in trouble.”
He took a monster bite out of a chocolate chip muffin. “Worth it.” After devouring another bite, he added, “So worth it.”
“Trying to clog up your arteries in record time, I see.” Warmth filled her chest. Marshall used to choke down her mistakes and say that she was getting better. He’d been there for her the only way he knew how. Now she was going to bring up something that could ruin their relationship.
“How is business going?”
Okay, niceties first. “Good. What about you? You have two drugs in the pipeline? How’s the research protocols going?” It was a very complex, intensive process to run the test groups.
“The Lupus test is super promising.” His eyes glowed. “When we have more time, I’ll tell you about it.” He chose a banana nut muffin. “But I came here to find out how you’re doing.”
A little pang hit her chest. She’d hated her job at SiriX, but she loved hearing Marshall talk about his work. He cared deeply about what he was doing, driven to find better medications to help Lupus patients. Why didn’t she call him more often?
Setting the muffin down, Marshall pushed to his feet.
Crap, she’d been daydreaming instead of answering. “What are you doing?” Was he leaving?
“I’m getting more coffee.”
“I’ll—”
He tugged her ponytail. “Sit. I’ll get it.” He returned, topped off their cups. “More cream and sugar?”
“No thanks.” He knew she took cream and sugar. Marshall wasn’t as oblivious as people believed. He saw and catalogued everything around him. That absentminded-professor thing he did—that was a way of avoiding confrontation. Marshall didn’t waste energy arguing, he just quietly did what he wanted to do.
Sitting, he finished off his second muffin. “I care, Katie. You gave up a lot for Sugar Dancer. I want to know it’s worth it.”
Easy to answer. “Yes. I love it.” Leaning forward, she launched into how far the bakery had come and told him about Ana’s marketing project.
His eyes crinkled. “Way to make the parents insane. Expand the bakery, prove them wrong.” He checked the time on his cellphone. “Better tell me why you wanted to see me.”
She bit the insides of her cheeks, part of her not wanting to rock this boat. Would Marshall believe her? Or would this come between them? Hell, she could be making a wild leap based on assumptions about David with no real proof.
Yet the ache in her leg reminded her that what had happened had been real. And it hadn’t been a mugging.
She had to try. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I think David might be into something he shouldn’t be. And if I’m right, whatever he’s into caused our attack six years ago.” Please don’t get up and walk out. Kat held her breath, waiting.
Marshall reached across the table and caught her hand. “I don’t know what happened that night you and David were attacked. It’s possible David’s version is true. You have traumatic amnesia and you’ve experienced some personality change whether you want to admit it or not.” Squeezing her hand, he said flatly, “You don’t remember what happened, Katie. Your flashes could be real, or they could be a manifestation of your mind trying to fill in the blanks. You know it’s possible.”
She ground her teeth together, struggling for the logic that might reach him. “Yes. But what if David’s version is a lie? You said you don’t know. You weren’t there.”
He regarded her carefully. “The best thing you ever did was leave David and SiriX.”
Whoa, that was a conversational shift she hadn’t expected. “What does that mean?”
Marshall glanced at the table, then back up. “Do you know why you’re not in my wedding?”
That was like poking a sore spot she didn’t want to admit she had. She needed to stay unemotional and focused if she had any hope of getting him to hear her. “Because David’s your best man.”
His mouth whitened as he compressed his
He took a monster bite out of a chocolate chip muffin. “Worth it.” After devouring another bite, he added, “So worth it.”
“Trying to clog up your arteries in record time, I see.” Warmth filled her chest. Marshall used to choke down her mistakes and say that she was getting better. He’d been there for her the only way he knew how. Now she was going to bring up something that could ruin their relationship.
“How is business going?”
Okay, niceties first. “Good. What about you? You have two drugs in the pipeline? How’s the research protocols going?” It was a very complex, intensive process to run the test groups.
“The Lupus test is super promising.” His eyes glowed. “When we have more time, I’ll tell you about it.” He chose a banana nut muffin. “But I came here to find out how you’re doing.”
A little pang hit her chest. She’d hated her job at SiriX, but she loved hearing Marshall talk about his work. He cared deeply about what he was doing, driven to find better medications to help Lupus patients. Why didn’t she call him more often?
Setting the muffin down, Marshall pushed to his feet.
Crap, she’d been daydreaming instead of answering. “What are you doing?” Was he leaving?
“I’m getting more coffee.”
“I’ll—”
He tugged her ponytail. “Sit. I’ll get it.” He returned, topped off their cups. “More cream and sugar?”
“No thanks.” He knew she took cream and sugar. Marshall wasn’t as oblivious as people believed. He saw and catalogued everything around him. That absentminded-professor thing he did—that was a way of avoiding confrontation. Marshall didn’t waste energy arguing, he just quietly did what he wanted to do.
Sitting, he finished off his second muffin. “I care, Katie. You gave up a lot for Sugar Dancer. I want to know it’s worth it.”
Easy to answer. “Yes. I love it.” Leaning forward, she launched into how far the bakery had come and told him about Ana’s marketing project.
His eyes crinkled. “Way to make the parents insane. Expand the bakery, prove them wrong.” He checked the time on his cellphone. “Better tell me why you wanted to see me.”
She bit the insides of her cheeks, part of her not wanting to rock this boat. Would Marshall believe her? Or would this come between them? Hell, she could be making a wild leap based on assumptions about David with no real proof.
Yet the ache in her leg reminded her that what had happened had been real. And it hadn’t been a mugging.
She had to try. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I think David might be into something he shouldn’t be. And if I’m right, whatever he’s into caused our attack six years ago.” Please don’t get up and walk out. Kat held her breath, waiting.
Marshall reached across the table and caught her hand. “I don’t know what happened that night you and David were attacked. It’s possible David’s version is true. You have traumatic amnesia and you’ve experienced some personality change whether you want to admit it or not.” Squeezing her hand, he said flatly, “You don’t remember what happened, Katie. Your flashes could be real, or they could be a manifestation of your mind trying to fill in the blanks. You know it’s possible.”
She ground her teeth together, struggling for the logic that might reach him. “Yes. But what if David’s version is a lie? You said you don’t know. You weren’t there.”
He regarded her carefully. “The best thing you ever did was leave David and SiriX.”
Whoa, that was a conversational shift she hadn’t expected. “What does that mean?”
Marshall glanced at the table, then back up. “Do you know why you’re not in my wedding?”
That was like poking a sore spot she didn’t want to admit she had. She needed to stay unemotional and focused if she had any hope of getting him to hear her. “Because David’s your best man.”
His mouth whitened as he compressed his
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