Come To Stay

Come To Stay-04

Chapter Four

"Mr. Whitson's breakfast is ready," Bliss announced, as she set the tray on the kitchen counter. The older woman studied Aubrey.

"You want me to take it in to him?"

For a moment the offer was tempting. But Aubrey couldn't. Reeve would know why, and he must never guess the effect his kiss had had on her. How stupid she'd been to let it happen. Now she must pay for her foolishness. "Air's been a mite thick between you two," Bliss mumbled, as she set a pan in the sink and filled it with tap water.

"What do you mean?" Aubrey glanced up guiltily.

"I don't suppose you'd think ol' Bliss would notice. But things got real quiet after you and Mr. Whitson were on the beach yesterday. Mr. Whitson didn't eat dinner, and neither did you. Then, later, you didn't play that clarinet the way you have most nights."

"Flute," Aubrey corrected. "You're right. I didn't play. My ... my hand was hurting." Unconcerned, Bliss hummed a soft tune. "You want me to take him breakfast?"

"No," Aubrey said with a forced smile. "I'll do it."

Balancing the tray on her knee, Aubrey knocked loudly on Reeve's door twice. Purposely, she'd avoided him for the remainder of the day yesterday, hoping that if she put some distance between them after what had happened on the beach they could both look at it with perspective. But the nagging questions persisted. How could anything that felt so good, so right, be a mistake? .

"Come in," Reeve growled.

Forcing a smile, Aubrey opened the door. "I can see you're in your usual good mood this morning."

"What's so good about it?" Reeve demanded, and pivoted his chair around so that he faced her. "It's just like any other morning for a cripple."

"You're not a cripple." Her eyes focused away from him as she placed the tray on the desk. His laugh was short and derisive.

"But isn't that what you're so fond of calling me?"

Aubrey inhaled a calming breath. "I call you one to get a rise out of you. You're a smart man; I'd have thought you had that figured out by now."

"Not many men I know roll around in one of these things," he challenged, and his hand patted the large wheel of his chair.

"It's true that you and that chair are constant companions." Aubrey wasn't going to argue with him. "But in your mind you're running free."

"How do you know what's in my mind?" he protested, his eyes darkening.

"It's not so difficult," she returned thoughtfully, her back to him.

"Oh?" Again, his voice was thick with challenge.

"What is this? An interrogation?" Aubrey whirled around and leaned against the desk, her hands behind her. "Remember, it's Monday morning. You'll have to make allowances for me on Mondays. It takes my heart ten minutes to start beating once I crawl out of bed."
"You ran this morning."
Aubrey turned around and lifted the silver warming dome off the breakfast plate and set it aside. "How'd you know that?"

"I watched you."

"Oh." It was crazy, the effect this information had on her. Aubrey's hands felt clammy and her face warm. She didn't want him invading her life this way. When the time came for her to leave, it would only make matters more difficult. And when she left, Aubrey vowed, she would walk away from Reeve Whitson intact. Whole. She wouldn't leave this man her heart.

"What's that?" Reeve's words cut into her musings.

"What's what?"

"That." He pointed to the breakfast tray.