“You know me so well.”

“I know you intimately,” he said with a naughty look, squeezing my bottom. There was a reason I kept him locked in my bedroom, you know.

That evening I finally convinced Braden to watch the first couple of episodes of Downton Abbey with me. I owned all the previous seasons so far. Even though he was kind of grumbly at first he actually started getting into it.

“You know, you’re right, this show’s pretty good.”

“I knew you would like it! It’s kind of hot too, all that repressed sexuality.”

“Yeah, maybe we should play rakish aristocrat and sexually curious daughter of a wealthy landowner,” he joked, and raised his eyebrows provocatively.

“Braden, we play that all the time. That’s us you’re describing.”

“Oh yeah.” He laughed. I heard the front door open. Bruno raised his head and yipped.

“Don’t worry, Bruno, it’s just Jess. Now Mommy’s going into the other room to beat information out of her, so you hang out with Daddy.”

“I’m going to read. Is that okay or do you want me to leave the TV on?” Braden asked tactfully.

“No, honey. We’ll be in the next room. Do whatever you want and I’ll be back shortly.”

I went out to get the scoop. Cool collected Jess was gone. This Jess was so happy that she was almost vibrating. Immediately, easily excitable Gabrielle showed up to keep her company.

“Gabrielle! He asked me out!” She looked like she wanted to jump up and down. Hell, I wanted to jump up and down. And I was home now and no longer wearing heels. So I did! I jumped! Up and down!

“Tell me everything!” I demanded, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her as I hopped up and down like a crazed bunny rabbit.

“Okay, stop assaulting me and sit down,” she instructed. We went over and threw ourselves down into a couple of armchairs and sat forward in full attention information sharing poses.

“Tell me what he said word for word or I’ll have to hurt you.”

“Okay, he told me that he found me very attractive and that he felt like the two of us had a lot of chemistry,” she began.

“Yes!” I interrupted her and pumped my fist in the air. Then I rubbed my shoulder, because it was still kind of sore from the door thing already and I might have just dislocated it.

“He said that at first he worried that if it didn’t work out he would wind up making you and Braden all pissed off at him again because you and I are such good friends but that now he was pretty sure that it would work out!”

“Oh Jess! That’s so great! I’m getting all verklempt,” I said, feeling teary-eyed. I loved it when a plan came together.

“I don’t know what that means,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. Neither do most people who aren’t Jewish and over the age of sixty. Just keep talking.”

“Um, he also admitted that at first he was jealous of Braden being with you. He realized, though, as time went on that the two of you were developing really deep feelings for each other and you just seemed right together. He’s been thinking about asking me out for a while.”

“Oh Jess! I’m so happy!” I gushed.

“Me too!” she squealed.

“Me too!” Braden called out from the other room. “The walls are really thin in here, by the way.” Bruno yipped in agreement.

Drew had gone back to D.C. to finish his last year of law school but Beth, who lived with her parents and worked at the art museum, was still around. She and Lily, both being artistic had hit it off particularly well. Beth was a painter and she was really talented. Lily encouraged her to enter her work in various art shows and Beth encouraged Lily to do more author events. We also frequently had a girls’ night with all four of us on Sunday while the guys were doing Game Night, which was exactly what we were doing at that moment.

“What’s the status with the big engagement party?” Lily asked.

“Our parents are making a formal announcement this week and then invitations will go out. It’s going to be in the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton,” I answered, feeling a little queasy, which didn’t stop me from loading up a Triscuit with port wine cheese.

“Wow that should be quite a guest list,” Jess said. “Senators and CEO’s.” She popped the cork on a bottle of Chianti and filled all of our glasses.

“You know, Braden and I are actually allowed to invite our friends too,” I pointed out.

“I’ll bet the media will all be picking it up,” Lily, who was sitting on the floor, pointed out, popping a grape into her mouth.

“Great. Maybe they can capture me tripping down a flight of stairs or making a corny joke to a national leader.” What was I going to do with no cat, no kid, and no laundry?

“Braden will make sure everything’s okay, Gabrielle. He’s used to stuff like this.” Beth was such a sweet person. I was really going to like having her as a sister-in-law, and having grown up with Drew, I probably wouldn’t even embarrass her much.

“Does he get engaged a lot?” Lily joked.

“No!” Beth laughed. “My mother almost fainted when she found out.”

“With happiness, right?” I asked nervously.

“Of course! She was so thrilled that she called every human being on the planet who she knew and some who she didn’t!” Beth said with a laugh. “Our mailman knew that you were engaged by the end of the day.”

“Well, Braden made my mom so happy that I think she made her employees’ yearly bonuses dependent on naming a child after him. Even if they already had another name,” I said, dunking a baby carrot in some unidentified dip-like stuff.

“So, everyone is happy, and nothing weird has happened lately, right?” Lily asked.

“Well, no more notes or napkins. Sometimes, though, we do feel like maybe somebody’s watching or following us, and I have to admit, it’s starting to get to me a little.”

“The chances are that you guys are imagining it. Nobody’s following you, Gab,” Jess said reassuringly. “It’s probably just nerves from everything that’s happened in the past few months.”

“Yeah. You’re right – just nerves. That’s probably all it is.”

