“Do you mean with your family—the lie we’re telling them?” His eyes searched hers for some sort of indication that he was right.
God, for a highly intelligent man, he was so dense right now. She cried harder.
“Shhh, I can’t handle seeing you like this.” He pulled her close so her head was tucked under his chin. “I told you. We’ll straighten it out after your brother gets back from his honeymoon.”
She only nodded wishing she had the courage to say the words she’d felt for so long.
“I know this is hard on you because you are full of integrity. It’s only for a few more days.”
God, that sounded like a death sentence. She didn’t want this to end. For the first time, she didn’t want things to go back to normal before they came here. Again she nodded.Coward,she thought to herself. He held her until the tears stopped and she fell asleep.
The next morning she woke alone. She sat up and looked around the room listening for him. Nothing. Her hand moved over the indent in his bed and it was cold. He was gone for a while. She glanced at the clock. It was just before ten. How on earth does she sleep like that? She reluctantly got up and went to her room to shower. She knew he wanted to take her shopping, and most likely he’d already worked out then eaten. He was probably waiting on her. How she’d not heard him come and go was beyond her. She was a very light sleeper and he would have had to shower after his morning workout, then gotten dressed. She must’ve been in a coma. Gosh, how many times did he walk back and forth in the room with her sleeping sound? Would he have stopped and stared at her? Wow, she thought she felt vulnerable before.
After her shower she combed her hair and threw on a pair of newer jeans and a green and white striped blouse that nicely fit the lines of her body.
When she went upstairs to the kitchen Vern was sitting at the breakfast counter reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. Gosh, how long was he waiting for her? Was he waiting for her? He glanced up and said hello. She smiled and looked past him to Lance and her heart stilled. He was standing in front of one of the big windows talking on the phone. The light outlined his beautiful male form in a dark silhouette, but there was no mistaking it was him.
“Come get something to eat dear.”
She returned her attention to the kitchen where Mavis was sliding a plate in front of one of the empty seats. It was loaded with what looked like pancakes, blueberry pancakes. She could see the dark balls within the pancake. Her stomach growled its approval. “Blueberry?” she lifted her brows.
“It is. Darn delicious too.”
It was Vern that answered her and she felt herself smile. That was probably the most he’d said to her in three days. Lance turned at that moment and raised his hand in greeting. He was still too far away for her to hear the conversation, but she was wondering if it was Marianne. After meeting the woman last night, and Lance’s confession of her possessiveness, she wondered if seeing them together made Marianne become a little more aggressive in that aspect. Her eyes darted in his direction a few times while she bit into one of the pancakes. Then she closed her eyes and groaned. “I love you Mavis.”
“I told you.”
She opened her eyes to Vern’s voice and nodded. He was giving her a rare smile. Then his eyes went to the bruise on her cheek and she could see a barely detectable wince, then a flash of anger. He shook the paper to straighten the spine and continued to read diverting his eyes. Obviously he knew that she could see it bothered him and he didn’t like to reveal that side of him.
“You two flatter me,” Mavis said pouring her a cup of coffee and refilling Vern’s.
Tammy was certain she was blushing if she wasn’t so dark skinned. “I thought I made good pancakes. Mavis I need this recipe.”
She shrugged acting like it was no big deal. “I just threw it together.”
“Such humility,” Tammy said flattering her again.
Vern chuckled.
Then Tammy felt an arm around her waist and a familiar hard masculine mouth press to her forehead. “Sleep well?”
She must’ve turned beet red at that question. Mavis knew where she was sleeping and now that she was the color of a fire truck, Vern did too. She couldkillLance.
Vern picked up his paper starting to read again. She looked toward the kitchen and Mavis had busied herself with cleaning.
Tammy wanted to chastise him for her embarrassment, but when she looked up at him, he actually looked slightly irritated. Slightly, in Lance’s world, was a lot. She lifted her brows inquisitively and he shook his head subtly. Was it because of the phone call? Did someone give him bad news?
Vern put down the paper and picked up his cup. He stood up and went into the kitchen out of sight.
Tammy now realized the man could read his boss better than she could. Something was bothering him and Vern felt it necessary to make himself scarce. “What is it?”
He cupped her chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze. His eyes searched hers for a moment. Then he finally seemed satisfied with what he saw. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
He shook his head and released her. “Eat. We have to get you a dress.”
She sighed heavily. He wasn’t going to tell her, and as irritated as she was, she wouldn’t ask.
