sleep a wink. You’re going to sit there and wait for the phone to ring.”
Mallory gave a dry chuckle. “I’d forgotten that you probably took almost as many psychology courses as I did.”
“Sure you won’t change your mind and come over? I’ll let you tell the kids a bedtime story.”
“I’d probably put scary monsters in it, and they’d be awake all night. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take a rain check.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning and I’ll do what I can about that appointment.”
As soon as she’d hung up, Mallory decided to make good on at least part of the excuse she’d given Rachel. She went into the bathroom and turned the water on full force and poured in a spoonful of bubbling bath crystals. While the tub filled, she fixed herself a glass of wine and turned the radio on.
Within minutes, she was lying back in the steaming, fragrant water, her eyes closed. It felt like heaven. She took a sip of wine and tried a little self-hypnosis, hoping to clear her head and improve her perspective on things.
From the beginning, her treatment of Davey had been shaded by Justin’s attitude. She had approached the case cautiously, fearing that at the first sign of displeasure, Justin would ban her from the child’s room. It was time she began thinking of herself as a professional again, doing what she thought was best, and Justin be damned. It was good advice, but she wondered if she’d have the strength to take it.
When she stepped out of the tub at last, she wrapped herself in a thick terry-cloth robe and glanced in the mirror. Her blue-green eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. Her black hair framed her face in wispy curls. She looked sleepily sensual.
“What a waste,” she muttered underher breath as she padded barefoot into the kitchen and fixed herself a plate of cheese and crackers.
The doorbell rang as she was heading for the bedroom and the mystery novel she’d been wanting to finish for days now. She peered through the peephole and saw a distorted image of Justin in the hallway. He was pacing nervously. Her heart lurched unsteadily at the sight of him, but she steeled herself to stick to her resolve to put their relationship on hold while she concentrated on what was best for Davey.
“What do you want?” she called through the door, knowing perfectly well that keeping it closed was a cowardly thing to do. But she was afraid that without that wooden barrier between them her resolve would melt.
“We need to talk.”
“Hey, I wanted to talk earlier. You’re the one who walked away.”
“I don’t want to talk through a damn door.”
“Call for an appointment.”
“Mallory, I know you’re angry, and you probably have every right to be, but this is ridiculous. We’re two intelligent adults. We should be able to talk this out.”
“Oh, hell,” she muttered and threw open the door. She positioned her body to block the entrance. “Talk.”
“Inside.”
“Here.”
“Mallory!”
She glowered up at him until his determined gaze faltered.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last.
“Thank you.”
“Now can we please talk? Inside?”
Reluctantly, sensingthat she was making a decision about more than conversation, Mallory stepped aside. Justin brushed past her so quickly it brought a half smile to her lips. Obviously, he wasn’t taking any chances that she’d renege on the offer.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Club soda, Perrier, whatever you have.”
“With lime?”
“Fine.”
Justin started to follow her into the tiny kitchen, then seemed to think better of it. He went into the living room and began to pace again, as he’d done outside her door. His shoulders were hunched, his hands jammed in his pockets. Mallory felt a twinge of sympathy and immediately gave herself a stern lecture. This was no time to go all soft and sentimental about the man. He owed her more of an apology than that cursory one he’d delivered a few minutes earlier.
She took
Mallory gave a dry chuckle. “I’d forgotten that you probably took almost as many psychology courses as I did.”
“Sure you won’t change your mind and come over? I’ll let you tell the kids a bedtime story.”
“I’d probably put scary monsters in it, and they’d be awake all night. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take a rain check.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning and I’ll do what I can about that appointment.”
As soon as she’d hung up, Mallory decided to make good on at least part of the excuse she’d given Rachel. She went into the bathroom and turned the water on full force and poured in a spoonful of bubbling bath crystals. While the tub filled, she fixed herself a glass of wine and turned the radio on.
Within minutes, she was lying back in the steaming, fragrant water, her eyes closed. It felt like heaven. She took a sip of wine and tried a little self-hypnosis, hoping to clear her head and improve her perspective on things.
From the beginning, her treatment of Davey had been shaded by Justin’s attitude. She had approached the case cautiously, fearing that at the first sign of displeasure, Justin would ban her from the child’s room. It was time she began thinking of herself as a professional again, doing what she thought was best, and Justin be damned. It was good advice, but she wondered if she’d have the strength to take it.
When she stepped out of the tub at last, she wrapped herself in a thick terry-cloth robe and glanced in the mirror. Her blue-green eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed. Her black hair framed her face in wispy curls. She looked sleepily sensual.
“What a waste,” she muttered underher breath as she padded barefoot into the kitchen and fixed herself a plate of cheese and crackers.
The doorbell rang as she was heading for the bedroom and the mystery novel she’d been wanting to finish for days now. She peered through the peephole and saw a distorted image of Justin in the hallway. He was pacing nervously. Her heart lurched unsteadily at the sight of him, but she steeled herself to stick to her resolve to put their relationship on hold while she concentrated on what was best for Davey.
“What do you want?” she called through the door, knowing perfectly well that keeping it closed was a cowardly thing to do. But she was afraid that without that wooden barrier between them her resolve would melt.
“We need to talk.”
“Hey, I wanted to talk earlier. You’re the one who walked away.”
“I don’t want to talk through a damn door.”
“Call for an appointment.”
“Mallory, I know you’re angry, and you probably have every right to be, but this is ridiculous. We’re two intelligent adults. We should be able to talk this out.”
“Oh, hell,” she muttered and threw open the door. She positioned her body to block the entrance. “Talk.”
“Inside.”
“Here.”
“Mallory!”
She glowered up at him until his determined gaze faltered.
“I’m sorry,” he said at last.
“Thank you.”
“Now can we please talk? Inside?”
Reluctantly, sensingthat she was making a decision about more than conversation, Mallory stepped aside. Justin brushed past her so quickly it brought a half smile to her lips. Obviously, he wasn’t taking any chances that she’d renege on the offer.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Club soda, Perrier, whatever you have.”
“With lime?”
“Fine.”
Justin started to follow her into the tiny kitchen, then seemed to think better of it. He went into the living room and began to pace again, as he’d done outside her door. His shoulders were hunched, his hands jammed in his pockets. Mallory felt a twinge of sympathy and immediately gave herself a stern lecture. This was no time to go all soft and sentimental about the man. He owed her more of an apology than that cursory one he’d delivered a few minutes earlier.
She took
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