"So you convinced him to keep you around?" Melissa asked venomously as she sat back and stared at Anna as if she were a piece of crap on her designer shoe. "Probably just spread her legs for him, John is pretty susceptible to that." May chimed in as she slurped her coffee. She leaned back and her Ann Klein blouse pulled up revealing her midriff. She smiled at Anna and put her leg over the edge of her chair getting comfortable. "That is none of your business, either or you." "And anyway whether John and I have sex and where is our business." Anna said with all the patience she could muster. This was so typical of them. Go for the throat the minute John's back was turned. "But It is our business, "Melissa said cattily as she sat with her fingers steepled as she examined Anna as if she were a bug under a microscope "We can't have any gold diggers in our family and you my dear are a gold digger."One, Two, Three, Four Anna counted to herself as she tried not to let go on them. Althoug

Anna watched him go knowing this was not going to be an easy conversation. Unfortunately it was one that they needed to have. John needed to stand up for them like he'd done since the beginning. Anna remembered the first day they'd met so clearly it was as if it were yesterday. Clarence Creek North Carolina, a small town about 30 minutes outside of Asheville was not a forgiving one. Growing up the child of a single mother made it so much worse. She'd gone to school that first day knowing it was not going to be pleasant. Clarence Creek Elementary First day of Kindergarten Anna bit her nails and watched the children run around the classroom. No one had noticed her and those who had noticed her whispered about her hiding behind their hands. Most of the kids lived around her but weren't allowed to play with her because she didn't have a daddy and her mommy went to heaven in a car accident. Anna had never felt so sad. She tried not to cry but tears slipped down her cheeks and soaked th

Anna opened one eye and smiled down at John. He lay asleep beside her, totally carefree. Anna smoothed his hair back and kissed him gently. John's hands locked around her and he deepened the kiss with a growl. "What a nice way to wake up." He said softly. "I agree," she said with a laugh as she ran a fingernail down his chest. "Can we just move in here?" "I don't think that would work. Your phone has been buzzing constantly by the way. I think they know where we are."John sighed and ran his hands across her face loving the way the stained glass caused light to filter over her face in rainbow colors. He kissed her deeply and rolled over to answer to latest buzzing. "I have to go take care of a problem at work, some problem with the marketing pitch for the mall account. I'm really sorry, I can say no.""No it's okay, I understand." And she really did, John's work would never have called when he was out of the office unless it was absolutely necessary. John's advertising agency was

The door opened to John's office and he turned from his view of the Asheville skyline and motioned Erin inside. "You needed to see me, John?" Erin asked softly as she stepped inside the office. "Sit down please." Erin shook out her long dark hair and straightened her blouse as she walked to sit down. She gracefully crossed her knees and took out her notebook. She looked at him with a smile in her brown eyes."Erin I think it might be better if you were no longer working here with me after what happened at the party the other night." "John…" Erin protested."Let me finish," he said cutting her off "I'm not firing you, but I am moving you to another office. I think you got the wrong idea somehow.""But," I love my wife and I did not appreciate how you acted." Erin pushed her hair behind her ear seeming shell shocked. "I can't believe this.""Believe it, I don't know how you thought that was appropriate." "But Isabel said that you liked me and I thought I was just making the next

John unlocked the car and slid inside. He had been gone longer than he'd anticipated but he wanted nothing more than to get home to Anna. Erin's revelations made his skin crawl and he had a feeling that leaving her alone with his mother, his sister, and Isabel was a bad idea. He had a bad feeling that he had desperately underestimated Isabel. He headed out of his building's parking garage and caught 40 on his way home. He passed the entrance to the Biltmore Estate and knew he was only miles away. He thought of Anna and sped up. Life had not always been easy for her but somehow she had become one of the strongest women he knew, he was so damn proud to call her his. He wished his mother and sister were easier on her. "They had better remember the conversation we had earlier." John thought as he pushed the pedal down even faster. His mother and sister had promised to try but something about the look they'd exchanged as he was leaving to find Anna made him nervous. John jumped out of