Free The Man She Left Behind by Janice Carter Page A

silence that had fallen on the group at this last remark. She’d been checking the bill to determine her share, and when she looked up, everyone else was studying the contents of glasses or coffee cups. Then she recalled the last part of the sentence, sensing at once that it had come out unintentionally.
    She decided to ignore it. Lunch had been more enjoyable than she’d anticipated and she didn’t want to spoil it. “I hope we can do this again before I go back to New York.” The cheerfulness in her voice prompted a round of agreement, and the tense moment passed.
    “Will you stay until the house is sold?” Fran asked.
    “I don’t know. I planned to be here no more than a couple of weeks, and I suppose if I’m lucky things will move quickly.”
    Trish pursed her lips. “Perhaps. Though the market hasn’t been terrific the past couple of years. For cottages and bungalows sure, but for a place as big and...”
    “Ramshackle?” Leigh offered.
    Trish flushed. “No, I wouldn’t have chosen that word. But Windswept Manor is the kind of place that needs a lot of maintenance.”
    “I know. That’s one reason I’ve decided to sell it. But maybe a big family from the mainland will want it as a summer home.”
    The others nodded. “Yes,” Fran said, “if it’s priced right, it may go very quickly. The season hasn’t really started yet.”
    Leigh took her portion of change from the waitress and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Let’s hope so.”
    As the women were leaving the restaurant, Mary Ann took Leigh aside. “Here’s my card,” she said, handing over a small embossed business card. “Please give me a call before five. Then I can fax the rest of the story in.”
    “Will I get a chance to read it first?”
    Mary Ann hesitated. “I guess I could read it to you over the phone. Unfortunately I’m too close to deadline. You know how it is.”
    Leigh nodded, though she didn’t feel like letting Mary Ann off the hook. “Over the phone will be fine,” she said. When she turned away, Trish was waiting to speak to her.
    “I hope you don’t have to leave right away. Faye is supposed to be coming for a visit soon and she’d love to see you. Is it possible for you to take a longer leave from work?”
    Leigh hesitated. She thought back to the day she’d gone in to see her boss about taking two weeks’ leave.
    “Take a month,” he’d urged. Then, leaning almost conspiratorially across his desk, he’d lowered his voice and said, “To be truthful, Leigh, you look like you could use a long holiday. You’ve had a tough couple of years and I wouldn’t want you to crash.”
    “Are you trying to tell me something, Reg?” Leigh had managed to make her comeback sound breezy, but anxiety crept up her throat.
    He’d shrugged, insisted he was only considering her best interests, but Leigh had left with the sense that some junior workaholic was already lurking outside her own hard-earned and coveted office.
    Trish was smiling, waiting patiently for an answer.
    “I might be able to swing it, Trish,” she said, adding when she saw the rush of excitement in the other woman’s face, “but I can’t make any promises.”
    Trish patted her arm. “I’m hoping you’ll be here. Now, can we get together later in the week?”
    “That’d be great,” breathed Mary Ann, who was still lurking about. Before Leigh could reply, the two women swished away to say goodbye to the other women waiting by the restaurant door. She felt overwhelmed and could almost envision the days ahead as one long round of social events. She doubted she was up to it. More opportunities for more innocent remarks. More memories. No, she thought, best to stick to her original plan. In and out. Quickly.
    “You go ahead,” she called. “I want to use the ladies’ room before I leave.” Leigh waved and turned away to find the washroom. It was downstairs, and on her way in she paused in front of the mirror in the sink area to brush her