But do I walk away? No. I bend down and leaf through the open envelopes. Nothing that catches my eyes until one near the bottom.
The return address.
Ames Hotels.
Without thinking, I grab it and stuff it in my purse. I don’t know why. I honest-to-God don’t know why.
But I’m out of the powder room and down the hallway toward the kitchen, my flesh tingling, before my brain kicks in. I should put it back, but if I walk back into the powder room, and someone on his staff sees me, I’ll look suspicious. The basket still sits on the island, but Christopher is gone. I walk through the living room to the entryway. Christopher stands by the elevator, holding the end of a leash.
“Taking her on a walk now?” I ask.
“Yeah. She needs to go out every time she eats something.”
“Oh. Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have given her that treat.”
“No bother. I enjoy walking her.”
“I should go, too,” I say.
The letter is burning a hole in my purse. My nerves skitter across my skin. This was a huge mistake. I’d put it back if I could, but since I can’t, I need to get home and see what it is. Why is Braden doing anything with Ames Hotels? He and Addison appear to hate each other.
And that bothers me more than a little. A thin line exists between love and hate. I’d much prefer him to be indifferent.
“That would probably be best, Ms. Manning.”
I nod and walk into the elevator in front of Christopher and Sasha. I bend down to pet Sasha. She pants and licks my face. Then the elevator door opens, and Christopher waits while I walk out.
“Thanks, Christopher,” I say.
“See you soon, Ms. Manning.”
See you soon? That’s a good sign.
I wave and walk out of the building, suppressing the shakes that threaten to consume me.
I just stole a piece of Braden’s mail.
What the hell was I thinking?
A half hour later, I’m home, staring at the envelope from Ames Hotels.
It’s already open. All I need to do is look inside. It’s probably nothing. God, I hope it’s nothing, because if it isn’t, not only will I be heartbroken, but I’ll also have to get it back to Braden’s powder room somehow.
I can’t do this. I can’t.
My pulse thrums in my neck.
This isn’t like me, to be so deceitful. I need to take this envelope back to Braden’s house. Now. I pull one of my wire earrings out of my ear and stuff it inside my purse as well. Then I head back to Braden’s. I can only hope Christopher is still on his walk with Sasha and Annika answers the intercom.
I’m literally shaking as I walk into Braden’s building. I smile nervously at the doorman. I make my way to the intercom—
My cell phone rings.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
It’s Tessa. Probably with news about her drinks with Betsy. Now what? I can talk to Tessa later, but if she has news, I need to know it now, before I attempt to put this piece of mail I so foolishly stole back in place.
I can’t stay here in the lobby of the building. What if Christopher returns with Sasha? “Hold on a minute, Tess.” I walk out of the building and continue walking. “What’s up?”
“Betsy’s really sweet.”
I sigh. I already know that. “Oh?”
“Yeah. Don’t hate me. But I have a dog.”
“Why would I hate you? You know I love dogs. When did you get a dog, and why am I only now hearing about it?”
“Because she’s a fake dog.”
I make a face into the phone. “Huh?”
“I’m not sure how it happened, but she was talking so much about her business and how much she loves animals, it just kind of popped out.”
“O…kay.”
“Anyway, once she found out we have a love of dogs in common—and I do love dogs; you know that—she opened up and we talked about…a lot of things.”
My heart races. I’m still walking, now a block away from Braden’s building. I dodge inside a small café and sit down at a table. “What did she say?”
“She and Addison have known each other since grade school. They didn’t go to high school together. Addie went to some private school, but they stayed in touch and always got together over the summer. Betsy was kind of a charity case for Addie and her family. They paid for her to go to all the same programs Addie and Apple went to over the summer, except they didn’t go away for the summer after graduation. Instead, Betsy stayed at Addison’s house.”
“So she knows about Braden.”
“She does.”
“Did she tell you anything?”
“Oh yeah.”
I look down at my shaking left hand. I will it to still. “Don’t leave me in suspense. How did they meet?”
“You’re not going to believe this. One weekend when Mom and Dad were out of town, Addison and Apple threw a party at the mansion, and Braden and his brother, Ben, showed up.”