punishment, Frank. I’m a big girl. I can handle it if that’s what you decide to do.”
He had a guess as to what “it” involved, and once again anger rose up in him at the reason for her visit. He told himself that it didn’t matter. There could never be a lasting relationship between them now anyway, but her ulterior motives still stung. Despite his misgivings, in his heart he had hoped she had come up here to see him.
Jamie ended the call with a determined button push and walked back to where Galen sat. He shoved around the last of his eggs and a lonely bacon strip, his gaze locked on the plate.
She leaned against the breakfast bar and bent her head so that it would be nearly impossible for him to avoid her.
“It’s not what you think.”
His head shot up then and the earlier warmth in his eyes iced over, leaving them the dead green of fallen pine needles. “I think you came up here for another scoop and that if you don’t get it, your bastard editor is going to fire your ass.”
“You overheard, I guess.”
He shrugged. “Supersensitive hearing. The cougar again.”
With a resigned sigh, she hopped back up onto the stool and laid her hands on her thighs. She rubbed them, nervous energy growing inside her. “I was told to come up here and get an interview, and yes, Frank will likely fire me if I don’t, but then again, I kind of expected that he would anyway.”
“And why is that?” Galen asked, and finally picked up the last bit of bacon and ate it.
“Because I knew that even if I got to see you, the questions I asked would have nothing to do with the interview and everything to do with me. With us,” she said, motioning to the two of them before plowing ahead.
“That dedication was for me, but so was the apology. Why, Galen? Why bother if you didn’t want me to come back?”
He rested his big hands on the edge of the breakfast bar, gripping it tightly as he seemed to consider her words. Shaking his head, he said, “Did you read the book?”
She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t get past that damned dedication page.”
“Maybe you should.”
Anger rose up quickly at his demand. “You want me to read the book to find out what’s in here?” she asked and reached out, laid her hand over his heart.
One side of his mouth quirked up in the beginning of a grin. “That’s one thing I loved about you right off the bat—your directness.”
“Damn it, Galen. Don’t use a word like ‘love’ unless you really mean it.” She hopped down from the stool and paced a step or two before facing him, hands held out in pleading.
“Do you know what it was like to find out you’d been in a near fatal accident? To reach out to you and have you turn me away, again and again?”
A guilty flush of color swept over his features. “I can imagine. I was out of it for days and when they finally let me go, I had planned on calling you.”
“Then why didn’t you?” she challenged.
“You can still ask that after what happened last night? After seeing what I am now?” He tossed the words right back at her.
“Damn it, Galen. Do you think that matters to me?” she said, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him. His body was rigid beneath her hands, the tension obvious.
“It matters to me, Jamie. I can’t give you any kind of life anymore.” He reached down and gently drew her arms away from him. Shooting a half glance out the windows, he said, “We need to get you back down the mountain before it gets much later. There’s another storm coming soon.”
Hurt by yet another rejection, she snapped back. “Is that another cougar trait? Sensing the storm?”
He surprised her with a chuckle and the hint of a smile. “Try the Weather Channel. I checked while you were getting changed.”
Even that tiny upturn of his lips was enough to tug at her heart. It would be hard to leave him, but she had never been one to give up. She’d be back whether he liked it or not.
“Let me get
He had a guess as to what “it” involved, and once again anger rose up in him at the reason for her visit. He told himself that it didn’t matter. There could never be a lasting relationship between them now anyway, but her ulterior motives still stung. Despite his misgivings, in his heart he had hoped she had come up here to see him.
Jamie ended the call with a determined button push and walked back to where Galen sat. He shoved around the last of his eggs and a lonely bacon strip, his gaze locked on the plate.
She leaned against the breakfast bar and bent her head so that it would be nearly impossible for him to avoid her.
“It’s not what you think.”
His head shot up then and the earlier warmth in his eyes iced over, leaving them the dead green of fallen pine needles. “I think you came up here for another scoop and that if you don’t get it, your bastard editor is going to fire your ass.”
“You overheard, I guess.”
He shrugged. “Supersensitive hearing. The cougar again.”
With a resigned sigh, she hopped back up onto the stool and laid her hands on her thighs. She rubbed them, nervous energy growing inside her. “I was told to come up here and get an interview, and yes, Frank will likely fire me if I don’t, but then again, I kind of expected that he would anyway.”
“And why is that?” Galen asked, and finally picked up the last bit of bacon and ate it.
“Because I knew that even if I got to see you, the questions I asked would have nothing to do with the interview and everything to do with me. With us,” she said, motioning to the two of them before plowing ahead.
“That dedication was for me, but so was the apology. Why, Galen? Why bother if you didn’t want me to come back?”
He rested his big hands on the edge of the breakfast bar, gripping it tightly as he seemed to consider her words. Shaking his head, he said, “Did you read the book?”
She shook her head. “No. I couldn’t get past that damned dedication page.”
“Maybe you should.”
Anger rose up quickly at his demand. “You want me to read the book to find out what’s in here?” she asked and reached out, laid her hand over his heart.
One side of his mouth quirked up in the beginning of a grin. “That’s one thing I loved about you right off the bat—your directness.”
“Damn it, Galen. Don’t use a word like ‘love’ unless you really mean it.” She hopped down from the stool and paced a step or two before facing him, hands held out in pleading.
“Do you know what it was like to find out you’d been in a near fatal accident? To reach out to you and have you turn me away, again and again?”
A guilty flush of color swept over his features. “I can imagine. I was out of it for days and when they finally let me go, I had planned on calling you.”
“Then why didn’t you?” she challenged.
“You can still ask that after what happened last night? After seeing what I am now?” He tossed the words right back at her.
“Damn it, Galen. Do you think that matters to me?” she said, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him. His body was rigid beneath her hands, the tension obvious.
“It matters to me, Jamie. I can’t give you any kind of life anymore.” He reached down and gently drew her arms away from him. Shooting a half glance out the windows, he said, “We need to get you back down the mountain before it gets much later. There’s another storm coming soon.”
Hurt by yet another rejection, she snapped back. “Is that another cougar trait? Sensing the storm?”
He surprised her with a chuckle and the hint of a smile. “Try the Weather Channel. I checked while you were getting changed.”
Even that tiny upturn of his lips was enough to tug at her heart. It would be hard to leave him, but she had never been one to give up. She’d be back whether he liked it or not.
“Let me get
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