Free One Day His (The Someday Series Book 2) by Melanie Shawn

not-so-innocent territory.
    Reluctantly, I pulled away from him and moved down off of the last step in the grand front staircase. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. There was a new text from Sandy.
    “Everything okay?” Jace’s concern apparent in his tone.
    “Yeah, it’s just Sandy checking in on me,” I explained.
    All three of my roommates had sent various texts since Jace and I left Arcata yesterday. Brandy, who was Sandy’s twin sister, and Evelyn had both just wanted me to know that they were there if I needed anything. Sandy wanted info: was I okay? How was the drive? Had Jace and I pulled over for some road-trip lovin’?
    Seriously, that girl had sex on the mind twenty-four seven.
    It was so amazing to have actual friends. Friends that sent me encouraging messages and totally inappropriate ones. I was about to text back when I heard voices coming from the library off to the right.
    “Cat, is that you dear? We’re in the study,” my mother’s voice drifted through the cavernous entryway.
    Slipping my phone back in my pocket I decided to text later and deal with my mother now. I took in a deep, fortifying breath.
    Well , I thought, here we go. Game on .
    Whatever publicist, spin doctor, damage-control specialist, etc. my mother had engaged to help her manage this crisis was about to fill me in on what I was supposed to do and say. They were going to give me pointers about the appropriate emotions to express when I was asked by the media what I felt. Most of all, they were about to stress what I should never, ever, under any circumstances do—be honest.
    What these people didn’t know was that they were wasting their time. I’d heard it all before, more times than I could count. I’d known the spin doctor bible before I’d learned my multiplication tables—and I was a math whiz as a kid. Nevertheless, I would nod politely while they drilled the party line into me like a construction worker with a jackhammer. I would answer their questions in as little time and effort as I could get away with, and then I would get on with my life. It wasn’t that complicated.
    The warmth of Jace’s hand as he laid it on my lower back spread through me and centered me as we walked through the library door. My mother was sitting in one of two leather club chairs that were angled to face a matching leather couch with a coffee table in between, her silk robe flowing down over toned, thin legs. Her long, silky, blonde hair, which would make Rapunzel jealous, fell loose around her shoulders. Light-pink lip gloss shone off her full, pouty lips, her large blue eyes were lined perfectly, and her skin appeared airbrushed. Which it probably was. I was sure that she’d had hair and makeup come to the hospital.
    Because it was winter, there was a fire crackling in the fireplace she sat beside. I mean, the fact that we were in Southern California and it was eighty degrees outside was a moot point. It was all about appearances in the James household.
    In the other club chair sat a short and balding man in tan khaki slacks and a brown corduroy blazer. He wore John Lennon glasses, which he kept pushing up his nose as he spoke in hushed tones with my mother. Hmm. That was odd. He certainly didn’t resemble any PR hotshot I had ever seen. That breed was usually slick and polished, with a domineering air that was ever-so-thinly veiled behind false friendliness. This guy was actually kind of, well, schlubby.
    My mother turned to me and her face lit up. “Oh, Dr. Newsom, here she is! Kitten, come and have a seat on the couch across from Mama!”
    Whoa, rewind real quick. So many words in that sentence needed to be revisited, but I was mainly focused on ‘doctor,’ ‘kitten,’ and ‘mama.’
    Ummm….
    “Okay…” I said slowly as I started to make my way towards the couch. Jace’s hand stayed in place as his thumb rubbed in a semi-circle on my lower back while he followed along behind me.
    “Oh, no, honey. This is