I gaped at the phone in Jill's hand while my deputy friend shot me a wry grin that told me she knew this announcement was coming, likely had been warned by the man I loved a moment before he told his employee to put him on speakerphone and make me the center of unhappy attention.

Thing was, the instant he made his announcement, the fury on Olivia's face flashed to relief and, without missing a beat, she stuck her hand out to me and shook my limp and unresponsive one ...