Mark, and home projects. Over coffee and dessert, she updated him on the preparations for the auction.
As they sat and waited for the waitress to bring the check, Preston finally asked the inevitable. “So are you seeing anyone?”
She shook her head and said as she always did, “I don’t need to see anyone, I have all I need.”
“It’s not healthy to spend your entire life alone.” He reached out and placed his hand on hers, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.
“I’m never alone.” She laughed trying to lighten the weight she felt inside her chest. “You can trust me on that one.”
“You know what I mean, Em.”
Her control began to slip when Preston called her Em in Nathan’s voice. She missed him every day. It didn’t matter that he’d been gone over twenty years. He was as much a part of her now as he was then. It was these moments, sitting across from his twin, when it became unbearable. It was so easy to lose herself in the fantasy that it was her and Nathan having dinner, or sharing desert, or that it was actually Nathan’s hand lying on her own. She quickly pulled her hand back and reached nervously for her coffee cup.
“You’re a fine one to be telling me about spending my life alone, Preston Talbot. What is that saying of people in glass houses?”
He laughed. “I don’t want to spend my life alone, but my brother found you first and after all these years, he’s still playing finders-keepers.”
The conversation always came around to this. It was easier for her to pretend he wasn’t serious when he made those comments, so she did. But she knew the truth. Preston had always wanted her, from the moment they’d been introduced. He’d told her as much a week after Nathan’s funeral. She’d been honest and told him there would never be another man for her.
The waitress appeared again, and after signing the check, Preston’s eyes grew serious. “I know how hard this time of the year is for you. With all the memories of Nathan, and the anniversary of your — ”
She interrupted him, unable to hear the words he was about to speak. “I appreciate your concern, honestly I do. I’m handling it.” She patted his hand. “So, are you going to be picking me up in the limo, or shall I call my fairy godmother and have her whip me up a pumpkin chariot?”
He shook his head and pursed his lips. “You win, I’ll drop it. I think I’ll bring the limo, that way you can stay out past the stroke of midnight.”
Chapter 20
Mark let his body glide through the water of the pool using the momentum from his last push off the far wall. When he began to slow, he kicked his feet and sliced his arms through the water, regaining speed. He’d spent six years on the swim team between high school and college, but now he only swam when he needed to clear his head.
He took a breath and placed his face back into the water, picking up his pace. He turned to the side, blew it out, pulled fresh air into his lungs and continued. He lost count of how many laps he’d swam, but even his exhausted body wasn’t helping to shut down his brain. He’d really messed up this time.
He couldn’t stop seeing the look of hurt and embarrassment on Aimee’s face. She’d done nothing wrong. Well, except not leaving him alone to sort out all the crap he was feeling about his father’s visit. But that wasn’t fair and he knew it. Deep down, he was relieved when she’d knocked on the door. She’d been a great listener and seemed to know exactly what he needed. Besides, he’d been the one to kiss her.
He didn’t understand his strange internal conflict where she was concerned. He knew basically nothing about her, other than what little she’d told him, and what he’d learned from the investigator. Then there was the fact that he’d hired an investigator to gather information on her. That alone put them at odds. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but something was off with her. He knew she was hiding
As they sat and waited for the waitress to bring the check, Preston finally asked the inevitable. “So are you seeing anyone?”
She shook her head and said as she always did, “I don’t need to see anyone, I have all I need.”
“It’s not healthy to spend your entire life alone.” He reached out and placed his hand on hers, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.
“I’m never alone.” She laughed trying to lighten the weight she felt inside her chest. “You can trust me on that one.”
“You know what I mean, Em.”
Her control began to slip when Preston called her Em in Nathan’s voice. She missed him every day. It didn’t matter that he’d been gone over twenty years. He was as much a part of her now as he was then. It was these moments, sitting across from his twin, when it became unbearable. It was so easy to lose herself in the fantasy that it was her and Nathan having dinner, or sharing desert, or that it was actually Nathan’s hand lying on her own. She quickly pulled her hand back and reached nervously for her coffee cup.
“You’re a fine one to be telling me about spending my life alone, Preston Talbot. What is that saying of people in glass houses?”
He laughed. “I don’t want to spend my life alone, but my brother found you first and after all these years, he’s still playing finders-keepers.”
The conversation always came around to this. It was easier for her to pretend he wasn’t serious when he made those comments, so she did. But she knew the truth. Preston had always wanted her, from the moment they’d been introduced. He’d told her as much a week after Nathan’s funeral. She’d been honest and told him there would never be another man for her.
The waitress appeared again, and after signing the check, Preston’s eyes grew serious. “I know how hard this time of the year is for you. With all the memories of Nathan, and the anniversary of your — ”
She interrupted him, unable to hear the words he was about to speak. “I appreciate your concern, honestly I do. I’m handling it.” She patted his hand. “So, are you going to be picking me up in the limo, or shall I call my fairy godmother and have her whip me up a pumpkin chariot?”
He shook his head and pursed his lips. “You win, I’ll drop it. I think I’ll bring the limo, that way you can stay out past the stroke of midnight.”
Chapter 20
Mark let his body glide through the water of the pool using the momentum from his last push off the far wall. When he began to slow, he kicked his feet and sliced his arms through the water, regaining speed. He’d spent six years on the swim team between high school and college, but now he only swam when he needed to clear his head.
He took a breath and placed his face back into the water, picking up his pace. He turned to the side, blew it out, pulled fresh air into his lungs and continued. He lost count of how many laps he’d swam, but even his exhausted body wasn’t helping to shut down his brain. He’d really messed up this time.
He couldn’t stop seeing the look of hurt and embarrassment on Aimee’s face. She’d done nothing wrong. Well, except not leaving him alone to sort out all the crap he was feeling about his father’s visit. But that wasn’t fair and he knew it. Deep down, he was relieved when she’d knocked on the door. She’d been a great listener and seemed to know exactly what he needed. Besides, he’d been the one to kiss her.
He didn’t understand his strange internal conflict where she was concerned. He knew basically nothing about her, other than what little she’d told him, and what he’d learned from the investigator. Then there was the fact that he’d hired an investigator to gather information on her. That alone put them at odds. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but something was off with her. He knew she was hiding
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