BooksBarbecue
Back The Lying House Save as PDF
Chapters (103)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. 83
  90. 84
  91. 85
  92. 86
  93. 87
  94. 88
  95. 89
  96. 90
  97. 91
  98. 92
  99. 93
  100. 94
  101. Epilogue
  102. Acknowledgments and a Personal Note
  103. Excerpt

Lisa stood to leave, her mind racing at the whirlwind her life had become. Looking at Dillard, her heart warmed at the hope he’d held out for her, and she managed to voice a weak thank you before she was overcome with emotion and sobbed.

Dillard stood, took her into his arms, pulled her to him. She felt his strength as he comforted her, just like her dad would, making her feel as if nothing in this world could ever hurt her.

“It’s going to be all right,” he told her.

She sought her composure, smiling and nodding her appreciation.

“Why don’t you and Jeff join me and Nell for dinner tonight—take your mind off things for a few hours?”

“But we can’t tell Jeff what I told you.”

“No, no. It’ll help me get a read on him and where things stand.”

Lisa nodded. “Okay, I’ll ask him.”

She thanked Dillard, then stepped away to leave, neither of them aware that Nell had heard them from the hall leading to the kitchen, where she stood wearing a Miami Dolphins T-shirt.

It was orange.

43

Time was ticking down for Jeff.

When he got to his desk on the fifty-first floor of the Coral Cloud Tower that morning, more than half of the dozen people he’d requested help from had gotten back to him.

It didn’t look good. No one had anything.

Minutes were slipping by.

Meetings concerning the Globo Aedifico campaign took up much of his day as he battled to pay attention between yawning and checking his phone for other responses.

“You okay, there, Jeff?” Nick Martinez asked as a concept meeting ended.

Jeff rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Martinez nodded, then changed the subject.

“My sister won’t be using her Marlins tickets this weekend. Yankees are in town. If you’re interested in going, let me know.”

“Thanks, Nick. Sounds great. I’ll let you know.”

Jeff nearly made it to his office when Foster Shore caught up with him.

“Need to see you for a second.”

Jeff’s stomach knotted and his face whitened.

Shore entered Jeff’s office with him and closed the door behind him.

“Wanted to give you a heads-up,” Shore said. “Martin Nedwell in our London office has got several major projects coming and wants you to join his team in making presentations in Dublin, Edinburgh, London and Manchester later next month. You’ll need to be there for a couple of weeks. There’s additional compensation London will pay you, as well. You can take your wife.”

Jeff took a moment to think.

“Are you all right, Jeff? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine. This sounds like a great opportunity, but I’m not familiar with their operations, and we have the Globo Aedifico campaign.”