Whispering Hearts Read Free Page A

have a word with Rachel.”
    â€œI’m sure you can have several, but not until I’m done with you.” She gave him a flirty smile. He hoped the one he forced in response was convincing.
    â€œIt is rather important. None of her friends have heard from her in a while.”
    Mrs. Montgomery’s smile faltered enough to give Garrett a glimpse of the real woman. The cold, reaching woman beneath the surface of civility she projected to the world. He wanted to leave, but couldn’t until he knew Rachel was all right.
    â€œShe’s been resting quite a bit,” Mrs. Montgomery said.
    â€œThat’s good. But she shouldn’t be isolating herself. It isn’t healthy.”
    â€œI don’t think she’s isolating herself.” Mrs. Montgomery lifted her cup and saucer again, slowly and deliberately. “Rather, she’s moving on.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    She took a sip of her tea, only glancing at Garrett from the corner of her eyes. He hated the social dance she was playing at, but knew she wouldn’t give him answers if he didn’t match her moves.
    â€œI hope you’re not planning on leaving Summer Park,” he said. “The Montgomerys are an important part of the city.”
    It was a bald-faced lie, but stroking her ego might help to loosen her tongue and get him to Rachel faster. Mr. Montgomery was a defense attorney. If Mrs. Montgomery had her way, he would eventually be President.
    â€œDon’t you worry, my dear.” She set down her teacup again. “Our plans keep us in Summer Park for a little while longer. I have to say, I would very much like to see Rachel settled down before we move on.” She gave Garrett a pointed smile.
    He wanted to shrug and say, “I’d be game if she’d stop shutting me down,” but didn’t think that would end well for Rachel.
    Adding to her stress in any way wasn’t a good idea. Pressuring her about marriage right after what had happened with her latest boyfriend would be downright despicable. How could Mrs. Montgomery even allude to such a thing?
    She tilted her head to the side as she raised her shoulder to meet it—a dismissive shrug Rachel had picked up and used too often. “Unfortunately I don’t see that happening if she keeps associating with those friends of hers. Present company excluded of course.”
    Garrett was stunned. “Rachel needs her friends, Mrs. Montgomery. Now more than ever. They can help her get over what happened with—”
    Mrs. Montgomery waved her hand in the air and shook her head. “We mustn’t speak of that unpleasant matter.”
    â€œUnpleasant?”
    Rachel’s boyfriend had kidnapped her. Tortured her. He had planned to kill her—and she wouldn’t have been his first victim. Not by a long shot. But Rachel had survived. She had survived and gunned the bastard down while he was trying to kill two of their other friends.
    â€œShe needs to talk about what happened,” Garrett said. “Especially with the people who went through it with her.”
    â€œThey did, didn’t they? Doesn’t that seem a bit odd to you? That so many of her little group was involved?”
    Garrett took a deep breath and held it to keep from yelling. When he trusted himself to speak, his voice was tight and clipped.
    â€œMrs. Montgomery, I don’t know what you have been told, but Dante and Elsa were present because they were trying to rescue Rachel.”
    Mrs. Montgomery’s perfectly shaped eyebrows rose on her forehead. “And how did they know she needed to be rescued?”
    Explaining that would give away secrets that Garrett had sworn to keep. He doubted she would believe the truth anyway.
    When he didn’t respond, she looked back to her tea and said, “Weren’t they all associated with that gallery owner Rachel fell in with? That Asian woman with the ridiculous name and reputation for