a case. The bastard had assured him of that right up until her dad was stripped of his license, his assets, and his dignity.
After the final verdict, her dad been so distraught leaving the courthouse he'd crashed into a tree. The police said he and Mom had died instantly. In one afternoon, she and Anna had gone from being secure and loved to having nothing. Not even the house they'd grown up in, which went toward the massive legal fees.
"Not all lawyers are like the one Daddy had," Anna said hesitantly.
"No, but Cavanaugh is. He has a constant parade of petite blondes through his apartment." An exaggeration. She'd only ever seen one petite blonde traipsing up to his apartment, but the click-clack of her high heels had woken Freya up in the middle of the night more times than she could count.
Probably his girlfriend. The cheating bastard. He couldn't really want her if he was dating someone else.
"But—" Her sister shook her head. "Okay, if not Cavanaugh, what about the guy who just moved in downstairs?"
"Him? No." Freya wrinkled her nose. Not that the new guy didn't seem cool. She'd run into him a few times in the couple months since he'd bought the downstairs unit and he was always friendly and polite. Nice. She shook her head. "Not my type."
"So how are you going to find a hot guy?"
"I'm taking out a personal ad."
"Holy crap." Her sister sat up straight. "I can't believe it."
"It's not a bad idea—"
"Not a bad idea? It's frickin' fantastic!"
Freya frowned. "It is?"
"Hell yeah."
She hadn't expected such an enthusiastic response. "Do you want to see it?"
"You have it written?"
"Eve wrote it this afternoon. Wait here and I'll get it." She returned to her bedroom a moment later with the notebook. "Here."
"Whoa. Cool drawings." Brow wrinkled, Anna turned the pad sideways. "Is this position really possible?"
Freya rolled her eyes. "The ad is on the next page."
Her sister reluctantly turned the page. "A goddess, huh? I love it. It's so you."
"You think so?" She took back the notebook and slipped it in her robe's pocket.
"Totally. It's great. I've been worried about you since you broke up with Brad. Not that I liked him—" she made a gagging face —"but you haven't even looked at another guy since and that's not natural."
"Oh."
"This is a good thing." Anna opened her mouth and then shut it, looking unsure. She tugged on her straight brown hair and hesitantly said, "Sometimes I feel guilty, like if you didn't have the burden of taking care of me you'd be a completely different person."
"Don't say that," she said fiercely.
"It's true. Art college is so expensive." Guilt emanated from her big brown eyes. "It's like you're making all these sacrifices and I'm not doing anything to help. Maybe I could increase the number of hours I work a week. If I cut down on my art time—"
" No . I want you to concentrate on your painting. You're so talented." She smoothed her sister's uneven bangs back from her face. "One day you'll be supporting me with all the money you rake in from your gallery shows."
"Yeah, but..."
"No buts. It's no sacrifice. You're my little sister. Of course I'm going to take care of you."
Anna heaved a sigh. "I just want you to be happy too."
"I am." Well, she would be. She was going to make this all work. She hugged Anna tightly, trying to transfer her certainty in the embrace.
Anna squeezed her back. Then she gasped. "Is that the time? I have to go. Date tonight."
Freya smiled. "You always have a date."
"It's the best way to get dinner when you're poor." She hopped off the bed.
"Don't forget your groceries." She followed her sister down the hall and waited by the landing.
"Right." Anna returned from the kitchen with a full brown bag in addition to her jacket and backpack.
"I'll carry that." Freya took the paper bag and led the way down the stairs to the curb where her sister had parked illegally. "If you run out of money, let me know, okay?"
Anna popped the trunk and dumped her
After the final verdict, her dad been so distraught leaving the courthouse he'd crashed into a tree. The police said he and Mom had died instantly. In one afternoon, she and Anna had gone from being secure and loved to having nothing. Not even the house they'd grown up in, which went toward the massive legal fees.
"Not all lawyers are like the one Daddy had," Anna said hesitantly.
"No, but Cavanaugh is. He has a constant parade of petite blondes through his apartment." An exaggeration. She'd only ever seen one petite blonde traipsing up to his apartment, but the click-clack of her high heels had woken Freya up in the middle of the night more times than she could count.
Probably his girlfriend. The cheating bastard. He couldn't really want her if he was dating someone else.
"But—" Her sister shook her head. "Okay, if not Cavanaugh, what about the guy who just moved in downstairs?"
"Him? No." Freya wrinkled her nose. Not that the new guy didn't seem cool. She'd run into him a few times in the couple months since he'd bought the downstairs unit and he was always friendly and polite. Nice. She shook her head. "Not my type."
"So how are you going to find a hot guy?"
"I'm taking out a personal ad."
"Holy crap." Her sister sat up straight. "I can't believe it."
"It's not a bad idea—"
"Not a bad idea? It's frickin' fantastic!"
Freya frowned. "It is?"
"Hell yeah."
She hadn't expected such an enthusiastic response. "Do you want to see it?"
"You have it written?"
"Eve wrote it this afternoon. Wait here and I'll get it." She returned to her bedroom a moment later with the notebook. "Here."
"Whoa. Cool drawings." Brow wrinkled, Anna turned the pad sideways. "Is this position really possible?"
Freya rolled her eyes. "The ad is on the next page."
Her sister reluctantly turned the page. "A goddess, huh? I love it. It's so you."
"You think so?" She took back the notebook and slipped it in her robe's pocket.
"Totally. It's great. I've been worried about you since you broke up with Brad. Not that I liked him—" she made a gagging face —"but you haven't even looked at another guy since and that's not natural."
"Oh."
"This is a good thing." Anna opened her mouth and then shut it, looking unsure. She tugged on her straight brown hair and hesitantly said, "Sometimes I feel guilty, like if you didn't have the burden of taking care of me you'd be a completely different person."
"Don't say that," she said fiercely.
"It's true. Art college is so expensive." Guilt emanated from her big brown eyes. "It's like you're making all these sacrifices and I'm not doing anything to help. Maybe I could increase the number of hours I work a week. If I cut down on my art time—"
" No . I want you to concentrate on your painting. You're so talented." She smoothed her sister's uneven bangs back from her face. "One day you'll be supporting me with all the money you rake in from your gallery shows."
"Yeah, but..."
"No buts. It's no sacrifice. You're my little sister. Of course I'm going to take care of you."
Anna heaved a sigh. "I just want you to be happy too."
"I am." Well, she would be. She was going to make this all work. She hugged Anna tightly, trying to transfer her certainty in the embrace.
Anna squeezed her back. Then she gasped. "Is that the time? I have to go. Date tonight."
Freya smiled. "You always have a date."
"It's the best way to get dinner when you're poor." She hopped off the bed.
"Don't forget your groceries." She followed her sister down the hall and waited by the landing.
"Right." Anna returned from the kitchen with a full brown bag in addition to her jacket and backpack.
"I'll carry that." Freya took the paper bag and led the way down the stairs to the curb where her sister had parked illegally. "If you run out of money, let me know, okay?"
Anna popped the trunk and dumped her
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