the aisle. Snagging a bag of potato chips, he tossed them in her cart. “Better. Let’s find you some Twinkies.”
“No. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You need to eat.”
She straightened. “I eat.”
His lip curled as he looked in her cart. “Real food. Live a little. Buy the chips. Embrace the chips.”
“I can’t.”
This gave him pause. “Why?”
Fumbling with the chain around her neck, she grasped the pendant and dragged it back and forth. Her gaze drifted away, light-years away, as if she was battling with herself over whether she should talk. He waited her out. He’d wait all day. Finally, she took a deep breath and leveled him with a stare
.
“I only have one kidney. I watch what I eat, monitor salt intake, and avoid caffeine so I don’t do any long-term damage.”
Three things happened in the span of two seconds flat. He suddenly had the urge to punch his own face, draw her to his chest until he wasn’t shaking anymore, and do whatever ittook to wipe that expression from her features. Instead, his brain disconnected from his mouth. “Why do you only have one kidney?”
Her teeth went to work on her lower lip as she focused on his shirt. “Someone else needed it.”
An elderly gentleman made his way toward them, lifted a bag of pretzels from the rack, and kept going. Alec kept his eyes on her face. This wasn’t the time for this, nor was it any of his business, but hell if he was letting this drop. Call it writer’s curiosity. When they were alone, he’d ask the rest.
He took the bag out of her cart and replaced the chips on the shelf. “You about done?”
“We can check out.”
She spoke so softly that if he hadn’t been watching her mouth, he might not have heard her. That mermaid voice that was doing funny things to him.
While she checked out, he bagged her groceries. They walked to his car, where he put the bags in the trunk. Once they were seated inside, he turned over the ignition, put the car in drive, changed his mind, and shoved the gear back into park.
“Are you dying? Is that it?”
“No.” Just that.
No.
And an expression that was carefully blank.
He turned, his fingers tightening on the wheel as he stared straight ahead.
“People can live with only one kidney. I just don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
He had no clue why this sickening dread tore at his gut, or why her words made him want to break something. He barely knew her. He shouldn’t be invested in whether she was sick or not. In honesty, she could have four hearts and six lungs, and it shouldn’t matter.
“You’re angry.”
He put the car in drive. “I’m not.”
“You are. I don’t . . .” She reached out for him but quickly drew her hand away.
He pulled into traffic. “You don’t what?” he asked, keeping his voice calm.
Instead of answering, she turned her head away and watched the scenery pass.
chapter
six
Alec strode into Jake and Lacey’s house and called out for Lacey. Jake was working, but Lacey’s car was in the drive. Their housekeeper came into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel.
“She’s upstairs in her studio, sir.”
He nodded his thanks and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Classical music droned from the speakers in the corner and Lacey, her back to him, was standing in front of a canvas.
“Knock, knock.”
She turned but her usual smile was slow in coming. She walked to the iPod station and turned the music down. “Hey. Everything okay?”
No, but it wasn’t her problem he couldn’t shake the shit Faith had said from his mind. “I’m good. I was wondering if you’d be up for getting everyone together for a night out. Dinner, a club, something. Tonight’s probably too late, but next Friday?”
“Do you mean with Cole and Mia?”
“And Faith.”
Now she smiled like she meant it. “Sure. I’ll talk to everyone. It’ll be fun.”
He nodded and turned to go, but her canvas caught his attention. Or rather, what she was
“No. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. You need to eat.”
She straightened. “I eat.”
His lip curled as he looked in her cart. “Real food. Live a little. Buy the chips. Embrace the chips.”
“I can’t.”
This gave him pause. “Why?”
Fumbling with the chain around her neck, she grasped the pendant and dragged it back and forth. Her gaze drifted away, light-years away, as if she was battling with herself over whether she should talk. He waited her out. He’d wait all day. Finally, she took a deep breath and leveled him with a stare
.
“I only have one kidney. I watch what I eat, monitor salt intake, and avoid caffeine so I don’t do any long-term damage.”
Three things happened in the span of two seconds flat. He suddenly had the urge to punch his own face, draw her to his chest until he wasn’t shaking anymore, and do whatever ittook to wipe that expression from her features. Instead, his brain disconnected from his mouth. “Why do you only have one kidney?”
Her teeth went to work on her lower lip as she focused on his shirt. “Someone else needed it.”
An elderly gentleman made his way toward them, lifted a bag of pretzels from the rack, and kept going. Alec kept his eyes on her face. This wasn’t the time for this, nor was it any of his business, but hell if he was letting this drop. Call it writer’s curiosity. When they were alone, he’d ask the rest.
He took the bag out of her cart and replaced the chips on the shelf. “You about done?”
“We can check out.”
She spoke so softly that if he hadn’t been watching her mouth, he might not have heard her. That mermaid voice that was doing funny things to him.
While she checked out, he bagged her groceries. They walked to his car, where he put the bags in the trunk. Once they were seated inside, he turned over the ignition, put the car in drive, changed his mind, and shoved the gear back into park.
“Are you dying? Is that it?”
“No.” Just that.
No.
And an expression that was carefully blank.
He turned, his fingers tightening on the wheel as he stared straight ahead.
“People can live with only one kidney. I just don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
He had no clue why this sickening dread tore at his gut, or why her words made him want to break something. He barely knew her. He shouldn’t be invested in whether she was sick or not. In honesty, she could have four hearts and six lungs, and it shouldn’t matter.
“You’re angry.”
He put the car in drive. “I’m not.”
“You are. I don’t . . .” She reached out for him but quickly drew her hand away.
He pulled into traffic. “You don’t what?” he asked, keeping his voice calm.
Instead of answering, she turned her head away and watched the scenery pass.
chapter
six
Alec strode into Jake and Lacey’s house and called out for Lacey. Jake was working, but Lacey’s car was in the drive. Their housekeeper came into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel.
“She’s upstairs in her studio, sir.”
He nodded his thanks and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Classical music droned from the speakers in the corner and Lacey, her back to him, was standing in front of a canvas.
“Knock, knock.”
She turned but her usual smile was slow in coming. She walked to the iPod station and turned the music down. “Hey. Everything okay?”
No, but it wasn’t her problem he couldn’t shake the shit Faith had said from his mind. “I’m good. I was wondering if you’d be up for getting everyone together for a night out. Dinner, a club, something. Tonight’s probably too late, but next Friday?”
“Do you mean with Cole and Mia?”
“And Faith.”
Now she smiled like she meant it. “Sure. I’ll talk to everyone. It’ll be fun.”
He nodded and turned to go, but her canvas caught his attention. Or rather, what she was
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