“I have to admit, long, too.”
The grim note in his voice told her that he was thinking about Vance’s nasty remarks again. Now he would tell her, she thought.
“It’s better now that I see for my own eyes that you’re safe, if not one hundred percent.” He brought her glass and waited for her to sip a little.
Noah leaned over her to kiss her gently. “You’re awfully preoccupied.”
His observation gave her a branch, something to grip on to. Maybe it could still make things easier than the truth. “Doc interviewed for a partner today.”
“A partner?” Noah’s dark eyebrows drew together then lifted as he took stock of that idea. “I thought he was just looking for help, not someone to share in the business with him.”
“That surprised me, too. Worse yet, she only graduated a while ago.”
“Ouch.” Scowling, Noah reasoned, “That has to be a painful reminder. What was Gage thinking? He couldn’t find someone with a little more experience?”
Rylie shrugged and took a sip of her wine, although her stomach warned her that she would pay for it. “It isn’t in his makeup to intentionally cause anyone embarrassment or hurt. Dr. Lancer is undoubtedly as special as she is qualified.”
Rylie thought that the woman may have squeezed him into her itinerary at the last minute. Maybe she’d been disappointed wherever she’d interviewed previously. Maybe that’s why Gage hadn’t given them more warning. The list of possibilities kept growing. Whatever the case, Gage couldn’t be faulted. Things just happened the way they did.
“You know what you need?” Noah said, taking her glass and putting it down on the side table along with his own. “You need to stop thinking so much.” With that he lifted her into his arms, only to sit down himself, setting her onto his lap. Then he began kissing her, gently, repeatedly, first only on her mouth, then over her eyes, her chin, between her eyebrows and the hollow at the base of her throat.
This was something they could agree on, Rylie thought with bittersweet emotions, making each caress feel all the more poignant. One last time...
Her decision made, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with everything in her heart. Noah immediately responded with a welcoming murmur and tightened his arms. He slid his hand into her short hair to keep her close and feasted on her lips and urged her on with his tongue.
Beneath her hips, she felt his quick arousal. She rocked against him and brushed her breasts against his chest.
“Are you sure, sweet? Because my self-control isn’t at its best tonight,” he told her, his breath starting to grow shallow.
“That’s what I want. Make love to me, Noah.”
Without another word, he carried her to the bed.
The room was lit only by the light coming from the other side of the RV, which was a relief to Rylie. She didn’t want Noah to study her with his usual intensity for fear of what he would see. For her part, she closed her eyes and just gave herself up to the moment.
“You know what keeps taking my breath away?” he whispered against the side of her neck as he worked on unfastening his clothes. “It’s how fast you’ve become a necessity to me.” He began spreading kisses down her chest, at the same time drawing up her shirt, until he reached bare skin. Then he slipped the fabric over her head. Next he slid his palm down over her silk-clad mound, directing his fingers between her thighs, and planted a kiss on the bare skin just above it. “I think about this all the time—how perfect you are. How you respond to my touch.”
Rylie knew what he intended, but she couldn’t bear it—not tonight. This was going to be hard enough without that intimate gift. Writhing free, she urged him onto his back, slipped off her panties and finished releasing him from his clothes. “I just want you inside me.”
Her urgency released, and then fed Noah’s, and he shucked his pants while she spread his shirt wide to where she could kiss him all over. Only when she began taking him inside her, he hesitated. “Protection...?”
“I told you, I’m on the pill.” And she wanted to feel all of him, just once.
Noah wanted it, too. She knew from the way his hands trembled slightly as he took hold of her hips and urged her closer, and deeper.
Tears burned behind her closed lids as she rocked against him, urging him on in the eager dance that was quickly going out of control between them. As delicate muscles contracted around him, she felt him spasm, then pour into her. It brought her own ecstasy, and she collapsed against him, letting the pillows absorb her tears.
* * *
As the silence between them grew, Noah remained almost motionless except for stroking Rylie’s hair. He had the strangest feeling—as if he was waiting for something that he knew wasn’t coming.
Finally, he eased her onto her back, so he could see her face in the dim light. He knew she was awake by her breathing, but she kept her eyes closed. Even so, he could swear there was moisture under her lashes. He stroked the delicate skin beneath her right eye and it came away wet.
The worry that had been growing all day was now a tight band around his chest. “What’s wrong?” he asked, wiping the moisture from beneath her other eye.
“Nothing,” she whispered. “It was perfect.”
Every time was perfect with her. “I’d be the happiest man on earth if I knew those were tears of joy.”
Rather than voice that lie, she covered her eyes with the back of her hand. “Noah, don’t ruin this.”
The band tightened to where he could barely drag in another breath. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I can’t do this anymore.”
Do what? he wondered, each beat of his heart a worsening pain. Make love with him? But she’d asked him to. Or was that only her parting gift to him?
“That sounds like...goodbye.”
“It is.”
“Why?”
Her lips moved, but no sound came out.
“You’re leaving,” he said, voicing the only thought that came into his head. “Gage didn’t fire you. He wouldn’t.”
“I’m making it easier for him.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet. Just somewhere better suited to me. Somewhere where I’m better needed.”
