That’s great to hear.”
    Rick turned to me. “Which law firm do you work for?”
    “Berkley, Davidson, Simon, and Jones,” I replied. “I mostly handle divorce cases.”
    The sunlight caught a glimmer of something exciting in his magnetic blue eyes, and I felt a thrilling spark of attraction. It’s a wonder I didn’t faint from the rush of it.
    “Are you married?” he asked.
    “No. It’s not really on my To Do list at the moment.” I don’t know why I said that. I suppose I wanted to convey an impression of being light and easygoing. “Work keeps me pretty busy.”
    “Not too busy, I hope,” Rick said with a devastating grin. “I mean, you gotta enjoy yourself.”
    “Absolutely,” I replied. “That’s one of the first lessons you learn when you handle divorces.” He tilted his head questioningly, so I decided to elaborate. “I see too many couples that stop having fun together, and eventually their daily life just feels like drudgery. I don’t ever want to feel like that.”
    He seemed intrigued by my comment, and his gaze raked boldly over me. “So what do you do for fun, Diana?”
    There was no mistaking the flirtatious tone of his voice, the spark of interest in his eyes, and I responded in kind, with a provocative smile. “I’m always open to suggestions.”
    The attraction between us was palpable, and when Candace returned just then, I had to shake myself out of the spell I was under.
    Later, as we were walking off the field, Rick said, “We should grab a drink sometime.”
    “I’d love it,” I replied, and we exchanged cell numbers.
    When I got into the car with Candace, she grilled me about everything Rick and I talked about while she was pretending