get home first.”
No response. Good. Now she could think and lay out what she was going to do when she got to her apartment. It was the only option he’d left to her. Nothing else would help.
And Wesley wanted her to go see a counselor? Ha! Those damn head shrinks didn’t care one whit about their patients. The only thing on their minds were their own bank accounts. Besides, she didn’t need them. Once she’d executed her plan, all of her problems would be over.
She pulled her little car into the parking space, cut the motor, and locked it as she got out. Her apartment was on the second floor, and she looked up at it. A glum feeling washed over her but she pushed it aside after only a moment. This was no time for regrets. She had to get moving and get on with her plans.
Minutes later, she was inside, sitting at the cheap, tiny dinette table writing on a piece of paper she’d pulled from her fancy stationery set. She folded it, laid the pen across it, and got up from her chair.
You don’t need to do this, you know.
“Yes, I do.”
Why do you think that? There’s another alternative .
“Oh, right! I could go see a shrink. No, thanks.”
You have me to talk to. Don’t forget, I got you out of that institution .
“So, maybe you did. I don’t see how that helps me now.” She turned and headed down the hallway.
It’s the same kind of situation. Can’t you see?
“Yeah? How do you figure that?” She stepped into the bathroom.
The guy you’re in love with takes off with some bimbo. Same old story .
“Well, from that perspective, I’d have to agree.” She removed a pill bottle from the medicine cabinet above the sink. “But it’s not gonna stop me.”
* * * * *
Wes relaxed on the sofa as Kristi tucked Janie in bed for the night. The lasagna dinner was delicious, even if it did come out of the freezer. It had been an enjoyable evening, now that Liza was no longer a threat to them. He was sure she’d do as he suggested and get some treatment for her problems.
He wanted to tell Kristi tonight about his feelings for her, but decided to wait until she showed a sign that she might share them. What the signal would be, he could only guess, though he was sure he’d recognize it when it came along. He’d had enough experience with women to know that it could be different for each one, but it was always identifiable.
Before long, Kristi came back down the hallway and sat next to him. She curled up with her feet under her, laid her head on his chest, and sighed contentedly. This was a pleasant surprise.
“Howdy. Come here often?” He couldn’t resist the cheesy joke.
“Yep,” she replied without hesitation. “I live here. How about you?”
He chuckled. “I’d love to come here as often as you want.”
“Mmm. That sounds tempting. But just a tiny warning, you might be here a lot.”
“I don’t see a problem with that.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Yeah, but would your mother approve?”
“Oh, I think Mom would love you to pieces.” In fact, he knew she would.
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. “What I meant was, would your mother approve of you coming over here almost every night of the week?”
“I see. Well, as I’m a grown man in my mid-thirties now, I don’t think she’d mind in the least.” He grinned.
She laughed and he joined in. Without warning, she leaned in and kissed him, slipping her arms around him. Then, just as abruptly, she pulled away.
“Wes, I—”
“Kristi—”
They shared a light chuckle over speaking at the same time.
“You first,” he offered.
She took a breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about us.”
“Me, too.” He smiled.
“I think this might be something I’d like to pursue. But I wanna be sure Liza won’t be back to bother us.”
“If you’d seen the look on her face I saw, you’d know she won’t.” He kept his tone calm and neutral. “She looked like a person who finally realized she needs
No response. Good. Now she could think and lay out what she was going to do when she got to her apartment. It was the only option he’d left to her. Nothing else would help.
And Wesley wanted her to go see a counselor? Ha! Those damn head shrinks didn’t care one whit about their patients. The only thing on their minds were their own bank accounts. Besides, she didn’t need them. Once she’d executed her plan, all of her problems would be over.
She pulled her little car into the parking space, cut the motor, and locked it as she got out. Her apartment was on the second floor, and she looked up at it. A glum feeling washed over her but she pushed it aside after only a moment. This was no time for regrets. She had to get moving and get on with her plans.
Minutes later, she was inside, sitting at the cheap, tiny dinette table writing on a piece of paper she’d pulled from her fancy stationery set. She folded it, laid the pen across it, and got up from her chair.
You don’t need to do this, you know.
“Yes, I do.”
Why do you think that? There’s another alternative .
“Oh, right! I could go see a shrink. No, thanks.”
You have me to talk to. Don’t forget, I got you out of that institution .
“So, maybe you did. I don’t see how that helps me now.” She turned and headed down the hallway.
It’s the same kind of situation. Can’t you see?
“Yeah? How do you figure that?” She stepped into the bathroom.
The guy you’re in love with takes off with some bimbo. Same old story .
“Well, from that perspective, I’d have to agree.” She removed a pill bottle from the medicine cabinet above the sink. “But it’s not gonna stop me.”
* * * * *
Wes relaxed on the sofa as Kristi tucked Janie in bed for the night. The lasagna dinner was delicious, even if it did come out of the freezer. It had been an enjoyable evening, now that Liza was no longer a threat to them. He was sure she’d do as he suggested and get some treatment for her problems.
He wanted to tell Kristi tonight about his feelings for her, but decided to wait until she showed a sign that she might share them. What the signal would be, he could only guess, though he was sure he’d recognize it when it came along. He’d had enough experience with women to know that it could be different for each one, but it was always identifiable.
Before long, Kristi came back down the hallway and sat next to him. She curled up with her feet under her, laid her head on his chest, and sighed contentedly. This was a pleasant surprise.
“Howdy. Come here often?” He couldn’t resist the cheesy joke.
“Yep,” she replied without hesitation. “I live here. How about you?”
He chuckled. “I’d love to come here as often as you want.”
“Mmm. That sounds tempting. But just a tiny warning, you might be here a lot.”
“I don’t see a problem with that.” He kissed the top of her head.
“Yeah, but would your mother approve?”
“Oh, I think Mom would love you to pieces.” In fact, he knew she would.
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. “What I meant was, would your mother approve of you coming over here almost every night of the week?”
“I see. Well, as I’m a grown man in my mid-thirties now, I don’t think she’d mind in the least.” He grinned.
She laughed and he joined in. Without warning, she leaned in and kissed him, slipping her arms around him. Then, just as abruptly, she pulled away.
“Wes, I—”
“Kristi—”
They shared a light chuckle over speaking at the same time.
“You first,” he offered.
She took a breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about us.”
“Me, too.” He smiled.
“I think this might be something I’d like to pursue. But I wanna be sure Liza won’t be back to bother us.”
“If you’d seen the look on her face I saw, you’d know she won’t.” He kept his tone calm and neutral. “She looked like a person who finally realized she needs
Similar Books
