and for me it was just fun.”
“And now?”
“Well, Nick’s planning to quit as soon as he gets back from wherever he and Mia are. He wants to be with her on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Katie smiled. “That’s nice.”
“I know. And me? Well, I’m a bit tired of dragging drunken idiots out the door and arguing with them. It’s not so much fun anymore.”
“I’m sure.”
“Hey, listen,” Adam said. “Speaking of the gym, I need to call Gavin and check in. Can we stop for lunch now?”
“Perfect timing.” She stretched. “I’m hungry.”
“OK. What are you in the mood for?”
“I’m not fussy. Burgers?”
“That sounds great.”
Chapter Six
Katie sat in the restaurant watching Adam outside. He was leaning against the wall, talking on his phone. He was loose and relaxed and just so fucking gorgeous with his muscles rippling under a dark long-sleeved shirt. He took her breath away.
It wasn’t just his amazing physique and hot face, though there was no denying the attraction of both of those things. No, what Katie really found sexy was Adam . She’d never have guessed that he’d be so gentle or that she’d be able to turn to him for comfort. He surprised her with his combination of toughness and kindness, and she knew that she trusted him. She believed now that she could tell him anything, ask him for anything. If he could help or be there, he would, no questions asked. That was rare, in her experience.
He laughed and her stomach twisted with desire. God, she wanted to kiss him. Wanted to be close to him, in those arms. But this trip wasn’t about anything like that: this was about making peace with her past, if she even could.
I think the only chance I have of making peace with all of it is with Adam’s help. Just Adam.
He hung up and came in to the restaurant now and she averted her eyes, pretending she hadn’t been watching him. She stared at her nails, annoyed at the chipped black polish on them. She looked up as he got to their table.
“Hey,” she said. “Everything OK at The Rock?”
“Yep. Gavin’s got it all under control. Let’s elevate your leg, OK?” He gently lifted her leg on to a chair. “How’s that?”
“Better, actually.”
“Yeah. It helps with blood flow.”
He sat down next to her in the booth instead of across from her. Automatically, helplessly, her body moved towards his.
“You ordered?” he asked.
“Yeah. She just told me it’ll be about five minutes more.”
“Perfect. I’m starving.”
“Me too.”
“So, listen. It’s just past one o’clock now. What do you say we drive to the state line and find a hotel there? It’s about four hours away and I figure we can get to Tonopah in about six hours from there. We can take it easy tomorrow, get to the hospital when you’re ready.”
God, we’re so fucking close now.
Adam saw something on her face and he touched her hand. “What is it?”
She looked down. “I’m… I’m…” She fell silent.
“Katie?”
“I haven’t been this close to the Nevada state line since I left more than ten years ago. It’s – bad for my head.”
He moved closer to her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She looked up, startled.
“You don’t have to, you know. We can turn around and go home if that’s what you want. Just say the word.”
She shook her head, her throat too tight to speak.
Adam saw her eyes sparkle with tears and his heart clenched.
Goddammit, I’d do anything to spare her this, to spare her all of it.
Katie swiped her eyes angrily. “Fuck. I feel like all I do in front of you is cry.”
“Hey. That’s not all you do in front of me.”
She blinked at him.
“You also sleep.” He gently wiped her tears away. “And eat, sometimes. I’ve even seen you laugh once or twice.”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “Yeah, that’s all true.”
“So don’t worry about it, OK? Don’t worry about anything. Just focus on getting through the rest of today. Then
“And now?”
“Well, Nick’s planning to quit as soon as he gets back from wherever he and Mia are. He wants to be with her on Friday and Saturday nights.”
Katie smiled. “That’s nice.”
“I know. And me? Well, I’m a bit tired of dragging drunken idiots out the door and arguing with them. It’s not so much fun anymore.”
“I’m sure.”
“Hey, listen,” Adam said. “Speaking of the gym, I need to call Gavin and check in. Can we stop for lunch now?”
“Perfect timing.” She stretched. “I’m hungry.”
“OK. What are you in the mood for?”
“I’m not fussy. Burgers?”
“That sounds great.”
Chapter Six
Katie sat in the restaurant watching Adam outside. He was leaning against the wall, talking on his phone. He was loose and relaxed and just so fucking gorgeous with his muscles rippling under a dark long-sleeved shirt. He took her breath away.
It wasn’t just his amazing physique and hot face, though there was no denying the attraction of both of those things. No, what Katie really found sexy was Adam . She’d never have guessed that he’d be so gentle or that she’d be able to turn to him for comfort. He surprised her with his combination of toughness and kindness, and she knew that she trusted him. She believed now that she could tell him anything, ask him for anything. If he could help or be there, he would, no questions asked. That was rare, in her experience.
He laughed and her stomach twisted with desire. God, she wanted to kiss him. Wanted to be close to him, in those arms. But this trip wasn’t about anything like that: this was about making peace with her past, if she even could.
I think the only chance I have of making peace with all of it is with Adam’s help. Just Adam.
He hung up and came in to the restaurant now and she averted her eyes, pretending she hadn’t been watching him. She stared at her nails, annoyed at the chipped black polish on them. She looked up as he got to their table.
“Hey,” she said. “Everything OK at The Rock?”
“Yep. Gavin’s got it all under control. Let’s elevate your leg, OK?” He gently lifted her leg on to a chair. “How’s that?”
“Better, actually.”
“Yeah. It helps with blood flow.”
He sat down next to her in the booth instead of across from her. Automatically, helplessly, her body moved towards his.
“You ordered?” he asked.
“Yeah. She just told me it’ll be about five minutes more.”
“Perfect. I’m starving.”
“Me too.”
“So, listen. It’s just past one o’clock now. What do you say we drive to the state line and find a hotel there? It’s about four hours away and I figure we can get to Tonopah in about six hours from there. We can take it easy tomorrow, get to the hospital when you’re ready.”
God, we’re so fucking close now.
Adam saw something on her face and he touched her hand. “What is it?”
She looked down. “I’m… I’m…” She fell silent.
“Katie?”
“I haven’t been this close to the Nevada state line since I left more than ten years ago. It’s – bad for my head.”
He moved closer to her. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She looked up, startled.
“You don’t have to, you know. We can turn around and go home if that’s what you want. Just say the word.”
She shook her head, her throat too tight to speak.
Adam saw her eyes sparkle with tears and his heart clenched.
Goddammit, I’d do anything to spare her this, to spare her all of it.
Katie swiped her eyes angrily. “Fuck. I feel like all I do in front of you is cry.”
“Hey. That’s not all you do in front of me.”
She blinked at him.
“You also sleep.” He gently wiped her tears away. “And eat, sometimes. I’ve even seen you laugh once or twice.”
She gave him a wobbly smile. “Yeah, that’s all true.”
“So don’t worry about it, OK? Don’t worry about anything. Just focus on getting through the rest of today. Then
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