reading said she was worried about the father of her baby not being Geoffrey. Nothing else. So,” Isabelle said stepping closer to him, looking more relaxed. “I’m sure you’re right.”
For a moment, she just gazed into his eyes and then she took his hands in hers, smiling. He’d just been about to wrap his arms around her when her question stopped him.
“So, what did you do today?”
• • • • •
“I applied for a transfer to L.A.,” Mac said. As surprised as Isabelle felt, Mac’s face looked shocked. “I was going to wait until it was approved before I told you.” He paused and looked down at her gloved hand in his. “But I don’t think that’s going to fly.”
The words took a moment to sink in.
Transfer.
To L.A.?
“Transfer,” she repeated. “You mean permanently ?”
Mac nodded.
“Like living here? In L.A.?”
Mac nodded again. Her mind raced to grasp what he was saying.
No more long distance calls to Virginia?
“I didn’t want to say anything before it was approved,” he said. “I don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.” He stooped to look directly into her face and she realized she’d been staring at his chest. She blinked once and then twice. “Isabelle?” he said, his eyebrows furrowing. “Say something.”
But she couldn’t.
Instead, she jumped into his arms and hugged him fiercely around the neck.
“Mac!” she said, ready to burst. “Mac!”
He closed his big arms around her and picked her up.
“I’ll take that to mean you’re happy,” he said against her neck.
“Yes!” she said. “Yes!”
For several moments, he held her like that and Isabelle was sure that, if he hadn’t, she’d have floated away. Slowly, he set her down.
“And,” he said quietly. “Since I’m on a roll…”
“What?” she said smiling up at him.
What more could there possibly be?
“I thought,” he said, his blue-green eyes staring intently into hers. “I thought we’d move in together. That I would move in here.”
Here.
She glanced around her apartment.
Wait. Here?
But…her gift, the constant readings, the years it’d taken to make her apartment nearly reading-free.
“Okay,” Mac said quietly. “The roll has stopped.” He paused and watched her face. “I thought you might be happy about that.”
“No!” Isabelle said, tightening her grip around his neck. “I am . It’s just that…” He cocked his head at her, waiting. “Well, I don’t know,” she said, fumbling for words. Finally, she said the only thing she could think of. “I don’t know what to say.”
Mac gave her a little smile but he was obviously disappointed.
“Fair enough,” he said. “I know it’s a surprise.”
Mac living here . She stared hard into his gorgeous eyes. It was wonderful to have him close. Every time they’d said good-bye had been agony. The days without him had been empty. And now he was saying that would end.
But could it really work?
Because, if it didn’t…there was no going back. You don’t just stop living with someone. You end the relationship.
Mac was the best thing that’d ever happened to her. She wouldn’t lose him. She couldn’t.
She glanced at the answering machine.
‘It’s not going to end well.’
Dread welled up inside her so fast that she sucked in a breath.
“Hey,” Mac said. “It doesn’t have to be.” She realized she’d been staring at the machine and looked up into his face. His eyes searched hers, back and forth, as his eyebrows knit together furiously. He gently pulled her into a hug. “Okay, enough ,” he said quietly. He cradled her head against his chest. “We don’t have to talk about this now. I don’t even know if I’ll get the transfer.”
He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him tightly in return, not sure she could trust her voice. For several moments, he seemed content just to hold her and she took in a long,
For a moment, she just gazed into his eyes and then she took his hands in hers, smiling. He’d just been about to wrap his arms around her when her question stopped him.
“So, what did you do today?”
• • • • •
“I applied for a transfer to L.A.,” Mac said. As surprised as Isabelle felt, Mac’s face looked shocked. “I was going to wait until it was approved before I told you.” He paused and looked down at her gloved hand in his. “But I don’t think that’s going to fly.”
The words took a moment to sink in.
Transfer.
To L.A.?
“Transfer,” she repeated. “You mean permanently ?”
Mac nodded.
“Like living here? In L.A.?”
Mac nodded again. Her mind raced to grasp what he was saying.
No more long distance calls to Virginia?
“I didn’t want to say anything before it was approved,” he said. “I don’t want you to be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.” He stooped to look directly into her face and she realized she’d been staring at his chest. She blinked once and then twice. “Isabelle?” he said, his eyebrows furrowing. “Say something.”
But she couldn’t.
Instead, she jumped into his arms and hugged him fiercely around the neck.
“Mac!” she said, ready to burst. “Mac!”
He closed his big arms around her and picked her up.
“I’ll take that to mean you’re happy,” he said against her neck.
“Yes!” she said. “Yes!”
For several moments, he held her like that and Isabelle was sure that, if he hadn’t, she’d have floated away. Slowly, he set her down.
“And,” he said quietly. “Since I’m on a roll…”
“What?” she said smiling up at him.
What more could there possibly be?
“I thought,” he said, his blue-green eyes staring intently into hers. “I thought we’d move in together. That I would move in here.”
Here.
She glanced around her apartment.
Wait. Here?
But…her gift, the constant readings, the years it’d taken to make her apartment nearly reading-free.
“Okay,” Mac said quietly. “The roll has stopped.” He paused and watched her face. “I thought you might be happy about that.”
“No!” Isabelle said, tightening her grip around his neck. “I am . It’s just that…” He cocked his head at her, waiting. “Well, I don’t know,” she said, fumbling for words. Finally, she said the only thing she could think of. “I don’t know what to say.”
Mac gave her a little smile but he was obviously disappointed.
“Fair enough,” he said. “I know it’s a surprise.”
Mac living here . She stared hard into his gorgeous eyes. It was wonderful to have him close. Every time they’d said good-bye had been agony. The days without him had been empty. And now he was saying that would end.
But could it really work?
Because, if it didn’t…there was no going back. You don’t just stop living with someone. You end the relationship.
Mac was the best thing that’d ever happened to her. She wouldn’t lose him. She couldn’t.
She glanced at the answering machine.
‘It’s not going to end well.’
Dread welled up inside her so fast that she sucked in a breath.
“Hey,” Mac said. “It doesn’t have to be.” She realized she’d been staring at the machine and looked up into his face. His eyes searched hers, back and forth, as his eyebrows knit together furiously. He gently pulled her into a hug. “Okay, enough ,” he said quietly. He cradled her head against his chest. “We don’t have to talk about this now. I don’t even know if I’ll get the transfer.”
He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. She hugged him tightly in return, not sure she could trust her voice. For several moments, he seemed content just to hold her and she took in a long,
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