my chin and redirected it toward him. “I told you, don’t be embarrassed or afraid to tell me anything.”
Yeah, easier said than done. Uncomfortable where the conversation might lead, I got up and approached the folders stacked twenty high. “I’d rather not talk about it.” I picked up a pencil, about to scribble a note in a client’s file, when he removed it from my grasp, tossing it down. It kept rolling and plopped on the floor, right where my eyes remained.
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, his voice gentler and softer when he spoke again. “What happened, Serena?” His eyes, a sky blue today, showed very little green. Weird how they seemed to change whenever we talked. Maybe they were like mood rings.
My attention shifted to our joined hands, his bigger and darker than mine, they didn’t look odd together. In fact, they fit better than puzzle pieces, different in every way, but connecting perfectly.
If the situation with Monique had taught me anything, he wouldn’t give up anytime soon. “My gram had cancer.” I took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing. “Things didn’t go well. I wanted to take care of her, so I didn’t go back to school.”
He placed the sweetest kiss on my temple, whispering in the same spot, “I’m so sorry.” His warm, strong arms wrapped around my back, making me feel safe, protected. The harbor view and heat still radiating from his body eased my nerves somewhat. My excessive blinking resisted the tears that wanted to fall. No doubt it would turn this into an embarrassing situation rather than a supportive one. When would the pain stop?
“Why do you have three jobs?”
Damn, this interrogation just ventured into “plead the fifth” territory. For a year I’d kept the real reason a secret, and if I could, no one would ever know. Gram would roll over in her grave if she knew why I lost the house she left me in her will. Someday I’d have to deal with it. I needed money though, tons of it, to unravel the huge mess. To keep him from asking any more prying questions, I formulated a half-true version that would reveal a teensy bit and satisfy his curiosity.
“My gram didn’t have insurance. We used credit cards, took out loans for medical and college expenses.” I traced an absent-minded pattern on the seam of his jersey while explaining. “Payments got to be too much. I kept up with the accounting and worked for the Millers, but spent most of my time taking care of her.”
Quiet for a while, his breathing sounded louder than the honking boat outside. “You could start over. File for bankruptcy.”
I glared at him and stated matter-of-factly, “No, I’m not doing that.” Tired of the conversation, I went out to the balcony. I needed some fresh air.
Linc came up next to me and nodded toward a boat. “You been sailing?”
His abrupt change in subject took me by surprise. “No, I plan to though. It’s on my wish list.”
He turned toward me with a repressed smirk. “You’re a planner, huh?”
His question and the teasing way he said it made me chuckle, lightening the tension. “Yeah, you got a problem with that?”
A smile stretched across his face as he wrapped his arms around my stomach and placed his chin on my head. Rays of sunshine rolled along the gentle current, mesmerizing me with the lolling motion. Birds’ sweet tweets echoed in rhythm to the beating waves, adding to the calming scene. Warm temperatures and his heated chest turned me to mush, like chocolate left in the sun too long. A slight breeze caressed my face and brought with it a fresh-cut grass smell, reminding me spring would be here soon. Five weeks from now, April first, I’d be twenty-two. If the date didn’t speak volumes about my life, I didn’t know what did.
He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple rubbing against the back of my head. “Since you’re not catering anymore, the money you make bartending, you could give up the nanny job.” He ducked his head,
Yeah, easier said than done. Uncomfortable where the conversation might lead, I got up and approached the folders stacked twenty high. “I’d rather not talk about it.” I picked up a pencil, about to scribble a note in a client’s file, when he removed it from my grasp, tossing it down. It kept rolling and plopped on the floor, right where my eyes remained.
He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, his voice gentler and softer when he spoke again. “What happened, Serena?” His eyes, a sky blue today, showed very little green. Weird how they seemed to change whenever we talked. Maybe they were like mood rings.
My attention shifted to our joined hands, his bigger and darker than mine, they didn’t look odd together. In fact, they fit better than puzzle pieces, different in every way, but connecting perfectly.
If the situation with Monique had taught me anything, he wouldn’t give up anytime soon. “My gram had cancer.” I took a deep breath and exhaled before continuing. “Things didn’t go well. I wanted to take care of her, so I didn’t go back to school.”
He placed the sweetest kiss on my temple, whispering in the same spot, “I’m so sorry.” His warm, strong arms wrapped around my back, making me feel safe, protected. The harbor view and heat still radiating from his body eased my nerves somewhat. My excessive blinking resisted the tears that wanted to fall. No doubt it would turn this into an embarrassing situation rather than a supportive one. When would the pain stop?
“Why do you have three jobs?”
Damn, this interrogation just ventured into “plead the fifth” territory. For a year I’d kept the real reason a secret, and if I could, no one would ever know. Gram would roll over in her grave if she knew why I lost the house she left me in her will. Someday I’d have to deal with it. I needed money though, tons of it, to unravel the huge mess. To keep him from asking any more prying questions, I formulated a half-true version that would reveal a teensy bit and satisfy his curiosity.
“My gram didn’t have insurance. We used credit cards, took out loans for medical and college expenses.” I traced an absent-minded pattern on the seam of his jersey while explaining. “Payments got to be too much. I kept up with the accounting and worked for the Millers, but spent most of my time taking care of her.”
Quiet for a while, his breathing sounded louder than the honking boat outside. “You could start over. File for bankruptcy.”
I glared at him and stated matter-of-factly, “No, I’m not doing that.” Tired of the conversation, I went out to the balcony. I needed some fresh air.
Linc came up next to me and nodded toward a boat. “You been sailing?”
His abrupt change in subject took me by surprise. “No, I plan to though. It’s on my wish list.”
He turned toward me with a repressed smirk. “You’re a planner, huh?”
His question and the teasing way he said it made me chuckle, lightening the tension. “Yeah, you got a problem with that?”
A smile stretched across his face as he wrapped his arms around my stomach and placed his chin on my head. Rays of sunshine rolled along the gentle current, mesmerizing me with the lolling motion. Birds’ sweet tweets echoed in rhythm to the beating waves, adding to the calming scene. Warm temperatures and his heated chest turned me to mush, like chocolate left in the sun too long. A slight breeze caressed my face and brought with it a fresh-cut grass smell, reminding me spring would be here soon. Five weeks from now, April first, I’d be twenty-two. If the date didn’t speak volumes about my life, I didn’t know what did.
He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple rubbing against the back of my head. “Since you’re not catering anymore, the money you make bartending, you could give up the nanny job.” He ducked his head,
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