belong to a man…here she was, sitting naked as she pulled her knees up to her breasts to cover herself. Bruce was pulling on his clothes. “I’m sorry” was all he said as he tucked his shirt in, grabbing his glasses and shoving them on.
Kim couldn’t seem to find her tongue as she realized that what she’d waited for all these years was about to walk out the door in less than ten seconds. He grabbed her face and kissed her hard and fast, his tongue slipping in, tasting her. Her hand covered his before he pulled away.
“I’ve got an emergency,” he said. “New baby, just born. There’s been a complication.”
Of course she felt like crap, mourning her loss when there was a baby who needed him. She jumped off the bed, grabbing the robe that was on the hook behind the door, a blue plaid that came to mid calf. She hurried after him. “Of course you have to go. I hope it’s not too serious.”
She wanted to ask him if he would be back, but that was selfish and silly and needy, and she didn’t want to be needy right now. He kissed her once more before going out the door. She flicked on the outside light as he ran to his car, jumped in, and turned to race down her driveway. And she did the only thing she could: She went onto the deck, sat in the wooden seat, and watched as the man she loved, who was needed by so many, drove away.
***
Chapter Ten
Kim had no idea what time she drifted off, but Chloe woke her when the sun was up, nickering to remind her that breakfast was late. She blinked, feeling hungover. She hadn’t had a wink of sleep all night. She sat up, and her head felt heavy as she crept out of bed. She wondered where Bruce was, whether he was still at the hospital or had gone home to the condo she knew he had in town. She didn’t know exactly where he lived, but it was close to the hospital, which had a few really nice high-end places.
After she turned Chloe out on the pasture to graze, she climbed into a cool shower as the heat continued to rise. Instead of pulling on jeans, she slipped on a jean skirt and a paisley tank top and took a minute to have a coffee and choke down a piece of toast even though the knots in her stomach had stolen her appetite. She’d checked her phone every minute all morning, and the ringer, just to make sure it hadn’t been turned off. Should she call him, maybe check in to see how he was?
Who was she kidding—she ached for him. Being without him was killing her. “Oh, you’re so pathetic, Kim.” She tapped her hands on the counter and looked around for something to do. There was lots: repairs to make on her horse’s shelter, weeding in the garden, manure to clean up…and there were tons of other things she could be doing, but right now she didn’t think she could concentrate long enough to put any effort into anything. And she didn’t want to leave the house in case Bruce phoned, so she pulled out a mixing bowl and started making a batch of muffins. She added some frozen peaches and blueberries, and when Bruce still hadn’t called after two dozen muffins were baked, she grabbed a Tupperware container and stuffed a dozen in with a napkin and butter in a small container, stepped into her sandals, grabbed her truck keys, and went out the door to drive into town.
When she approached the hospital, she wondered whether he was still there. She hadn’t stopped to consider how she’d be able to walk right into the hospital to see him. Maybe she should have called from home. If she had a cell phone—she’d never seen the need for such an added expense—she could have called him now. Instead, she paid for parking in the hospital lot, grabbed the cloth bag with the container of muffins and small thermos of coffee she’d packed on a whim, lifted her purse over her shoulder, and walked through the main entrance of the hospital.
It was busy midday, so she stopped at the reception, where a young woman with mousy brown hair in a ponytail sat behind the counter. She
Kim couldn’t seem to find her tongue as she realized that what she’d waited for all these years was about to walk out the door in less than ten seconds. He grabbed her face and kissed her hard and fast, his tongue slipping in, tasting her. Her hand covered his before he pulled away.
“I’ve got an emergency,” he said. “New baby, just born. There’s been a complication.”
Of course she felt like crap, mourning her loss when there was a baby who needed him. She jumped off the bed, grabbing the robe that was on the hook behind the door, a blue plaid that came to mid calf. She hurried after him. “Of course you have to go. I hope it’s not too serious.”
She wanted to ask him if he would be back, but that was selfish and silly and needy, and she didn’t want to be needy right now. He kissed her once more before going out the door. She flicked on the outside light as he ran to his car, jumped in, and turned to race down her driveway. And she did the only thing she could: She went onto the deck, sat in the wooden seat, and watched as the man she loved, who was needed by so many, drove away.
***
Chapter Ten
Kim had no idea what time she drifted off, but Chloe woke her when the sun was up, nickering to remind her that breakfast was late. She blinked, feeling hungover. She hadn’t had a wink of sleep all night. She sat up, and her head felt heavy as she crept out of bed. She wondered where Bruce was, whether he was still at the hospital or had gone home to the condo she knew he had in town. She didn’t know exactly where he lived, but it was close to the hospital, which had a few really nice high-end places.
After she turned Chloe out on the pasture to graze, she climbed into a cool shower as the heat continued to rise. Instead of pulling on jeans, she slipped on a jean skirt and a paisley tank top and took a minute to have a coffee and choke down a piece of toast even though the knots in her stomach had stolen her appetite. She’d checked her phone every minute all morning, and the ringer, just to make sure it hadn’t been turned off. Should she call him, maybe check in to see how he was?
Who was she kidding—she ached for him. Being without him was killing her. “Oh, you’re so pathetic, Kim.” She tapped her hands on the counter and looked around for something to do. There was lots: repairs to make on her horse’s shelter, weeding in the garden, manure to clean up…and there were tons of other things she could be doing, but right now she didn’t think she could concentrate long enough to put any effort into anything. And she didn’t want to leave the house in case Bruce phoned, so she pulled out a mixing bowl and started making a batch of muffins. She added some frozen peaches and blueberries, and when Bruce still hadn’t called after two dozen muffins were baked, she grabbed a Tupperware container and stuffed a dozen in with a napkin and butter in a small container, stepped into her sandals, grabbed her truck keys, and went out the door to drive into town.
When she approached the hospital, she wondered whether he was still there. She hadn’t stopped to consider how she’d be able to walk right into the hospital to see him. Maybe she should have called from home. If she had a cell phone—she’d never seen the need for such an added expense—she could have called him now. Instead, she paid for parking in the hospital lot, grabbed the cloth bag with the container of muffins and small thermos of coffee she’d packed on a whim, lifted her purse over her shoulder, and walked through the main entrance of the hospital.
It was busy midday, so she stopped at the reception, where a young woman with mousy brown hair in a ponytail sat behind the counter. She
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