Anna brought a finger to her lips and kept her expression serious. “About as easy as eating barbed wire.”
The ring of the doorbell interrupted his chuckle. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Looks like my appointment is early.”
“Darn.” Anna snapped her fingers. “And we were having so much fun.”
For the first time since she’d walked through the door, he smiled. “I’d say the morning was definitely on the upswing.”
Anna found her own lips lifting. “True.”
“I hate to rush, but I need to answer the door.” Mitch pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. “Do you have anything else to tell me?”
Anna hesitated. Coming clean had felt so good that for a second she found herself wanting to tell him everything.
But if she told him her deepest, darkest secret, if she told him about the baby, the fragile truce they were building in this tiny kitchen would be shattered. Worse yet, he’d probably hate her. That was something she couldn’t bear.
“Like I said, I was young and immature. I made a lot of mistakes. But I’m truly sorry.” Anna met his gaze. “And that’s the truth.”
Chapter Four
Anna went out the back of the house and Mitch headed to the stairs. He’d hoped to take a minute to pull on a shirt but the doorbell was now one steady ring. Instead of making a quick detour to his bedroom, he stopped in the foyer and pulled open the door. Alexander Darst, his eight-o’clock appointment, stood on the porch, a briefcase in one hand, the other hand firmly fixed on the buzzer.
Alex’s hand dropped from the bell and his eyes widened at the sight of Mitch.
Ignoring the questioning look, Mitch motioned the attorney inside. In his three-piece suit and Brooks Brothers tie, Alex appeared to be dressed more for a day in court than touring a dusty building. “I’ll pull on a shirt and we can talk. Coffee is in the kitchen if you want some.”
Mitch had already reached his upstairs bedroom before he remembered Anna’s cup on the table. But there was no way to get it now. He only hoped Alex wouldn’t notice.
Even if he does, he won’t know it was hers.
The thought took Mitch by surprise. As did the realization that he was feeling the need to be as secretive as Anna. He shrugged aside his unease and pulled a long-sleeved cotton shirt over his head. He refused to think about Anna Anderssen. She was the past. The meeting today was about his future.
Of all the buildings in Sweet River, the one known simply as “The Hattan” had always been his favorite. As an architect he could fully appreciate the design of the brick-and-granite neo-Romanesque structure. As a boy it had been the two lizards and salamander on the top spire that had earned his admiration.
The insurance agency that had occupied the building for decades had moved out long ago. Since then family squabbles had kept it boarded up and off the market. When Mitch heard the property was finally for sale, he’d been seized with the idea of owning a piece of Sweet River history.
Although the two-story structure was solidly built, the wiring, plumbing and interior walls needed work. That meant he’d have to dip into his cash reserves to pay for the improvements.
Still, he couldn’t get the place out of his mind. He’d mentioned his interest in the building to Alex—who’d recently started handling his financial affairs—and the attorney had told him there might be grants or tax credits available for such renovations. Mitch had made an appointment to tour the building the next morning.
He slipped the watch on his wrist, grimacing at the time. Anna’s unexpected visit had definitely put him behind schedule. Yet he’d hated to see her leave. For some reason it felt as if there was still unfinished business between them.
Shaking off the crazy notion, he hurried down the stairs, boots clattering against the hardwood. He shoved open the kitchen door and found Alex sitting in the chair Anna had vacated less than ten minutes earlier. “Thanks for waiting.”
Alex brought a cup of black coffee to his lips. “You’re running late this morning.”
Mitch shrugged. He prided himself on his punctuality, but he’d also learned that sometimes a guy had no choice but to go with the flow. “I was up past midnight getting these figures together.”
“Appears you were looking at figures, all right.” Alex glanced pointedly at the cup with the lipstick smudge and chuckled. “Of the female variety.”
Mitch ignored the comment. If the attorney was hoping he’d open up, he was going to be disappointed. Even when Mitch had a love life, he’d never been one to “kiss and tell.” He crossed the room, splashed coffee into a mug, then gathered the folder from the counter and took a seat in the chair opposite Alex. Pushing Anna’s cup and Cassie’s coffee cake to one side, Mitch placed the folder on the table and flipped it open. “As you can see—”
“You told me you weren’t dating,” Alex said at the same time.
Mitch gritted his teeth and counted to five. “I’m not dating anyone.”
Alex paused for a moment. His eyes narrowed in thought before a look of understanding crossed his face. “So it’s just sex.”
“No, it’s not ‘just sex,’” Mitch snapped. A surge of irritation washed over him. If Alex pushed much more, he’d be forced to lie and that was something he didn’t want to do ever again.
Lying had been a big part of that long-ago summer with Anna. He’d lied to himself when he’d told his heart it was just a summer fling. He’d lied to her when he’d acted as if he didn’t care. He’d lied to his friends every time they’d asked him where he’d been or what he’d been doing. The lies had gotten so bad that shortly before the centennial celebration, Seth had confronted him, asking if he’d gotten messed up with drugs.
But the only high Mitch had experienced that summer was Anna. In less time than it took to get thrown off a bull, she’d become the most important person in the world to him.
That was then, he reminded himself. There was really no reason to cover for her now. Of course, mentioning she’d been in his house when he’d been half-dressed would lead to speculation and more questions. Questions Mitch wasn’t prepared to answer. Certainly not to a man who talked way too much.
“I arranged for us to meet old man Hattan at nine and tour the building.” Mitch tapped a pencil against the table. “I assume that still works with your schedule.”
It was a comment, not a question. Alex had told him yesterday that he’d blocked out a couple hours in the morning for their meeting.
“Works fine,” Alex said. “Anna is opening and manning the office for me.”
Mitch now understood why she’d looked so good this morning. Her red dress had hugged her curves in all the right places and the ridiculously high heels had accentuated her shapely calves. Her honey-colored hair had hung loose to her shoulders, the way he’d always liked it. The summer they’d been together she’d often worn it down…just for him. He loved the feel of the silky strands between his fingers, against his cheek….
Mitch bit back a curse. Her unexpected visit had resurrected memories he’d buried long ago. He picked up a sheet of paper filled with figures and shoved it in front of Alex. “Let’s get down to business.”
One hour and two-pieces-of-coffee-cake-for-Alex later, the men stood on the sidewalk in the heart of downtown Sweet River, gazing at the granite front of the Hattan building. With the large storefront window and a Romanesque arch over the doorway, the exterior was impressive. Though old man Hattan’s grandson had stopped by and unlocked the building ten minutes earlier, Mitch and Alex hadn’t yet ventured inside.
“The surrounding