When Rafe got home, he flicked on the lights, struck as he’d never been before by the emptiness of his apartment. It practically echoed with it. He thought of his mother’s home. That sense offamily could be a fragile thing, more so than he’d ever realized before. He wanted to come home every night to a place with that feeling, where the people inside were the most important things in his life.
What Ahri’d said was true. Thereweredifferent kinds of abandonment. Rafe would never want to create a family and then do that to them, but this business was his life. Could he do justice to both?
Ahri hada hard time falling asleep that night. Her mind kept going back to that moment in the garden. What was it with Francie’s garden anyway? First, Rafe had held her there when she’d learned about Zed’s murder. Then this afternoon. It’d taken her breath away.
Everything in her life was so messed up. How long could she go on with everything in flux? Would she ever have a chance to go back to her old life?
All this time, and they’d heard nothing about Zed’s murder. The Phoenix Police said the leads had gone cold. Enhancing the photo of the person standing by the trees during the funeral hadn’t given a clear enough picture to identify anyone.
The man who’d followed her and stolen the truck had an arrest record but only for small-time stuff, like minor drug violations. He hadn’t been seen in weeks. Had they found what they wanted in the truck and lost interest in her? Was it safe to return to Phoenix?
Did she want to?
Her thoughts drifted back to Rafe. What was this draw she felt to him? She’d never experienced anything like it. If she let him, he would consume her thoughts. While she’d been emotionally divorced from Zed for a long time, was it too soon after his death for her to get involved with anyone? Was she even ready to startdating? Not that Rafe had asked her out. He couldn’t; she worked for him.
Ahri blinked. Was that why he’d stepped back? She was sure he’d been about to kiss her. Well, she’d definitely been about to kisshim. She shivered at the memory. How embarrassing if he’d only been acting the nice guy, and she’d misread him. Her body went hot with embarrassment. She was so glad he’d stopped it.
Why was it two in the morning, and she wasstillthinking about him? What waswrongwith her? Was it because she was lonely? Francie had welcomed Ahri and made her feel at home. She liked her coworkers and got to spend more time with Kayn than she had in years.Whywas she lonely?
Because everything in her life was temporary right now. She was like a fly on the wall watching other people live. No wonder she craved some kind of connection with someone. Was that why her imagination was making up this thing between her and Rafe?
She forced herself to think of other ways to be part of something. Maybe she should talk to Lessa’s piano teacher about helping with those lessons for poor kids.
Ahri was nearly asleep when she heard a sound from down the hall. She slipped out of bed, listening as she went. The moaning came from Lessa’s room.
“Don’t you feel well?” Ahri asked when she entered Lessa’s room, but the only response was a groan. She felt the child’s forehead which was too warm. “Where do you hurt, sweetie?”
“My stomach.” Lessa groaned again, curling in on herself while she held her abdomen.
“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up?”
When the little girl gagged, Ahri raced to the bathroom. She grabbed the trash can and brought it to Lessa. “Use this.”
The child moaned but pulled the plastic container to her face. Ahri sat on the bed and patted Lessa’s back while she emptied her stomach.
“Why is it doing this?” the child sobbed as another convulsion hit her.
“You probably picked up a bug. Maybe at school.”
“Make it stop,” Lessa begged between spasms. “Please.”
“Poor baby. I wish I could.” Ahri’s heart broke for the little girl, and she did her best to make her comfortable.
Finally, the convulsions stopped, leaving the child exhausted. Ahri brushed Lessa’s hair from her face and pulled the sheet over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” the little girl whispered gratefully, her body relaxing into sleep.
Was this the same thing that Rafe had done with Ahri, help someone who was suffering? Did she have some kind of rescuer crush going on because he’d helped her and been nice when her life was falling apart?
The poor man. He’d done something nice, and now she wouldn’t let him go. How mortifying. Maybe it was a good thing Ken had asked her out. Mixing with other people more might help her get over this infatuation sooner.
When Ahri thought it was safe, she rose from the bed and washed the trash can. That had been a close call. If she’d woken up even a little later, there would’ve been a much bigger mess to clean up.
She returned to her room and sent a text to her brother explaining the situation and telling him the guys shouldn’t come for dinner. She asked him to let the others know.
It was probably just as well she wouldn’t have a cooking lesson with Rafe. It would give her time to put on her office face and then make sure it never fell off again.
12
