Текст книги "Perfection Is Just An Illusion"
Автор книги: Rebecca Barber
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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 17 страниц)
Chapter 8
For the first time since their engagement was announced things settled down and life felt like it was back to normal. Anna was back at school studying for exams while James lapped up and down the pool between meeting media and sponsorship commitments. They still saw each other every day, despite their different addresses. The hype surrounding their engagement faded and now they could just go out and have a good time without being hassled. Their lives were finally simple again, and Anna and James wanted nothing more than to exploit every moment.
James had what could only be described as the perfect preparation going into the Manchester World Championships. It was his first ever drama-free lead-in period to the competition, which Anna guessed made him even more nervous than ever. In the past he had faced drug slurs, broken bones, injuries, and even the odd crazed stalker, but this was so simple it was scary. James’s qualifying times were more than half a second better than anyone else in the two hundred metres freestyle, while his domination over four hundred metres was two and a half seconds clear of his nearest rival. For the first time in a long time everything felt like it had fallen into place.
Anna was much the same. She was enjoying her studies and everything was going well. With the added bonus of James acting as her tutor in some subjects, it was an excuse for them to spend even more time together. All talk of the wedding had been put on hold until after the World Championships, giving James time to focus on what he needed to do. Win. Anna topped three out of her nine subjects and was pleasantly surprised. James was so proud of her and their lives seemed to be travelling along so well that, Anna being the cynic that she was, found herself waiting patiently for the bubble to burst.
***
James
Early one Wednesday morning James was rudely woken by his mobile phone blasting through the silence. Forcing his tired eyes open, he shot a look at the alarm clock on the other side of the room. It wasn’t even four-thirty yet and already his phone was buzzing. “Hello,” he mumbled sleepily.
“Stay away from her,” the voice boomed down the phone.
“Who is this?” James asked as he sat up, waking instantly.
“Stay the fuck away,” the voice commanded before the line went dead.
For the next few minutes James just sat there staring at the phone, waiting for it to ring again. But it didn’t. James was left staring at the silent phone, his knuckles white from the ferocity of his grip. As the thoughts kept turning over in his head about who it could be, or what they were on about, the alarm sounded and it was time to go to training.
That morning he trained harder than he ever had before. It was almost as if he was trying to prove something. Joel watched on with bewilderment. He knew that something was bothering James but he didn’t know what or who was responsible. As James pushed himself harder and harder, the concern on Joel’s face deepened.
When James ambled from the pool, completely exhausted, Joel called him over. “Hey James, come here.”
James stalked over quickly. He was anxious to get home and make sure that everything was still in its proper place. He knew it could have been a crank call but something somewhere deep inside him wouldn’t let him dismiss it. Wherever he looked he was right there. Every sound he heard was a voice warning him over and over and over again to leave her alone. And as much as he wanted to, James couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that it hadn’t been fake. It had been a genuine warning to stay away from her.
“James, you wanna tell me what’s up?” Joel asked.
“What are you talking about? I trained pretty bloody hard today,” James snapped.
“You worked harder than I’ve seen you work in a long time, but I want to know exactly what’s going on,” Joel said, sitting down on a bench.
“Nothing,” James lied.
“James, I am your coach, and more than that, I’m your friend. And you’re not a good liar, so don’t bullshit me, boy. Tell me the truth,” Joel coaxed.
“It’s just that I got a really strange phone call this morning. I don’t know who it was, but they just kept warning me to ‘stay away from her,’” James admitted, making air quotes. “I don’t know where or how they got my number, but I do know that I sure as hell don’t like it.” James ran his fingers through his wet hair.
“Have you spoken to Tim about it?”
“Why does Tim need to know about some stupid phone call? He’s my manager, not my body guard. He doesn’t need to monitor my phone calls,” James reasoned.
“Tell him. And Anna too,” Joel instructed.
“Okay, I give. I’ll tell Tim, but I’m not going to worry Anna with this. She only just got her life back. I refuse to be responsible for destroying that. She can have her happiness,” James said, leaving no room for argument.
“It’s your call, James. But remember Anna’s a smart cookie. She’ll notice that something’s bothering you. And she’ll ask questions. But the question you have to ask yourself is, are you willing to lie to her?”
“What if I lie to her to protect her?”
