Either way, they’d both kissed each other passionately. Now he needed to tell her how he really felt about her and about them so that she didn’t think he was leading her on or taking advantage of her.
“Kinsey—”
“Tyler, I—”
They both spoke at the same time.
She lifted her head and straightened, as though gathering the strength to say what she needed to. From the fear that still filled her eyes, he had the feeling he wasn’t going to like it.
That meant he needed to speak first and fast. But what?
She opened her mouth to talk.
“I love you.” His words came out with a fervor he couldn’t contain.
Her lips stalled, and her eyes rounded.
“I know it’s soon, that we haven’t known each other long, but it doesn’t matter.” He drew in another steadying breath and pushed forward. “You’re the one for me—the love of my life that I’ve been waiting to find.”
She watched him for another moment before dropping her chin and staring at the tiled floor.
He waited for a response, his nerves tightening with every passing second. He didn’t expect her to declare her love in response, but he wanted some indication she was feeling something similar.
“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she blurted.
“What?” The news hit him like a fist in the stomach. “Why?”
“I called Premier and asked them to send a replacement for me.”
“I don’t understand.”
She lifted her gaze, revealing her tortured eyes. “You were right from the beginning. I’m not the best nurse for your dad. He needs someone more dedicated and experienced than me, someone who doesn’t abandon him and neglect his care because she’s too distracted by his handsome son.”
Protest welled up inside Tyler. “No, I was wrong about you. You are the best nurse for him, the only one we want. I know Dad feels the same way.”
“I neglected T.W., and now I’ve set him back.” Her face was creased with guilt. “He’ll need several more weeks of recuperation before he’ll be strong enough again. And if the cancer spreads, it’ll be my fault.”
Was that the truth? It couldn’t be. “You did everything you could—”
“I’m trained to look for signs of regression and pain and problems. If I’d been paying better attention, I would have noticed he was having trouble.”
“That’s not true…” Even if it was, Tyler could admit he’d had a role in it. He’d been the one to push her to spend time with him, had come in every night to be with her, had caused her to stop being single-minded in her care of Dad.
If anything, he was more to blame than she was with how much time he’d spent distracting her.
“I’m taking myself off the case.” Her voice was weary and sad. “Doreen arrives tomorrow. She’s older and more experienced and will do a fantastic job.”
Should he protest more? Or should he accept a new nurse? After all, this was Dad’s life they were talking about. He couldn’tjeopardize Dad’s life because he was in love with Kinsey and wanted her to stay. If a different nurse would do a better job, then that was the most important thing, wasn’t it?
She rubbed a hand across her eyes, wiping away moisture. “I should have listened to you from the start and let someone else handle T.W.’s care. I’m sorry I insisted. I’m sorry I let myself lose my focus. And I’m sorry that now I have to disappoint you.”
Disappointdidn’t begin to describe the emotions swirling in his chest—confusion and frustration mingled with hurt and panic. He didn’t know what to do under the circumstances, but he did know he couldn’t lose her. “Just because you want to leave doesn’t mean we have to end what we have.”
“We don’t have anything yet.”
He’d just poured out his heart to her, told her he loved her. And this was how she intended to respond? To throw it all back in his face as if it meant nothing to her?
“It would be easier to part ways now, Tyler,” she said earnestly, “than to try to have a long-distance relationship.”
