all right and nothing besides the comfort he was offering her mattered.
“I don’t want to be out in public right now, Nate,” she hiccoughed into his shirt. He stepped back and offered her a hankie. The fact he had one on him, even though he was dressed in cargo shorts and a t-shirt tickled her funny bone. She gave him a watery smile as she cleaned herself up.
“Do you what you have to,” he said when she only dabbed at her nose. She started to shake her head “no” but he took the cloth from her and held it to her face. His other hand was bracing the back of her head so she couldn’t move away. “Blow,” he ordered. Embarrassed, she did as she was told.
“Have you had breakfast?” he asked. The thought of pretending to be happy and carefree in a restaurant didn’t appeal to her. She started to say as much and he cut her off. “We’ll order room service and talk. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”
“I know, Nate. And thank you. That sounds nice. I’ll try not be a sad-sack. I think he’s – he’s – ” Alicia turned away as a fresh wave of tears washed over her. It was too much. She couldn’t shake the feeling Phillip would be dead before the day was done.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the hotel,” Nate whispered, tucking her under his arm. She leaned into him, grateful for his support and understanding. As they walked, she wondered how on earth she’d managed to find the one man on earth who not only didn’t run screaming at the sight of a woman’s tears, but took the time to comfort her. The fact he didn’t know her from Eve only served to elevate her “nice guy” opinion of him.
* *
Nate came awake suddenly at the sound of a door clicking softly shut. He didn’t open his eyes immediately. Something was off. For starters, he wasn’t in his room. He could tell by the smell. This one smelled fresh and feminine, like – Alicia. Oh God. I conked out on her. She’s probably pissed.
“Hey? You awake?” she asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. The fact she could, and comfortably, brought home the fact he was sprawled out across the middle of it. This meant she wouldn’t have been able to lie down and take a nap whether she wanted to or not.
“Yeah. What time is it? I didn’t sleep last night. I – ”
“Seven. I ran into Liz. She – ”
“Oh God. I am sorry for her freak out. She’s – ”
“ – apologized for everything. She told me how she kept you up all night, trying to tell you something very important. She’s – and I quote – ‘not sure if I managed to finally tell him through all of the crying I did’. She would like you to call her to confirm yea or nay. Then, because we were both bored and tired of shopping, we went for a run. I think I could get into it, even with the minus forty wind chill Winnipeg winters. Are you hungry? I need to shower first, but – ”
“Alicia,” Nate said, stopping her short. She stopped speaking and looked down at him. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Either she was still upset about Phillip or her time with Liz bothered her and she wouldn’t admit it. He hoped like hell her mood had to do with Phillip. Just in case, he decided to clarify a few things.
“Elizabeth and I are done, no matter what she has to say. She has moved on. She ended things between us. I was going to bring her out here to propose, thinking that might prove once and for all I was willing to stay with her, no matter what our issues in the bedroom were. She found the receipt for the ring though, and apparently proposing would have been absolutely the wrong thing to do. She freaked out and started hurling her crystal pieces at me.” He snorted in disgust. “It was damned expensive crystal, too.”
He watched Alicia’s face for her reaction. He could see there was still a question in her eyes and he gave her time to ask it. When she didn’t, he put himself in her place and tried to figure
“I don’t want to be out in public right now, Nate,” she hiccoughed into his shirt. He stepped back and offered her a hankie. The fact he had one on him, even though he was dressed in cargo shorts and a t-shirt tickled her funny bone. She gave him a watery smile as she cleaned herself up.
“Do you what you have to,” he said when she only dabbed at her nose. She started to shake her head “no” but he took the cloth from her and held it to her face. His other hand was bracing the back of her head so she couldn’t move away. “Blow,” he ordered. Embarrassed, she did as she was told.
“Have you had breakfast?” he asked. The thought of pretending to be happy and carefree in a restaurant didn’t appeal to her. She started to say as much and he cut her off. “We’ll order room service and talk. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”
“I know, Nate. And thank you. That sounds nice. I’ll try not be a sad-sack. I think he’s – he’s – ” Alicia turned away as a fresh wave of tears washed over her. It was too much. She couldn’t shake the feeling Phillip would be dead before the day was done.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the hotel,” Nate whispered, tucking her under his arm. She leaned into him, grateful for his support and understanding. As they walked, she wondered how on earth she’d managed to find the one man on earth who not only didn’t run screaming at the sight of a woman’s tears, but took the time to comfort her. The fact he didn’t know her from Eve only served to elevate her “nice guy” opinion of him.
* *
Nate came awake suddenly at the sound of a door clicking softly shut. He didn’t open his eyes immediately. Something was off. For starters, he wasn’t in his room. He could tell by the smell. This one smelled fresh and feminine, like – Alicia. Oh God. I conked out on her. She’s probably pissed.
“Hey? You awake?” she asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. The fact she could, and comfortably, brought home the fact he was sprawled out across the middle of it. This meant she wouldn’t have been able to lie down and take a nap whether she wanted to or not.
“Yeah. What time is it? I didn’t sleep last night. I – ”
“Seven. I ran into Liz. She – ”
“Oh God. I am sorry for her freak out. She’s – ”
“ – apologized for everything. She told me how she kept you up all night, trying to tell you something very important. She’s – and I quote – ‘not sure if I managed to finally tell him through all of the crying I did’. She would like you to call her to confirm yea or nay. Then, because we were both bored and tired of shopping, we went for a run. I think I could get into it, even with the minus forty wind chill Winnipeg winters. Are you hungry? I need to shower first, but – ”
“Alicia,” Nate said, stopping her short. She stopped speaking and looked down at him. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Either she was still upset about Phillip or her time with Liz bothered her and she wouldn’t admit it. He hoped like hell her mood had to do with Phillip. Just in case, he decided to clarify a few things.
“Elizabeth and I are done, no matter what she has to say. She has moved on. She ended things between us. I was going to bring her out here to propose, thinking that might prove once and for all I was willing to stay with her, no matter what our issues in the bedroom were. She found the receipt for the ring though, and apparently proposing would have been absolutely the wrong thing to do. She freaked out and started hurling her crystal pieces at me.” He snorted in disgust. “It was damned expensive crystal, too.”
He watched Alicia’s face for her reaction. He could see there was still a question in her eyes and he gave her time to ask it. When she didn’t, he put himself in her place and tried to figure
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