glad."
"No. I really mean it. I want to marry you."
Her head jerked up and she stared at him, truly concerned. "Oh, Brad, please don't talk that way."
"I mean it. Gregory won't marry you, but I will."
"Oh, Brad. Please don't do this to either one of us. Please. It's too late for us. Don't you understand that? Maybe if we'd had this discussion before you left for New York everything would have worked out differently." She pulled back slightly and placed her hands on his neck, cupping his jawline. "You can never go back. Brad, no matter what. Perhaps if I hadn't met Gregory, and I'd known how you feel about me..." She paused, wanting him to understand, not wanting to cause him any more grief. "It's too late for us," she finished softly.
"No, it isn't. Believe me, it isn't."
She just shook her head. "Oh, Brad. If only life weren't so complicated." She slipped off the bed and stood in front of him. "Go home, now, Brad. We'll meet tomorrow and pretend this conversation never took place. It's just between you and me, like so many other things that we've shared together."
Brad sat there staring at her. He'd tried to tell her. In fact, he had told her, but for whatever reason, she hadn't believed him. His options at this point were severely limited.
The question was, what would she do tomorrow when she discovered that Gregory wasn't there? Would she allow him to substitute for the missing groom?
Knowing Penny the way he did, he sincerely doubted it. In the first place, she would assume he was doing it out of pity for her because of the humiliation she would suffer. Pity had nothing to do with the feelings he had for this woman.
But he needed time to explain, time to make her understand. And from the looks of things tonight, she wasn't going to listen to what he had to say. She'd been under considerable strain all week. He knew that. Stress could have a strange effect on people.
Feeling a wealth of love for the woman who stood in front of him, Brad made up his mind. He would do whatever he had to do to protect her from a situation not of her own making.
Brad stood and smiled down at her. "Everything's going to be all right, love. I'll take care of it."
She nodded, glad to see that he appeared to be calming down.
He turned and pulled back the covers, helping her as though she were an invalid. Docilely she went along with him. There was no reason to upset him. He certainly wasn't dangerous to anyone—just a little irrational. Hopefully that would pass in a few hours. Surely it wouldn't take more than a few days to help him recover. Penny prayed his condition wouldn't be permanent.
"I'll get you a glass of water," he announced as though coming up with a brilliant idea. "That should help you sleep." He turned away and disappeared into her bathroom. She heard the water running, and he eventually reappeared.
"It will?" she asked, wondering if he had water confused with warm milk.
He carefully handed her a glass filled with water. Penny smiled and took it, dutifully taking a sip.
"Now don't worry about a thing, do you hear me?" Brad asked in an urgent tone. "Everything's going to work out just fine. You know I'll always take care of you."
"Yes," she agreed, nodding.
Brad leaned over and touched her lips softly with his. "I think I'll let myself out the back door rather than go down the tree, if that's all right," he suggested.
"Oh, yes! I wouldn't want you to slip and fall, for heaven's sake. You've had enough bumps to your head for one week!"
They smiled at each other, pleased that they had reached some sort of harmonious understanding.
Penny listened until she heard the faint sound of the back door closing, then sighed and turned out the light.
Now not only did she have to worry about whether or not the groom would show up for his wedding in the morning, she also had to live with the fear that her best friend might have received some sort of brain damage that had gone undetected until now.
Chapter 7
" G ood
"No. I really mean it. I want to marry you."
Her head jerked up and she stared at him, truly concerned. "Oh, Brad, please don't talk that way."
"I mean it. Gregory won't marry you, but I will."
"Oh, Brad. Please don't do this to either one of us. Please. It's too late for us. Don't you understand that? Maybe if we'd had this discussion before you left for New York everything would have worked out differently." She pulled back slightly and placed her hands on his neck, cupping his jawline. "You can never go back. Brad, no matter what. Perhaps if I hadn't met Gregory, and I'd known how you feel about me..." She paused, wanting him to understand, not wanting to cause him any more grief. "It's too late for us," she finished softly.
"No, it isn't. Believe me, it isn't."
She just shook her head. "Oh, Brad. If only life weren't so complicated." She slipped off the bed and stood in front of him. "Go home, now, Brad. We'll meet tomorrow and pretend this conversation never took place. It's just between you and me, like so many other things that we've shared together."
Brad sat there staring at her. He'd tried to tell her. In fact, he had told her, but for whatever reason, she hadn't believed him. His options at this point were severely limited.
The question was, what would she do tomorrow when she discovered that Gregory wasn't there? Would she allow him to substitute for the missing groom?
Knowing Penny the way he did, he sincerely doubted it. In the first place, she would assume he was doing it out of pity for her because of the humiliation she would suffer. Pity had nothing to do with the feelings he had for this woman.
But he needed time to explain, time to make her understand. And from the looks of things tonight, she wasn't going to listen to what he had to say. She'd been under considerable strain all week. He knew that. Stress could have a strange effect on people.
Feeling a wealth of love for the woman who stood in front of him, Brad made up his mind. He would do whatever he had to do to protect her from a situation not of her own making.
Brad stood and smiled down at her. "Everything's going to be all right, love. I'll take care of it."
She nodded, glad to see that he appeared to be calming down.
He turned and pulled back the covers, helping her as though she were an invalid. Docilely she went along with him. There was no reason to upset him. He certainly wasn't dangerous to anyone—just a little irrational. Hopefully that would pass in a few hours. Surely it wouldn't take more than a few days to help him recover. Penny prayed his condition wouldn't be permanent.
"I'll get you a glass of water," he announced as though coming up with a brilliant idea. "That should help you sleep." He turned away and disappeared into her bathroom. She heard the water running, and he eventually reappeared.
"It will?" she asked, wondering if he had water confused with warm milk.
He carefully handed her a glass filled with water. Penny smiled and took it, dutifully taking a sip.
"Now don't worry about a thing, do you hear me?" Brad asked in an urgent tone. "Everything's going to work out just fine. You know I'll always take care of you."
"Yes," she agreed, nodding.
Brad leaned over and touched her lips softly with his. "I think I'll let myself out the back door rather than go down the tree, if that's all right," he suggested.
"Oh, yes! I wouldn't want you to slip and fall, for heaven's sake. You've had enough bumps to your head for one week!"
They smiled at each other, pleased that they had reached some sort of harmonious understanding.
Penny listened until she heard the faint sound of the back door closing, then sighed and turned out the light.
Now not only did she have to worry about whether or not the groom would show up for his wedding in the morning, she also had to live with the fear that her best friend might have received some sort of brain damage that had gone undetected until now.
Chapter 7
" G ood
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