not allow that.
“Don’t get hung up on it.”
He knew her too well. He’d known when he brought the gifts how she’d react, but he did it anyway. Why? Why did he consider it his duty to go against her grain? She sat down, faced him squarely.
He smiled. “Just open it.” Cal tugged the flap of the box for her. “I know you like Giorgio, but it’s a little hard to come by on short notice.”
And she wouldn’t accept it. She knew well enough the dollar amount on that. He was insufferable, but she reached in and slid out the bottle. Beautiful by Estée Lauder. It was eau de parfume, but she felt grateful for that. She’d been out of scent the last three days, and wouldn’t dare squander what little money she made at Maple’s. His gift was perfect.
“Oh, Cal.” She pulled the lid off and spritzed the hollow of her throat. The aroma filled her lungs. A nice scent. Her skin burned beneath her collarbones as she leaned toward him. “What do you think?”
He shook his head. “I better not try. Besides, there’s a new woman in my life.”
It was like ice rushing from her head to her heart. Had he learned to be cruel? And anyway, what was she doing acting like this? She’d set the limits, and she knew why. Laurie closed the bottle. “Blonde or brunette?”
“Kind of a strawberry blonde, I guess. Brown eyes, long nose, shaggy.”
Her fingers froze on the lid.
“I found her in the woods this evening. She’d hurt her hind leg.” He grinned. “I named her Annie.”
Laurie raised her chin. “She’s a dog?”
“Retriever mix, as best I can tell.”
Why was she surprised? He always tweaked her rope. “That’s cruel, Cal.”
“I thought it might take the pressure off.”
She turned away, and he tugged a strand of her hair. “Hey.”
“Hey what?”
“I didn’t know you cared.”
“I don’t.” She couldn’t. She wouldn’t let herself. Things were far too complicated as it was.
“Really?” He pulled her close and dropped his head to breathe her perfume.
She knew it was coming before he kissed her. When his mouth met hers a rush of warmth filled her. She’d expected it, wanted it. She’d probably even telegraphed it. Now she fought it and pulled away.
He searched her face, confused, hurt. He would be, after her ridiculous behavior, leading him on, flirting. What was she doing?
“You agreed to be friends.” It sounded feeble.
“Why?”
Tell him the truth . “More reasons than I want to go into.”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
She shook her head. “Nothing makes sense. It never has with us.”
“Ah, come on. That’s not true.”
“I just can’t, okay?” She needed him to leave, to move his body away from hers. She needed him to stop loving her. Liar . That’s why she’d come, homing in like a wing-wearied pigeon to the one man who— No! The constriction in her chest pressed the air from her lungs in small, shallow waves. If he kissed her again would she stop him? Could she? Tell him the truth . Was that her conscience? Did she even have one? She’d done her best to ignore it for years now. But hadn’t conscience driven her here? Conscience … and fear.
Cal leaned back. He studied her with eyes more understanding than she could bear, then held out his hand. “Okay. Friends.”
Her heart sank. She looked down at his hand as though the gesture were lost on her. Then reaching out, she shook it, smiling faintly. When he left, she felt the void, the loneliness, the ache. She wrapped it around herself and cried.
6
W ORRY IS INTEREST PAID ON TROUBLE
BEFORE IT FALLS DUE .
W. R. Inge
E ARLY THE NEXT MORNING, Laurie struck a match and held it to the wick of the cranberry-scented candle on the metal shelf of the floor lamp. Luke’s face glowed as he watched it ignite and puckered his lips to extinguish the match. After he blew, she handed it over, still smoking. “Run it under the faucet before you throw it away.”
“Okay.” He scampered to the kitchen, then
“Don’t get hung up on it.”
He knew her too well. He’d known when he brought the gifts how she’d react, but he did it anyway. Why? Why did he consider it his duty to go against her grain? She sat down, faced him squarely.
He smiled. “Just open it.” Cal tugged the flap of the box for her. “I know you like Giorgio, but it’s a little hard to come by on short notice.”
And she wouldn’t accept it. She knew well enough the dollar amount on that. He was insufferable, but she reached in and slid out the bottle. Beautiful by Estée Lauder. It was eau de parfume, but she felt grateful for that. She’d been out of scent the last three days, and wouldn’t dare squander what little money she made at Maple’s. His gift was perfect.
“Oh, Cal.” She pulled the lid off and spritzed the hollow of her throat. The aroma filled her lungs. A nice scent. Her skin burned beneath her collarbones as she leaned toward him. “What do you think?”
He shook his head. “I better not try. Besides, there’s a new woman in my life.”
It was like ice rushing from her head to her heart. Had he learned to be cruel? And anyway, what was she doing acting like this? She’d set the limits, and she knew why. Laurie closed the bottle. “Blonde or brunette?”
“Kind of a strawberry blonde, I guess. Brown eyes, long nose, shaggy.”
Her fingers froze on the lid.
“I found her in the woods this evening. She’d hurt her hind leg.” He grinned. “I named her Annie.”
Laurie raised her chin. “She’s a dog?”
“Retriever mix, as best I can tell.”
Why was she surprised? He always tweaked her rope. “That’s cruel, Cal.”
“I thought it might take the pressure off.”
She turned away, and he tugged a strand of her hair. “Hey.”
“Hey what?”
“I didn’t know you cared.”
“I don’t.” She couldn’t. She wouldn’t let herself. Things were far too complicated as it was.
“Really?” He pulled her close and dropped his head to breathe her perfume.
She knew it was coming before he kissed her. When his mouth met hers a rush of warmth filled her. She’d expected it, wanted it. She’d probably even telegraphed it. Now she fought it and pulled away.
He searched her face, confused, hurt. He would be, after her ridiculous behavior, leading him on, flirting. What was she doing?
“You agreed to be friends.” It sounded feeble.
“Why?”
Tell him the truth . “More reasons than I want to go into.”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
She shook her head. “Nothing makes sense. It never has with us.”
“Ah, come on. That’s not true.”
“I just can’t, okay?” She needed him to leave, to move his body away from hers. She needed him to stop loving her. Liar . That’s why she’d come, homing in like a wing-wearied pigeon to the one man who— No! The constriction in her chest pressed the air from her lungs in small, shallow waves. If he kissed her again would she stop him? Could she? Tell him the truth . Was that her conscience? Did she even have one? She’d done her best to ignore it for years now. But hadn’t conscience driven her here? Conscience … and fear.
Cal leaned back. He studied her with eyes more understanding than she could bear, then held out his hand. “Okay. Friends.”
Her heart sank. She looked down at his hand as though the gesture were lost on her. Then reaching out, she shook it, smiling faintly. When he left, she felt the void, the loneliness, the ache. She wrapped it around herself and cried.
6
W ORRY IS INTEREST PAID ON TROUBLE
BEFORE IT FALLS DUE .
W. R. Inge
E ARLY THE NEXT MORNING, Laurie struck a match and held it to the wick of the cranberry-scented candle on the metal shelf of the floor lamp. Luke’s face glowed as he watched it ignite and puckered his lips to extinguish the match. After he blew, she handed it over, still smoking. “Run it under the faucet before you throw it away.”
“Okay.” He scampered to the kitchen, then
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