Getaway - SF7 Read Free Page A

mistake in trying to control the flow of information that her partner received. "I think I’ll go find her to apologize," she said.
    "She’s on the tennis court," Catherine hazarded, even though she couldn’t see the court from where she sat. "That’s where she’s always gone to deal with her frustrations."
     
    As predicted, Jamie was trying to smash the covers off the fluorescent green balls that the electric ball machine shot at her. Sensing rather than seeing Ryan, she growled, "You’d better give me some time. I am not responsible for my mouth right now."
    Ignoring the warning, Ryan continued on her course, sitting down quietly behind her partner. A few minutes passed as she watched Jamie whip the balls down the line. "How about if I talk for a minute," she suggested. "I came to apologize, Jamie. I know that what I did was wrong, and I want you to know that I’m really sorry."
    "Do you know why I’m angry?" the blonde woman asked through gritted teeth, grunting with each hard-hit shot.
    "I think so," Ryan admitted. "I think you’re angry because I tried to think for you. I tried to determine the best time to reveal this to you rather than sharing it immediately. I think it really pisses you off to have me, or anyone else, keep you in the dark about something—especially something like this."
    "That’s about it," Jamie grunted. "Good answer for somebody that obviously didn’t realize that just last Sunday."
    Her derisive tone stung, and Ryan took a breath to control herself from snapping off a sharp rejoinder. "Jamie, I said I’m sorry. I will try never to do that to you again." She pushed herself up, walking dejectedly to the opening in the fence that surrounded the court. "I can’t do any better than that."
    She quietly closed the gate and had traveled about 15 feet when she heard her partner’s rapid footsteps scampering across the court’s surface. "Ryan, wait! Please!" she cried, flinging the gate open.
    Ryan paused, waiting patiently but not turning. Soon she felt Jamie’s damp hand on her own, and she turned to face her flushed partner. "I’m sorry, too," Jamie said. "I know that you must have had a good reason for keeping this from me, even though I don’t like it."
    "I’m not sure that I do, Jamie," the taller woman said softly. "I think part of the reason that I didn’t tell you was because I just didn’t want to deal with it. I was down in my little isolated cocoon, and I was able to put it aside by not talking about it. I couldn’t have done that if you were all upset about it."
    Snaking an arm around Ryan’s waist, Jamie laid her head against the warm chest that was presented when Ryan raised her arm. "That’s a pretty good reason, in my book," she said. "I know last week was hard for you, Baby. I’m sure you did the best you could."
    "I tried to, Jamie," Ryan whispered, placing soft kisses on the top of her head. "I’ll admit to being a chicken," she said quietly. "I just felt so odd and unstable being locked away down in Santa Cruz that I really went out of my way to keep things calm. I’m sorry if I made things worse for you."
    "It’s okay, Babe. Let me turn off the ball machine, and we can go back inside."
    Ryan gave her a firm squeeze and said, "Thanks for being so understanding about this. I know that I screwed up."
    "No you didn’t, Baby. You did your best…you always do."
     
    The rest of the discussion went very well now that Jamie was no longer angry with Ryan. Catherine reaffirmed that the house was in her name alone, and that she would not allow Jim to dictate who was allowed to live there. Jamie wasn’t very happy with that, not wanting her mother to be put in the middle, but since she didn’t see many options at this point she agreed.
    "I don’t think this is going to place me any higher on Jim’s favorites list," Ryan worried, knowing that the powerful attorney was not the kind of guy that she wanted to have angry with her.
    "He’s just having a tantrum,"