"Hey, I'm back at the house. I'll call you later." I hang up and jump out of my car. I don't know what I'm going to do. I am trying to think of a reason why I don't have any fruit when a familiar car in the driveway makes me stop dead. If I'm not mistaken, that's Patrick's car. My heart beats rapidly as I hurry to the front door. What the fuck is he doing here? Did he somehow figure out where I work? Did he come to see me? I run up the sidewalk, and as I'm about to reach for the front door, it opens, and Patrick steps outside.
"Why, hello there, Gina," he says, grinning at me wickedly. Like he'd been watching out the window and waiting for me to arrive.
"What are you doing here?" I will not lose it. The smug look on his face makes me want to slap him, even though I'm not a violent woman.
"I could ask you the same thing." He licks his lips and looks me up and down. "You're looking mighty fine today. Lose five pounds?"
"You're rude."
"But you still love me, don't you?" He winks at me in that way that he thinks is sexy, which makes me want to throw up.
"I think you're a pig. Now tell me, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see the lady of the house." He grins. "Why do you want to know? Are you jealous?"
"No, I'm not jealous." I stare at him suspiciously. "What did you want with Mrs. Waverly, and how did you get into the house?"
"When did we get married?" he says, frowning.
"Excuse me?"
"You're asking me questions as though you deserve an answer. And I'm just wondering, when did you become my wife?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Patrick."
"Well, if you think I'm going to answer those invasive questions, you'd have to have a reason why. And the only person I think should be able to demand answers from me would be my wife. And from what I know, we're no longer together."
"We are no longer together, Patrick."
"So why should I tell you anything? Anyway, I'm leaving. I got what I needed."
"And what was that, Patrick?"
"To see you, of course." He presses his lips together and makes kissing noises. "You're a gem."
"Excuse me?"
"You look like a gem. Like a diamond, a ruby, an emerald."
"Are you trying to do business here? Leave this family alone. They have nothing to offer you, and you have nothing to offer them."
"I'm hurt that you would say such a thing to me."
"Whatever, Patrick."
"You know what I find interesting, though, Gina?"
"What's that?"
"I don't think they know about your job."
"What are you talking about?" All of a sudden, I feel faint. What does Patrick know, and what doesn't he know?
"Well, I was in there, and a little birdie told me that you're a ghostwriter for the Waverlys. And I thought, well, that's mighty nice—you taking a second job. But turns out, no one in the household seems to know about that first job."
He cocks his head to the side. "No one seems to know that you're a journalist forWhisper Cove Guardian, the finest newspaper in town. Why would that be, Ms. sweet, innocent Gina Spellman?"
"You know what, Patrick? I have nothing to say to you." I let out a deep sigh and mentally count to ten. I'm about to tell him to go to hell when the front door opens again, and Hunter steps outside. He looks at me, and then he looks at Patrick, and then he looks at me again. There's a question in his eyes.