“James, you know Anna. She’s not some naïve, delicate flower. And you know that it doesn’t matter what your intentions are. If you lie to her, you’ve lied to her. There’s no other way to look at it. I know you would do anything in your power to protect her but you have to remember she’s not some helpless child. She’s going to be your wife. And marriage is sharing the good and the bad.” Joel sighed as James shook his head in defeat. “You better get a wriggle on; I know you’re meeting with Tim in half an hour. Scram.” Joel smiled, walking away.
“Thanks, Joel. See you this afternoon,” James called out but he had already vanished.
James stumbled towards the car with a heavy heart. His head was telling him he should tell Anna but his heart wouldn’t let him ruin things for her. He wasn’t ready to do that unless it was the absolute last resort. As he drove through the traffic he tried to ignore the voice at the other end of the phone, the one that had invaded his head but he couldn’t shake it. He reached Tim’s office and took the stairs two at a time. James was already running late but he knew that Tim wouldn’t mind. He never did.
“Come on in, James.” Tim waved distractedly as he continued to chat on the phone. After a finishing up his conversation, Tim dropped the phone into its cradle and turned his attention to James. “How was training?”
“Long. Hard. Wet. How was your morning?” James inquired casually, lifting his feet onto Tim’s coffee table.
“In a word, interesting,” Tim taunted, smacking James’s legs with a rolled up magazine. James dropped his feet back to the floor. “The organising committee of the World Championships wants you to go over a week early and help with promotion. It seems their own team doesn’t arouse any attention, but for some strange reason, you do,” Tim admitted, shrugging his shoulders.
“But didn’t you say that months ago? I’m sure I remember you saying their promotional campaigns wouldn’t work. You guessed they would try and get someone to come in and save the day. What are my options?” James asked, dragging his hands across his face roughly. It was obvious by his flat tone that he was less than impressed with the prospect of going early.
“Your options are easy. You can go early and be the hero. Have your photograph taken, make appearances, and sign autographs. Or you can stay home and head over with the rest of the team,” Tim explained. “James, I thought you would have already considered all of this. I mean, it was always on the cards. Why are you stalling on making a decision? What’s wrong? Is it Anna?”
“No, not at all. Anna’s great. And training is fine. You have nothing to worry about.”
“But…”
James was unable to hide the apprehension etched on his face. He’d never be able to convince Tim that everything was hunky dory. “Well, it’s just…I got this weird phone call this morning. I mean really early. I wasn’t even up for training yet,” James began. When he had explained the situation, Tim just stared at him blankly.
“James, I didn’t want to worry you. You know, with everything that has been happening lately, I didn’t want to add to your stress.”
“Tim! Spit it out,” James snapped, sitting up rigidly.
“I have been receiving some pretty strange letters too. None are signed and they all basically say the same thing. They keep repeating for you to stay away from her,” Tim admitted.
“What? How many?”
“Seven.”
“Since when?”
“Since your engagement was announced. Here,” Tim said, opening the bottom drawer of his desk and handing James a manila folder.
James took the folder and opened it slowly, unsure of what was awaiting him. Each letter was addressed directly to James and all demanded the same thing. They were all neatly typed and printed out on thick cream parchment paper.
“What the fuck is this? Some kind of sick joke? ’Cause I’m sure as shit not fucking laughing,” James snapped. He hated the idea that he was fighting a faceless villain.
“James, I didn’t tell you about these because I thought it would be a waste of worry on your part. But if it has escalated to the point where you are getting calls on your private mobile number, it’s time we get the police involved,” Tim suggested.
“I don’t understand. Who am I staying away from? What does this maniac want?” James was pacing back and forth across the office, wringing his hands violently.
“James, you’re not stupid. You know who they want you to stay away from. You just don’t want to admit it because as soon as you say it out loud, then it becomes real. I know you. It’s Anna. You know it and I know it.”
“But why Anna? How do you know? It might not be her.”
“Come on, James. Wake up.” Tim sighed heavily. “You announce that you’re engaged, you introduce her to the world, and then within days strange letters and threatening phone calls start arriving. James, don’t pretend to be an idiot. It doesn’t suit you. And now you know what you have to do. You have to tell Anna.”
“No!” James shouted menacingly. “I can’t.”
