Julie Garwood - Slow Burn

"What did the specialist tell you?"

"I've gotten three opinions, and all of them have poked, prodded, and taken enough blood to fill a bathtub."

"That's a pleasant image."

"They have to prepare me for the worst."

Kate nodded. "What happens tomorrow?"

"Dr. Cooper will do the surgery. He's gone over all the options with me. He'll do the biopsy… and then we'll see."

Kate took a deep breath. She knew she had to keep it together. Her friend needed her to be strong.

They were on Storrow Drive now, and Kate stared out the window at the Charles River. The sun made the water glisten.

"We'll get through this," she told Jordan.

"Yes."

"So what time do we need to be at the hospital?"

"Six."

"We aren't going to be late, even if I have to use electric shock to blast you out of your bed."

Jordan laughed. "You'd do it, too. Dylan threw a soaked towel on my face once to get me to wake up."

"Did it work?"

"Oh, yes."

"Bet you didn't wake up happy."

"You're right. I didn't. I wanted to get even, so the next morning I threw a glass of cold water on him. He roomed with Alec, and you know what a slob he is, and I guess I just didn't think it through. As soon as the water hit his face, Dylan came off that bed… I still shudder thinking about it. I've never seen anyone move like that. I had my getaway all planned, but I tripped over one of Alec's shoes and went careening into his bedside table. I cut my knee open and started screaming. I think Alec slept through it all, but poor Dylan ended up carrying me downstairs to Mom. I had to have stitches."

"How old were you?"

"Ten or eleven."

"You sound like a hellion."

"I had my moments. Tell me something. How come you didn't want Dylan to know you sat with him in the hospital?"

"I was there for you, not him."

"Yeah, right."

"And if he knew," she continued, "he'd never let me live it down. Your brother loves to tease and torment."

"All my brothers like to tease."

"Yes, but Dylan's the worst, bless his little ol' heart."

Jordan grinned. "You southern girls mask your criticisms behind the 'bless your heart' you always tack on the end."

"Southern girls never criticize," she said, deliberately exaggerating her accent. "We are raised to be soft-spoken ladies. We always tell the truth but in a kind, genteel way."

Jordan rolled her eyes. "That's a load of…"

Kate laughed. "What?"

"I'm cleaning up my vocabulary now that I've got nieces and nephews. I've got to set a good example. That's what Theo and Nick tell me anyway."

"Your brothers are telling you to clean up your vocabulary?"

"Speaking of Dylan… I think he's kind of sweet on you."

"Dylan's sweet on all women."

"True, he does like women," Jordan said. "But he especially likes teasing you because you embarrass so easily."

"His accidentally walking in on me taking a shower the first time I visited Nathan's Bay didn't help any. I don't think I'll ever live that down."

"Oh, I forgot about that." Jordan laughed. "No wonder he has such a big grin whenever your name comes up."

She turned a corner and spotted a prime parking space directly in front of her brownstone. It was an extremely rare occurrence. She also noticed a black Hummer had just turned the corner and was coming from the opposite direction. The driver obviously wanted the same parking spot because he gunned his motor and came racing toward her. Jordan was quicker. She parallel parked like a pro. The driver of the Hummer made an obscene gesture as he drove past, which Jordan and Kate thought was hilarious.

Several years before, the brownstone had been converted into three spacious apartments, one on each floor. Jordan's was on the top. Kate had lived with her during school and was used to the squeaky stairs and narrow corridors.

Jordan had made a fortune for herself with a computer chip she had designed, and she could live anywhere, but she, like Kate, was a creature of habit. She loved her old, worn-out apartment and didn't have any plans to move.

Kate loved the apartment, too. It was warm and inviting even on the coldest of days. It always smelled clean and fresh. Jordan, showing her loyalty to her friend, had placed Kate's scented candles on almost every table. She had Kate's body lotions in the two bathrooms and on the bedside tables as well.

There were three bedrooms. The guest room was at the end of a long hall and was large enough to accommodate the king-sized bed two of Jordan's brothers had purchased for her so they could sleep over when they were in town. Their parents' home on Nathan's Bay was a good two hours with traffic.

The third bedroom had been converted into an office, and bookcases lined all four walls. The shelves were bowed from the weight of Jordan's books. The office was open to the dining room on one side and the hallway on the other.

The hardwood floors were as dark as midnight. Splatters of color came from oriental rugs strewn about. The huge windows in every room were covered with plantation shutters. One of Kate's favorite study spots was the window seat in the living room that overlooked the Charles River.

The only sterile room in the apartment was the galley kitchen. Jordan didn't cook. She lived on carryout or frozen food. If it couldn't be microwaved, she didn't buy it.

Kate immediately went to the guest room and put her bag next to the bed. She cut through the office to get to the dining room.

She noticed all the papers on Jordan's desk and backtracked. As cluttered as Jordan's bookshelves were, her desk was always immaculate. Aside from her computer and a stack of Post-its, one or two pencils, and a phone, her work area was usually as sterile as her kitchen counters.

Jordan walked into the office, noticed Kate looking at the layers of papers on her desk, and said, "It's a mess, isn't it?"

"For you it is," she said. "You always keep a clean desk when you work. You're kind of obsessive about it. You've had a lot of stress lately, though, and I would think paperwork would be the last thing on your mind."

"Most of the papers are legal documents. I'm being sued."

After dropping that bit of shocking news, she turned around and walked into the living room. Kate chased after her.

"You're being sued?"

"That's right," she said as she dropped into an easy chair and swung her legs over the arm.

"You're being awfully blase about it." Kate stood in front of the coffee table with her arms folded, frowning at her friend while she waited for an explanation.

It didn't come soon enough to suit her. "Okay, I'll ask. How come you're being sued? And how come you're so calm about it?"

"I might as well be calm," she said. "Getting all worked up won't do any good." She kicked off her sandals and leaned back. "I'm being sued by a man named Willard Bell. He seems to think he came up with the design for my chip before I did, and I figured out a way to steal it from him."

Kate sat in the opposite chair and crossed her feet on the ottoman. "Have you ever met this man?"

"No. He lives in Seattle," she said. "My attorney told me that Bell is a computer geek who makes his living suing people. A very nice living," she stressed. "He doesn't really ever have a case, but it's cheaper to settle than fight because of all the legal expenses."

"What are you going to do?"

Jordan looked exasperated. "What do you think I'm going to do? You know me better than anyone."

"You're not going to settle. Bet your attorney wants you to, doesn't he?"

"You're right, he does. I'm not going to, though. I don't care what it costs. What Bell's doing is wrong, and I'm not going to give him a dime. His attorney is playing hardball," she added. "He's frozen all of my accounts. That just means I won't have money for a while. I'll get them unfrozen soon," she hastened to add. "So there's no need to worry."