lean against the washer and put the other shoe on.
She went looking for Theo. She found him in her library, sitting in her leather chair, talking on the phone. Noah was with him.
He was perched on the edge of the desk. He smiled when he saw her.
'Good morning.'
'Good morning,' she replied.
She sat down on the sofa and bent to tie her shoelaces. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Theo hang up the phone, but
she was having a little trouble looking directly at him. The memory of what they had done the night before was still acutely vivid
in her mind.
It was only awkward because Noah was there, she thought.
'Sleep well?' Theo asked.
'Yes, but I was supposed to be at the clinic hours ago.'
She couldn't get the knot in her shoelace untied and knew it was because she was nervous.
'Mary Ann-'
'Is at the clinic. Noah let her and her friend in. They came here looking for you around eight-thirty.'
She finally got the knot undone and quickly tied the laces. She didn't hear Theo coming, but suddenly he was standing in front
of her. His left shoelace was untied. Without even thinking about it, she reached over, tied it for him, and stood.
Theo wasn't going to let her ignore him any longer. He nudged her under her chin to get her to look at him, then leaned down
and kissed her. He didn't seem to care that Noah was there. He took his time, and with very little coaxing he got her to cooperate and return the kiss.
Without making a sound, Noah got up and left the room. Theo hugged Michelle and whispered, 'Want to fool around?'
'I thought we did that last night.'
'It's okay. We can do it again. Besides, that was just a warm-up.' She tried to wiggle out of his arms. He tightened his hold. 'Michelle, you aren't embarrassed about last night, are you?'
Her gaze flew to his and she saw how worried he looked. 'I'm a physician, Theo. Nothing embarrasses me.'
Then she kissed him and gave it all she had. Her tongue touched his, once, then once again, and when she pulled back, she was pleased to see that I-want-to-get-you-naked look was back in his eyes.
'I have work to do,' she said as she successfully disengaged herself from his embrace.
'Actually, you don't. Mary Ann told me that she and Cindy-I think that was the other woman's name-would get the files in order much faster if you stay away. I'm supposed to keep you busy.'
'She did not say-'
'Yeah, she did. She said you're critical and picky. Those were her words, not mine. Your dad called to tell you John Paul moved your furniture out. He's going to fix what he can.'
'He couldn't have carried my desk or my sofa by himself.'
'A guy named Artie helped him. So, nothing embarrasses you?'
'Nothing,' she lied.
'Then why did you look embarrassed when I kissed you good morning?'
She headed for the kitchen with Theo right on her heels. 'I was thinking about Noah. I didn't want him to be embarrassed.'
Theo thought that was hilarious. Noah heard the laughter and poked his head around the door. 'What's so funny?'
'Nothing,' Michelle said as she edged past him to get into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator to look for a Diet Coke and
did a double take. The fridge had been pretty bare the night before, but now it was packed with food and drinks. She found a
Diet Coke way in the back, grabbed it, and closed the door. Then she opened the door again to make sure she hadn't imagined it, spotted the sticks of real butter, and guessed who was responsible.
'Noah doesn't know how to be embarrassed. Do you?' Theo asked his friend.
'Embarrassed about what?'
'Sex. You know what sex is, don't you?'
'Sure I do. I read all about it in a book once. I'm thinking about trying it out one of these days.'
They were both having a good old time teasing her. She sat down at the table and only then noticed the triple layer chocolate
cake on the counter. Noah grabbed a towel and went to the stove to lift the lid on a large iron kettle. The spicy scent of gumbo immediately filled the kitchen.
'When did you have time to make this?' Noah asked. 'It sure smells good.'
She couldn't remember what her father had told her. Was she supposed to say she baked the cake or made the gumbo? Then Noah asked her if she wanted a slice of home-baked bread. The French loaf was sitting on waxed paper by the sink.
'Is there a card with the gumbo?'
'I didn't see one,' Noah said.
'Then I made it.' She smiled as she told the lie.
Theo got the milk out of the refrigerator and put it down on the table. 'You were a busy woman last night. Did you bake the
cake too?'
Feeling like an idiot, she asked, 'Is there a card with the cake?'
'No.'
'Then I guess I made that too.'
'And the bread?'
'No card?' she asked, trying to maintain a straight face.
'Didn't see one.'
'I just love to bake bread in the middle of the night.'
Theo put a box of Frosted Flakes, a box of raisin bran, and a box of Quaker breakfast bars on the table so Michelle would have
a choke. Then he got her a spoon.
'So the lady sneaking in the back door with the bread wasn't fibbing when she said you baked the bread at her house last night
and forgot to bring it home?'
Michelle had gone way past feeling foolish. Where were all the stupid cards? Had her father decided to change his game plan
and forgotten to mention it to her? What was she supposed to say now? If she told Theo the truth, her father would think she wasn't cooperating with his sacred cause to keep Theo in Bowen.
Daddy wasn't going to be able to accuse her of not being a game player. 'That's right,' she said. 'Just after you fell asleep, I
came downstairs, fixed the gumbo and baked the cake; then I got in the car and drove over to…'
She suddenly stopped. Theo hadn't told her the name of the woman who had dropped the bread off, and Michelle couldn't remember to whom Daddy had assigned the task. Quickly improvising, she continued, '… a friend's house and baked a couple
of loaves of bread.'
'Don't forget the grocery store.'
'What? Oh, yes, I stopped by the grocery store.'
