“Yeah.” Didn’t he get that?
“Alright.” His face fell. “I just thought it would be nice to be somewhere we didn’t have to hide.” He sat back up and took my hands again. “Wouldn’t it be nice to go to dinner together or the movies? How about walking around a mall again? Or waking up together? Wouldn’t that be fun?”
I smiled. “Yeah, it would.”
“Then come with me.” He tightened his hold. “You don’t have to meet my family if that is too much. We could get a hotel room and spend part of the time doing all those things.”
“Stewart, you’re supposed to be going for your mother’s birthday. You can’t blow her off to spend time with me.” The whole family would end up hating me. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” He pulled me into his arms and gave me a kiss. “Can I at least buy you dinner tonight?”
“Stu.” I pulled back.
“We don’t have to go anywhere.” He smiled, with that dimple I loved so much showing. “We can order and have it delivered.”
“I supposed that would be okay.”
“Yeah?” He pulled me back into his arms and leaned back on the couch. “We could watch a game or a movie here?”
“True.” I bit the side of my lip. “You could even possibly stay the night.”
I felt his intake of breath. “But I didn’t bring my jammies.” His smile grew.
“You don’t need them.”
“Who could refuse an offer like that?” He dropped his lips to mine, and I took that as a yes.
“Can I see you tonight?” Stewart stood at my door kissing me goodbye.
“Yes.” We’d spent the morning talking and having breakfast. He was still trying to convince me to go home to Georgia with him, but I was holding strong. It was too soon, and I couldn’t take the chance that someone would make the connection.
“Good.” He kissed me again. “You have your PT appointment before you go to the office, right?” I nodded. “I’ll be at the clinic doing rounds if you need me.”
“Stu.” He really wasn’t getting it.
“I’m a doctor, Rita.” He leaned back to look me in the eye. “There could be any number of medical reasons that you need me to stop by.” I hadn’t thought of that.
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”
He brought his hands up to cup my face. “Baby, if you need me, I don’t give a shit who knows about us. I’m going to be there. I won’t let you go through something without me if I can help.”
“Stewart.”
“I mean it, Rita.” He took a long breath. “I’m falling in love with you.”
“What?” I hadn’t expected him to say that.
“I’m falling in love.” He kissed me. “With you, and that trumps keeping this a secret. At least it does for me.”
“You can’t be.” I backed away. “Stewart, I know it might feel like that, but it’s only because I was there when you needed to talk.”
“Don’t do that.” I hadn’t heard this tone since we first met. “Don’t act like I’m some patient that’s clinging to you because you healed me.”
I stayed silent.
“Is that what you think this is?” He moved so we weren’t touching at all. “You think I see you as some sort of savior that got me over the accident?” I bit the side of my lip. “Wow.”
“It isn’t that uncommon for people to develop a strong connection to their therapist.” I reasoned. “I did it with mine.”
