“Well, add it to the list,” Joanna said, waving her hands in the air. “Look, I’m sorry I’m not dressed to the nines, but I don’t own nines. Hell, I don’t even own eights!”

“Then get some new clothes. God knows I’m paying you enough to afford them.”

Joanna’s smile brightened the room. “Are you saying I can go shopping? Leave the house?”

“In your dreams.”

“Well, then how in the hell am I supposed to get new clothes so I can be properly dressed for dinner?”

The tiniest of laugh lines appeared on Addison’s face as she opened the pocket doors. Turning around, she eyed Joanna from head to toe. “I guess you can’t. Pity, I’ll so miss your company.”

***

With the weeds still covered in morning dew, Joanna paced up and down the footpath waiting until the sun had done its job. As she reached the end of the path, she peeked around the corner of the mansion like she had done so many times before, immediately sighing at the stubbornness of the three photographers still camped outside the fence line. About to turn around and go back the way she came, Joanna noticed David, once again, entering the garage she had yet to visit, and all of a sudden she remembered the conversation she had had with her father the day before. She wasn’t a thief, and she wasn’t a grifter. She was Mrs. Addison Kane.

“Screw this,” Joanna said, and setting her jaw, she took off running.

It wasn’t until she reached the brick walkway around the garage when the paparazzi began calling out her name in hopes she’d turn toward their cameras to capture her for posterity, but the photos they managed to take would only show a blur in blue jeans. Giggling at the craziness, Joanna reached the wooden paneled door at the end of the building. Thankful that it was unlocked, she slipped inside, practically bumping into David when she did.

Startled, David whipped around to view his assailant, and when he saw Joanna standing behind him, he took a quick half-step backward. “Miss Sheppard? Oh...um...I mean, Mrs. Kane. Is there something wrong?” he asked, looking past her to the door. “Are you being chased? Is there a problem?”

“No, I just needed to move fast or get caught on camera,” Joanna said, motioning toward the door. “I didn’t mean to run into you. Sorry.”

“It’s quite all right. As long as you’re okay.”

“I am,” Joanna said, smiling up at the man.