and soul. And now she had to live with the
consequences.
She didn’t doubt he loved her. It was his
ability to do anything about his feelings that she didn’t trust.
His work would take him away from her, and the lifestyle in L.A.
couldn’t possibly compete with small-town life in Acton,
Massachusetts. Sure, he said he was tired of the throngs of people
and fans, tired of the phoniness in his world, but he’d wither and
die here. And she refused to be the reason or the one he grew to
resent.
Steeling herself for any discussion he might
want to have, she walked back towards the small waiting room and
strode through the double doors. There must have been a lull in
traffic because the room was empty except for Dylan, who’d curled
into the corner of the plastic couch and dozed off. A lock of his
hair had fallen over his forehead, and his head rested against his
balled-up leather jacket.
Her heart turned over at the sight, and she
knelt down next to the couch. “Hey, sleepyhead.” She nudged his arm
and tried to wake him, but he’d always been a deep sleeper, so it
took a few more tries before he finally jerked his head upward.
“Hey.” He rubbed his eyes with his palms.
“Are you all finished?”
She nodded.
“How’s the kid?”
“Other than a few stitches, he’s really
lucky. But I doubt he’ll be in the mood to wrestle with his
brothers anytime soon.”
Dylan laughed. “He’s lucky to have you as
his doctor.” His voice sobered, and Holly sensed his serious mood,
return. “I watched you in action, you know.”
Embarrassed, she shook her head. “Once I get
started in an emergency, I don’t see much else around me.”
“I realized that.” Holly’s dedication and
abilities hadn’t come as a surprise to him, yet his respect for her
had grown tremendously. And in an odd way, seeing her work had
validated his decision to leave her behind all those years ago
He rose and stretched out his muscles, which
were cramped from being in one position for so long. “Are you ready
to head home?”
“Uh, yeah.” She seemed surprised.
They walked to the parking lot, and he
slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure you’re
exhausted.”
She nodded. “I could use a hot shower and a
good night’s sleep.”
“Sounds like a definite plan,” he murmured,
and in case she wasn’t sure what he meant, he nuzzled his lips
against her neck and whispered what the two of them could do in
that shower before she collapsed from exhaustion in her bed. With
him by her side.
She laughed with him, her sexy way of
agreeing to his idea. But she still seemed wary.
He guessed she was waiting for him to bring
up his comment in her kitchen earlier. He didn’t plan on doing so.
In fact, while alone here waiting, he’d decided to continue on as
if nothing unusual had happened between them. He had little time
before he had to return to L.A. for a meeting with his agent and a
movie producer, which had nothing to do with superhero roles and
everything to do with a part he was dying to tackle.
He wished he had the luxury of time to lay
things out for Holly a little more slowly and with more care than
he’d shown by blurting out his feelings in her kitchen. But what he
didn’t have in time, they more than made up for in emotional
connection. Beyond that, Dylan had no choice but to let fate play
itself out.
* * *
After their eventful night, Dylan and Holly
slept late. They woke, made love and fell asleep again. The day
passed in a delicious way and then they arrived at Dylan’s mother’s
house. Dinner at the Northwood house was just like being back in
high school, when life was simple and everything seemed rosy and
good, Holly thought. She’d called her mother and aunt to say hi
before going over to Dylan’s. She missed her mother, but understood
her aunt Rose had broken her hip and needed help and so Holly tried
not to dwell on the emptiness of being without her own family
during the holiday season. And once
consequences.
She didn’t doubt he loved her. It was his
ability to do anything about his feelings that she didn’t trust.
His work would take him away from her, and the lifestyle in L.A.
couldn’t possibly compete with small-town life in Acton,
Massachusetts. Sure, he said he was tired of the throngs of people
and fans, tired of the phoniness in his world, but he’d wither and
die here. And she refused to be the reason or the one he grew to
resent.
Steeling herself for any discussion he might
want to have, she walked back towards the small waiting room and
strode through the double doors. There must have been a lull in
traffic because the room was empty except for Dylan, who’d curled
into the corner of the plastic couch and dozed off. A lock of his
hair had fallen over his forehead, and his head rested against his
balled-up leather jacket.
Her heart turned over at the sight, and she
knelt down next to the couch. “Hey, sleepyhead.” She nudged his arm
and tried to wake him, but he’d always been a deep sleeper, so it
took a few more tries before he finally jerked his head upward.
“Hey.” He rubbed his eyes with his palms.
“Are you all finished?”
She nodded.
“How’s the kid?”
“Other than a few stitches, he’s really
lucky. But I doubt he’ll be in the mood to wrestle with his
brothers anytime soon.”
Dylan laughed. “He’s lucky to have you as
his doctor.” His voice sobered, and Holly sensed his serious mood,
return. “I watched you in action, you know.”
Embarrassed, she shook her head. “Once I get
started in an emergency, I don’t see much else around me.”
“I realized that.” Holly’s dedication and
abilities hadn’t come as a surprise to him, yet his respect for her
had grown tremendously. And in an odd way, seeing her work had
validated his decision to leave her behind all those years ago
He rose and stretched out his muscles, which
were cramped from being in one position for so long. “Are you ready
to head home?”
“Uh, yeah.” She seemed surprised.
They walked to the parking lot, and he
slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m sure you’re
exhausted.”
She nodded. “I could use a hot shower and a
good night’s sleep.”
“Sounds like a definite plan,” he murmured,
and in case she wasn’t sure what he meant, he nuzzled his lips
against her neck and whispered what the two of them could do in
that shower before she collapsed from exhaustion in her bed. With
him by her side.
She laughed with him, her sexy way of
agreeing to his idea. But she still seemed wary.
He guessed she was waiting for him to bring
up his comment in her kitchen earlier. He didn’t plan on doing so.
In fact, while alone here waiting, he’d decided to continue on as
if nothing unusual had happened between them. He had little time
before he had to return to L.A. for a meeting with his agent and a
movie producer, which had nothing to do with superhero roles and
everything to do with a part he was dying to tackle.
He wished he had the luxury of time to lay
things out for Holly a little more slowly and with more care than
he’d shown by blurting out his feelings in her kitchen. But what he
didn’t have in time, they more than made up for in emotional
connection. Beyond that, Dylan had no choice but to let fate play
itself out.
* * *
After their eventful night, Dylan and Holly
slept late. They woke, made love and fell asleep again. The day
passed in a delicious way and then they arrived at Dylan’s mother’s
house. Dinner at the Northwood house was just like being back in
high school, when life was simple and everything seemed rosy and
good, Holly thought. She’d called her mother and aunt to say hi
before going over to Dylan’s. She missed her mother, but understood
her aunt Rose had broken her hip and needed help and so Holly tried
not to dwell on the emptiness of being without her own family
during the holiday season. And once
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