“You’re needed here. I need you here.”
She finally opened her eyes. They shimmered with new tears. “Noah, I heard what the D.A. said to you today. I’m sorry—I never meant to eavesdrop, but the moment he began criticizing you, I froze.”
He groaned and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Baby, I’m sorry. He was being an ass—and a hypocrite. His wife may be a former congressman’s daughter, but she’s on so many prescription drugs, most of the time he has to hide her car keys to keep her from hurting herself or someone else. He has no business lecturing anyone about anything.”
“He knows the voters. I’m not right for where you’re going. You deserve someone who will complement your life.”
“I’m looking at her.”
With a sound of frustration or desperation, she sat up, reached for her shirt and tugged it over her head. “You’re not listening to me. We grew up in a two-bedroom house with one tiny bathroom. When I was too old to sleep in my parents’ room, I was moved to the couch. It wasn’t until I was thirteen when they turned half of the garage into a bedroom for Dustin that I had my own room. Sure, by the time I was fifteen, we moved into a bigger house, and my parents have a comfortable life now, but I still remember those days when Dustin outgrew his T-shirts, they became my pj’s and play clothes because there was no money for buying us both new things. I’ve worked since I could give change for a dollar, five dollars, a ten and a twenty. And I never even went to the prom, Noah, because I was working two jobs, scared to death that I wouldn’t have enough saved for college tuition.”<
br />
Noah had already learned enough to know that their pasts were polar opposites, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was what you did with what you had.
“The fact that you got through college despite all of that is beyond admirable,” he declared. “Then most of vet school. I know I acted like a jerk when we first met, but you forgave me for that.”
“Of course. I told you.”
“And no one will ever be able to accuse my mother of being a snob.”
“Noah!” Rylie cried. “You can’t win the D.A. seat without Vance Underwood’s endorsement.”
“Who says?” He framed her face with his hands. “Rylie, I’m in love with you. The rest doesn’t matter...unless you don’t feel the same way?”
He never expected the words to come out—not that way. She deserved better. He’d intended to do this right, to create a moment, a moment she would never forget. Instead, he watched everything disintegrate in front of his eyes as she bowed her head.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But I don’t.”
* * *
“Have you lost your mind?”
Rylie didn’t know how much more that she could take. Of all people, she thought that Uncle Roy would be relieved that she’d sent Noah away and wouldn’t be seeing him again. Noah’s reaction last night—the stunned silence as he’d dressed, and the way he’d walked to the door, paused and then uttered a hoarse “Goodbye,” without looking at her—had almost been her undoing. Now her uncle was clearly going to finish breaking her heart because of the rest she’d told him—that she was going to leave Sweet Springs.
Wearily, she shifted the three-quarters-full coffeepot to the extra burner and started the second pot. “You heard me. Please don’t yell. I’ll explain.”
“What’s to explain? I have ears. You’re walking away. From this.” He swept his hands to encompass the clinic.
Rylie pressed her hand against her stomach. Aside from not getting any sleep last night from all of the upheaval, she felt sick. There was proof that upbeat people didn’t handle the downfalls of life better than anyone else.
“I think it’s in the best interest of everyone,” she began. “Gage has a great opportunity with Dr. Lancer.”
“But why does that mean you need to leave?”
“Because now I’ll have two bosses, and I’m not sure one of them will be thrilled to have me around. It’s also better if she has input on the staff here.”
“She will,” Roy replied. “For those coming next. But I know during that closed-door meeting that Gage showed her what’s in the computer. He would have to for someone taking in a partner. So she already knows what an asset you are. And Doc confirmed it several times over as he gave her a tour of the place. I heard your name mentioned repeatedly in reference to ideas you’d suggested, and improvements in operations.” Taking a stabilizing breath, Roy shook his head and poured himself a mug of coffee. “I knew something was wrong yesterday when you got back from Rusk. You looked like—” He stopped the mug halfway to his lips. “Well, crap. This isn’t about Dr. Lancer at all.”
“Oh, really, Uncle Roy,” she replied with a shaky laugh, “she’s part of it.”
“Bull. This is all about Prescott.”
“What’s all the hollering about?” Stan Walsh complained as he shuffled down the side entrance to join them.
Roy hooked a thumb at Rylie, his expression disgusted. “She says she’s leaving.”
Stan squinted at her as though he couldn’t see her, let alone grasp the idea. “Seriously?”
She gestured helplessly, having no energy to start from the beginning again.
“Aw. That’s not right,” Stan said.
“What’s not right?” Pete Ogilvie demanded as he entered the room.
“Rylie here says she wants to leave.”
“She doesn’t want to leave,” Roy all but snarled. “She’s got issues.” He cast Rylie a speaking glance as if to suggest that was as far as he was going to defend her—or buy her time before she had to say more.
“Is one of them the life-size doll who was here yesterday?” Jerry Platt asked as he arrived. He paused at the box of doughnuts Roy had brought, eyeing them, even though he patted his still-trim belly. “I love you bunches, Rylie, but I’d consider adopting a pet if it would get me an appointment with her.”
