why?”
“ Just a thought. Who knew you wouldn’t be home tonight?”
“ Everyone at the office. My brother is in from out of town. It wasn’t a secret that I was going to my Mom’s for dinner.”
I couldn’t see really his face in the dark, but I thought he smiled. Then his voice took on an edge. “You can’t stay here tonight.” It was a command.
I don’t like being told what to do. I bristled. “It’s my house. I can do any damned thing I want.”
He took a breath, but before he could say anything, I shivered. He reached out to me.
I pulled away. The last thing I wanted was his sympathy. I wanted to crawl into his arms and feel safe and protected. Those few minutes in his arms made me realize I wanted a whole lot more from him than sympathy. The very thing he didn’t want. I tried to pluck up enough courage to show him I didn’t need or want him. Except no matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn’t go back inside.
Charlene saved me from having to admit defeat by showing up. She was out of the car, running up to me almost before it rolled to a stop. That’s how I knew Evan must have insisted on driving.
Delgado stood up and moved away as she rushed toward me.
While she gathered me in a hug, Evan got out and walked over to speak to Delgado.
The two men couldn’t have been more different. Evan’s head only reached just above Delgado’s shoulder. With his slight build, hawk nose, and close cropped wiry, brown hair, next to Delgado he looked like a gnome. Still, it didn’t surprise me a beauty like Charlene found him sexy and attractive. He’d been my divorce lawyer and the one who held my hand during some of the worst moments of my life. He’d become a friend, one that I knew would fight to protect me. If Charlene hadn’t already been married to him, I might have been tempted myself.
Seeing these two men together, as different as they were, there was something about the way Delgado stood—feet apart, hands in his pockets, jaw set—that reminded me of Evan. They moved far enough away so that I couldn’t hear their conversation.
I probably couldn’t have heard it anyway over Charlene’s excited chatter. “Are you all right? You poor thing, you’re freezing.”
There was no way I could be freezing since it was at least 80 degrees out, but I couldn’t stop shaking. She yelled at Evan to get me blanket. He walked back to the trunk of their car, drew out a blanket, helped her wrap me up in it, and then put me in the back seat of their car. I remember wondering why anyone who lived in Vegas would keep a blanket in the trunk of their car. After a brief discussion with Delgado, Charlene went inside and came out a few minutes later with my overnight bag. She and Evan climbed into the front seat and we left.
I leaned my head back. I must have fallen asleep, because I don’t remember the ride to her house. They lived in one of the gated communities on the west side of town at the foot of the mountains. It was a sprawling ranch style house with at least five bedrooms. Only the lights in the living room were on so I assumed that their teenagers, Lincoln and Patty were either still out or in bed. Charlene installed me in the guest room, helped me undress, and tucked me into bed. I laid there for a while, hoping I could go to sleep and forget the whole nightmare. Unfortunately, every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Monica’s body superimposed upon the wreckage of my house. I could hear Charlene and Evan talking quietly in another room, so I got up and went exploring. They were in the kitchen sipping coffee.
Charlene saw me in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”
“ Yeah, I guess. Now that I’m over the initial shock, I can’t sleep. I keep wondering why.”
I pulled up a barstool next to Evan. He put his arm around me and gave me a quick hug.
I’d met Charlene after one particularly grueling deposition with my husband’s attorney. Evan refused to let me go home and lick my
“ Just a thought. Who knew you wouldn’t be home tonight?”
“ Everyone at the office. My brother is in from out of town. It wasn’t a secret that I was going to my Mom’s for dinner.”
I couldn’t see really his face in the dark, but I thought he smiled. Then his voice took on an edge. “You can’t stay here tonight.” It was a command.
I don’t like being told what to do. I bristled. “It’s my house. I can do any damned thing I want.”
He took a breath, but before he could say anything, I shivered. He reached out to me.
I pulled away. The last thing I wanted was his sympathy. I wanted to crawl into his arms and feel safe and protected. Those few minutes in his arms made me realize I wanted a whole lot more from him than sympathy. The very thing he didn’t want. I tried to pluck up enough courage to show him I didn’t need or want him. Except no matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn’t go back inside.
Charlene saved me from having to admit defeat by showing up. She was out of the car, running up to me almost before it rolled to a stop. That’s how I knew Evan must have insisted on driving.
Delgado stood up and moved away as she rushed toward me.
While she gathered me in a hug, Evan got out and walked over to speak to Delgado.
The two men couldn’t have been more different. Evan’s head only reached just above Delgado’s shoulder. With his slight build, hawk nose, and close cropped wiry, brown hair, next to Delgado he looked like a gnome. Still, it didn’t surprise me a beauty like Charlene found him sexy and attractive. He’d been my divorce lawyer and the one who held my hand during some of the worst moments of my life. He’d become a friend, one that I knew would fight to protect me. If Charlene hadn’t already been married to him, I might have been tempted myself.
Seeing these two men together, as different as they were, there was something about the way Delgado stood—feet apart, hands in his pockets, jaw set—that reminded me of Evan. They moved far enough away so that I couldn’t hear their conversation.
I probably couldn’t have heard it anyway over Charlene’s excited chatter. “Are you all right? You poor thing, you’re freezing.”
There was no way I could be freezing since it was at least 80 degrees out, but I couldn’t stop shaking. She yelled at Evan to get me blanket. He walked back to the trunk of their car, drew out a blanket, helped her wrap me up in it, and then put me in the back seat of their car. I remember wondering why anyone who lived in Vegas would keep a blanket in the trunk of their car. After a brief discussion with Delgado, Charlene went inside and came out a few minutes later with my overnight bag. She and Evan climbed into the front seat and we left.
I leaned my head back. I must have fallen asleep, because I don’t remember the ride to her house. They lived in one of the gated communities on the west side of town at the foot of the mountains. It was a sprawling ranch style house with at least five bedrooms. Only the lights in the living room were on so I assumed that their teenagers, Lincoln and Patty were either still out or in bed. Charlene installed me in the guest room, helped me undress, and tucked me into bed. I laid there for a while, hoping I could go to sleep and forget the whole nightmare. Unfortunately, every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Monica’s body superimposed upon the wreckage of my house. I could hear Charlene and Evan talking quietly in another room, so I got up and went exploring. They were in the kitchen sipping coffee.
Charlene saw me in the doorway. “Is everything okay?”
“ Yeah, I guess. Now that I’m over the initial shock, I can’t sleep. I keep wondering why.”
I pulled up a barstool next to Evan. He put his arm around me and gave me a quick hug.
I’d met Charlene after one particularly grueling deposition with my husband’s attorney. Evan refused to let me go home and lick my
Similar Books
