Free Fallen Into You by Ann Collins Page A

family business, and her relationship with her father too. Even her career at the bank was in jeopardy - if things went awry between her and Scott, things could become very difficult. It’s not like they could just magically get rid of him. He’d still be there every day.
    “I’m sorry Anders…”
    He gave a nod then slowly headed for the door. He hid his disappointment well, she thought.
    “Thank you for the flowers,” she said, concerned she might not get the chance again.
    He stopped, turned and looked her in the eye, his mouth edging ever so slightly upwards at the corners. They just stood like that for some moments, the air between them sizzling. Finally he broke the gaze and reached for the handle.
    As the door widened, Scott was clearly visible on the other side. He said something to Anders, they exchanged a fiery look of a different kind, and the mechanic continued on his way.
    The phone beeped again, and at the same moment Scott arrived at her desk, looking at her with controlled fury.
    But that was okay with her. Something had snapped in her as she looked at those flowers. What a beautiful cacophony of blooms, hand-chosen by a man wandering through a neighbor’s garden, or even on the side of a road somewhere, the scent of passing diesel fumes mingling with the crisp green of the cut stems.
    She pointed to the chair. “Close the door and sit down,” she ordered. She picked up the handset and punched the intercom number on her phone. “Scott is in here, Daddy. Do you need something urgent?”
    There was a moment of silence. “It can wait.”
    She hung up without another word.
    She looked at Scott. There were several things she didn’t appreciate today, and passive-aggressive bullshit was at the very top of her list.
    “What the hell is going on?” he asked, cutting directly to the chase. That was unusual. He was one for finesse and dancing around the issue, not one to move right into confrontation. But today, this new attitude was just fine with her.
    “We need to talk,” she said.
    And then she didn’t know what else to say. The bravado suddenly drained out of her like pulling the plug in a bathtub full of water. She felt it swirling away, this feeling of control over her own life, over this conversation, and the loss of it made her breath catch in her throat. Over the last several days she had beaten herself up for what she had done, but the truth is, she had gone back to see Anders because she knew her decision was already made. She just needed some way to push herself over the edge of no return, someone who would make her see that she was doing the right thing by breaking ties – even if she was going about it in an entirely underhanded manner.
    And now she was there, on the precipice, while this man who loved her stared her down from the fine chair in her fine office, expecting her to apologize. Expecting her to do what she should. Expecting her to fit back into her neat little box, the one that was designed just for her.
    “I need some space,” she said.
    And there it was. The first step into the abyss.
    Scott snorted something like disbelieving laughter. “Are you crazy?”
    Kara thought later that things might have gone differently. If Scott had been upset or worried, she might have been more likely to stay with him. If he had been sad or confused, she would have tried to explain things to him in a way that made sense to both of them. If he had broken down and cried, she might have given the flowers to the ladies at the teller window. If he had done something, anything, other than make fun of her, their relationship might have gone in an entirely different direction.
    But as it was, he didn’t.
    “Excuse me?” she asked.
    “What the hell has gotten into you?” he asked, his voice condescending, as though she were a child who just needed a good spanking. The fact that he was so openly hostile made the situation much easier than it would have been otherwise – but regardless, her