Match Me If You Can

Molly's award-winning Daphne the Bunny children's books.

'People are finally getting used to me.'

'I'm sure it wasn't easy.' For a while Annabelle had wanted it to be hard, wanted her old lover to suffer, but she didn't feel that way now. Now she simply wanted to forget.

The woman who'd once been her fiance gazed at her across the table. 'I just wish that…'

'Don't say it.'

'You were my best friend, Annabelle. I want that back.'

The old bitterness resurfaced. 'I know you do, but you can't have it.'

'Would it help if I told you I'm not sexually attracted to you anymore? Apparently the hormones have done a job on me. For the first time in my life, I've started to look at men. Very strange.'

'Tell me about it.'

Rosemary laughed, and Annabelle managed a smile in return, but as much as she wished Rosemary well, she couldn't be her confidante. Their relationship had robbed her of too much. Not only had she lost trust in her ability to judge people, but she'd also lost her sexual confidence. What kind of loser could be in an intimate relationship for so long without suspecting that something was seriously askew?

Her pancakes arrived. Rosemary rose and regarded her sadly. 'I'll let you eat in peace. It's been good seeing you.'

The most Annabelle could manage in return was a quiet 'Good luck.'

Do you get invited to many of Phoebe and Dan's parties?' Heath asked a few hours later as he steered his BMW into the long, wooded drive that led to the Calebow home. A hawk circled in the afternoon sun above the old orchard to their right, where the apples were just beginning to turn red. 'A few,' she replied. 'But, then, Phoebe likes me.'

'Go ahead and laugh, but it's not funny to me. I've lost some great clients because of this.'

'I'd be lying if I didn't tell you it's nice having you at my mercy for a change.'

'Don't enjoy it too much. I'm trusting you not to screw this up.'

She was afraid she already had. She should have been up front with him about today's affair, but she always got pigheaded when workaholics started ordering her around, another legacy from her childhood.

The tires clattered on a narrow wooden bridge. They rounded a bend, and an old stone farmhouse came into sight. Build in the 1880s, the Calebow property was a rustic gem in an area of affluent suburban sprawl. Dan had bought the house in his bachelor days, and as their family had grown, he and Phoebe had added wings, raised the roof, and expanded the grounds. The end result was a charming ramble of a house perfect for a family with four growing children.

Heath parked in the drive next to Molly's SUV, which had Tigger sunshades suction-cupped to the glass. He shifted his weight and tucked his keys in the hip pocket of his khaki slacks. He wore them with a designer polo and another of his TAG Heuer watches, this one with a brown crocodile strap. Annabelle felt a little underdressed in gray knit drawstring shorts, aqua tank top, and J. Crew flip-flops.

She saw the exact moment when he spotted the multitude of pink balloons tied to the spindled railing that surrounded the old-fashioned front porch.

He turned to her slowly, a python uncoiling for the strike. 'Exactly what kind of party is this?'

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and tried to look adorable. 'Uh, funny you should ask…'

His grim green eyes belatedly reminded Annabelle that he had no sense of humor when it came to business. Not that she'd exactly forgotten it.

'No bullshit, Annabelle. Tell me right now what's going on.'

He'd trample her if she tried to stage a retreat, so she attempted a chipper sort of savoir faire. 'Relax and enjoy yourself. It'll be fun.' She didn't sound convincing, but before he could crush the life out of her, Molly appeared on the front porch with Pippi at her side. Both of them sported glittery pink tiaras, Pippi's accessorized with a strawberry pink princess gown, Molly's with bright yellow capris and a Daphne the Bunny T-shirt. Heath's already grim expression grew even more forbidding.

Molly looked startled, then laughed as she spotted Heath. He shot Annabelle a life-threatening glare, plastered a smile on his face for Molly, and stepped out of the car. Annabelle grabbed her tote and followed. Unfortunately, the knot that had begun to form in her stomach came right along with her.

'Heath? I don't believe it,' Molly said. 'I couldn't even talk Kevin into helping out today.'

'Is that so?' he replied slowly. 'Annabelle invited me.'

Molly gave her a thumbs-up. 'Cool.'

Annabelle forced a smile.

Heath walked toward Molly, projecting an air of amusement Annabelle knew he didn't feel. 'Annabelle neglected, however, to tell me exactly what she was inviting me to.'

'Oops.' Molly's eyes sparkled.

'I would have if you'd asked.' Annabelle's words sounded lame even to herself, and he ignored her.

Molly leaned down to her daughter. 'Pippi, tell Mr. Heath about our party.'

The three-year-old's tiara wobbled as she jumped and gave an ear-splitting shriek. 'Princess party!'

'Ya don't say,' Heath drawled. Slowly, he turned to face Annabelle. She pretended to examine the climbing rose next to the front porch.

'It was Julie and Tess's idea,' Molly said. 'Annabelle volunteered to help out.'

Annabelle thought about explaining that Julie and Tess were the Calebows' oldest children, fifteen-year-old twins, then realized Heath wouldn't need an explanation. He'd have made it his business to know all about Dan and Phoebe's four children: the twins, twelve-year-old Hannah, and nine-year-old Andrew. He probably knew their favorite foods and when they'd had their last dental checkups.

'The twins are volunteering at a summer day care center that serves low-income families,' Molly went on. 'They work with the four- and five-year-old girls, supervising activities to jump-start them in math and science. They wanted to throw a party just for fun.'

'Princess party!' Pippi shrieked again, hopping up and down.

'I can't tell you how glad I am you're here,' Molly said. 'Tess and Julie woke up with fevers this morning, so we've been a little frantic. Hannah's going to help, but she gets emotionally involved, so she's not entirely reliable. I tried to call Kevin and beg him to reconsider, but he and Dan have taken the boys somewhere and they're not picking up. Wait till they hear who saved them.'

'My pleasure.' Heath projected such sincerity that Annabelle would have believed him if she hadn't known better. No wonder he was so good at what he did.

They heard the sound of an engine and saw a yellow minibus approaching. Molly turned to the door. 'Hannah, the girls are here!'

Seconds later, twelve-year-old Hannah Calebow emerged. Thin and awkward, she resembled her Aunt Molly more than her mother, Phoebe. Her light brown hair, expressive eyes and slightly asymmetrical features bore the promise of something more interesting than conventional prettiness when she grew older, although at this point it was hard to tell exactly what. 'Hi, Annabelle,' she said as she came forward.

Annabelle returned the greeting, and Molly introduced Heath as the minibus stopped in front of the house. 'Annabelle, why don't you and Heath help Phoebe in the backyard while Hannah and I get the girls unloaded?'

'Maybe you should be a little careful around Mom,' Hannah said in a soft, anxious-to-please voice. 'She's in a bad mood because Andrew got into the cake this morning.'

'It just keeps getting better and better,' Heath muttered. And then he headed for the flagstone path that led around the side of the house. He walked so quickly that Annabelle had to trot to catch up with him.

'I guess I should apologize,' she said. 'I'm afraid I might have let my-'

'Not one word,' he said on a single ominous note. 'You screwed me over, and we don't have a thing to say to each other.'

She hurried to his side. 'I wasn't trying to screw you over. I thought-'

'Save your breath. You wanted me to look stupid.'

She hoped that wasn't true but suspected it might be. Not stupid, exactly. Just not so together. 'You're totally overreacting.'

That was when the Python struck.