still mad at me. Fine." He waved a hand in the air. "But can we skip past that for a minute here? I need to use your telephone."
"You need to use my telephone." She'd been expecting the request and had debated all night over her reply. "How...interesting," she now drawled, though inside she started to tremble. Could she go through with this?
The parts of his face that weren't black-and-blue were getting dusky. "It's beyond interesting. It's imperative." He spoke as if using her expensive satellite phone was his right, and not a favor. "I should have called L.A. last night. Things are falling apart even as we speak."
Kate affected an expression of alarm. "Oh, that's right. Your wife and family — they must be frantic to know what's happened to you." Her friend with DSL had seen no evidence Griffith had a family, but Kate wanted to be sure.
And indeed, Griffith gave a dismissive snort. "I'm not married. No, it's my business. The competition I was telling you about. The sooner I get on the horn, the better."
"Your business. Oh yes, the cutthroat competition..." Kate tapped a finger against her lips. That was his only concern: his business. Not a person, not even a pet.
"So." Griffith held out a hand. "The phone?"
Kate continued tapping her lips. What she'd decided to do was wrong. She knew that. But she also knew it would be more wrong to send kids home. It would be significantly more wrong to jeopardize her funding if word got to her sponsors she hadn't been able to maintain a full session.
Besides, Blaine wasn't someone whose feelings she had to consider. He'd proved that to her last night. And he could afford to take off a day or two, until she could find a real counselor to replace him.
Kate's heart beat like crazy, but she was sure she was correct. Griffith's life wouldn't fall apart on account of a couple of days. Whereas the kids she'd have to send home might be missing the opportunity to change their entire lives. In the ten years Kate had been running the camp, she'd seen such miracles happen too often to discount the possibility.
And there was no wife, no family. With that snort, Griffith made it very clear there was not a single human being who would be harmed by his absence.
Except, possibly, for himself. And though Kate tried to separate her personal animosity for the fellow from the equation, she couldn't work up the decency to care if she inconvenienced Mr. Blaine.
"No," she said.
He blinked a few times. "Excuse me?"
"You cannot use my phone, Mr. Blaine."
Hand still outstretched, he gaped at her. "What?"
"You heard me." Kate moved to walk around him again, as if the conversation were over. Her heart was still going a mile a minute. What was she doing? Was she insane? But she'd been over and over this in her head. Short of physical violence, there wasn't anything he could do to her. Even once he got back to L.A. — what law was she breaking? Thou shalt share your satellite phone?
And, okay, it might be nice, or humane, and definitely do-good , to loan him her phone, but she didn't have to. For heaven's sake, it wasn't her fault Blaine was stuck here.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He moved to block her retreat. "Whadda you mean I can't use your phone? You know perfectly well it's the only one here that works."
"Oh, I'm well aware of that." Kate pressed a hand to her chest. "But I have a strict rule. My phone is only to be used in case of emergency."
He looked amazed. "And what do you call this?!"
"An inconvenience."
" What ?!"
With a sigh, Kate took a step back. She gave him a scrutinizing look, starting with the pained curl of eyebrow over his black eye and traveling down past the too-big T-shirt to the Ferragamo loafers they'd been able to salvage the night before.
His appearance should have been pitiable, but instead the man looked...dangerous. Not like an ax murderer dangerous, but there was a subtle, perhaps personal, menace.
That menace challenged Kate. She refused to buckle under it.
"No, Mr.
"You need to use my telephone." She'd been expecting the request and had debated all night over her reply. "How...interesting," she now drawled, though inside she started to tremble. Could she go through with this?
The parts of his face that weren't black-and-blue were getting dusky. "It's beyond interesting. It's imperative." He spoke as if using her expensive satellite phone was his right, and not a favor. "I should have called L.A. last night. Things are falling apart even as we speak."
Kate affected an expression of alarm. "Oh, that's right. Your wife and family — they must be frantic to know what's happened to you." Her friend with DSL had seen no evidence Griffith had a family, but Kate wanted to be sure.
And indeed, Griffith gave a dismissive snort. "I'm not married. No, it's my business. The competition I was telling you about. The sooner I get on the horn, the better."
"Your business. Oh yes, the cutthroat competition..." Kate tapped a finger against her lips. That was his only concern: his business. Not a person, not even a pet.
"So." Griffith held out a hand. "The phone?"
Kate continued tapping her lips. What she'd decided to do was wrong. She knew that. But she also knew it would be more wrong to send kids home. It would be significantly more wrong to jeopardize her funding if word got to her sponsors she hadn't been able to maintain a full session.
Besides, Blaine wasn't someone whose feelings she had to consider. He'd proved that to her last night. And he could afford to take off a day or two, until she could find a real counselor to replace him.
Kate's heart beat like crazy, but she was sure she was correct. Griffith's life wouldn't fall apart on account of a couple of days. Whereas the kids she'd have to send home might be missing the opportunity to change their entire lives. In the ten years Kate had been running the camp, she'd seen such miracles happen too often to discount the possibility.
And there was no wife, no family. With that snort, Griffith made it very clear there was not a single human being who would be harmed by his absence.
Except, possibly, for himself. And though Kate tried to separate her personal animosity for the fellow from the equation, she couldn't work up the decency to care if she inconvenienced Mr. Blaine.
"No," she said.
He blinked a few times. "Excuse me?"
"You cannot use my phone, Mr. Blaine."
Hand still outstretched, he gaped at her. "What?"
"You heard me." Kate moved to walk around him again, as if the conversation were over. Her heart was still going a mile a minute. What was she doing? Was she insane? But she'd been over and over this in her head. Short of physical violence, there wasn't anything he could do to her. Even once he got back to L.A. — what law was she breaking? Thou shalt share your satellite phone?
And, okay, it might be nice, or humane, and definitely do-good , to loan him her phone, but she didn't have to. For heaven's sake, it wasn't her fault Blaine was stuck here.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He moved to block her retreat. "Whadda you mean I can't use your phone? You know perfectly well it's the only one here that works."
"Oh, I'm well aware of that." Kate pressed a hand to her chest. "But I have a strict rule. My phone is only to be used in case of emergency."
He looked amazed. "And what do you call this?!"
"An inconvenience."
" What ?!"
With a sigh, Kate took a step back. She gave him a scrutinizing look, starting with the pained curl of eyebrow over his black eye and traveling down past the too-big T-shirt to the Ferragamo loafers they'd been able to salvage the night before.
His appearance should have been pitiable, but instead the man looked...dangerous. Not like an ax murderer dangerous, but there was a subtle, perhaps personal, menace.
That menace challenged Kate. She refused to buckle under it.
"No, Mr.
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