me.”
“You’ve got that right.” He spun to face her. “You ran away. It was a childish thing to do. I’m the one who had to deal with the aftermath of your behavior and make up some story about what had happened when I didn’t have a clue. I’m the one who sent the notes of apology, returned the gifts and paid the bill for a reception that didn’t happen.”
She raised her head. Unshed tears glistened in her hazel eyes. She blinked frantically, but it didn’t help. A single drop rolled down her cheek. At one time her distress would have moved him. He would have gathered her in his arms and murmured words of comfort. Not anymore.
“Typical,” he said, shaking his head. “The going gets tough and you cry. You haven’t grown up at all.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Don’t talk to me about fair. What do you know about it? Did you ever give any thought to what you left behind? You squawk about my not coming after you. Lady, even if I’d wanted to, I didn’t have the time. Someone had to handle damage control. I know all you were interested in was seeing how easily you could wrap me around your little finger, but I had—and, no thanks to you—still have a position to think of in this community. I do business with most of the town. I was putting my sister and brother through college. Did you ever stop to think that the fine people of Orchard might not want to trust their money to a bank president who’d been stood up at the altar? That they might begin to wonder if there was some flaw only you knew about?”
Despite the embarrassment staining her cheeks, she paled. “They wouldn’t have.”
“Think again.”
She raised her arm as if offering an apology. “I didn’t know.”
He glared at her and she dropped her arm to her side. “You didn’t bother to find out,” he said. “All you could think of was yourself.”
“It wasn’t like that. I tried to tell you—”
“When? I was standing there in the front of the church. Like a fool. When I figured out something was wrong, I was pretty much a captive audience. If you were trying to get my attention, you got it. But you didn’t have the guts to stay and talk. That’s what gets me the most. Not one word of warning.”
“I did try to talk to you. Before the wedding. You wouldn’t listen.”
He reached for the T-shirt hanging over his shoulder and pulled it down. She jerked her head at the movement, as if she’d suspected he would hit her. Her reaction inflamed him. Despite her actions, he’d never given her reason to fear him.
“I listened but all we talked about was the wedding,” he said, his jaw tight with suppressed emotion. “Do you want pale pink or blush for the napkins?” He raised his voice mockingly. “Wild rice or steamed potatoes?”
“If you disliked my conversation so much, why did you want to marry me?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Everybody’s entitled to one mistake.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed. Another tear rolled down her cheek. “And I’m yours?”
“You said it, lady, not me.”
She looked at him. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Is that supposed to make it better? That you acted out of ignorance?”
She shook her head. “Of course not. I’m just saying that I was very young.”
“I guess that works as well as any excuse.” He fingered the shirt in his hands. “It’s my fault, I suppose. I’m the one who tried to make you more than you could be.”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “I knew you’d be angry, but I never really expected you’d hate me so much.”
“You’re not worth hating.” He looked over her head. “I don’t care anymore.”
She reached out her hand again and this time touched his bare forearm. The physical side of him—that masculine self that had never been able to get enough of her—reacted to the slight touch. Awareness quivered as the imprint of each finger burned into his skin. It wouldn’t take much, he acknowledged,
“You’ve got that right.” He spun to face her. “You ran away. It was a childish thing to do. I’m the one who had to deal with the aftermath of your behavior and make up some story about what had happened when I didn’t have a clue. I’m the one who sent the notes of apology, returned the gifts and paid the bill for a reception that didn’t happen.”
She raised her head. Unshed tears glistened in her hazel eyes. She blinked frantically, but it didn’t help. A single drop rolled down her cheek. At one time her distress would have moved him. He would have gathered her in his arms and murmured words of comfort. Not anymore.
“Typical,” he said, shaking his head. “The going gets tough and you cry. You haven’t grown up at all.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Don’t talk to me about fair. What do you know about it? Did you ever give any thought to what you left behind? You squawk about my not coming after you. Lady, even if I’d wanted to, I didn’t have the time. Someone had to handle damage control. I know all you were interested in was seeing how easily you could wrap me around your little finger, but I had—and, no thanks to you—still have a position to think of in this community. I do business with most of the town. I was putting my sister and brother through college. Did you ever stop to think that the fine people of Orchard might not want to trust their money to a bank president who’d been stood up at the altar? That they might begin to wonder if there was some flaw only you knew about?”
Despite the embarrassment staining her cheeks, she paled. “They wouldn’t have.”
“Think again.”
She raised her arm as if offering an apology. “I didn’t know.”
He glared at her and she dropped her arm to her side. “You didn’t bother to find out,” he said. “All you could think of was yourself.”
“It wasn’t like that. I tried to tell you—”
“When? I was standing there in the front of the church. Like a fool. When I figured out something was wrong, I was pretty much a captive audience. If you were trying to get my attention, you got it. But you didn’t have the guts to stay and talk. That’s what gets me the most. Not one word of warning.”
“I did try to talk to you. Before the wedding. You wouldn’t listen.”
He reached for the T-shirt hanging over his shoulder and pulled it down. She jerked her head at the movement, as if she’d suspected he would hit her. Her reaction inflamed him. Despite her actions, he’d never given her reason to fear him.
“I listened but all we talked about was the wedding,” he said, his jaw tight with suppressed emotion. “Do you want pale pink or blush for the napkins?” He raised his voice mockingly. “Wild rice or steamed potatoes?”
“If you disliked my conversation so much, why did you want to marry me?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Everybody’s entitled to one mistake.”
She closed her eyes and swallowed. Another tear rolled down her cheek. “And I’m yours?”
“You said it, lady, not me.”
She looked at him. “I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Is that supposed to make it better? That you acted out of ignorance?”
She shook her head. “Of course not. I’m just saying that I was very young.”
“I guess that works as well as any excuse.” He fingered the shirt in his hands. “It’s my fault, I suppose. I’m the one who tried to make you more than you could be.”
She flinched as if he’d slapped her. “I knew you’d be angry, but I never really expected you’d hate me so much.”
“You’re not worth hating.” He looked over her head. “I don’t care anymore.”
She reached out her hand again and this time touched his bare forearm. The physical side of him—that masculine self that had never been able to get enough of her—reacted to the slight touch. Awareness quivered as the imprint of each finger burned into his skin. It wouldn’t take much, he acknowledged,
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