theyâd just been married. Heâd have bought her the moon to make her happy.
And she was. For a while. Then he left her alone too much, more than he needed to. At least she didnât turn to another man. Her leaving was hard, but he didnât think he could take that.
Backlit by the French doors, she rested her hands on her hips. âThe thing is, this time you donât get a vote.â
âDid you not say that you wanted my opinion?â
âYes. But not if all you see is negative. Iâm picking it out and making the final decision.â
And there was the source of his conflict. He wanted her under his roof every bit as much as he didnât want her there. Heâd thought it would be no big deal, but he hadnât counted on the scent of her skin and the sound of her voice surrounding him.
He hadnât anticipated that her essence, her presence, would remind him every second of every day what he would never get back. Even if he wanted to, there was no point in trying because heâd only disappoint her again. And heâd sworn never to do that.
Heâd once heard his father say that his mother was as necessary to him as breathing. When she left, he neverrecovered and remarrying was a mistake. His dad was a broken man and nothing could fix him, not even a second marriage. It was very possible heâd died of a broken heart. Nick wouldnât be a chip off the old block. He couldnât let himself need anyone or be lost without them. Ryleigh had come awfully close to doing that to him, but heâd gotten over it.
When heâd invited her to live with him this time, it never crossed his mind that heâd be so completely tempted to let go of his control with her. Taking a step back was what he needed to do.
âYouâre right.â Nick met her gaze. âYou should make an offer on this house.â
Chapter Seven
N ick wasnât liking this Monday nearly as much as the last one. He hadnât seen Ryleigh that morning, for coffee, breakfast or anything else. Although it didnât stop him, he had no business thinking about sex. Her fertile window had slammed shut several days ago.
As if that wasnât enough to justify his foul mood, heâd made a complete ass of himself during Ryâs house-hunting expedition. Women were notorious for sending mixed signals, but if anyone had ever accused Nick of it, heâd have sent them for a psych evaluation. At least thatâs what heâd have done before yesterdayâs real-estate tour.
On the one hand, he supported the idea of her moving out a hundred percent and had given her every practical reason he could think of to buy a house. During her attempt to do just that, heâd verbally assaulted every property, even though any of them would have suited her perfectly. It didnât take a mental giant or a shrink to figureout that he didnât want her to move out even though he knew it would be best and had advised her to make an offer.
He was feeling things that were unacceptable and against his primary rule. Survival meant not letting himself need anyone. Never get in too deep emotionally. That was the devil of it. Ryleigh had a way of skewering that rule with the four-inch heels of her come-get-me pumps.
Thatâs why this Monday was already a freaking disaster and it was only just after noon.
Nick had finished morning appointments in the office, then looked in on a patient at Mercy Medical Center and was now in the cafeteria putting food on his tray. Halloween wasnât far away and there were a few decorations. Ghosts, witches and jack-o-lanterns were tacked up on the walls. A skylight in the bell tower bathed the room and the scattered tables and chairs in it with natural sunlight.
At the stainless-steel cashier table, fake cottony stuff made a web that held a plastic spider. The woman at the register knew him and waved him through the line. Doctors didnât pay for food, but
And she was. For a while. Then he left her alone too much, more than he needed to. At least she didnât turn to another man. Her leaving was hard, but he didnât think he could take that.
Backlit by the French doors, she rested her hands on her hips. âThe thing is, this time you donât get a vote.â
âDid you not say that you wanted my opinion?â
âYes. But not if all you see is negative. Iâm picking it out and making the final decision.â
And there was the source of his conflict. He wanted her under his roof every bit as much as he didnât want her there. Heâd thought it would be no big deal, but he hadnât counted on the scent of her skin and the sound of her voice surrounding him.
He hadnât anticipated that her essence, her presence, would remind him every second of every day what he would never get back. Even if he wanted to, there was no point in trying because heâd only disappoint her again. And heâd sworn never to do that.
Heâd once heard his father say that his mother was as necessary to him as breathing. When she left, he neverrecovered and remarrying was a mistake. His dad was a broken man and nothing could fix him, not even a second marriage. It was very possible heâd died of a broken heart. Nick wouldnât be a chip off the old block. He couldnât let himself need anyone or be lost without them. Ryleigh had come awfully close to doing that to him, but heâd gotten over it.
When heâd invited her to live with him this time, it never crossed his mind that heâd be so completely tempted to let go of his control with her. Taking a step back was what he needed to do.
âYouâre right.â Nick met her gaze. âYou should make an offer on this house.â
Chapter Seven
N ick wasnât liking this Monday nearly as much as the last one. He hadnât seen Ryleigh that morning, for coffee, breakfast or anything else. Although it didnât stop him, he had no business thinking about sex. Her fertile window had slammed shut several days ago.
As if that wasnât enough to justify his foul mood, heâd made a complete ass of himself during Ryâs house-hunting expedition. Women were notorious for sending mixed signals, but if anyone had ever accused Nick of it, heâd have sent them for a psych evaluation. At least thatâs what heâd have done before yesterdayâs real-estate tour.
On the one hand, he supported the idea of her moving out a hundred percent and had given her every practical reason he could think of to buy a house. During her attempt to do just that, heâd verbally assaulted every property, even though any of them would have suited her perfectly. It didnât take a mental giant or a shrink to figureout that he didnât want her to move out even though he knew it would be best and had advised her to make an offer.
He was feeling things that were unacceptable and against his primary rule. Survival meant not letting himself need anyone. Never get in too deep emotionally. That was the devil of it. Ryleigh had a way of skewering that rule with the four-inch heels of her come-get-me pumps.
Thatâs why this Monday was already a freaking disaster and it was only just after noon.
Nick had finished morning appointments in the office, then looked in on a patient at Mercy Medical Center and was now in the cafeteria putting food on his tray. Halloween wasnât far away and there were a few decorations. Ghosts, witches and jack-o-lanterns were tacked up on the walls. A skylight in the bell tower bathed the room and the scattered tables and chairs in it with natural sunlight.
At the stainless-steel cashier table, fake cottony stuff made a web that held a plastic spider. The woman at the register knew him and waved him through the line. Doctors didnât pay for food, but
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