them in person
.
”
S
he glared at me.
“Oh, right, because you answered every single one of my texts,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
She had the decency to flinch at my words. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Do you want some coffee?”
I nodded. She brought me a cup and sat in the chair her aunt had been sitting in. “I’m sorry, Baker. I know I should have told you, should have said goodbye, but I just couldn’t do it,” she rushed out.
“Why did you leave?”
“I don’t know
.
”
S
he abandoned her coffee and stood up
, waving
her hands around while she spoke. “I was afraid if you knew the truth, you’d leave me, so I left first. And then I got the news that I only have a few months left – it’s like a damn death sentence. Leukemia is hardly something I ever wanted to deal with, but the treatments were working! I was better. And then the bruises started again, along with fevers and night sweats… I was scared,” she finished, looking at her hands, standing in the middle of the kitchen.
I had to turn around to follow her movements with my eyes. She paced while she talked and when she finally stopped, I stood.
“It’s okay to be scared,” I said, walking over to her in the middle of the kitchen. “Hell, it’s not even happening to me and I’m scared.”
“Really?” She looked up at me with tear
-
filled eyes.
“Of course. It’s not every day I fall in love with a woman who’s dying,” I joked half-heartedly, taking her hands in mine.
“You’re really in love with me? I mean, you said so back in your apartment, but I kind of thought it was just the heat of the moment.”
“I said it before? I don’t even remember that. But I will remember this. I love you
,
Lorraine Daniels.”
She gulped. “You shouldn’t love me, Baker. I’m no good for you.”
“What are you talking about? You’re the only woman who can stand my quirky sense of humor
.
” I smiled at her, trying to hide my disappointment that she didn’t say it back. She wasn’t ready, and I promised myself I would be patient.
“I’m going to die .” Her voice broke, and along with it, my heart. “If you love me now, you’ll just be heartbroken later, and you’ll be alone.”
“I’ve been alone before, Rainey. While you were in LA, I spent several years trying to find happiness, using women like playthings to fill a void in my soul. But it was you – you are the only one who can fill that void. When you came back, I knew right away that you were it for me. And knowing that you have a shelf life,” I paused, waiting for her smile
,
“
w
ell, that just means that I’m not going to let you go again. Not if I can help it. If I had the choice of a hundred healthy years to live or twelve short weeks with you, I’d choose you, every single time.”
I leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. Tears escaped her eyes and I wiped them away with the pad of my thumb. She smiled sadly at me again.
“When did you get so sweet?”
“I’ve always been sweet. You just never noticed me. In fact, you pushed me away then, just like you’re doing now. But let’s get one thing straight
.
” I leaned down to look her in the eye. “I. Am. Not. Going. Anywhere.” I gave her a quick peck and then went back to the table, picking up my coffee and heading into the living room to look at photographs again.
She didn’t move for almost a full minute as my words settled over her. I tried not to grin as I eyed all the photos again. When she finally moved, she came into the living to look at pictures with me.
“This one was taken at the airport, right after I moved here
.
”
S
he pointed to a frame that sat on a shelf about shoulder height.
I took in the photo, memorizing every detail. This was the Rainey I remembered. She was tall, with shorter blonde hair and those same fiery green eyes. The only thing different was her size. In the photo, her hips were fuller, round
er
, but still delectable. Even her
.
”
S
he glared at me.
“Oh, right, because you answered every single one of my texts,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
She had the decency to flinch at my words. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Do you want some coffee?”
I nodded. She brought me a cup and sat in the chair her aunt had been sitting in. “I’m sorry, Baker. I know I should have told you, should have said goodbye, but I just couldn’t do it,” she rushed out.
“Why did you leave?”
“I don’t know
.
”
S
he abandoned her coffee and stood up
, waving
her hands around while she spoke. “I was afraid if you knew the truth, you’d leave me, so I left first. And then I got the news that I only have a few months left – it’s like a damn death sentence. Leukemia is hardly something I ever wanted to deal with, but the treatments were working! I was better. And then the bruises started again, along with fevers and night sweats… I was scared,” she finished, looking at her hands, standing in the middle of the kitchen.
I had to turn around to follow her movements with my eyes. She paced while she talked and when she finally stopped, I stood.
“It’s okay to be scared,” I said, walking over to her in the middle of the kitchen. “Hell, it’s not even happening to me and I’m scared.”
“Really?” She looked up at me with tear
-
filled eyes.
“Of course. It’s not every day I fall in love with a woman who’s dying,” I joked half-heartedly, taking her hands in mine.
“You’re really in love with me? I mean, you said so back in your apartment, but I kind of thought it was just the heat of the moment.”
“I said it before? I don’t even remember that. But I will remember this. I love you
,
Lorraine Daniels.”
She gulped. “You shouldn’t love me, Baker. I’m no good for you.”
“What are you talking about? You’re the only woman who can stand my quirky sense of humor
.
” I smiled at her, trying to hide my disappointment that she didn’t say it back. She wasn’t ready, and I promised myself I would be patient.
“I’m going to die .” Her voice broke, and along with it, my heart. “If you love me now, you’ll just be heartbroken later, and you’ll be alone.”
“I’ve been alone before, Rainey. While you were in LA, I spent several years trying to find happiness, using women like playthings to fill a void in my soul. But it was you – you are the only one who can fill that void. When you came back, I knew right away that you were it for me. And knowing that you have a shelf life,” I paused, waiting for her smile
,
“
w
ell, that just means that I’m not going to let you go again. Not if I can help it. If I had the choice of a hundred healthy years to live or twelve short weeks with you, I’d choose you, every single time.”
I leaned forward and kissed her sweetly. Tears escaped her eyes and I wiped them away with the pad of my thumb. She smiled sadly at me again.
“When did you get so sweet?”
“I’ve always been sweet. You just never noticed me. In fact, you pushed me away then, just like you’re doing now. But let’s get one thing straight
.
” I leaned down to look her in the eye. “I. Am. Not. Going. Anywhere.” I gave her a quick peck and then went back to the table, picking up my coffee and heading into the living room to look at photographs again.
She didn’t move for almost a full minute as my words settled over her. I tried not to grin as I eyed all the photos again. When she finally moved, she came into the living to look at pictures with me.
“This one was taken at the airport, right after I moved here
.
”
S
he pointed to a frame that sat on a shelf about shoulder height.
I took in the photo, memorizing every detail. This was the Rainey I remembered. She was tall, with shorter blonde hair and those same fiery green eyes. The only thing different was her size. In the photo, her hips were fuller, round
er
, but still delectable. Even her
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