Allan was rocked back in a chair, a copy of Ranch and Farm lying across one knee.
“Morning,” she said, snagging the strawberries from the plate before dumping the rest of her breakfast in the trash.
Over the clinking of the plate in the sink, she heard him say, “I won’t tell Cole.”
She turned and smiled at him. “Thanks.” With a handful of strawberries and a fresh cup of coffee, she disappeared into the office.
Her calendar was open, and she took stock of the last time she had crossed anything off her list or made notes in the square that held the date. The strawberries disappeared one by one, the stems ending up in her office trashcan. She turned on her computer, sipped her coffee, then picked up the phone to make the first of several calls.
Carl used the last of the milk in his coffe
