with two suitcases sitting at his feet. “I’ll have the rest of your things boxed and delivered to your apartment tomorrow.”
She ran her hands over her face and sat up. “What are you talking about?” She glanced at the clock. “Oh God, I fell asleep.”
“I told you from day one that I expected honesty and one hundred percent of you in this relationship.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “I’m not willing to receive anything less.” His upper lip twitched. “You’ll have no problem making the adjustment. You have an apartment to go back to.”
“Mick, wait—” She flung off the blanket and stood up.
He stepped back and acted as if the mere thought of her touching any part of him turned his stomach. “Go home, Debbie” He turned his back to her and walked off.
“Mick?”
He stopped but refused to turn around. She swallowed.
“I love you.”
He nodded. “You’re in love with the idea of a relationship with me, but for how much you try to convince yourself you want a relationship with someone more mature and stable…you have a lot of growing up to do.”
Her jaw dropped. Mick walked over to the door, opened it, and hurried over to climb the stairs. His words cut deep and left her wounded. It wasn’t true. She loved him.
The bedroom door slammed. She flinched. Ignoring the tears falling down her cheeks, she put her coat on and picked up her suitcases.
Mick was wrong. She didn’t need to grow up. He did.
* * *
“Ms. Nordall , Ms. Nordall !”
Debbie glanced down and found Jeremy tugging her pant leg. Squatting, she smiled. “Yes, sweetie?”
“I got to go to the baffroom .” He danced in place. “Bad.”
“Let’s go, champ.” She hurried him out of the classroom, across the hall, and pushed him through the door. “I’ll be right here. Don’t forget to wash your hands.”
She leaned against the wall and rubbed her head. Fifteen minutes and she could go home. She needed a couple of aspirin in the worst way.
The classroom door to the preschool room opened. She lifted her head. The aftereffects of the last snack break finally showed up going by how much noise the hyperactive children were making.
“Clear the area. We’ve got an emergency.” Juanita held a little boy tucked under her arm. “Everyone stand back. There’s a plane coming in for landing.”
Tucker’s arms stuck straight out at his sides, and after touching the ground, he flew into the restroom. She smiled. Cute kid.
“Hey, you all right?” Juanita collapsed beside her. “You’re looking awful droopy.”
“Headache.” She touched her temple. “Nothing a couple of pills and a bath won’t cure.”
“It’s Friday. Why don’t you cut out early? I’ll take the kids back to the room.” Juanita patted her arm. “You’ve had a hell of a week. You deserve some pampering. I’m going out with the gang tonight, so you’ll have the place to yourself.”
“Thanks, Juanita.” She hugged her friend.
After grabbing her purse and coat, she headed out to her car. Her cell phone rang, and she hurried to find it in her bag. Flipping it open, she hurried to press the call button.
“Mom?” She threw her stuff on the hood of the car. “Everything okay with you and Dad?”
“Of course, sweetie. I’m calling to check up on you.” Her mom paused. “Have you talked to Mick?”
“No.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “The more I think about it, the madder I am. He had no right to shut me out and not allow me to explain my side. He claimed I needed to grow up.” She snorted. “It’s not like he’s acting very mature at the moment either.” She blew her bangs off her face. “I just don’t understand how we went from wonderful to not even talking.”
“Honey, you need to listen to how you’re talking. I don’t think Mick is the only one who jumped to conclusions.” Her mom sighed. “I know it’s hard when your feelings are so tender,
She ran her hands over her face and sat up. “What are you talking about?” She glanced at the clock. “Oh God, I fell asleep.”
“I told you from day one that I expected honesty and one hundred percent of you in this relationship.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “I’m not willing to receive anything less.” His upper lip twitched. “You’ll have no problem making the adjustment. You have an apartment to go back to.”
“Mick, wait—” She flung off the blanket and stood up.
He stepped back and acted as if the mere thought of her touching any part of him turned his stomach. “Go home, Debbie” He turned his back to her and walked off.
“Mick?”
He stopped but refused to turn around. She swallowed.
“I love you.”
He nodded. “You’re in love with the idea of a relationship with me, but for how much you try to convince yourself you want a relationship with someone more mature and stable…you have a lot of growing up to do.”
Her jaw dropped. Mick walked over to the door, opened it, and hurried over to climb the stairs. His words cut deep and left her wounded. It wasn’t true. She loved him.
The bedroom door slammed. She flinched. Ignoring the tears falling down her cheeks, she put her coat on and picked up her suitcases.
Mick was wrong. She didn’t need to grow up. He did.
* * *
“Ms. Nordall , Ms. Nordall !”
Debbie glanced down and found Jeremy tugging her pant leg. Squatting, she smiled. “Yes, sweetie?”
“I got to go to the baffroom .” He danced in place. “Bad.”
“Let’s go, champ.” She hurried him out of the classroom, across the hall, and pushed him through the door. “I’ll be right here. Don’t forget to wash your hands.”
She leaned against the wall and rubbed her head. Fifteen minutes and she could go home. She needed a couple of aspirin in the worst way.
The classroom door to the preschool room opened. She lifted her head. The aftereffects of the last snack break finally showed up going by how much noise the hyperactive children were making.
“Clear the area. We’ve got an emergency.” Juanita held a little boy tucked under her arm. “Everyone stand back. There’s a plane coming in for landing.”
Tucker’s arms stuck straight out at his sides, and after touching the ground, he flew into the restroom. She smiled. Cute kid.
“Hey, you all right?” Juanita collapsed beside her. “You’re looking awful droopy.”
“Headache.” She touched her temple. “Nothing a couple of pills and a bath won’t cure.”
“It’s Friday. Why don’t you cut out early? I’ll take the kids back to the room.” Juanita patted her arm. “You’ve had a hell of a week. You deserve some pampering. I’m going out with the gang tonight, so you’ll have the place to yourself.”
“Thanks, Juanita.” She hugged her friend.
After grabbing her purse and coat, she headed out to her car. Her cell phone rang, and she hurried to find it in her bag. Flipping it open, she hurried to press the call button.
“Mom?” She threw her stuff on the hood of the car. “Everything okay with you and Dad?”
“Of course, sweetie. I’m calling to check up on you.” Her mom paused. “Have you talked to Mick?”
“No.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “The more I think about it, the madder I am. He had no right to shut me out and not allow me to explain my side. He claimed I needed to grow up.” She snorted. “It’s not like he’s acting very mature at the moment either.” She blew her bangs off her face. “I just don’t understand how we went from wonderful to not even talking.”
“Honey, you need to listen to how you’re talking. I don’t think Mick is the only one who jumped to conclusions.” Her mom sighed. “I know it’s hard when your feelings are so tender,
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