A Jar of Hearts (10 page)

Anne stroked Boot’s head as he lay cuddled in her lap.

“Anne, Harley’s chasing after the ball,” Ashley squealed excitedly. “I know he will be catching it soon too! I know it!”

Anne laughed. “I bet he would.”

Julia dragged a chair beside her. “That dog has sure been the best thing I’ve got her.”

“She does sound much happier since Harley.”

The woman grew quiet for a brief while. “James… um… hasn’t been in touch? I haven’t seen him around at all in the last couple of weeks.”

Anne tensed.
He’s probably avoiding me.
She lifted Boots up and held him against her chest.

“Anne,” Julia continued. “You never said how your date went with James. He treated you well, right?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly. “He treated me well.”

“That’s… that’s good.”

Anne lowered her eyes, wondering if she should taint James’ good impression on her. He had wanted sex and she had decided to use him just as he had wanted to use her. She had thought her brash, bold and mindless dive into initiating their lovemaking would protect her from getting hurt. Instead, she had left James’ house more broken than she had entered it.

She knew she still loved Eric. But then why was her heart fluttering at the mere thought of James? She had loved him touching her. She had shivered when he had kissed her. Her skin would prickle when his naked flesh brushed against hers, caressing it with more than just his hands. And yet in the aftermath of their hot, sensual night, she felt guilty for betraying Eric.

She closed her eyes. It was only because he felt like him, she reasoned. No other man had ever fluttered her heart like Eric. But here was another and she hated him for letting her wane her feelings for Eric. How could she have betrayed Eric for him? He was a fake and that’s just about as real as he would ever get.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” she said aloud. “And I hope I would never have to see him again.”

“Anne, why? Did anything happen between the two of you? You just said he treated you well.”

“He did. But do you wonder why he hasn’t called or come around since then?” She let Boots leap out of her arms and stood up. “I would rather you not talk about him. We’ve thanked him for his help with the doghouse and so let’s leave it at that.”

She walked into the house, leaving Julia in a puzzled state. Her housekeeper was not the sort to be impudent to anyone without good reason. Julia would continue her friendship with James and she would just have to be fine with that, so long as she would never have to hear the man’s name again.

Her eyes welled as she climbed up the stairs to her bedroom. He was the only other man she had given her body to other than Eric. But he wouldn’t take her soul. That belonged to Eric alone.

James glanced over at the TV screen as the newscaster ran a short story on the suicide of the CEO of Denton Securities, Derek Burns. So they
had
pulled it off. He wondered if the cops on the case were on with them, or if that was an honest conclusion

He shook his head. Some things were just going to remain unsolved. He should instead focus on speeding the assassination of Trent Harvey. The faster he could get Juan to agree to a hit, the faster he could be rid of this façade and return to Anne.

His phone shrilled, its sounds piercing through his thoughts, and he reluctantly picked it up. But it was Julia and he straightened up immediately.

“Hello,” he said.

“James?”

“Yes, Julia.” He frowned, noticing the tension in her voice. “Is everything alright?”

“Why don’t you tell me? Because Anne won’t say a word. In fact, she doesn’t want to see you again. What exactly did you do to her?”

I made love to her.
He braced himself against the kitchen bench, delving into his memories of his passion filled night with Anne. She hadn’t objected to him then, so why was she angry with him now? He had assumed that she had become reserved the morning after because she was trying to process everything that had happened between them. He had of course once again been wrong. She was quiet because she had hated their night together.

“I know I said I’d pay you to date her,” Julia continued curtly. “But I meant for you to ignite some life in her so she would be interested in living again. I really thought you would be able to bring her out of her depression, James. But it seems your association has only hurt her more.”

“Julia-”

“Let’s just forget that I ever asked you to help us. Goodbye James.”

The phone went dead and he stared at it long and hard, his heart thumping rapidly inside him. If Julia gave up on him, how would he ever regain an opportunity to correct things with Anne?

He braced the crown of his head with his hands as he threw it back with frustration. Anne sure did know how to put his emotions through a wringer. He pursed his lips tightly. The fact remained though that he loved her. And it didn’t matter how many times she would put his patience to the test, he was going to find a way to win her back.

A gust of wind bellowed through the hallway and Anne heard something crash to the floor.
That must be Julia’s room. I hope Boots isn’t up to his mischief again.

She stalled before the door, contemplating whether to investigate the crash. She finally sighed and pushed open the door, walking into the room carefully. If there were any shards of glass, it could hurt Ashley, Boots or Harley. They were always dashing in and out of rooms after all.

She felt the wind rush through an open window and she instantly turned towards it to shut it. Julia’s voice traveled up into the room and she grew numb at hearing her say his name.

“James?”

She shook her head. This wasn’t right. She was eavesdropping. But then something Julia said bolted her feet to the floor.

“I know I said I’d pay you to date her.”

Her fist clenched, her tears stung her eyes. So after all it wasn’t just about a hot, sex-filled night. He was being paid to take her out, and had she not found out about it, she had to admit he had done a relatively good job.

She spun on her heels and turned back towards the door. She wasn’t going to tear up because she had spent one night with an asshole. It was a one night stand and that was all. She had used him for her own gratification as well, hadn’t she?

Her shoe clanged against an object and she bent down to pick it up. A brass vase. So nothing was broken and nobody was going to be hurt.

She marched back towards her room. She needed to change. She had an appointment to get to.

“Can I show you to the dojo?” the cab driver asked her.

“Thank you, Frank, but I will be fine.” She smiled and extended her white cane.

She could feel him watching her, making certain she would reach her intended destination even though he knew she would. He’d been dropping her at the dojo ever since she had arrived in San Diego.

She tapped her way to the door, the familiar sounds of grunting and kicking greeting her.

“Anne, you’re here for your lesson,” Sandra called out to her.

“Am I late?”

“No, you aren’t. Sifu Tsang is though. He’s just brushing up on his lesson with the boys and he’ll be with you soon.”

“Thanks, Sandra,” she said to the receptionist. “Then I’ll go change into my gear in the meanwhile.”

“I’ll help you.”

“You really don’t need to, Sandra.”

“Oh, please. It’s quiet today and I thought we could have a chat in the change room. We hardly get to talk otherwise.”

Anne grinned. “So long as we don’t get late. You know how annoyed Sifu gets with tardiness.”

“I promise you.”

“Sifu mentioned you were his old wing chun student from Boston,” Sandra said.

“I was,” she replied, her fingers busily buttoning up the Chinese button knots of her red shirt. “I studied with him for fourteen years.”

“Why did you stop?”

“Sifu moved to San Diego and I lost the interest to study wing chun under another master.”

“Were you always interested in wing chun?”

She smiled as she pulled her hair up into a smooth ponytail. “When I was sixteen, I ran into a couple of thugs who began accosting me. I was saved then by a boy but I promised myself I would never let myself get that afraid again.”

She fiddled with the ends of her sleeve. A boy she had given her heart to fifteen years later. A man who filled her heart with love and then left her to bear it all alone. What would she do with a heart full of love when the man she loved was no longer a part of her life?

“Anne, are you okay?” Sandra asked.

She nodded, pushing her pain to the back of her mind. “A few months ago, I wanted to start my training again and so I moved here to San Diego.”

“Why Master Tsang? I’m sure there are very capable wing chun teachers in Boston.”