mom's parents died before I was born. My
grandparents are... from the other side of the family." He
frowned.
Other side of the family? Interesting way
to put it. "Your father's side?"
His face darkened and his eyes narrowed. "I
don't have a father."
"Anymore," she said. He flinched and she put
her hand gently on his wrist. "Jack, was Robert Prentiss your
father?"
Chapter 7
So she figured that much out , Jack
thought. Not surprising. "He was never a father to me."
"All right. I get that." She patted the couch
cushion beside her. "What happened?"
He didn't move. "I don't want to talk about
it." Hadn't he just had this conversation with Austin? "The past is
best left alone."
"Sometimes when you're hurting, you have to
let someone else in to...." Her voice trailed off. "To help. Isn't
that what you told me last night?"
"I'm not hurting."
"Yeah, I believe you." She rolled her eyes.
"But you're still angry."
How did she know? He kept the anger buried
deep inside, well hidden, well controlled. Had he done something to
scare her? "I can handle it."
"I know. I've known you for three years, and
I've never seen you lose control."
Good.
"Until today."
What?
"I don't know much about baseball, but that
hit on the runner looked like a football tackle to me."
"He had it coming."
"Who did?"
Be careful. Don't lose control again—not
in front of Sara. She was just a little too perceptive. "You're
right. You don't know much about baseball."
She stood and moved close to him. "Let me
help you. This is why I'm going to grad school. Helping people is
what I'm good at."
He stiffened and crossed his arms over his
chest. "Don't psychoanalyze me."
"I'm not. We're just two friends
talking—"
"Friends?" That hurt. "I thought we were more
than friends." Why else would she be wearing his shirt half
unbuttoned, and gaping open in all the right places?
"We've been friends a lot longer than we've
been... anything else." She tried to pull him back to the couch.
"Come on, Jack. You need to—"
"I don't need anything." He snatched his hand
away.
Her eyes flashed. "Why won't you talk to
me?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Then listen to me. You have to let someone
else in—"
"Don't throw that back in my face!"
"Take your own advice for once! You're pretty
good at giving it out. Do you think it doesn't apply to you?"
"I don't need advice." Stay calm,
Jack. He crossed his arms over his chest and shoved the anger
down deep.
"Don't give me that BS. I know there's
something you've got to deal with. How can you expect me to trust
you when you won't trust me?"
"I never asked you to trust me."
"No, you told me you'd prove you could be
trusted." She stepped close to him and put her hands behind his
neck, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Prove it to me now."
"I have nothing to prove."
She pushed off him with both hands. "Damn it!
You are so stubborn. Don't you feel anything about this?"
"What am I supposed to feel?" He forced his
face into a neutral expression. "Do you want me to get pissed off
and out of control like you are?"
"Oh, so I'm out of control now. Nice.
Turn this against me."
"I'm not trying to turn this against you. I'm
trying to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?"
"You have no idea what I've been
through—"
"Then tell me."
"—or what I'm capable of." He hadn't meant to
let that slip, but he couldn't stop it.
"What you're...?" Her blue eyes widened.
He shook his head and turned away from her.
"I can't... just let it go. It's over now." Am I talking to
myself or to her?
"Please, I want to help you. I need to
help you."
"No."
"So that's it then? No explanation. No
apology. Just no."
"Sara...." He reached for her, but she backed
away. He wanted to tell her. Good God, I need to tell her. But
what will she think of me if she knows? Will she be afraid of
me? "I can't."
Sara held up her hand, then grabbed her car
keys and ran out the front door into the storm.
***
She was still wearing his shirt when she
grandparents are... from the other side of the family." He
frowned.
Other side of the family? Interesting way
to put it. "Your father's side?"
His face darkened and his eyes narrowed. "I
don't have a father."
"Anymore," she said. He flinched and she put
her hand gently on his wrist. "Jack, was Robert Prentiss your
father?"
Chapter 7
So she figured that much out , Jack
thought. Not surprising. "He was never a father to me."
"All right. I get that." She patted the couch
cushion beside her. "What happened?"
He didn't move. "I don't want to talk about
it." Hadn't he just had this conversation with Austin? "The past is
best left alone."
"Sometimes when you're hurting, you have to
let someone else in to...." Her voice trailed off. "To help. Isn't
that what you told me last night?"
"I'm not hurting."
"Yeah, I believe you." She rolled her eyes.
"But you're still angry."
How did she know? He kept the anger buried
deep inside, well hidden, well controlled. Had he done something to
scare her? "I can handle it."
"I know. I've known you for three years, and
I've never seen you lose control."
Good.
"Until today."
What?
"I don't know much about baseball, but that
hit on the runner looked like a football tackle to me."
"He had it coming."
"Who did?"
Be careful. Don't lose control again—not
in front of Sara. She was just a little too perceptive. "You're
right. You don't know much about baseball."
She stood and moved close to him. "Let me
help you. This is why I'm going to grad school. Helping people is
what I'm good at."
He stiffened and crossed his arms over his
chest. "Don't psychoanalyze me."
"I'm not. We're just two friends
talking—"
"Friends?" That hurt. "I thought we were more
than friends." Why else would she be wearing his shirt half
unbuttoned, and gaping open in all the right places?
"We've been friends a lot longer than we've
been... anything else." She tried to pull him back to the couch.
"Come on, Jack. You need to—"
"I don't need anything." He snatched his hand
away.
Her eyes flashed. "Why won't you talk to
me?"
"There's nothing to talk about."
"Then listen to me. You have to let someone
else in—"
"Don't throw that back in my face!"
"Take your own advice for once! You're pretty
good at giving it out. Do you think it doesn't apply to you?"
"I don't need advice." Stay calm,
Jack. He crossed his arms over his chest and shoved the anger
down deep.
"Don't give me that BS. I know there's
something you've got to deal with. How can you expect me to trust
you when you won't trust me?"
"I never asked you to trust me."
"No, you told me you'd prove you could be
trusted." She stepped close to him and put her hands behind his
neck, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Prove it to me now."
"I have nothing to prove."
She pushed off him with both hands. "Damn it!
You are so stubborn. Don't you feel anything about this?"
"What am I supposed to feel?" He forced his
face into a neutral expression. "Do you want me to get pissed off
and out of control like you are?"
"Oh, so I'm out of control now. Nice.
Turn this against me."
"I'm not trying to turn this against you. I'm
trying to protect you."
"Protect me? From what?"
"You have no idea what I've been
through—"
"Then tell me."
"—or what I'm capable of." He hadn't meant to
let that slip, but he couldn't stop it.
"What you're...?" Her blue eyes widened.
He shook his head and turned away from her.
"I can't... just let it go. It's over now." Am I talking to
myself or to her?
"Please, I want to help you. I need to
help you."
"No."
"So that's it then? No explanation. No
apology. Just no."
"Sara...." He reached for her, but she backed
away. He wanted to tell her. Good God, I need to tell her. But
what will she think of me if she knows? Will she be afraid of
me? "I can't."
Sara held up her hand, then grabbed her car
keys and ran out the front door into the storm.
***
She was still wearing his shirt when she
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