“James, she has to know. If someone out there is telling you to stay away from her there’s a reason. And if they are truly after Anna, she needs to know. She needs to know what’s going on so she to keep her eyes open. She’s in more danger if she’s kept in the dark. And even if you don’t want to admit it, you know I’m right,” Tim appealed to James’s sense of duty and his love of Anna.
After a silence that felt like it would never end, James slumped down in the armchair and looked James straight in the eye. “Okay. I’ll tell her. You can let the police know. And let the English know I am unavailable. I’ll go with the rest of the team. And that isn’t up for debate,” James stated as he walked out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
James spent a long time that morning walking the streets just watching people passing, wondering who was turning his life upside down. After training late that afternoon he knew he couldn’t delay it any longer. With a heavy heart, he climbed into his car and headed towards Anna’s.
On the day he wanted to delay the trip as much as possible, the day he wished for every red light, the world was against him. He pulled into a parking spot before he’d rehearsed his speech in his head. The reality of the situation was beginning to overwhelm him. He was being stalked. And somehow Anna had become collateral damage. With a few short words, and the flash of a picture he had dragged her into the spotlight, and in doing so he had put her in danger. Now someone wanted to hurt her and James was powerless to protect her.
Walking up the pathway, James was caught in a dream when he ran collided with Anna. The surprise was evident in Anna face. “Hey!” She smiled as she jumped into his waiting arms.
“Hey yourself. You heading out?” James asked.
“Just grocery shopping. Nothing exciting. But you’re a much better offer.” Anna giggled, spinning around and leading him back into the building. Once they had flopped down in the old comfy chairs, Anna snuggled into his chest. “So, what can I do for you?”
“We need to talk,” James grumbled, pulling away from her.
***
Anna
The first thought that went through Anna was sheer terror. She couldn’t help it. And she couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to. There was a harshness in James’s words that freaked her out.
“What is it? What’s going on?” she spluttered.
Once James explained what was going on Anna was almost shivering. She had been shaken to the core by his revelation. She had never imagined she could become a target. When it finally sunk in, Anna leapt off the lounge and rang her parents. She didn’t know what else to do. Anna’s family were initially shocked to hear what was going on but quickly slipped into the practical problem solvers Anna knew them to be. Within minutes it had been arranged that Anna, James, and James’s family would escape to Anna’s parents place on the coast for a break. They would use it as a retreat, a place where they could relax out of the media’s watchful eye, and hopefully the letter writer’s as well. Despite the reasons for the hasty retreat, they were all silently looking forward to getting to know each other and relaxing at the same time.
Chapter 9
Along the sandy shores of the beach in the small coastal town hidden between the mountains and the forest, James and Anna acted like love struck teenagers. As the clouds rolled in with the afternoon storm, a thick blanket of mist consumed the horizon. Refusing to let the weather ruin her euphoric buzz, Anna swallowed. The little girl inside of her always associated a storm rolling in with the change that it would inevitably bring.
Wrapping her arms even tighter around James’s shoulders, Anna buried her head in his neck. She was perched precariously on his back, her legs wrapped around his waist as he piggy backed her down the beach. The wind whipped the sea water into a fine spray, coating them both, but neither noticed. They were so caught up in just being together.
Up ahead they could see a young family playing cricket on the water’s edge. Small children filled the rock pools searching for crabs, starfish and pretty shells. James laughed merrily as a young girl with strawberry blonde hair called to her mother, “Mum, Mum! Guess what I’ve found? I got a starfish. Quick, Mum! Come look.” James could see the giddy excitement in the child’s face as her mother rushed over to see.
James looked at Anna, whose eyes were fixed on a small boy and his father building a sandcastle. The small freckle-faced boy was running up and down the beach carrying buckets of water. As they got closer to the sandcastle, the boy stopped and stared straight at them. His face changed in an instant, almost as if he had seen a ghost. Then, without another thought he dropped the bucket and pointed at James. “You’re James Thompson!” he stated, looking up at James, waiting for confirmation.
The young boy had recognised James walking the beach. He couldn’t have been be any more than six or seven years old yet he still knew who James was. “That’s me,” James confirmed with a wide grin. “What’s your name?”
The boy’s father saw his son shaking hands with a tall stranger and rushed over to intercept. It was an in-built reflex, like he half expected James to hurt his son. He ran across the beach and grabbed his son’s arms, yanking him out of James’s grasp, without even pausing to glance at James.
