“Of course not. Let me catch Dana Sue and let her know.” When he got back to the table, he said, “Our food will be ready in a couple of minutes. Now, let’s decide. Your apartment or my house?”
She smiled at him. “Your house? You really are taking a giant leap of faith with me, aren’t you? I thought maybe it was off-limits to all women. What if I start getting crazy ideas?”
J.C. laughed. “Your ideas can’t possibly be any crazier than mine have been lately. I think I’d like you to come to my place.”
“Want to see if I fit in with the leather furniture and giant-screen TV?” she teased.
“Laura, you’d fit in wherever you happen to be,” he said with total sincerity.
“Then you’re checking to see if my presence gives you a panic attack?” she concluded.
“The only thing I panic about these days is the fact that being with you doesn’t scare me,” he confessed. “That’s downright terrifying.”
She seemed startled by his revelation but clearly pleased. He looked up then, spotted Dana Sue heading their way and stood. He handed over enough cash for the food, then held out a hand to Laura. “Let’s go.”
They made the drive to his house in silence. While she wandered around, studying the Paula Vreeland originals on his walls with an awed expression, he put their food onto plates and poured the wine.
“Living room, I think,” he said, leading the way. “We’ll be more comfortable.”
She chuckled. “I got it exactly right. Oversize leather furniture and a giant flat-screen TV. You are so predictable, except for the Paula Vreeland pictures. Those are a total surprise. I’m so envious. I only have one print of hers.”
“You like her work, too?”
“Love it. The detail is exquisite.”
“Have you met her?”
“Just once,” she said. “You?”
“Hey, I’m in practice with her ex-son-in-law, who is not beloved by her. I try to steer clear of her. It’s a shame, too, because I’d love to tell her how much I admire her work.”
“Then you should. I’m sure she’d love to hear that, despite your unfortunate connection to a man she despises.”
J.C. handed her a glass of wine, then took a seat across from her. It wasn’t lost on him that, though she wasn’t the first woman to cross his threshold in this house, she was the only one who actually looked as if she belonged here. The disconcerting thought rattled his usual composure. One more chink in his defensive armor shot to blazes.
Time to get focused, he decided, hoping to reclaim some semblance of his usual careful distance between him and the sort of messy emotions that always led to disaster for Fullerton men.
“Okay, what have you learned about Misty?” he asked, knowing the change of topic would spoil any intimate mood at once.
Laura described the information she’d been given, then handed over the online posts someone had passed along to her. J.C. read them, his disgust growing. He thought he knew Misty well enough to know that absolutely none of the nasty accusations were true.
“And there’s no question that Annabelle’s behind this?” he asked.
“From all reports her online identity is well-known to the other kids at school. They were actually passing those pictures around at school today. Why none of the teachers caught a glimpse is beyond me. I saw a few clusters of giggling kids in the halls. I’m still kicking myself for not checking to see what they found so hilarious.”
“Any idea why she targeted Misty?”
“It’s over a boy, of course. At that age, isn’t it always?”
“I guess I’d forgotten what it’s like to deal with all those raging hormones, though I certainly see evidence of it in my practice. I’m more likely to see an unplanned pregnancy than something like this, though.” He held Laura’s gaze. “What’s next?”
“I spoke to Helen earlier. She’s going to do everything she can to get the posts and pictures taken down. I have no idea how long that might take. I’ll go to Betty either later tonight or tomorrow and arrange some sort of meeting on Monday morning.” She shrugged. “I guess we’ll see where it goes from there.”
“I hate to sound harsh, but I have absolutely zero sympathy for Annabelle Litchfield. Whatever they do to her can’t possibly be enough.”
“That’s not the first time this has sounded personal to you,” she said, startling him with her perceptiveness.
J.C. tried to fend off more questions. “Okay, yes. I’ve seen the tragic outcome when something like this spirals out of control. There need to be serious consequences for bullies. I don’t care how young they are or how innocent their parents claim the behavior to be. It’s wrong.”