He frowned, as if he didn’t know who she was talking about. The magic seemed to seep away. He withdrew his hand and became aloof. “Misty,” he repeated.
The magic drained out of the night. He became the distant stranger, the aloof man of the past. At that moment, he looked as if he’d never considered touching Keely.
She wrapped her arms around herself against a chill that didn’t come from the night air. “It’s getting cool,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Yes, it is.” He moved away from her, deep in thought. He paused to open the door for her.
She went through it without looking up. She said nothing. He said nothing. She went to the refreshment table and got a small cup of soda and sat down with it over against the wall.
She watched Boone stop at a group of cattlemen and stand talking to them. Her eyes darted around to see if Clark had returned. When she glanced toward the group of cattlemen again, Boone was gone. She didn’t see him again.
* * *
Clark picked her up. He looked disheveled and out of sorts.
“The pearls were the wrong color,” he said dejectedly. “She wanted pink ones. I got gray ones.”
“I’m sorry.”
He glanced at her and grimaced. “I hated leaving you there alone,” he confessed. “I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again.”
“It was all right,” she said. “I liked the music.”
“You’re the nicest friend I’ve ever had,” he said after a minute. “But you shouldn’t let me take advantage of you like this.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
He gave her a rakish grin. “Good girl.”
“What’s our next project?”
He sighed. “I really don’t know. I’ll let you know when she decides if she wants to see me again.”
“She will,” she said with conviction.
“We’ll see.”
* * *
Dr. Rydel was raising more hell than usual when Keely went in to work the next Monday.
“I told you to reorder that low-fat dog food last week,” he was raging at their newest clerk, Antonia.
“But I did, Dr. Rydel,” she said, near tears. “They had it on back order.”
He made a rude sound. “And I suppose the urn containing Mrs. Randolph’s old cat is also on back order?” he added sarcastically.
Antonia was red by this time. “No, sir, I forgot to check on it is all. I’m sorry,” she added quickly.
It didn’t make any difference. He stood in front of her and glared. She burst into tears and ran into the back.
“Oh, nice job, Doctor,” his colleague, Dr. Patsy King, muttered. “She’ll quit and we’ll have to break in yet another clerk. How many is that so far this year? Let me think…six, isn’t it?” she added with as much sarcasm as she could muster.
Bentley glared at her. “Four!”
“Oh. Only four.” She rolled her eyes. “That makes me feel better.”
“Don’t you have a patient waiting, Dr. King?” he drawled, eyes flashing.
