had no idea how long they might have been there.”
“You’re pale. You should be in bed.”
“I’m fine, really. How are the girls?”
“Watching cartoons. Then we’re supposed to take them on a hike.” She made a face. “But if you’re not up to it . . .” Her eyes were hopeful.
He grinned. “I think we need to teach you to ride first. But you’d need to change into jeans and boots.”
She lifted her chin. “Not going to happen.”
“You look great in anything, you know.”
She flushed. “Want some breakfast? I think there are pancakes left.”
“Don’t change the subject. What’s it going to take to get past that wall, Eden? When you left me, I didn’t know you much better than the day we met.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She turned toward the house, but he caught her arm. “I’d really like to know the woman past the pretty face and gorgeous hair. What do you want out of life? Who are you, really?”
Her green eyes flashed. “I’m exactly who I seem. It’s not my fault if you wanted some kind of wife who hiked the mountains with you. I never pretended to be GI Jane.”
“I don’t want to change you, but I just want to know you. You were always this perfect woman at the pinnacle of her career. Intelligent and beautiful, but remote. Never rattled for a moment.”
“Well, once we find Brianna, you never have to be disappointed in me,” she said.
Did her voice quiver? He’d like to think that just once he’d gotten past her defenses. “I was never disappointed in you.”
She met his gaze. “Our relationship is over, Clay. All I want is to find my daughter.”
“When Brianna was born, I thought your guard was finally starting to slip,” he said, tightening his grip on her arm when she tried to pull free. “You were crazy about her.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I hadn’t given up on her.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. No one is perfect.”
“Except you.” Her tears vanished. “The protector and defender of the free world.”
“You say that like it’s an insult.”
“You like being the tough guy who never sheds a tear.”
Only because he had wanted to be strong for her. “You think I have no feelings?”
“Do you? You went off quite happily to South America when duty called.”
If only she’d seen his internal struggle. But he hadn’t allowed it. “The search here in the States was at a dead end.” And he’d hoped to find some clue to their daughter’s fate.
“I asked you not to go.”
She’d done more than that. She’d said if he left, their marriage would be over. And she’d followed through. He received the divorce papers a month after he left. Why had he left? Without Brianna to hold them together, he wasn’t sure how to make the marriage work. But was it because he couldn’t bear to see her leave him? Just the way his mother had done when she left with her lover, without a backward glance at her kids.
He shied away at the thought of his mother. “I had to go, Angel.”
She succeeded in pulling her arm free. “I hate that nickname!”
“It suits you.” He lifted a brow rather than tell her what it meant to him. “I dare you to change into jeans and boots.”
She brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on her shirt. “You know perfectly well I don’t own any boots. Or jeans.”
“I’ll buy you some.”
“I’d rather not be beholden to you.”
“Where do we go from here?” he asked her. “We both want Brianna when we find her. We’ve carefully avoided the topic of what happens next.”
She gave a shrug. “I suppose we act civilized like everyone else. I’ll take custody of her and you can have her every other weekend.”
Just what he didn’t want. “I don’t think so. I want her with me. You can have her every other weekend.”
“I’m her mother!”
“And I’m the father who never gave up looking for her.” The minute he spoke, he wished he could call back
“You’re pale. You should be in bed.”
“I’m fine, really. How are the girls?”
“Watching cartoons. Then we’re supposed to take them on a hike.” She made a face. “But if you’re not up to it . . .” Her eyes were hopeful.
He grinned. “I think we need to teach you to ride first. But you’d need to change into jeans and boots.”
She lifted her chin. “Not going to happen.”
“You look great in anything, you know.”
She flushed. “Want some breakfast? I think there are pancakes left.”
“Don’t change the subject. What’s it going to take to get past that wall, Eden? When you left me, I didn’t know you much better than the day we met.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She turned toward the house, but he caught her arm. “I’d really like to know the woman past the pretty face and gorgeous hair. What do you want out of life? Who are you, really?”
Her green eyes flashed. “I’m exactly who I seem. It’s not my fault if you wanted some kind of wife who hiked the mountains with you. I never pretended to be GI Jane.”
“I don’t want to change you, but I just want to know you. You were always this perfect woman at the pinnacle of her career. Intelligent and beautiful, but remote. Never rattled for a moment.”
“Well, once we find Brianna, you never have to be disappointed in me,” she said.
Did her voice quiver? He’d like to think that just once he’d gotten past her defenses. “I was never disappointed in you.”
She met his gaze. “Our relationship is over, Clay. All I want is to find my daughter.”
“When Brianna was born, I thought your guard was finally starting to slip,” he said, tightening his grip on her arm when she tried to pull free. “You were crazy about her.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I wish I hadn’t given up on her.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. No one is perfect.”
“Except you.” Her tears vanished. “The protector and defender of the free world.”
“You say that like it’s an insult.”
“You like being the tough guy who never sheds a tear.”
Only because he had wanted to be strong for her. “You think I have no feelings?”
“Do you? You went off quite happily to South America when duty called.”
If only she’d seen his internal struggle. But he hadn’t allowed it. “The search here in the States was at a dead end.” And he’d hoped to find some clue to their daughter’s fate.
“I asked you not to go.”
She’d done more than that. She’d said if he left, their marriage would be over. And she’d followed through. He received the divorce papers a month after he left. Why had he left? Without Brianna to hold them together, he wasn’t sure how to make the marriage work. But was it because he couldn’t bear to see her leave him? Just the way his mother had done when she left with her lover, without a backward glance at her kids.
He shied away at the thought of his mother. “I had to go, Angel.”
She succeeded in pulling her arm free. “I hate that nickname!”
“It suits you.” He lifted a brow rather than tell her what it meant to him. “I dare you to change into jeans and boots.”
She brushed at an imaginary speck of dust on her shirt. “You know perfectly well I don’t own any boots. Or jeans.”
“I’ll buy you some.”
“I’d rather not be beholden to you.”
“Where do we go from here?” he asked her. “We both want Brianna when we find her. We’ve carefully avoided the topic of what happens next.”
She gave a shrug. “I suppose we act civilized like everyone else. I’ll take custody of her and you can have her every other weekend.”
Just what he didn’t want. “I don’t think so. I want her with me. You can have her every other weekend.”
“I’m her mother!”
“And I’m the father who never gave up looking for her.” The minute he spoke, he wished he could call back
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