tightened around herself as if strengthening her armor against an intruder.
“I can go if you want.” Not that he wanted to. This place was as perfect as any he’d found in the city.
“Since when do you ask if you should go?”
Ouch. Okay, he deserved that. “Since realizing not asking before was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Sheila’s entire body sagged as she stared up at the sky, exposing the pale skin of her neck to the warm afternoon sun. “For once could you say the wrong thing?” Her arms dropped to her side as she faced him. “Please?”
He smiled and pushed his sunglasses higher on his nose, held out his hand. “Ask me how long I’ve been working on that line.”
“If you say since the day you left I may have to push you off the roof.” But she took his hand for a moment before picking up a container of fruit and setting it on the table between them.
“One of the things I always appreciated about you.” He could see why she liked this area amidst potted palms and flowering geraniums. “Was your ability to both terrify and enchant at the same time.”
“Look who’s talking.” The shade the fauna provided had her pushing her glasses onto the top of her head, but it took more than stunning sunlight and blinding color to erase the sadness he saw hovering in her gaze. “Is she sick?”
“Alcina?” Malcolm stretched out his legs. “Not that I know of.” Not that she’d tell him if she were. Ironic, that. “But her habit of being exceedingly practical can border on the macabre. I’m sorry she sprung it on you.”
“I’m not a funeral director.”
“And yet you didn’t say no.”
“Of course I didn’t.” There was no indication the tension stringing her together was easing. If anything, she looked more uncomfortable than when he’d first arrived. When they’d dated, he remembered Sheila as thriving, living life as if it would never end . . . or could end tomorrow. There weren’t adventures she wouldn’t dream about, and yet looking at her now, he realized what he hadn’t seen since he’d been back.
The spark that made Sheila completely Sheila.
“You’re tired.”
Sheila narrowed her eyes. “If that’s your way of saying I look like crap—”
“As if that’s possible.” He earned a rolling of the eyes for that one. “I just meant every time I’ve seen you the last few days you’ve been working like a fiend. If it’s not one event, it’s the next, or the next one after that. What’s your downtime like? When was the last time you took a day off?”
“I go to yoga on Saturday mornings,” she said as she looked at her watch. “And not to prove your point, but I have a meeting in a half hour so if you wouldn’t mind?”
“I want in.”
“In where?”
His entire body tightened. “Please don’t backload your questions.”
Sheila’s face went furnace red.
“I want in with whatever you’re up to with my father,” he said before they delved any further into dangerous territory.
“Oh.” Disappointment rang loud and clear and made him wonder if . . . “Of course. Your father.”
“If there’s something else you’d like to consider . . .”
“Depends,” Sheila said and gave his heart a jolt. “Are you here for good?”
“No.” He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t have time for lies. “I don’t belong here, Sheila. I never did.”
“And this is the only place I belong.” Regret painted her lips.
“Damn. If I’d said yes we could be finishing this conversation in bed.”
Sheila laughed, one that lit up her face before she covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head. “I missed you, Malcolm.”
And he’d missed her. More than he ever realized. “I don’t like seeing you sad.”
She shrugged. “Beauty queens aren’t allowed to be sad.”
He leaned over and because he couldn’t resist, stroked a finger down her cheek. “You never won,” he whispered.
“Oh, that’s just mean.” But she laughed again and
“I can go if you want.” Not that he wanted to. This place was as perfect as any he’d found in the city.
“Since when do you ask if you should go?”
Ouch. Okay, he deserved that. “Since realizing not asking before was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Sheila’s entire body sagged as she stared up at the sky, exposing the pale skin of her neck to the warm afternoon sun. “For once could you say the wrong thing?” Her arms dropped to her side as she faced him. “Please?”
He smiled and pushed his sunglasses higher on his nose, held out his hand. “Ask me how long I’ve been working on that line.”
“If you say since the day you left I may have to push you off the roof.” But she took his hand for a moment before picking up a container of fruit and setting it on the table between them.
“One of the things I always appreciated about you.” He could see why she liked this area amidst potted palms and flowering geraniums. “Was your ability to both terrify and enchant at the same time.”
“Look who’s talking.” The shade the fauna provided had her pushing her glasses onto the top of her head, but it took more than stunning sunlight and blinding color to erase the sadness he saw hovering in her gaze. “Is she sick?”
“Alcina?” Malcolm stretched out his legs. “Not that I know of.” Not that she’d tell him if she were. Ironic, that. “But her habit of being exceedingly practical can border on the macabre. I’m sorry she sprung it on you.”
“I’m not a funeral director.”
“And yet you didn’t say no.”
“Of course I didn’t.” There was no indication the tension stringing her together was easing. If anything, she looked more uncomfortable than when he’d first arrived. When they’d dated, he remembered Sheila as thriving, living life as if it would never end . . . or could end tomorrow. There weren’t adventures she wouldn’t dream about, and yet looking at her now, he realized what he hadn’t seen since he’d been back.
The spark that made Sheila completely Sheila.
“You’re tired.”
Sheila narrowed her eyes. “If that’s your way of saying I look like crap—”
“As if that’s possible.” He earned a rolling of the eyes for that one. “I just meant every time I’ve seen you the last few days you’ve been working like a fiend. If it’s not one event, it’s the next, or the next one after that. What’s your downtime like? When was the last time you took a day off?”
“I go to yoga on Saturday mornings,” she said as she looked at her watch. “And not to prove your point, but I have a meeting in a half hour so if you wouldn’t mind?”
“I want in.”
“In where?”
His entire body tightened. “Please don’t backload your questions.”
Sheila’s face went furnace red.
“I want in with whatever you’re up to with my father,” he said before they delved any further into dangerous territory.
“Oh.” Disappointment rang loud and clear and made him wonder if . . . “Of course. Your father.”
“If there’s something else you’d like to consider . . .”
“Depends,” Sheila said and gave his heart a jolt. “Are you here for good?”
“No.” He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t have time for lies. “I don’t belong here, Sheila. I never did.”
“And this is the only place I belong.” Regret painted her lips.
“Damn. If I’d said yes we could be finishing this conversation in bed.”
Sheila laughed, one that lit up her face before she covered her eyes with her hand and shook her head. “I missed you, Malcolm.”
And he’d missed her. More than he ever realized. “I don’t like seeing you sad.”
She shrugged. “Beauty queens aren’t allowed to be sad.”
He leaned over and because he couldn’t resist, stroked a finger down her cheek. “You never won,” he whispered.
“Oh, that’s just mean.” But she laughed again and
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