perfectly dressed, and completely comfortable walking into Ethan’s home.
“Ethan, darling.”
Catherine looked toward the office.
Ethan appeared in the doorway.
His shoulders tightened.
“What are you doing here?”
“Visiting.”
“I asked you not to.”
Brooke ignored the statement and touched his arm as though the past still gave her permission.
Then she finally looked at Catherine.
Not really at her.
Through her.
“Could you bring us sparkling water?”
Catherine felt something hot rise in her chest.
Before she answered, Ethan said, “Catherine is my assistant, Brooke. She doesn’t work
for you.”
Brooke smiled.
“Assistant?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
Catherine answered.
“Since he promoted me from housekeeper.”
Brooke’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
“A housekeeper?”
Her voice remained pleasant.
That somehow made the judgment in it sharper.
Catherine smiled.
“Apparently honesty is considered a transferable skill.”
Ethan coughed into his hand.
Brooke looked at him.
“Was that amusing?”
“No.”
It absolutely had been.
Brooke stayed nearly an hour.
She asked Catherine for water anyway.
Catherine brought it because walking into another room seemed preferable to spending another minute listening to
