The Ties That Bind

with your damn proposal. The next thing Dan and I know she's standing on our front doorstep after having run for Lord knows how far in the fog."
    "The cops..."
    "Dan has already phoned the cops," Annie informed him with blunt satisfaction. Someone had to do it, and you certainly weren't around to take the responsibility, were you?"
    "Annie," he interrupted desperately, "let me talk to Shannon."
    "She's drinking brandy, trying to recover. What good will talking to you do? You're two hundred miles away. Besides, I think I hear the local law arriving. We're going to be very busy explaining things to them for a while. Why don't you call back later, Garth?"
    She hung up the phone before Garth could tell her he wasn't about to call back later and that he intended to speak to Shannon immediately. Angrily he started to redial and then realized he didn't know Annie and Dan's number. Getting it from information took precious minutes. By the time the phone was ringing in Annie's cottage, Garth was rigid with tension. He was ready for Annie's righteous vehemence when someone finally picked up the receiver on the other end.
    "Just a damn minute, Annie. Don't you dare hang up on me. I want to speak to Shannon now."
    "Hi, Garth," Shannon said wearily.
    "Shannon? I thought it would be Annie again. What the hell's going on?"
    "I'm rather busy at the moment. Garth. The cops have a lot of questions for me to answer. I'll have to call you later, okay?"
    "No, wait, it's not okay...." Frantically he tried to keep her on the line, but he knew she was about to hang up again. "Damn it, Shannon, hold on, I've got a few questions of my own."
    "You don't have to worry about the bid package, Garth. I've got it."
    "Shannon!"
    The phone clicked in his ear, and Garth slammed his own receiver back into its cradle. Helplessly he stared out into the darkened garden beyond the bedroom window. His insides were twisting with rage and frustration. Two hundred miles away. He was sitting here two hundred miles away while Shannon went through hell. Garth got to his feet, wanting to knock a hole through the bedroom wall, anything to relieve the helpless tension. Grimly he brought his simmering fury back under control.
    It was nearly one o'clock in the morning. If he left immediately he could be at the coast shortly before five. Hell, driving at this time of night he should be able to do a lot better than that. Garth reached for a pair of jeans and a shirt. He was going to go out of his mind sitting here. He had to get to Shannon.
    The drive to the coast seemed to last forever, although Garth had never made better time. He had the highway to himself, and the Porsche sliced through the night as if it owned it. Garth drove with ruthless efficiency and little regard for the speed limit. His only goal was to get to Shannon. Three hours later he was pulling into her driveway. He hadn't encountered any fog until the last few miles, but now the mist was annoyingly thick. The light over her front door was on, and the Fiat was parked nearby. There was no sign of activity within the cottage. She'd be in bed, Garth decided as he got out of the Porsche. By now the police would have come and gone.
    When there was no answer to his knock, Garth's inner tension peaked again. Belatedly he realized Shannon might have stayed the rest of the night with Annie and Dan.
    "Shannon?" He pounded once more and then loped back to the Porsche. He remembered the cottage Shannon had pointed out as the one belonging to Annie and Dan. Shoving the keys back into the ignition, Garth put the car in gear and slammed the vehicle onto the narrow road.

* * *
    SHANNON HEARD THE POUNDING KNOCK on Annie and Dan's front door quite clearly because she was sleeping on the sofa in the living room. Dazedly she awoke, remembering vaguely that she wasn't in her own home. The crashing knock on the door came again, and this time Garth's voice accompanied it.
    "Dan? It's Sheridan. Open up. Is Shannon with you?"
    Shannon shook off her sleepy haze and sat up on the sofa. "I'm coming, Garth." She traipsed to the door, yawning widely as she opened it. For a moment she simply stared at his haggard expression as he stood beneath the porch light. "Hi."
    "Hi, yourself," he muttered, reaching out to catch hold of her shoulders with both hands. His gaze raked her from head to foot. "Are you all right?"
    "I'm okay."
    "Hell, Shannon, I thought I would go crazy after Annie called." He pulled her into his arms, locking her