he was in Snowberry?”
I shook my head and went wide around her, picking up Christine. “In Hawaii.”
“Hawaii?”
I nodded without turning around. I knew the moment she figured out who he was. She sucked in a breath that could only be construed as anger.
“He’s not that guy?” she asked. I turned around to face her. Her hands were balled into fists at her side and her nostrils flared as she breathed.
I set Christine down and put my hand on her shoulder. “Yes, but you have to listen to me.”
“No, I don’t! I can’t believe you’re seeing him after what he did to you! I can’t believe that you would kiss him when he said those horrible things about you.”
“Winifred, please calm down. Flynn won’t let me visit if you get yourself all worked up about this.”
She took a calming breath, but continued to give me her librarian stink eye. “I’m not happy right now.”
“You should have been me yesterday when he showed up in my office. There was a lot of yelling.”
“So how did it go from yelling to kissing?”
“He told me a few things about that night I had forgotten. Like how I was beyond falling down drunk. Apparently couldn’t even remember if I was on birth control.”
“You couldn’t remember that?”
I shrugged. “I guess not. Since I couldn’t answer the question he decided I might be too drunk to decide if I really wanted to have sex with him.”
“If he was trying to be a knight in shining armor, why the hell didn’t he just walk you back to your place, instead of being a jerk?”
“I guess I wasn’t taking no for an answer. He did what he had to do at the time to get rid of me, right or wrong.”
“Like insult you and push you out the door, leaving you drunk on the beach in a strange place?”
“He called and sent an escort to take me back to my room. I wasn’t alone. It was all a blur, but I do remember the bartender from earlier showing up to help me back to the hotel. When I sobered up, all I remembered were the words he had said. Everything else was a lot less clear.”
“So he apologizes and you fall all over him again.”
“I did not fall all over him!” I stomped my foot making Christine growl low in her throat. “It just happened, okay? I fell on my knee on the way home from Kiss’s Café and he helped me in. He started telling me about being with his mom in her final days. It changed his life, Winnie. He’s not the same man he was when we last saw each other.”
Winifred shook her head. “I don’t know, Kate. The whole thing sounds like he just wants a second chance to get into your pants and you’re going to let him.”
I hung my head locking onto Christine. Her big brown eyes roamed around the room, looking for the tension she could sense.
“I’m going to go now. I’m glad you’re doing okay. Say hi to Flynn for me.”
I walked around her and grabbed my messenger bag, flicking it over my shoulder. The prescription bag fell out onto the floor before I realized it. Freddie bent over and picked it up, handing it to me.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice timid.
“No, but as usual, Dr. Sawyer is on top of it.”
I took the prescription from her hand, turning on my heel. The long hike to the door was always ridiculous, but it felt extra ridiculous today as I tried to hold back tears all the way there.
“Kate, don’t leave angry. I’m worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt again. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“I didn’t say I was going to sleep with him. I said I was going to go out for pizza with him. I don’t expect you to agree with how I’m feeling right now, Freddie, but I sure as hell hoped you would at least listen to me without treating me like a child.” I lost the battle with the tears as they escaped, running down my cheeks.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t want to hear it. I held up my hand as I stepped over the threshold into the cold January air. It was going to snow. I could feel
I shook my head and went wide around her, picking up Christine. “In Hawaii.”
“Hawaii?”
I nodded without turning around. I knew the moment she figured out who he was. She sucked in a breath that could only be construed as anger.
“He’s not that guy?” she asked. I turned around to face her. Her hands were balled into fists at her side and her nostrils flared as she breathed.
I set Christine down and put my hand on her shoulder. “Yes, but you have to listen to me.”
“No, I don’t! I can’t believe you’re seeing him after what he did to you! I can’t believe that you would kiss him when he said those horrible things about you.”
“Winifred, please calm down. Flynn won’t let me visit if you get yourself all worked up about this.”
She took a calming breath, but continued to give me her librarian stink eye. “I’m not happy right now.”
“You should have been me yesterday when he showed up in my office. There was a lot of yelling.”
“So how did it go from yelling to kissing?”
“He told me a few things about that night I had forgotten. Like how I was beyond falling down drunk. Apparently couldn’t even remember if I was on birth control.”
“You couldn’t remember that?”
I shrugged. “I guess not. Since I couldn’t answer the question he decided I might be too drunk to decide if I really wanted to have sex with him.”
“If he was trying to be a knight in shining armor, why the hell didn’t he just walk you back to your place, instead of being a jerk?”
“I guess I wasn’t taking no for an answer. He did what he had to do at the time to get rid of me, right or wrong.”
“Like insult you and push you out the door, leaving you drunk on the beach in a strange place?”
“He called and sent an escort to take me back to my room. I wasn’t alone. It was all a blur, but I do remember the bartender from earlier showing up to help me back to the hotel. When I sobered up, all I remembered were the words he had said. Everything else was a lot less clear.”
“So he apologizes and you fall all over him again.”
“I did not fall all over him!” I stomped my foot making Christine growl low in her throat. “It just happened, okay? I fell on my knee on the way home from Kiss’s Café and he helped me in. He started telling me about being with his mom in her final days. It changed his life, Winnie. He’s not the same man he was when we last saw each other.”
Winifred shook her head. “I don’t know, Kate. The whole thing sounds like he just wants a second chance to get into your pants and you’re going to let him.”
I hung my head locking onto Christine. Her big brown eyes roamed around the room, looking for the tension she could sense.
“I’m going to go now. I’m glad you’re doing okay. Say hi to Flynn for me.”
I walked around her and grabbed my messenger bag, flicking it over my shoulder. The prescription bag fell out onto the floor before I realized it. Freddie bent over and picked it up, handing it to me.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, her voice timid.
“No, but as usual, Dr. Sawyer is on top of it.”
I took the prescription from her hand, turning on my heel. The long hike to the door was always ridiculous, but it felt extra ridiculous today as I tried to hold back tears all the way there.
“Kate, don’t leave angry. I’m worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt again. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“I didn’t say I was going to sleep with him. I said I was going to go out for pizza with him. I don’t expect you to agree with how I’m feeling right now, Freddie, but I sure as hell hoped you would at least listen to me without treating me like a child.” I lost the battle with the tears as they escaped, running down my cheeks.
She opened her mouth to speak, but I didn’t want to hear it. I held up my hand as I stepped over the threshold into the cold January air. It was going to snow. I could feel
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