“I thought I told you to never talk to strangers,” he began, already lecturing his son.
“But Dad…” he was pleading, his eyes wide.
“Don’t ‘but Dad’ me. You know better.”
“Dad, I do know him. He’s James Thompson.” At that moment the boy’s father dropped his son’s hand, spun around, and stared straight into James’s face.
His face fell with embarrassment. “Sorry, mate, I didn’t realise,” he confessed as he stole a look at Anna.
James shook it off without hesitation or grudge. Extending his hand, James just offered him a casual smile. “It’s cool. I’m James and this is my fiancée, Anna.” Anna had gotten used to being introduced as his fiancée and still, after hearing it a thousand times, found it amusing and slightly odd.
“Hi. I’m Paul. And I guess you’ve met my son, Jarred.” After a few minutes of talking and laughing, James and Anna continued their walk, although their mood had been lightened.
There on the beach Anna had seen what families do. Build sandcastles, scour rock pools and run and laugh like nothing else mattered but that moment. This was the life that Anna never thought she would be able to have with James. As much as she loved him their lives had been so hectic right from the start that Anna had given up the notion that she and James would one day have a family of their own. But in that brief moment on the beach, Anna saw James’s eyes light up as he talked to that young boy. Anna knew it was the life that James never imagined he could have, but suddenly it seemed possible. And without even discussing it, she knew it was something they both wanted.
“You were so great with that little boy and his father. Even if the father did look like he wanted to kill you.” Anna laughed.
“I was, wasn’t I?” James murmured, wrapping his arm around Anna’s shoulders. “You know what was weird about that whole thing?”
Anna just looked up at James with a puzzled look. “What?”
“I actually understood how that father felt. I mean, think about it. All he saw was his son talking to a stranger and he lost it. I mean, with the way that things are these days, you never quite know what anyone is going to do. His first instinct was to protect his family. So that’s exactly what he did. Protect first, ask questions later. I admire him for that,” James explained thoughtfully.
“Don’t tell me you’ve gone all clucky on me?” Anna teased, giving him a hug. “Let’s go home,” she nudged, leading him over the sand dunes.
But before they left they paused on the dunes and looked back the way they’d come. The white waves were still crashing on the shore. The sun was disappearing on the horizon. The sky was turning red, then pink, then a cool and tranquil deep purple. As the day faded into twilight, the sea gulls fell silent and the night sounds took over. It was a magical time of the day, one both James and Anna enjoyed no matter where they were. The cool smooth silver of a dolphin’s dorsal fin cut through the water like a knife through butter. James and Anna watched as the dolphins begin to dance and leap out of the water, landing with a splat. Their playful antics continued as James and Anna disappeared through the shrubs and headed for home.
Opening the front door of Anna’s parents’ place, they were ambushed by Kelley and Kate. Before they could take another step the two young girls had them blindfolded. With a mischievous cackle, they marched them through the house into the lounge and sat them down, leaving them with very strict instructions not to move or touch their blindfolds. Kelley was the look out. If they attempted to move or take off their blindfolds their lives would end, she threatened weakly.
After five minutes Anna and James were blindfolded and bored. Anna dropped her head into James’s lap. “Hey Missy! Careful with the goods,” he scolded.
“Sorry,” Anna cooed back, reaching her hand up behind his head and pulling it towards hers.
When they broke apart breathless moments later, Kelley coughed dramatically. “Excuse me, I’m still in the room!” she reminded them. Anna could just picture her sister trying to maintain her exasperation. Kelley would have her arms folded across her chest and her eyes would have rolled back in her head. It was the same pose that Kelley had every time she didn’t get her way.
Embarrassed, Anna dropped her head back into James’s lap. Almost instantly his fingers were running though her hair. It was a small gesture but one that never failed to soothe her or make her sleepy. Unable to swallow her yawn, Anna snuggled further against James’s warm body.
“Sleepy, Princess?” James asked, pushing a stray curl from her forehead.
When Anna only managed a murmur reply, Kelley couldn’t stomach their PDA session anymore. “Get a room!” she muttered jealously.
With one hand twisted through Anna’s hair, James began tracing lazy circles along her arm, leaving a trail of goose pimples behind him. Anna sighed but said nothing. The subtle changes in her body were unnoticeable to anyone but James.
“Seriously, Kelley, how much longer?” James breathed huskily.
