you’re safe. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, not physicallyor in any other way.”
She forced herself to gaze into his face. In the pale moonlight, his features were shadowed and rugged. She could tell from the way his brow pulled down that he was concerned about her. Who wouldn’t be? She’d been acting like a crazy person. “This isn’t me.”
“Who is it?”
She was usually calm and stable. A midwife, for goodness’ sake. People trusted her to delivertheir babies. “Tonight was a distortion, like in a fun-house mirror.”
“It’s okay.” His voice was gentle. “I can live with the crazy streak as long as you’re honest with me.”
“I swear I’ll be honest.”
“And I’m going to trust you, Kelly.”
He smiled, and she felt acceptance. She’d behaved badly, but he wasn’t kicking her to the curb. He was the kind of man who would stand by hisfriends. Was that what she was to him? A friend? Her relationship with Nick had the potential of being so much more than friendship.
Now wasn’t the time to discuss it. “I think I need some time alone.”
“Not a problem. I’ll take the bedroom at the end of the hall. You take the other.” He raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Sleep tight.”
She watchedhim disappear into the condo. The hand kiss was sweet and gallant, but it told her that he wanted to keep his distance, and she didn’t blame him.
Her gaze lifted, and she looked up at the stars. Tears burned behind her eyelids. With all her heart, she wished that tonight had turned out differently.
Wednesday, 9:45 a.m.
T HE NEXT MORNING after a shower, Kelly slipped into her tiredkhakis and shirt from yesterday and went to the front room of the condo where Nick was sitting at the dining room table.
“Good morning.” He saluted her with his coffee mug. “I brewed a pot, but it’s sludge. I want decent coffee from the diner in the Spencer Building.”
After last night, she wasn’t sure what to say. She’d already apologized, and he’d specifically told her that he didn’tneed for her to clarify her behavior, which was good because she wasn’t sure she could tell him exactly what was going on in her head. He’d said that he wanted her to be honest. That, she could do.
She cleared her throat and said, “Going to the Spencer Building is fine with me. My van is there, and I need to pick up some fresh clothes.”
“You carry a wardrobe in your van?”
“WhileI’ve been living at Serena’s, I’m kind of a gypsy. Most of my stuff in Texas is in storage, but I have a couple of boxes of clothes that I’m dragging around with me.”
“Ready when you are.” He was already striding toward the door. “We get your clothes, then breakfast.”
Before she could indulge in one more second of angst, they were on the move. Action was exactly what she needed. As theyran through simple tasks, her mind cleared and her spirit lifted. First, the van. Then, the diner. By the time she’d eaten her Denver omelet and guzzled her second cup of excellent coffee from the diner, Kelly felt as though she could take on the world.
“You stick with me today,” Nick said. “If anybody starts following us, we’ll take them on.”
“Even if they’re looking for a story aboutmy ex?”
He leaned back in his chair and regarded her steadily. “Is there a story you want to tell them?”
She could have smeared Ted Maxwell’s reputation and revealed him for the truly obnoxious jerk he was, but she preferred not to dredge up the nasty secrets of the past. “There’s nothing I want to talk about.”
“Honestly?”
“I don’t care about my ex-husband’s image. That’s hisproblem. Honestly, I don’t want to talk to the media because my past is awful, and I don’t want to be hurt anymore.”
“Fair enough.”
His brisk tone indicated that he really didn’t want to talk about this, and neither did she. “What are we going to do today?”
“I want to
She forced herself to gaze into his face. In the pale moonlight, his features were shadowed and rugged. She could tell from the way his brow pulled down that he was concerned about her. Who wouldn’t be? She’d been acting like a crazy person. “This isn’t me.”
“Who is it?”
She was usually calm and stable. A midwife, for goodness’ sake. People trusted her to delivertheir babies. “Tonight was a distortion, like in a fun-house mirror.”
“It’s okay.” His voice was gentle. “I can live with the crazy streak as long as you’re honest with me.”
“I swear I’ll be honest.”
“And I’m going to trust you, Kelly.”
He smiled, and she felt acceptance. She’d behaved badly, but he wasn’t kicking her to the curb. He was the kind of man who would stand by hisfriends. Was that what she was to him? A friend? Her relationship with Nick had the potential of being so much more than friendship.
Now wasn’t the time to discuss it. “I think I need some time alone.”
“Not a problem. I’ll take the bedroom at the end of the hall. You take the other.” He raised her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “Sleep tight.”
She watchedhim disappear into the condo. The hand kiss was sweet and gallant, but it told her that he wanted to keep his distance, and she didn’t blame him.
Her gaze lifted, and she looked up at the stars. Tears burned behind her eyelids. With all her heart, she wished that tonight had turned out differently.
Wednesday, 9:45 a.m.
T HE NEXT MORNING after a shower, Kelly slipped into her tiredkhakis and shirt from yesterday and went to the front room of the condo where Nick was sitting at the dining room table.
“Good morning.” He saluted her with his coffee mug. “I brewed a pot, but it’s sludge. I want decent coffee from the diner in the Spencer Building.”
After last night, she wasn’t sure what to say. She’d already apologized, and he’d specifically told her that he didn’tneed for her to clarify her behavior, which was good because she wasn’t sure she could tell him exactly what was going on in her head. He’d said that he wanted her to be honest. That, she could do.
She cleared her throat and said, “Going to the Spencer Building is fine with me. My van is there, and I need to pick up some fresh clothes.”
“You carry a wardrobe in your van?”
“WhileI’ve been living at Serena’s, I’m kind of a gypsy. Most of my stuff in Texas is in storage, but I have a couple of boxes of clothes that I’m dragging around with me.”
“Ready when you are.” He was already striding toward the door. “We get your clothes, then breakfast.”
Before she could indulge in one more second of angst, they were on the move. Action was exactly what she needed. As theyran through simple tasks, her mind cleared and her spirit lifted. First, the van. Then, the diner. By the time she’d eaten her Denver omelet and guzzled her second cup of excellent coffee from the diner, Kelly felt as though she could take on the world.
“You stick with me today,” Nick said. “If anybody starts following us, we’ll take them on.”
“Even if they’re looking for a story aboutmy ex?”
He leaned back in his chair and regarded her steadily. “Is there a story you want to tell them?”
She could have smeared Ted Maxwell’s reputation and revealed him for the truly obnoxious jerk he was, but she preferred not to dredge up the nasty secrets of the past. “There’s nothing I want to talk about.”
“Honestly?”
“I don’t care about my ex-husband’s image. That’s hisproblem. Honestly, I don’t want to talk to the media because my past is awful, and I don’t want to be hurt anymore.”
“Fair enough.”
His brisk tone indicated that he really didn’t want to talk about this, and neither did she. “What are we going to do today?”
“I want to
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