Authors: Sandi Perry
"Yes
and
a
little
maple
syrup
for
sweetness."
Allison
practically
licked
the
bowl
clean,
"Was
that
a
bit
of
shredded
green
apple
I
just
tasted?"
Her
mother
laughed,
"When's
the
last
time
you
had
a
home-cooked
meal?
Doesn't
Kenyon
try
out
his
new
recipes
on
you?"
"Ken
is
seeing
someone
new
and
cooking
for
me
is
way
down
on
his
list
of
priorities."
She
smiled,
"I
feel
foolish
to
leave
and
go
off
to
my
reading
group
so
soon
after
you
got
here.
I'll
just
drop
off
the
soup
and
bread
and
come
right
back."
"You'll
do
no
such
thing.
I'll
be
here
all
weekend;
we'll
have
plenty
of
time
together."
"Well,
if
you
insist,"
her
mother
said.
"I
do.
It's
important
to
make
yourself
a
priority
in
your
own
life."
"I
guess
you're
right,
I
never
was
very
good
at
making
time
for
myself,"
her
mother
smiled.
"Thank
you
for
insisting
that
I
join
the
group
in
the
first
place.
I
look
forward
to
the
companionship
of
intelligent
women,
and
it
passes
the
evening
hours.
Those
are
usually
the
longest."
She
straightened
her
shoulders,
as
if
to
catch
herself
before
the
melancholy
set
in,
"Anyway,
tell
me
how
the
search
is
going
for
the
new
CEO
position?"
"It's
going
fine."
"Just
fine,
that's
it?"
her
mother
pushed.
"I
don't
want
to
bore
you
with
business."
"I
heard
it
isn't
all
business."
"And
how
did
you
hear
that?"
Allison
asked
sharply.
"Sweetheart,
I
may
be
living
out
here
in
the
'burbs,
but
I
am
sure
to
hear
about
it
when
my
daughter
flies
down
to
a
man's
home
to
meet
his
family,"
her
mother
said
gently.
"It's
nothing
like
that."
"I
know
that—because
you
won't
let
it
be
anything
but
business.
Sweetheart,
I
love
you,
but—"
"Ma,"
Allison
interrupted,
"I
can't
hear
the
'but'
speech.
I
really
can't.
Especially
not
about
Alex."
"And
why
is
that?"
Allison
was
quiet
for
a
long
while.
Finally,
she
spoke.
"There's
something
about
him
that
scares
me."
"Has
he
tried
to
hurt
you
in
any
way?"
her
mother
seemed
alarmed.
"No,
nothing
like
that.
He
won't
let
me
brush
him
off.
He
somehow...
he
somehow
gets
inside
of
me.
It's
kinda
freaking
me
out.
I
don't
know
what
to
do
about
it.
I
have
no
idea
how
to
handle
him."
"Why
not
leave
the
handling
up
to
him?"
she
asked.
"Definitely
not
a
good
idea."
"Honey,
it's
a
great
idea.
It's
high
time
you
trusted
a
man.
And
I
also
heard
he's
very
good-looking."
She
leaned
in
toward
her
daughter,
"And
very
sexy."
Allison
reddened,
"Oh,
so
it
was
Kenyon
who
told
you."
"Actually
it
was
Emily."
"Emily!
Maybe
it's
time
to
get
a
new
assistant,"
Allison
grumbled.
"Allison,
life
is
mercurial.
We
don't
know
from
one
minute
to
the
next
what's
in
store
for
us
out
there."
"I
know,"
Allison
got
up
and
gave
her
mother
a
warm
hug.
"And
I
need
you
to
be
extra
careful."
"Why,
have
you
heard
something
from
the
police?"
"Not
lately,
but
I'm
in
constant
contact
with
Detective
Fitzsimons.
Just
as
an
aside,
Jeremy
and
I
are
meeting
Paul
Franklin
for
dinner
this
evening."
"Would
you
like
me
to
join?"
her
mother
offered.
"No.
Definitely
not."
"That
sounded
a
little
sharp.
Paul
is
harmless,
surely
you
don't
suspect..."
"The
police
aren't
ruling
anyone
out
and
neither
should
we.
We're
talking
about
a
two
billion
dollar
company,
here."
She
paused
as
she
noted
her
mother's
widened
eyes.
"I'm
sorry.
I
didn't
come
up
here
to
stress
you
out.
I
thought
you'd
like
be
in
the
loop.
We're
meeting
Paul
to
see
how
he
is
in
a
relaxed
setting
away
from
the
firm
and
to
see
if
he
could
handle
the
CEO
position.
Please
don't
worry.
Let
me
help
you
pack
up
the
garlic
bread
and
soup
and
get
it
all
into
the
car."
"Only
if
you're
sure..."
"I
am.
Really.
Please
go
and
have
a
good
time.
We're
handling
this."