Free a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure) by L. j. Charles Page B

openings until after next week.”
    Mitch took the lead. “We’re interested in building a house.” He smiled at me with a very non-Mitch expression, a little sweet, a little simple, and a lot like he’d just love to spend as much money as possible on a house. Preferably more than it was worth.
    It must have been an effective ploy because Ms. Raspy Voice, who still hadn’t bothered to introduce herself, disappeared down the white hallway toward what I hoped was North’s office.
    I shivered.
    Mitch slid his arm around my shoulders and turned me into his shoulder. “We can leave any time, Sunshine. Just walk right out of here.”
    Ms. Raspy Voice came up behind us. “Mr. North will see you the day after tomorrow—”
    “Oh, no, that won’t do at all.” I added a bit of hysteria to my words. Easy to do considering the creepies crawling down my spine.
    She gave me another one of those plastic smiles. The Botox must have set her back a few thousand. “No?”
    Mitch opened his mouth, and I jabbed my elbow into his ribs. Next week didn’t fit with my plans or my curiosity. “Ms…”
    “Marcy Blaine. I’m Mr. North’s assistant.”
    I poured on the sugar. “Ms. Blaine, it would mean so much to us if Mr. North could make an exception since we’re here and all. We’re so excited about building our house and we heard that North Construction is just the very best around. Please, if you could ask him to see us for a few minutes. Mitch—” I glanced up at him with what I hoped were dewy, adoring eyes— “has to go out of town next week and won’t be back until next month. We’re going to have our engagement party then, and he’s planning to make a formal presentation of my ring…and everything is going to be so perfect. And we want to announce that we’ve started on our new home at the same time. I’m, we’re , really sorry to disturb him, but he is here in the office and so are we. If we could just meet with him for a few minutes it would mean ever so much to us.”
    I could feel Mitch fighting not to laugh and I really, really hoped he’d be successful because Marcy’s fingers had moved away from her keyboard. “He simply isn’t taking any appointments today due to the sudden death of a friend. Now what time would be good for the day after tomorrow?”
    She bent over her keyboard, fingers poised to type.
    I sniffed and delicately blotted my dry eyes with the tips of my fingers.
    Marcy wet her lips. And were tears pooling in her eyes? Her gaze fluttered over me. This was a southern woman who understood that The Wedding trumped death hands down.
    She sniffed, and then ran her hands down her thighs, straightening her skirt. “Well, I’ll ask if he’ll be willing to see you for a minute—just to get things started.”
    When she’d disappeared down the hall, Mitch sucked in a breath. “Sunshine, if I hadn’t heard that with my own ears I wouldn’t have believed it. So much BS. Such a tiny woman.”
    I winked.
    Marcy came back all smiles. “Mr. North will see you for a few minutes, but he’s expected at the funeral home to make arrangements. We’ll set up an actual appointment when Mr. Hunt—” her gaze crawled down Mitch’s body— “Mitchell, returns from his trip. This way please.”
    I slid my foot out to trip her, but Mitch hauled me against him. “Not a good move, Sunshine,” he whispered next to my ear.
    We followed her down the hall to a glass-walled office, the effect made me dizzy. It was like floating in space. A wave of nausea crept up from my belly and lodged in my throat. I swallowed and shifted my focus to North. He sat behind a shiny ebony desk, the picture of yuppie perfection—blond hair with just the right amount of shag, blue eyes, and whitened teeth.
    Marcy used her shoulder to push against the door separating us from North’s inner sanctum. It matched the one at the main entrance, the glass devoid of fingerprints. I reached out and planted my hand, leaving a perfect