Page 29 of Chasing Clouds

“What does she do?”

“She’s a nurse at Calvary Hospital.”

I’m not exactly sure where that is. I spent a year and a half in New York City and not once did I venture outside of Manhattan into the other boroughs.

“Well, I think you’re both right,” I tell him. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to contribute to your family’s well-being, but at the same time, there’s something to be said for accomplishing things on your own and the pride one has in that.”

“Pride always comes with a cost.”

“Tell me about it.” My eyes meet his and he frowns again at whatever he sees there.

Reaching over, he lays a hand on top of my arm. It’s warm, and my skin burns from the contact; I like him touching me.

“You know everything is going to be okay, right?” The soft tenor of his voice and the kindness he continues to offer have my eyes stinging. His thumb swipes back and forth, and I forcefully swallow the lump forming in my throat.

“I do . . . eventually. In the end, this too shall pass.”

“It will.” He gives me a small, encouraging smile. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

A laugh escapes me. “As if you haven’t done enough already. I’m going to be in debt to you for years to come.”

“No, you aren’t.” He pulls his hand away and leans back in the chair, propping his foot on the bottom rung of mine. “I told you, I don’t do anything I don’t want to do.” He picks up his glass and guzzles the rest of the water down.

“Thank you, Reid.”

“At some point you’re going to have to stop thanking me.” He nods, wanting me to agree with him.

“Maybe.” A blush creeps up into my cheeks and I shrug my shoulders.

“You’ve got this—I know you do.” His green eyes penetrate into mine. He’s so confident, so sure of himself, it’s hard not to believe him, and this support from him makes me feel like maybe I do.

“I know, it’s just everything feels gray and foggy. I can’t see what happens next, and I don’t like that. I have so much I need to figure out, so many conversations to have, and that leaves me uneasy.”

“Well, like we said yesterday, nothing has to be decided today.”

“I can’t believe it’s only been twenty-four hours. I still can’t believe I walked away from him, from them.”

“Believe it. There’s plenty of time to think things through. The ball’s in your court now, and I’m on your team. You can stay here as long as you want.”

“On my team.” I grin at him.

His lips tip up, and his eyes sparkle at me, smiling. “What can I say? I’m a sports guy through and through.”

IT’S WEIRD TO have a girl here in my condo. Other than my mother and sister, Camille’s the first one. Granted, I’ve only lived here for a year, so that’s not a lot of time to make a ton of memories, but still, no matter where I am, I have strict rules about not bringing dates home. From the very first day I walked onto the field at Syracuse, I’ve been warned and heard enough stories to know that nothing good can come from women knowing where you live. It creates extra drama, and quite frankly, there’s the issue of security.

But, after this morning, it’s security that I’m wanting for her. I don’t know why that guy thought it would be okay to come over and walk into her home the morning after our wedding, but hearing her father had the same plan was all I needed to suggest leaving.

I understand they don’t know me and aren’t happy with how things went down, but to have such a complete lack of respect for her boundaries—and hell, even mine—means the answer is no and always will be no. We do not need that in our lives, period.

I’ve just given Camille a tour of the rest of the condo and showed her which room will be hers when the front door opens, slams against the wall, and in rushes Zeus. Large black paws thunder against the ground and a floppy tongue heads straight for me—that is, until he sees Camille and changes his course, sliding across the hardwood floor.

“Reeeeid,” she yells while backing up, eyes big and frantically looking for an exit plan.

“Zeus, no!” I command, but it doesn’t matter. The seventy-pound fur ball leaps into the air, slams into Camille’s chest, and they both go flying backward. She ducks her head and rolls into the fetal position to keep from being trampled.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry.” Jack and I both move at the same time. He runs over and grabs Zeus by the collar as he drowns Camille in slobbery kisses. Giggles and squeals peal out from under him as I bend down and pick her up. The dog is almost as big as she is.

“It’s okay, no worries.” She laughs, wiping her face off before moving to scratch behind his ears. His tail thumps hard on the floor, and I swear the dog is smiling at her.