here.”
She lay down again and he held her. She listened to his heartbeat slow down and he felt her relax against him again. He stroked her hair.
“Do you know what happened to make you panic?” he asked softly. “What changed?”
“I think so.”
“Tell me.”
“It was – it was you being on top of me, I think.”
“That scares you? Someone being on top of you?”
“Not usually. But – you’re so big. Heavy. I couldn’t really move, and I couldn’t see your face all of a sudden, and I started to have trouble breathing when your chest pushed down on me. I just – I felt so small and overwhelmed.” She was quiet for a second. “Like a child.”
He swore under his breath. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Never again.”
“I’d be OK in a different position,” she said. “I just need to be more in control. And I need to see that it’s you.”
He shook his head. “Not for a while, OK? We take a few steps back.”
“Really?” She looked at him. “You still want to – to be with me? Even after all of this?”
“Yeah, of course I do. But I mean, what’s the big rush, right?” He ran his fingers over her back. “A lot of intense stuff has happened in a very short time between us, I know. But I’m not going anywhere. Are you going somewhere?”
“Um. No.”
“Exactly. So, we go back to Denver and we date. Go for dinner and watch movies on the sofa and have Sunday morning coffee at my place. We let your leg heal up properly. And when it does, you can climb on top of me like you did last night.” His eyes glittered. “You can do all the work, and I’ll just lie there and watch.”
She laughed. “OK, deal.”
He kissed her. “Deal.”
Chapter Nine
Three weeks later
Mia opened a second bottle of wine and went back in to her bright, open living room. All the girls held their glasses up to be refilled and she made the rounds.
“So,” she said, sitting back down in her favourite armchair. “What do we drink to this time?”
“I know!” Reena said. “To Katie wearing pink!”
They all looked over at Katie and she blushed. “Shut up.”
“To Katie wearing pink,” Maggie agreed. “You look great, by the way. Who’d have ever thought it?”
“You do,” Mia said. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do, actually.” Katie raised her glass. “So – to me wearing pink.”
They all drank and grinned at her.
“When did you buy a pink shirt, anyway?” Maggie said.
“I didn’t. Adam did.”
“Did he?” Mia said.
“Yeah. He said it brought out my – my rosebud lips and the color on my perfect cheekbones.” She blushed some more and took a sip of wine.
They all studied her, wanting to ask more about Adam but a bit worried to push too much. Katie was happy, though, that much was clear and according to Nick, Adam was too.
“He’s a nice guy,” Reena said. “You – you aren’t scared of being with, right?”
“No.” Katie shook her head. “He’s amazing. Patient and gentle. I feel good with him.”
“No more panic attacks? No more nightmares?” Mia asked softly.
“No.”
They nodded.
Katie glanced at her watch and stood up. “Actually, guys, I have to get going. I have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Why?” Maggie said. “It’s a holiday Friday. Nothing’s open.”
Katie put on her coat and belted the waist. “I have to meet Adam at the gym tomorrow. It’s closed, so it’s a good time to take some new photos.” She put on her hat. “I want to work with the early morning sunlight.”
“Ha!” Reena exclaimed. “So you are going to take pictures in better light! It’s like you’re saying he was right for all those months.”
Katie paused. “Yeah, he was right that they were too dark. But he wasn’t right about the light.”
“It wasn’t the light that was the problem?” Mia asked, perplexed.
Katie opened the door. “Nope.” She winked. “It wasn’t the light at all. Goodnight.”
They all looked at each other.
“Any
She lay down again and he held her. She listened to his heartbeat slow down and he felt her relax against him again. He stroked her hair.
“Do you know what happened to make you panic?” he asked softly. “What changed?”
“I think so.”
“Tell me.”
“It was – it was you being on top of me, I think.”
“That scares you? Someone being on top of you?”
“Not usually. But – you’re so big. Heavy. I couldn’t really move, and I couldn’t see your face all of a sudden, and I started to have trouble breathing when your chest pushed down on me. I just – I felt so small and overwhelmed.” She was quiet for a second. “Like a child.”
He swore under his breath. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Never again.”
“I’d be OK in a different position,” she said. “I just need to be more in control. And I need to see that it’s you.”
He shook his head. “Not for a while, OK? We take a few steps back.”
“Really?” She looked at him. “You still want to – to be with me? Even after all of this?”
“Yeah, of course I do. But I mean, what’s the big rush, right?” He ran his fingers over her back. “A lot of intense stuff has happened in a very short time between us, I know. But I’m not going anywhere. Are you going somewhere?”
“Um. No.”
“Exactly. So, we go back to Denver and we date. Go for dinner and watch movies on the sofa and have Sunday morning coffee at my place. We let your leg heal up properly. And when it does, you can climb on top of me like you did last night.” His eyes glittered. “You can do all the work, and I’ll just lie there and watch.”
She laughed. “OK, deal.”
He kissed her. “Deal.”
Chapter Nine
Three weeks later
Mia opened a second bottle of wine and went back in to her bright, open living room. All the girls held their glasses up to be refilled and she made the rounds.
“So,” she said, sitting back down in her favourite armchair. “What do we drink to this time?”
“I know!” Reena said. “To Katie wearing pink!”
They all looked over at Katie and she blushed. “Shut up.”
“To Katie wearing pink,” Maggie agreed. “You look great, by the way. Who’d have ever thought it?”
“You do,” Mia said. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I do, actually.” Katie raised her glass. “So – to me wearing pink.”
They all drank and grinned at her.
“When did you buy a pink shirt, anyway?” Maggie said.
“I didn’t. Adam did.”
“Did he?” Mia said.
“Yeah. He said it brought out my – my rosebud lips and the color on my perfect cheekbones.” She blushed some more and took a sip of wine.
They all studied her, wanting to ask more about Adam but a bit worried to push too much. Katie was happy, though, that much was clear and according to Nick, Adam was too.
“He’s a nice guy,” Reena said. “You – you aren’t scared of being with, right?”
“No.” Katie shook her head. “He’s amazing. Patient and gentle. I feel good with him.”
“No more panic attacks? No more nightmares?” Mia asked softly.
“No.”
They nodded.
Katie glanced at her watch and stood up. “Actually, guys, I have to get going. I have to be up early tomorrow.”
“Why?” Maggie said. “It’s a holiday Friday. Nothing’s open.”
Katie put on her coat and belted the waist. “I have to meet Adam at the gym tomorrow. It’s closed, so it’s a good time to take some new photos.” She put on her hat. “I want to work with the early morning sunlight.”
“Ha!” Reena exclaimed. “So you are going to take pictures in better light! It’s like you’re saying he was right for all those months.”
Katie paused. “Yeah, he was right that they were too dark. But he wasn’t right about the light.”
“It wasn’t the light that was the problem?” Mia asked, perplexed.
Katie opened the door. “Nope.” She winked. “It wasn’t the light at all. Goodnight.”
They all looked at each other.
“Any
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