That week Senator and Mrs. Tyler Pierce and Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Ginsberg formally announced the engagement of their children, Braden Tyler, and Gabrielle Sarah. Within days of the announcement, which was picked up in several national and local newspapers, and on various websites, the feeling of being followed and watched became more than occasional. Now it was almost daily, and Gabrielle Sarah, for one, was getting mighty tired of it. If the police couldn’t do anything then we would just have to try to figure it out ourselves. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much to go on other than the possibility that our shadow was some kind of conspiracy theorist.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF PHILADELPHIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Commonwealth v. McLaughlin

“Counselor, this is a very serious case,” Judge Channing admonished. I held my temper in check. Did I look like I was laughing? “Your client was carrying an unlicensed deadly weapon concealed in her clothing in a highly populated area. She refused to turn it over to law enforcement. In fact, she became verbally abusive to Officer Wilkins. I’m quite aware that she is employed and does not have a record but this was outrageously dangerous and unnecessary. Furthermore, what kind of example was she setting?” he chastised. Breathe, Gabrielle!

“Your Honor, Sister Mary Catherine works in a very dangerous part of the city. That nine millimeter semi-automatic pistol was for her personal protection. She couldn’t get a carry permit because the diocese frowns on sisters arming themselves, but I don’t see the Bishop hanging out in North Philly.” Uh oh, the anger was slipping into my voice and I had a feeling that I was starting to turn red in the face. “She is trained in how to use the gun safely. Officer Wilkins lectured her in a very condescending way and threatened to strip search her! Saying ‘young man, you should have better manners’ is not verbal abuse. And finally, with all due respect, allow me to point out that she’s a nun! Um, thank you.”

There was a moment of silence. Oh shit. I had gone too far. He was going to put me in jail for contempt, wasn’t he?” I sighed. At least I could interview some clients while I was there. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke.

“Perhaps Ms. Ginsberg has a point.” Huh? “Sister Mary Catherine isn’t a hardened criminal. You can’t do this anymore though, Sister. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” she answered sweetly. “I do want to assure you that I believe that every life is sacred. I wouldn’t have smoked anybody unless I were in fear for my own.”

“Er, that’s good. And I know North Philly is dangerous but if the diocese has a problem with you getting a carry permit, you need to take it up with them.”

“Yes, Your Honor,” she said again with a gentle smile. “I’m sure that God will provide me with another solution so that I won’t have to bust a cap in anyone’s ass.”

“Mr. Pierce, find some community service project she can do so that the Commonwealth can withdraw the charge.” He gave Sister Mary Catherine an odd look.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Braden said with a nod.

“Court adjourned.” He left the bench shaking his head and muttering something to himself. That man had to be close to retirement. Even though Sister Mary Catherine’s entire life was a community service project I was very happy with the result. Gun charges were serious and let’s face it, she was guilty as sin. (No pun intended. Oh, okay. I did intend that one.)

Jess had already gone back to the office and Adam had gone off to talk to a cop. Braden came over to talk to me. I was busy tossing papers into my briefcase.

“You look tense,” he said with classic understatement and a note of concern in his voice.

“Why does he have to lecture me for doing my job?” I slammed down a file and turned to face my gorgeous fiancé. I had finally gotten used to calling him that. “Is it my fault that Sister Badass is packing heat?” I knew that I was starting to sound like I was on automatic loop with this whine but I was practically on my last nerve.

“He backed down when he saw that he was pushing you too hard. I actually think that Judge Channing really likes you a lot.”

Braden leaned against the defense table and gave me a sympathetic look. I didn’t want sympathy at the moment, though. I wanted to kick somebody. Not Braden. Somebody else. I had to admit it. Work was really starting to get to me. Ever since we had discussed the idea of starting our own foundation I had been thinking about leaving all of this glamor behind.

“Okay, well, he has a strange way of demonstrating it, but whatever you say, Braden.” I didn’t believe him but I appreciated the effort.

“So, you want to cook tonight?” he suggested, and I must confess, that made me pause. I put down the file I was holding and turned to face him again.

“We cook? That’s news to me.”

“Well, more like heating. I had an idea for a dessert.” He was leaning against the defense table giving me his boyish look and despite everything, I felt a smile coming on.

“You want to stay at my place? Jess might have some food there. She cooks. She had parents who did that.” Unlike ours. Braden’s family had servants and my family had a stack of take-out menus the size of the Manhattan phone book. “She and Cam are going out tonight anyway.”

“Sure. She probably won’t have what we need, though, so we’ll stop off at a market before we get Bruno.”

“Wow! You know where we can buy uncooked food? You’re like a survivalist!” I joked. “So, any ideas for relieving my tension?” I asked lasciviously. Against the odds the smile had broken through and I went back to packing files much more gently.

“Chocolate.”

“Chocolate? That’s your only suggestion?” I asked, looking up at him quizzically.

“You’ll see,” he said with a naughty smile.

That evening, after eating our usual take-out and giving Bruno his supper and a bacon flavored chewy treat, Braden gathered together the ingredients he had picked up for dessert. We were going to dip strawberries in melted chocolate, which seemed to be easy enough even for people with our limited cooking experience. I personally thought it sounded quite yummy too. That probably really would cheer me up. It turned out to be very yummy indeed. We sat down at the table with a couple of plates, bowl of strawberries and a pan of melted chocolate. I went first and dipped my strawberry but I got chocolate on my fingers. I licked it off so it wouldn’t drip all over the place.

“Mmm! This is good!” I looked up at Braden who was watching me intently. It was starting to dawn on me why he had suddenly felt the culinary urge.

“It looks good,” he said in a slightly husky voice. “You missed some, though.” He took my hand and licked the rest of the chocolate off of my finger. My breath hitched and I swallowed hard. He dipped his own strawberry and bit into it while giving me a really hot look. He started to lick the chocolate off of his own fingers but I took his hand, popped his finger into my mouth, swirled my tongue around and pulled it out slowly, never taking my eyes off him. I saw his breathing get heavier and his eyes get darker.

“You taste really good.” I smiled and raised my eyebrows provocatively. I picked up another strawberry, dipped it in the chocolate and bit into it.