O'Brien's Lady - By Marsha Doss Page 0,3
with throw pillows in shades of brown and rust. There was a quiet sense of orderliness here that Sonny had missed. The apartment she still shared with a young model friend was usually strewn with clothing and books and whatever else she and Jan decided to discard. Neither one of them had the time to do housework, and so they passed each other like ships in the night, with only an occasional few minutes left over for just plain talk.
Sometime during the night, Sonny awoke, to find her body still draped comfortably in the blue chair. The trip had been exhausting and she had not been able to fight sleep. As she turned out the lights and pulled herself up the winding staircase, she thought of Michael and the gentle touch of his lips to hers. She shook her head, trying to block the image of his tanned face from her mind, but the feelings he had stirred within her would not be quieted.
Michael had definitely gotten to her today, but she was determined to keep her mind on the business at hand. The business of settling her father's estate.
CHAPTER 2
Sonny sat up in bed with a startled look on her sleep-swollen face. It was already nine o'clock and Ben Mathison was to read her father's will at ten.
The moment she had dreaded was almost here. Somehow, official notification of her inheritance of Pinebrook was going to make her father's death seem so final. Sonny had managed to come to terms with her own feelings of loss, but being back here in J.B's world was unsettling. She only hoped that returning to Paris and her regular routine would help bring her back to normalcy.
Sonny showered and dressed in a white silk tailored blouse and a black skirt that emphasized her small waistline. She fastened the pearl buttons on her cuffs and straightened the wide collar that opened at the neck. Working with Pierre's innovative and outrageous fashions had not altered the quietly sophisticated look she chose for her own wardrobe.
When she had finished tucking her hair neatly at the nape of her neck and applied a blusher to her cheeks and gloss to her lips, Sonny sat on the edge of her bed and took a deep breath.
Moments later, Sonny entered her father's den and was immediately overcome by the darkly paneled walls filled with photographs of J.B. and his past champions. The room pervaded with his presence and she turned away from the familiar face in the pictures.
In one corner of the room, next to the floor-to-ceiling red brick fireplace was a large oak desk. Bookshelves lined every other wall and were stacked with volumes of good reading material. Her father's penchant for books was surpassed only by his love for his champions. The well-worn brown leather couch was placed in front of the fireplace and two matching chairs faced the heavy burled wood table. Being a big man himself, J.B. had filled his house with sturdy no-nonsense furniture. He was a functional man who believed in the true essence of simplicity, a trait Sonny, it seemed, had not inherited.
The small gold ashtray on the table caught Sonny's eye and she picked it up, her fingers exploring the familiar object. It had been a birthday present for her father and it had taken two extra turns at the county fair to win it. She carefully placed it back on the table and turned, startled to see Michael coming through the doorway.
"What are you doing here?" Sonny asked, wondering if he had let himself in with Katy's key.
"Coming to see your father's attorney."
Michael handed her an envelope to support his reasons for appearing.
"Ben asked you to be here?"
"It's all in that letter." Michael sauntered over to the couch and sank into the soft cushions. He wore a blue plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Tanned, muscular arms were exposed and Sonny turned her attention to one of the high-backed chairs, as she slid gracefully into the seat.
"Probably wants to discuss stable management." Sonny had begun in mid-sentence without knowing it.
"Who does?" Michael asked.
"Ben, of course. Anyway, you two can discuss whatever it is you need to." It would be best that way, because she certainly didn't want Michael being present while they discussed her father's will.
Sonny unconsciously bit her lower lip as the silence between them became deafening. She shifted her weight nervously from one leg to the other, first crossing, then uncrossing. Michael followed