he means well.”
Missy huffed at him. “You're too forgiving!”
Dan just smiled at her some more as she led Laura back to the house.
What Laura wouldn't give to have what these two shared. And where the hell had that thought come from? She could have had this. With Dale. This was what she'd run from. No. That wasn't true, what she and Dale had shared had been nothing like what Missy and Dan had. That was why she'd run.
“Seriously, Miss,” she said. “Don't worry about it. It's all good.”
Missy stopped and looked up at her. “You're not saying you like Michael?”
Laura laughed. “No, I am not. I'm just saying there's no point me liking Smoke either. We could never figure it out to be able to get together, and now he's dating someone else. It's cool. No problem. I came back to see you guys, not to see him.”
Missy wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, but I cry bullshit!”
Laura should have remembered. Missy was one shrewd little lady. She didn't miss a trick. “Okay! So I can't get the damned man out of my head! Satisfied? But we cannot get it together and even if we could there's nowhere for it to go. So it's for the best that he has a date with someone else.”
“We'll see. Now, let's go get you that drink.”
***
L aura slept late again. This was becoming a habit whenever she was up here. She lay in bed, looking out the window. She should feel relieved. She'd driven herself nuts all week, wondering if she should call him, wondering if she'd see him. Wondering if she'd be able to prove him wrong—how could she prove that they weren't going to finish what they'd started when she wanted to so badly? Now it was all moot. She needn't wonder any more. He'd answered all her questions with his little friend.
She groaned and rolled over, wondering if he was lying just the other side of that wall right now. Lying naked with that woman. That thought was too much to bear. She got out of bed and padded to the kitchen to make coffee. What had she been thinking coming back to stay here? She went to the bathroom and peeked through the little window that looked out on the parking spaces at the back. Eek! The airport pickup was there! He was on the other side of the wall. She tiptoed back to the kitchen and poured her coffee. She crept to the sofa and as she sat there sipping it she saw the funny side and started to giggle. This was ridiculous. He was just a man. Okay, a big, gorgeous, sexy-as-sin one, but even so just a dumbass man.
She was relieved a few minutes later to hear the cabin door slam and the truck start up. She flew back to the bathroom and peeked out. He was by himself. Relief flooded through her. But why? Knowing Smoke, it just meant he'd gone home with her, and sneaked out on her before morning. Knowing Smoke? Who was she kidding? She didn't know him at all. She took another sip of her coffee.
She just wanted to.
***
S moke put his ladder away in the storeroom at the back of the hangar. Papa Charlie was the cleanest plane on the field thanks to Laura. He'd had to get out of the cabin this morning. He was sure she was there with that guy she'd been talking to.
He'd spent the rest of his evening sitting out on the deck. He hadn't exactly lied; he'd had a date with a bottle of Cab Franc. Seeing Laura with that guy had done a number on him, no question about it. But later on, hearing a car pull up at the cabin and hearing two doors slam before it pulled away again, had been the kicker. He'd gone to look out the bathroom window in time to see a cab leaving, but not in time to see who had got out of it. He hadn't expected her to come back here, but then Ben wouldn't have rented it to anyone else, so she must have. And two cab doors closing? There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that. Damn, if that was her way of telling him that it was game over, then she had won. Hands down.
He walked into the FBO. Maybe Rochelle would want to talk now instead of waiting ’til lunch. He needed to stay busy. Keep
Missy huffed at him. “You're too forgiving!”
Dan just smiled at her some more as she led Laura back to the house.
What Laura wouldn't give to have what these two shared. And where the hell had that thought come from? She could have had this. With Dale. This was what she'd run from. No. That wasn't true, what she and Dale had shared had been nothing like what Missy and Dan had. That was why she'd run.
“Seriously, Miss,” she said. “Don't worry about it. It's all good.”
Missy stopped and looked up at her. “You're not saying you like Michael?”
Laura laughed. “No, I am not. I'm just saying there's no point me liking Smoke either. We could never figure it out to be able to get together, and now he's dating someone else. It's cool. No problem. I came back to see you guys, not to see him.”
Missy wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, but I cry bullshit!”
Laura should have remembered. Missy was one shrewd little lady. She didn't miss a trick. “Okay! So I can't get the damned man out of my head! Satisfied? But we cannot get it together and even if we could there's nowhere for it to go. So it's for the best that he has a date with someone else.”
“We'll see. Now, let's go get you that drink.”
***
L aura slept late again. This was becoming a habit whenever she was up here. She lay in bed, looking out the window. She should feel relieved. She'd driven herself nuts all week, wondering if she should call him, wondering if she'd see him. Wondering if she'd be able to prove him wrong—how could she prove that they weren't going to finish what they'd started when she wanted to so badly? Now it was all moot. She needn't wonder any more. He'd answered all her questions with his little friend.
She groaned and rolled over, wondering if he was lying just the other side of that wall right now. Lying naked with that woman. That thought was too much to bear. She got out of bed and padded to the kitchen to make coffee. What had she been thinking coming back to stay here? She went to the bathroom and peeked through the little window that looked out on the parking spaces at the back. Eek! The airport pickup was there! He was on the other side of the wall. She tiptoed back to the kitchen and poured her coffee. She crept to the sofa and as she sat there sipping it she saw the funny side and started to giggle. This was ridiculous. He was just a man. Okay, a big, gorgeous, sexy-as-sin one, but even so just a dumbass man.
She was relieved a few minutes later to hear the cabin door slam and the truck start up. She flew back to the bathroom and peeked out. He was by himself. Relief flooded through her. But why? Knowing Smoke, it just meant he'd gone home with her, and sneaked out on her before morning. Knowing Smoke? Who was she kidding? She didn't know him at all. She took another sip of her coffee.
She just wanted to.
***
S moke put his ladder away in the storeroom at the back of the hangar. Papa Charlie was the cleanest plane on the field thanks to Laura. He'd had to get out of the cabin this morning. He was sure she was there with that guy she'd been talking to.
He'd spent the rest of his evening sitting out on the deck. He hadn't exactly lied; he'd had a date with a bottle of Cab Franc. Seeing Laura with that guy had done a number on him, no question about it. But later on, hearing a car pull up at the cabin and hearing two doors slam before it pulled away again, had been the kicker. He'd gone to look out the bathroom window in time to see a cab leaving, but not in time to see who had got out of it. He hadn't expected her to come back here, but then Ben wouldn't have rented it to anyone else, so she must have. And two cab doors closing? There was only one conclusion to be drawn from that. Damn, if that was her way of telling him that it was game over, then she had won. Hands down.
He walked into the FBO. Maybe Rochelle would want to talk now instead of waiting ’til lunch. He needed to stay busy. Keep
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