Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Murphy tucked her legs beneath her and tugged the hem of Garrett's shirt down over her knees. “Then you're going to give it to one of your other sisters?”
“No.”
Lord, but there were times when this man could be so exasperating. Sometimes getting information from him was like pulling teeth! Or worse. Murphy suppressed the urge to reach down his throat and yank out the explanation she suddenly found herself extremely curious to hear.
Noticing the faint glint of amusement in his eyes—subtle, but undeniably there—she realized he was baiting her. Her lips pursed, and her green eyes narrowed as she handed the necklace back to him. Smiling oh, so sweetly, she said, “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Soda?”
He laughed, and Murphy knew she hadn't fooled him for a minute. Not surprising, really. In the short time they'd known each other, Garrett had come to know her amazingly well. Better, she thought, than she sometimes knew herself.
“I want you to have this necklace, Murphy,” Garrett said suddenly, softly. “It's my way of saying ‘thank you'.”
Murphy had been in the process of swallowing. His words—no, the emotions they set roiling inside of her—made her choke.
Chapter 13
Murphy's Law #13: Murphy's Law doesn't always apply…
IT TOOK GARRETT three raps on her back before Murphy caught her breath again. No, that wasn't quite true. Her respiration was never normal when Garrett Thayer was around; it was a malady made worse when he offered her a piece of jewelry that's sentimental value alone made it priceless.
“Thank you,” she said finally, and more than a little stiffly, “but I can't accept it.”
“You can't?” The way his eyes widened suggested it had never occurred to Garrett she might refuse. “Well, why the hell not?”
“Well, why the hell should I?” she countered, just as sharply. Sucking in a long, deep breath, she elaborated, “Garrett, I helped you because I wanted to. Because I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd done anything less. I did not do it hoping for a reward.”
It was Garrett's turn to suck in a few steadying breaths. The enforced calmness of his tone, however, was edged with frustration. “Believe me, I already know that. If I thought a reward was why you came back for me…” Sighing, he plowed the fingers of his free hand through his sleep-tousled, sandy hair. The pearls were draped loosely between the index finger and thumb of his other hand, as though he wasn't quite sure what to do with the necklace now that she'd refused it. “None of that's important. The point is, you did come back for me. Damn it, Murphy, you saved my life! Isn't it only natural I'd want to thank you for that?!”
“You already thanked me.”
Her words took some steam out of his irritation. “I did?”
“Don't you remember? Back in Greenville? Just before the ambulance came, and Stephen and I left?”
“I offered you the necklace then?” He shook his head, confused. “I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I don't remember that. Maybe it was the drugs the doctor gave me, but—”
“You didn't.”
“Didn't what? Didn't thank you?”
“No, you didn't offer me the necklace then.”
Garrett scowled, even more confused. “But you just said—”
“That you thanked me,” she reminded him. “And you did.”
“I did,” Garrett echoed flatly, his gaze meeting hers. His blue eyes darkened thoughtfully when he squinted. “How?”
As she did too often when Garrett Thayer was around, Murphy threw caution to the wind and reacted on instinct. The sofa cushions crunched under her knees when she set the sheets, comforter, and paper bag on the floor, then leaned toward Garrett. She pillowed her open palms on his warm, naked chest.
Their gazes still locked, Murphy brushed her lips against his—softly, lightly. Her heartbeat stammered. Against his mouth, she rasped, “‘Thank you for coming back for me, Murphy', you said.” She eased back slightly. The feel of his mouth was always a breathtaking sensation; she couldn't surrender it willingly. “Do you remember now? You said ‘thank you.’ That's all I need.”
Garrett's hand rose, his fingers tunneling through her hair, holding Murphy steady, as though he was afraid she would pull away. His breath felt warm against her mouth as he replied, just as huskily, “I remember. I never forgot. Sweetheart, there's not a whole lot about you that I could forget. God knows I've tried.”
“I couldn't forget you either,” she sighed. “I've tried, too. Probably twice as hard.”
“Not possible.” His lips still pressed lightly to hers, Murphy felt Garrett grin. “And I don't want you to forget me. Not now. Not ever.”
“I won't,” she whispered. Several times in the last few weeks thoughts of Garrett, memories of his strength and determination to never give up, no matter how bad the odds were stacked against them, had been the only thing to augment her resolve, which at times would otherwise have wavered.