dabbed away at the evidence of the tears and stared at him. “Here I am, a grown woman–not a scared little child. So I was in a mine cave-in; big deal. I ought to be able to face my fear of going in again instead of shriveling up and dying inside whenever I think about it. Or dream about it.”
With a slight smile, Slade shook his head. “As a kid, I was always afraid of thunderstorms. I still am to this day. Get a lightning strike too close and this guy cringes and ducks.”
“I doubt you’re afraid of anything, Slade.”
“Think I’m fibbing?”
“I don’t know. These days, I’m one knot of confusion.” Cat smiled slightly at him. “Maybe you’d say something like that just to make me feel better. I don’t know…”
Slade had to physically stop himself from pulling Cat close to him. Right now, she was very, very fragile. “Look,” he began softly, “you’re going to go through all kinds of daily and nightly hell with this fear. Get used to it. More important, don’t close up. Talk about those fears, Cat. That’s one of the reasons I wanted you with me: I’ve survived more than my fair share of cave-ins. I know what you’re going through and I can help you if you’ll let me.” He reached out, capturing her tightly knotted hands on the bar. Gently, he pried each of her fingers free until they were relaxed between his own larger hands.
His warmth spread through her, enveloping her pounding heart. Cat met his tender expression. “Was anyone there to help you through nights like…this?”
“Most of the time, no. And I’m not ashamed to admit that after the first cave-in, I hit alcohol to escape from the same type of hell you’re going to experience.” Slade grimaced. “After a few bad weeks, I got off the booze and cleaned up my act. I crawled through it and survived, just like you will.”
Her heart wrenched at his admission. “I don’t know how you stood it, Slade. Right now I don’t want to be alone. That’s a first for me; practically all my life I’ve been alone or lived in remote places. I liked it. But now…”
He squeezed her hands. “We all have barriers we can’t overcome alone, sweetheart. And I promised you, you won’t have to go through this alone…”
She mustered a tender smile. “I told you I was a bad patient. Thanks for being here for me, Slade. The next step is to stop having nightmares about Ian Connors trying to pressure me into fulfilling that contract.”
Chapter Five
A week later, Cat’s worst fears came true when she received the dreaded call from Ian Connors, owner of the Australian mining company. She had been drinking her third cup of morning coffee, reading a book Slade had written on sedimentary gemstones, when the phone rang. Pilar answered it and pointed to the phone sitting near Cat’s elbow.
“A Mr. Connors,
señorita
?”
Cat felt a sharp stab in her stomach as all her carefully hidden fears exploded within her. Pilar shot her a look of concern as Cat picked up the extension.
Closing her eyes, Cat took the call, too occupied to see Pilar quietly slip from the kitchen and hurry across the patio toward Slade’s hobby shop. Mouth dry, heart pounding at the base of her throat, Cat barely got out a civil hello to Ian.
Pilar, alarmed by Cat’s unexpected behavior, rushed out to Slade’s shop to tell him that Cat had turned alarmingly pale. He followed her back without delay. Folding his arms against his chest, he grimly watched Cat as he eavesdropped on the heated conversation.
“Look, Mr. Connors,” she was explaining, a hint of tremor in her voice. “I simply can’t come. I’m under doctor’s orders to rest for two months. There are a number of other highly qualified mining engineers who can take my place. You don’t need me.”
Slade’s eyes narrowed as he saw Cat nervously wipe her perspiring brow. In the past week, she had tried so valiantly to fight her inner battle with fear. And yet, he had sensed her aching need to
With a slight smile, Slade shook his head. “As a kid, I was always afraid of thunderstorms. I still am to this day. Get a lightning strike too close and this guy cringes and ducks.”
“I doubt you’re afraid of anything, Slade.”
“Think I’m fibbing?”
“I don’t know. These days, I’m one knot of confusion.” Cat smiled slightly at him. “Maybe you’d say something like that just to make me feel better. I don’t know…”
Slade had to physically stop himself from pulling Cat close to him. Right now, she was very, very fragile. “Look,” he began softly, “you’re going to go through all kinds of daily and nightly hell with this fear. Get used to it. More important, don’t close up. Talk about those fears, Cat. That’s one of the reasons I wanted you with me: I’ve survived more than my fair share of cave-ins. I know what you’re going through and I can help you if you’ll let me.” He reached out, capturing her tightly knotted hands on the bar. Gently, he pried each of her fingers free until they were relaxed between his own larger hands.
His warmth spread through her, enveloping her pounding heart. Cat met his tender expression. “Was anyone there to help you through nights like…this?”
“Most of the time, no. And I’m not ashamed to admit that after the first cave-in, I hit alcohol to escape from the same type of hell you’re going to experience.” Slade grimaced. “After a few bad weeks, I got off the booze and cleaned up my act. I crawled through it and survived, just like you will.”
Her heart wrenched at his admission. “I don’t know how you stood it, Slade. Right now I don’t want to be alone. That’s a first for me; practically all my life I’ve been alone or lived in remote places. I liked it. But now…”
He squeezed her hands. “We all have barriers we can’t overcome alone, sweetheart. And I promised you, you won’t have to go through this alone…”
She mustered a tender smile. “I told you I was a bad patient. Thanks for being here for me, Slade. The next step is to stop having nightmares about Ian Connors trying to pressure me into fulfilling that contract.”
Chapter Five
A week later, Cat’s worst fears came true when she received the dreaded call from Ian Connors, owner of the Australian mining company. She had been drinking her third cup of morning coffee, reading a book Slade had written on sedimentary gemstones, when the phone rang. Pilar answered it and pointed to the phone sitting near Cat’s elbow.
“A Mr. Connors,
señorita
?”
Cat felt a sharp stab in her stomach as all her carefully hidden fears exploded within her. Pilar shot her a look of concern as Cat picked up the extension.
Closing her eyes, Cat took the call, too occupied to see Pilar quietly slip from the kitchen and hurry across the patio toward Slade’s hobby shop. Mouth dry, heart pounding at the base of her throat, Cat barely got out a civil hello to Ian.
Pilar, alarmed by Cat’s unexpected behavior, rushed out to Slade’s shop to tell him that Cat had turned alarmingly pale. He followed her back without delay. Folding his arms against his chest, he grimly watched Cat as he eavesdropped on the heated conversation.
“Look, Mr. Connors,” she was explaining, a hint of tremor in her voice. “I simply can’t come. I’m under doctor’s orders to rest for two months. There are a number of other highly qualified mining engineers who can take my place. You don’t need me.”
Slade’s eyes narrowed as he saw Cat nervously wipe her perspiring brow. In the past week, she had tried so valiantly to fight her inner battle with fear. And yet, he had sensed her aching need to
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