up?”
“Either’s fine,” Chloe said. “She’s in love with you.”
“No, she’s not. She just—” He got out, busying himself with the ragtop. His forehead creased. “I was her training officer and I hadn’t been divorced long. I—I didn’t handle things well for a little while there.”
“She fell in love with you, but you were on the rebound.” An old story.
His jaw clenched. “She’s not in love with me, Doc. Stop playing shrink. I made a mistake, all right? It’s been corrected. It was a long time ago.” He finished fastening the top down and got back inside, then shifted the car into gear and pulled away.
Chloe didn’t know why she persisted. “She’s not over you, Vince. Don’t kid yourself.”
Tapping the brakes, he faced her, pain in his gaze. “Look, Doc, I screwed up. I knew better—she was just a kid. I don’t encourage her, and she accepts that this is the way it has to be.” Staring out the windshield, he seemed to contemplate elaborating. Then, shaking hishead, he sighed. “I’m not proud of what I did, and I’ve tried to set things right.”
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
He exhaled, and tense shoulders settled. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t be so touchy about it.”
“Divorce is never easy, and each person deals with the pain in a different way.” Chloe was surprised at how much she wanted to know about the woman who’d been married to Vince Coronado and had lost him.
He gave the car gas. “No—” his voice tightened “—it’s not easy. A cop’s wife has a bad lot. She never knows each morning when he leaves if she’ll ever see him again. The knowledge eats up a lot of women. A family makes a cop vulnerable, too—if he can’t focus, he’ll blow it. Single is the best state for us.”
“But a family can give love and support.”
His harsh laughter chilled her. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
She glanced over at his stony profile. “Have you met any of your relatives?”
“Nope. Don’t care to, either.”
“Have you ever tried to find out who your father was?”
The white grip of his knuckles would have alerted her, even if the set of his jaw hadn’t. “Yeah, once, when I was still married. I thought maybe my kids should meet their grandparents.”
Her heart sank. “You have kids?”
“No.” His curt tone warned her off. “We’re not in the office, Doc. I said maybe I’d spill my guts, all right?Cut me some slack. It’s just a damn drink.” He stared straight ahead, his jaw flexing.
Coming had been a mistake. “Perhaps you should take me back.”
Vince’s head jerked around, his gaze fiery. He stared at her for a long moment, then twisted to watch the traffic. With ease, he slid the T-bird into a parking spot. “Forget it, we’re here. You can tough it out.”
“Vince, I—” Too late. He was already rounding the hood. Drawing a deep breath, she stepped from the car, moving away from him quickly. “Fine. I’ll call a cab.”
“Oh, hell—” His hand shot out and snagged her elbow, turning her toward him with gentle but irrevocable force. “I’m sorry, Chloe. You don’t deserve my anger. I just—” He glanced away, then back. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I’m not too good with women anyway. I’ve never figured out how to handle them right.” His eyes crinkled with his grin. “No big news there, huh?”
Chloe thought of his kindness under the oaks, of the gentle way he’d spoken to Sally. “No, I’m the one who owes the apology. Curiosity about people is a part of my makeup, but I went too far. The difficulty of drawing the line is why I don’t mix business and pleasure.”
His hand slid down to hers, warm fingers clasping, his thumb stroking across the back of her hand. His smile almost boyish, he glanced at her, dimple deep and disarming. “But you’re already here. Let’s call a truce, okay? Start all over?” With his free hand, he traced another cross over his heart.
“Either’s fine,” Chloe said. “She’s in love with you.”
“No, she’s not. She just—” He got out, busying himself with the ragtop. His forehead creased. “I was her training officer and I hadn’t been divorced long. I—I didn’t handle things well for a little while there.”
“She fell in love with you, but you were on the rebound.” An old story.
His jaw clenched. “She’s not in love with me, Doc. Stop playing shrink. I made a mistake, all right? It’s been corrected. It was a long time ago.” He finished fastening the top down and got back inside, then shifted the car into gear and pulled away.
Chloe didn’t know why she persisted. “She’s not over you, Vince. Don’t kid yourself.”
Tapping the brakes, he faced her, pain in his gaze. “Look, Doc, I screwed up. I knew better—she was just a kid. I don’t encourage her, and she accepts that this is the way it has to be.” Staring out the windshield, he seemed to contemplate elaborating. Then, shaking hishead, he sighed. “I’m not proud of what I did, and I’ve tried to set things right.”
“I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
He exhaled, and tense shoulders settled. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t be so touchy about it.”
“Divorce is never easy, and each person deals with the pain in a different way.” Chloe was surprised at how much she wanted to know about the woman who’d been married to Vince Coronado and had lost him.
He gave the car gas. “No—” his voice tightened “—it’s not easy. A cop’s wife has a bad lot. She never knows each morning when he leaves if she’ll ever see him again. The knowledge eats up a lot of women. A family makes a cop vulnerable, too—if he can’t focus, he’ll blow it. Single is the best state for us.”
“But a family can give love and support.”
His harsh laughter chilled her. “I wouldn’t know about that.”
She glanced over at his stony profile. “Have you met any of your relatives?”
“Nope. Don’t care to, either.”
“Have you ever tried to find out who your father was?”
The white grip of his knuckles would have alerted her, even if the set of his jaw hadn’t. “Yeah, once, when I was still married. I thought maybe my kids should meet their grandparents.”
Her heart sank. “You have kids?”
“No.” His curt tone warned her off. “We’re not in the office, Doc. I said maybe I’d spill my guts, all right?Cut me some slack. It’s just a damn drink.” He stared straight ahead, his jaw flexing.
Coming had been a mistake. “Perhaps you should take me back.”
Vince’s head jerked around, his gaze fiery. He stared at her for a long moment, then twisted to watch the traffic. With ease, he slid the T-bird into a parking spot. “Forget it, we’re here. You can tough it out.”
“Vince, I—” Too late. He was already rounding the hood. Drawing a deep breath, she stepped from the car, moving away from him quickly. “Fine. I’ll call a cab.”
“Oh, hell—” His hand shot out and snagged her elbow, turning her toward him with gentle but irrevocable force. “I’m sorry, Chloe. You don’t deserve my anger. I just—” He glanced away, then back. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I’m not too good with women anyway. I’ve never figured out how to handle them right.” His eyes crinkled with his grin. “No big news there, huh?”
Chloe thought of his kindness under the oaks, of the gentle way he’d spoken to Sally. “No, I’m the one who owes the apology. Curiosity about people is a part of my makeup, but I went too far. The difficulty of drawing the line is why I don’t mix business and pleasure.”
His hand slid down to hers, warm fingers clasping, his thumb stroking across the back of her hand. His smile almost boyish, he glanced at her, dimple deep and disarming. “But you’re already here. Let’s call a truce, okay? Start all over?” With his free hand, he traced another cross over his heart.
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