drive seemed to take forever, although at the speed he was going he should have gotten a half dozen tickets. Still, it took him twenty minutes to arrive, and he hit the brakes so hard at the end of the gravel drive that he skidded.
Out by the back fence. So he set out at a dead run until he saw the ghostly figure of Holly standing out there alone.
“Holly?” he asked quietly, slowing his approach.
“I’m sorry,” she said tautly. “I’m sorry. You didn’t need to race. I should have told you, but...” Her voice broke.
That sound did him in. He didn’t care about the past, about the future, about whether Lisa saw and found additional reasons to be nasty. He just stepped into her and wrapped her in a bear hug as tightly as he dared, his chin coming to rest on her sweet-smelling hair. “What?” he asked, trying to shift from the fury that had been building in him to the gentleness he needed now.
“I need...I need to talk,” she said brokenly, then burst into wrenching sobs.
He didn’t ask any questions. She couldn’t have answered anyway, and for right now he felt deep inside that she just needed to be held and comforted, whatever was going on. He could do that much.
God, it felt so good to hold her again. He rubbed her back, feeling his own chest tighten in response to her pain. Gradually she began to quiet and he dared to speak.
“Want to go for a drive or over to my place?”
She drew a sharp, choked breath. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Away.”
So he took her away.
He drove more slowly this time and decided to take her to his place. It’d be more comfortable and they’d have the privacy she seemed to want. Why else had she stood at the back fence alone?
He wanted to ask if Lisa had done something but kept quiet. Let her talk in her own time, when she was ready. She didn’t need any pressure from him.
She remained hunched beside him, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she were holding something in. He doubted Lisa could have done anything to make her feel that bad. God, she had said she wanted to talk; he couldn’t help in any way unless she talked and here they were, barreling through the night in silence.
He forced a lid on his impatience, reminding himself that she had called out to him and now the best thing he could do was give her space and time until she let him know what else she needed.
At least she’d called him. Turned to him as a friend. A week ago he would have said he never wanted to see her again. Now here he was all wrapped up in her with no idea whether he’d be left like roadkill again.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t entirely fair, but it was how he had felt. He could look back now and see how egotistical he’d been. He’d ignored all her intentions to pursue a career, just so absolutely certain she wouldn’t be able to say no to his proposal. Certain she loved him enough to spend the rest of her life here, with him. She hadn’t misled him—he’d misled himself.
Not until the lights of his house appeared out of the darkness did she speak. “Your ranch?”
“I figured it was warmer and more comfortable than this truck. Plus, I can get you something hot to drink.”
“Thanks.”
Her voice sounded steadier to him now, and that was a huge relief. He brought them to a stop at the front door. Hardly had he turned off the ignition when Jean stepped out.
“Everything okay?” she called.
“Fine,” Cliff answered. “I brought Holly over for a visit.”
He walked around the truck to help Holly out. She didn’t resist, and moments later Jean had enveloped her, leaving Cliff to stand there bemused, keys in hand. Well, maybe it was woman stuff. Maybe Holly would rather talk to Jean. Crazy, but he felt as if he’d just been cut off at the pass.
Chapter Six
H olly was beginning to feel stupid. She’d called Cliff out late at night because she was having an emotional crisis? She should have called Laurie or Carla or Sharon. And now elderly, gray-haired
Out by the back fence. So he set out at a dead run until he saw the ghostly figure of Holly standing out there alone.
“Holly?” he asked quietly, slowing his approach.
“I’m sorry,” she said tautly. “I’m sorry. You didn’t need to race. I should have told you, but...” Her voice broke.
That sound did him in. He didn’t care about the past, about the future, about whether Lisa saw and found additional reasons to be nasty. He just stepped into her and wrapped her in a bear hug as tightly as he dared, his chin coming to rest on her sweet-smelling hair. “What?” he asked, trying to shift from the fury that had been building in him to the gentleness he needed now.
“I need...I need to talk,” she said brokenly, then burst into wrenching sobs.
He didn’t ask any questions. She couldn’t have answered anyway, and for right now he felt deep inside that she just needed to be held and comforted, whatever was going on. He could do that much.
God, it felt so good to hold her again. He rubbed her back, feeling his own chest tighten in response to her pain. Gradually she began to quiet and he dared to speak.
“Want to go for a drive or over to my place?”
She drew a sharp, choked breath. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Away.”
So he took her away.
He drove more slowly this time and decided to take her to his place. It’d be more comfortable and they’d have the privacy she seemed to want. Why else had she stood at the back fence alone?
He wanted to ask if Lisa had done something but kept quiet. Let her talk in her own time, when she was ready. She didn’t need any pressure from him.
She remained hunched beside him, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as if she were holding something in. He doubted Lisa could have done anything to make her feel that bad. God, she had said she wanted to talk; he couldn’t help in any way unless she talked and here they were, barreling through the night in silence.
He forced a lid on his impatience, reminding himself that she had called out to him and now the best thing he could do was give her space and time until she let him know what else she needed.
At least she’d called him. Turned to him as a friend. A week ago he would have said he never wanted to see her again. Now here he was all wrapped up in her with no idea whether he’d be left like roadkill again.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t entirely fair, but it was how he had felt. He could look back now and see how egotistical he’d been. He’d ignored all her intentions to pursue a career, just so absolutely certain she wouldn’t be able to say no to his proposal. Certain she loved him enough to spend the rest of her life here, with him. She hadn’t misled him—he’d misled himself.
Not until the lights of his house appeared out of the darkness did she speak. “Your ranch?”
“I figured it was warmer and more comfortable than this truck. Plus, I can get you something hot to drink.”
“Thanks.”
Her voice sounded steadier to him now, and that was a huge relief. He brought them to a stop at the front door. Hardly had he turned off the ignition when Jean stepped out.
“Everything okay?” she called.
“Fine,” Cliff answered. “I brought Holly over for a visit.”
He walked around the truck to help Holly out. She didn’t resist, and moments later Jean had enveloped her, leaving Cliff to stand there bemused, keys in hand. Well, maybe it was woman stuff. Maybe Holly would rather talk to Jean. Crazy, but he felt as if he’d just been cut off at the pass.
Chapter Six
H olly was beginning to feel stupid. She’d called Cliff out late at night because she was having an emotional crisis? She should have called Laurie or Carla or Sharon. And now elderly, gray-haired
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