Anna wiggled in his arms. She was in hell. All her thoughts were quickly becoming R-rated and not only was she stuck in a room with her sister, but it was in her parents’ house.
“Not long. Why?” Kelley asked, exasperated. Without missing a beat, James laughed. “’Cause I can think of much better ways to spend the afternoon with Anna, and trust me, I have absolutely no objections to keeping her blindfolded.” With a smirk James bent down and placed a chaste kiss on Anna’s neck before whispering, “Play along,” into her ear.
Anna felt a blush consume her whole body. This is what this man did to her. He turned her to mush. James’s fingers skirted their way along the edge of Anna’s shirt before ducking under the hem. Anna’s breath hitched. With a wicked smile, James continued tracing patterns on her skin.
“Oh my god!” Kelley exclaimed. “You two make me want to vomit.” James heard Kelley stomp across the room but managed to restrain his laughter until he heard the door slam.
As Anna cracked up she managed to scold him, “That was so mean!”
“To who?” James breathed against the back of Anna’s hand before dotting it with light kisses. “To Kelley…” another kiss, “or you?”
Frustrated with her inability to form actual words, Anna growled. James chuckled with satisfaction. Anna knew James was enjoying driving her nuts. He loved getting under her skin. But Anna knew she wasn’t the only one that was affected. With James’s perfect body so close to hers, even if he didn’t want to admit it, Anna knew that he too was being tortured.
James shifted awkwardly in his seat and Anna couldn’t refrain from exacting her revenge. “Feels like someone isn’t as immune as he would like to think he is!” She giggled, unable to contain the cute snort that followed.
“You suck!” James snarled.
“You wish!” Anna baited him. With a painful moan, James moved quickly, and before Anna had a chance to react, James was straddling her hips.
“Get off!” she protested pathetically.
“Hell no!” James retorted, grabbing both her wrists in one hand and pinning them above her head. Dropping a wet kiss on her neck, James ran his free hand down her side and began to tickle her ribs mercilessly. “You ready to say sorry yet?” he taunted.
“What for?” Anna panted as she continued to squirm beneath him.
“What for? Being mean to me,” James sniggered.
“Or for pointing out the obvious?” Anna asked with a smirk, deliberately bumping his erection that was pressing into her stomach.
With a snarl that emanated from the back of his throat, James relented, letting go of her arms and flattening his body on top of hers. “You really do hate me, woman!”
Squashed beneath James, blindfolded, and aroused more than ever before, Anna wrapped her arms around James’s neck and pulled his face to hers. “I’m sorry I make things so hard for you,” she exhaled breathlessly before another fit of giggles consumed her.
“Bitch!” James scolded, unable to stop himself from joining the laughter.
They were so caught up in their own world that they didn’t hear the door open and someone walk in. “You guys are gross!” Kelley whined, snapping them back to attention. “You ready for your surprise or would you prefer to get a room?”
“That’s an option?” Anna asked, shocking both her sister and fiancée.
As James crawled off Anna, trying to conceal his obvious arousal, Kelley took them both by the hand. “Come on.” The boredom was evident in her tone as she pulled them to their feet.
***
James
Kelley led Anna and James to their chairs and told them to sit. They still couldn’t see what was happening but they could hear people moving about. James easily picked out the voices of his parents, Kate, Kelley, Lachlan, Kathryn, and Brandon, yet there were two voices he couldn’t place. That was everybody that was staying there and he was wondering who the other voices belonged to. One was a male voice, deep and husky, while the other was a soft, sensual feminine voice. The only question was who did they belong to?
A minute later Kate and Kelley removed their blindfolds. Brandon and Kathryn’s backyard had been transformed into a romantic, magical paradise. The pergola had been covered in hundreds of tiny fairy lights, while the clothesline was covered in silver and turquoise balloons and streamers. The trees in the backyard had also been filled with the petite fairy lights. The table had been moved under the pergola and wrapped up in a turquoise tablecloth with silver napkins in napkin rings. The transformation was miraculous. The backyard normally looked like the typical Aussie backyard: a green square of grass in the middle, a gum tree standing proudly against the fence, with the clothesline in one corner and the barbecue in the other, but right now it could never be dismissed as simply a normal backyard.