“Oh, put a muzzle on it,” Stan snapped. “The only animal you should be allowed to adopt is a porcupine.” He squeezed Rylie’s shoulder, his expression growing tender. “She seems like a nice lady,” he told her, “but you’ll always be our number one. Besides, you accepted us right away. I got the feeling that she didn’t cater to us being here.”
“Aw, Stan, that’s sweet,” Rylie told him, rising on tiptoe to kiss his weathered cheek.
“Where’s Warren? Isn’t Warren here yet?” Jerry asked, glancing around. “If anyone can talk you into staying, he will.”
“Warren won’t be coming this morning,” Gage said as he entered through the back door. “His wife died during the night.”
As Rylie gasped and the others murmured words of regret and concern for Warren Atwood, Gage shared what he knew. Apparently, the chief of police had called him first thing this morning to say he’d just come from the nursing home himself, and that Warren was at the funeral home with the body.
Bernadette Atwood, “Bernie,” as Warren and everyone else who knew and loved her had referred to her, had spent the past few years in the Sweet Springs facility as Alzheimer’s took control. They all knew that he visited her every morning, before coming to join his compadres at the clinic, and ended his day sitting with her. But it had been rough on him, as Bernie had spent a few months now between this world and the next. Now that devoted watch was over.
As everyone grew silent, Rylie pressed her hand to her mouth, thinking of how awful this had to be for poor Warren. He was a strong man, and a tough man, but the disease had been his Achilles’ heel, the way Bernie had been his heart.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she saw Gage tilt his head toward his office.
“Let’s talk.”
As conversation resumed, Gage poured himself a mug of coffee, then led the way down the hall to the paneled room. He waited for her to pass, and then shut the door behind them.
“I won’t beat around the bush,” he told her as he motioned for her to sit down. “When I first walked in I heard someone talking about you leaving and something about Laurel not wanting you around. Let me just confirm that nothing could be further from the truth. I wouldn’t consider her if she couldn’t blend in with everyone here, and I do mean everyone.”
“I appreciate that,” Rylie replied, grateful for the chair. She hadn’t even bothered getting any coffee yet, unsure that it would stay down. “The guys...don’t really understand. Neither does Uncle Roy.”
“Neither do I,” Gage said drily as he settled in his seat behind the cluttered desk. He took a sip of the steaming black coffee, then set it on a clear spot on the blotter and rested his forearms around it as he leaned toward her and studied her with tenderness and concern. “Why don’t you explain it to me? The fact is, we can’t afford to lose you, Rylie. This whole idea was to enhance, not to detract from your presence here. Good grief, you’ve increased our revenue by twelve percent just in the short while you’ve been here. That’s not counting that you’ve relieved me to do more that I needed to do. And don’t tell me that you couldn’t work with Laurel. You could charm the tusks off a wild boar. Now, I appreciate that she represents a painful reminder of what you’ve given up. My heart aches for you, and Brooke’s does, too. We consider you like a little sister already. That said, I believe that you’re just too fine a person not to be able to work through whatever feelings you might have against her.”
“Please stop,” Rylie said, rubbing at the tension hea
dache threatening to split her skull wide open. “You’re being way too kind and generous. I admit, I wanted to dislike her on sight, and when you said ‘partner,’ a part of me was crushed.”
Although he nodded in understanding, he said, “But you won’t let it because you’re not a quitter.”
She rolled her eyes, but a hint of a smile twitched up one corner of her mouth at his high opinion of her. It meant the world. “I don’t want to be a quitter...only sometimes things happen that make you realize it would be better for the other person if you weren’t around.”
Gage narrowed his eyes, his gaze speculating. “We’re not just talking about Laurel, are we?”
“I guess not.” she admitted softly.
“Is there anything I could do to help?”
She knew he and Brooke had discussed that, too. “I think I’ve done enough. At least, I know I’ve hurt Noah too deeply for him to ever want to speak to me again.”
Gage looked skeptical. “He practically got you thrown in jail and you somehow worked through that.”
“Let’s just say, I couldn’t let him sacrifice what he would have to for me.”
Taking that in, Gage nodded slowly. “You have to love someone a whole lot to be that sacrificing.”
This time she was able to smile, but it was a smile of sadness. “I’m glad you understand. Only, this conversation is just between us, okay?”
“Provided you give me a full two weeks’ notice?” he countered. “Heck, it’ll take Laurel a month before she has her business settled, gets back to Montana for a quick visit and gets back here.”
“Of course. I owe you more.”
“Don’t tempt me,” he replied with a determined look. “And don’t think I won’t use every single day of that time to reason you out of this decision.”
* * *
The next two days were all about Warren, and the mood around the clinic was solemn and sad. For the first time in almost a year, Uncle Roy told Rylie, the round table had a missing member for more than one day.
Gage closed the clinic for the morning of the funeral, and an evergreen wreath with a black ribbon was put on the door below the note explaining the reason for the temporary inconvenience to customers. Having lost a son in Iraq several years ago—the highest-ranking officer to be killed there—Warren had no immediate family left and he asked Rylie to sit beside him at the service. It was both a proud and painful experience, as he held her hand between his throughout the service.
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