of getting hurt again scares me. But I feel a connection to you.”
“A connection…or an attraction?” he asked bluntly.
“Both. Don’t you feel both?”
“Right now, I only know what my body’s telling me. You’re a sexy woman and I haven’t touched a woman since my marriage ended. That’s a pretty powerful driving force. I’m not going to let it drive me to do something we’ll both regret.”
She pushed herself up from the sofa. “Don’t think for me, Jared, and don’t make decisions for me. If you want to back off for your own reasons, that’s fine. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you know what’s going on in my head.” Or in my heart, she added to herself.
He stood now, too, but she didn’t want to see the look in his eyes that told her he thought this was all about sex.
She grabbed her purse from the coffee table where she’d dropped it and headed for the door.
“Emily…”
“I’ll see you at work tomorrow, Jared. At least there, we know exactly how to treat each other. We know exactly what we have to do.”
She left Jared’s house, his mother’s words echoing in her head. Don’t give up on him if he seems to push you away.
To do that, she’d have to be more vulnerable than she’d ever been before. She wasn’t sure being that vulnerable was a risk she wanted to take.
“I’m going to tell Grady I’m pregnant tonight,” Francesca said the next evening. Emily had just walked in the door as her friend was getting ready to go out.
“Where are you meeting him?” Emily asked, assessing Francesca’s western-cut tan pantsuit. Her long, straight brown hair curved over her shoulder. She looked fabulous.
“At the saddle shop.”
“Alone?”
“Hopefully. This isn’t the kind of news I’d want to give him in public. The only thing is—”
“Are you afraid something else will happen?” Emily guessed, and when her friend’s cheeks turned red, she knew she’d guessed correctly.
“I don’t want a relationship, Emily. I’m not ready for one. And things would never work out between us. We’re much too different.”
Emily wondered how many times her friend had told herself that and if she was using it as an excuse. Francesca was just downright afraid to get involved with a man again.
Francesca checked her watch. “I should be going, but tell me how things went with you and Jared today. You were upset when you came home last night.”
“He was at the hospital most of the day. I didn’t see him. Maybe that’s good.”
“Is it?”
“I don’t know. When did life get so complicated?”
Francesca shook her head. “When chemistry turned into more than a science experiment. See you later.”
Emily had to smile at her friend’s assessment of the situation. She took off her jacket and was about to hang it in the closet when the telephone rang. Crossing to the cordless phone beside the sofa, she picked up the handset and checked the caller ID. It was Jared.
“Hello,” she said, not knowing what to expect.
“Emily, it’s Jared.”
“I know.”
“What would we do without caller ID?” he teased lightly. “At least you picked up. That’s a good sign.”
“A good sign for what?”
The silence on his end almost made her wish she hadn’t asked. Then he replied, “I’ve been thinking about last night. I couldn’t get it off my mind all day.”
She waited.
“You were right. There is a connection between us and I’m not sure it’s one I want.”
“That’s why you called?”
She heard him blow out a breath. “I’m not doing this very well. Just let me say I’m not calling because I need help with the girls.”
“I don’t mind helping you, Jared.”
“I know. But now I’d like to do something that doesn’t involve them.”
Was he going to ask her on a date? “Like what?”
“There’s a charity banquet and dance at the Rayburn Hotel on Saturday evening.”
“Yes, I know. I was planning to go with friends.”
“How would you like to go with me instead?”
Actually, she’d been planning to tag along with Vince and Tessa.
“Would your friends mind if you changed your plans?” he cut in before she could think it through.
“No, I don’t suppose they would. I’d been planning to sit with Tessa Rossi and her husband, Vince. Maybe the four of us could share a table, unless you had something else in mind.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“If you’d rather sit with Dr. Pratt or Dr. Layman…” Those were the two men who shared Jared’s practice.
“Larry Pratt isn’t going, and Tom is sitting with the hospital board. The thing is, Emily, I’m not asking you because this is a hospital function.”
“Why are you asking me?” she inquired softly, not wanting to put him on the spot but needing to know.
“I’d like to spend some time with you alone, away from my daughters, away from the practice. I realized—” He stopped. “I realized what I said last night might have hurt you, and I never meant to do that. Although it’s no excuse, I haven’t had a personal life for a long time.”
“So this is a date?”
“Yes, it’s a date. Are you accepting?”
“I’m accepting.”
“Good.”
She thought she could hear a smile in his voice. Thank goodness she had the rest of the week to think about what to wear. She might have to go shopping!
“That’s settled, then. Dinner starts at eight. I’ll pick you up around seven fifteen. Is that okay?”
“That’s fine.”
“I’m glad you’re going with me, Emily. I really mean that.”
“I’m glad I’m going, too.”
After