James’s eyes darted around, searching for the two unknown and mysterious voices. Then there they were, standing quietly in the corner of the yard. It was James’s sister Renee and her husband Ryan. Both families were complete and together. And this time it wasn’t tragedy that had brought them together. This time it was something special. It was a love that had united their two families.
They sat and ate an incredible meal. Anna couldn’t work out how her mother had managed to pull this off. Kathryn had truly out done herself. It was a baked dinner with all the trimmings. Anna’s eyes darted about sweeping over dishes of baked potatoes, pumpkin, honey roasted carrots, beans, cauliflower drenched in creamy white sauce, and Anna’s favourite, sweet potato. Then as amazing as the vegetables smelt, the roast pork caught her attention. Anna was overwhelmed by the massive quantity of food spread before them, yet she was more surprised at the speed at which it vanished.
Dinner was accompanied by normal dinner chatter and arguments. Anna and James’s parents sat discussing the weather and debating the advantages of living in a quiet coastal retreat in the middle of nowhere.
“Diana, why can’t we live in a paradise like this?” Michael pouted.
“Because we live in the middle of hell. It’s near the railway station and shopping centre. One day, when we retire, we will move to a town like this.” Diana relented.
Kathryn and Brandon just laughed enthusiastically.
***
Anna
Anna watched in silence as her sister, Kate, flirted almost shamelessly with her fiancé. James looked over at Anna and winked. He knew what Kate was playing at and despite that, he continued to play along. Ever since the introduction of the two families, they had become friends almost instantly, which made everything easier for James and Anna. They had nowhere to hide, with the exception of their homes, and the truth was without the support of their families they never would have made it this far. Not to mention the upcoming wedding extravaganza they now had to plan.
After Diana and Kathryn had cleared away the dishes, dessert was presented. A triple layered chocolate mud cake. It was the ultimate indulgence for James, who generally stuck to his strict diet.
The cogs in Anna’s mind were beginning to turn. They really are my new family. Anna had never considered it like that. For the first time, Anna felt completely safe. She knew that no matter what happened they would all be friends but she had never considered the fact they would be part of her family before.
It seemed before the cake was even cut it was gone. The smell of strong coffee wafted across the backyard as they continued to laugh and talk. A few minutes later Anna realised that James had disappeared. Dropping her napkin back on the table, she left and went looking for him. Where else would he be, but with Kate nipping at his heels on the front driveway playing basketball. As the minutes passed, James didn’t seem to notice all the kids on the street gathering on the front lawn. For someone so athletic, James was amazingly uncoordinated. He was a pathetic basketball player but anyone watching could still see that he was letting Kate get the best of him.
Anna smiled and wandered out to join the rest of the spectators. James had a cheer squad sitting there but he still hadn’t even noticed. Kate glanced over and saw them all sitting there, watching, almost in awe of her playing the champion one on one and winning. “Wanna play?” Kate asked the cheer squad.
Almost simultaneously they jumped up. Hands shot up in the air from every direction. “Pick me! Pick me!” they all chanted.
Within a few minutes the game, which was formerly one on one, was now six versus seven. Kate had cleverly picked teams with all the girls on James’s team so she could be the only one to guard him. James was just going along with whatever Kate decided. Besides, with Kate involved, there was no point arguing.
“Okay,” Kate said. “On James’s team will be Sarah, Hannah, Gabrielle, Madison and Tara.” Anna was trying her best not to laugh as all the girls started gushing about being on James’s team. She wasn’t jealous; she was simply stunned by their reaction. “On my team will be Ben, Andrew, Braith, Adam, David and Nate. Any complaints and you don’t play. Let’s do this.” Kate picked up the ball and headed back towards the ring.
James was being a pain as usual when he started to bitch. “Hang on. I have a complaint. You have one more person on your team more than me,” He was doing his best to hold onto a straight face but was failing miserably.
“Too bad! Suck it up, Princess. Put on your big boy panties and just play!” Kate commanded.
A few moments later the game was in full swing and more competitive than ever before. They were defending and blocking, shooting and dribbling. James’s team was down by about ten points almost instantly. The girls couldn’t stop whispering and giggling and not one of them could catch a ball. One tried and broke a nail before storming off, tears streaming down her face. Anna just sat on the lawn laughing. She had been delegated the job of ‘official scorekeeper.’ Kate had convinced her that this was the perfect job for her because she would have to remain impartial. Her sister was on one team and her fiancé on the other.
