“Have a good day,” Nell said as Colin and Cait went out the door. He wore a sappy smile until he saw Cait looking at him; then he wiped it out of existence.
And that made her feel crummy.
He backed out of the garage before she got into his SUV. At the end of the driveway, Colin had to wait for a couple of oncoming cars.
“I lived alone for a lot of years,” he said suddenly.
“What?” She turned her head.
He frowned. “Having somebody kiss me goodbye and be happy to see me when I get home, that means something.”
She got a lump in her throat. “I understand. You’re…lucky. Nell’s great.”
She felt his scrutiny, but now she couldn’t look at him. He nodded. They drove a distance in silence before Cait spoke.
“I can tell Nell really loves you. She, um, gave me hell for hurting you.”
Her brother slanted a glance at her. “Did she?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
“I was having lunch at the Subway right by the Safeway store. Evidently, she saw my car. She marched in, reamed me and marched out.” Now Cait was smiling.
Colin chuckled but then returned to brooding silence. Not until he pulled into an unload zone in front of city hall did he say, “Cait…”
She unfastened the seat belt and leaned over to kiss his angular cheek. “No. This is my fault. I hope—” her breath hitched “—that I can earn your trust again. Nell’s, too.” She fumbled for the door handle and got it opened. “Thanks for the lift. I’ll call you later.”
She got out without looking to see how he responded. He was driving away before she entered the building.
As Cait stepped off the elevator on her floor, she saw Noah standing in the hall, carrying on a conversation with someone from the city clerk’s office, which happened to be right across from Planning. A couple of inches over six feet and even broader in the shoulders than her brother, Noah stood out amid the morning bustle. But she knew her instant awareness of him had nothing to do with his size. There was the kiss, which seemed to be haunting her. But even aside from that, it was just him; those laser-sharp blue eyes, rumpled dark hair, the quick way he had of turning his head to home in on her. Yes, even the sense that he looked wrong in the handsome charcoal suit, white shirt and red tie.
She wondered suddenly if he’d ruined his suit pants yesterday when he’d knelt in the dirt to hold her.
Even as he seemed to make a couple of points, nod and listen, he watched her approach. And, gee, what a surprise, he managed to wind up that discussion at precisely the moment she came abreast of him.
“Cait.”
“Good morning, Noah.” She turned into the outer office, said hello to several people and resigned herself to the fact that he was right behind her when she went into her own office. “Did you want something?” she asked politely as she lowered her messenger bag to the floor behind the desk and pulled out her chair.
He shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “How are you?”
Terrified, what did he think? But she was astonished at how many other answers she could have given him.
She was childishly resentful because the independence she was trying so hard to claim was being stolen from her. Miserable because maybe things going wrong with Blake had been her fault. Look how she’d screwed up her relationship with Colin. And scared in a different way because she wanted Noah to put his arms around her again. She wanted to lean on him. She wanted to go home with him instead of her brother. She wanted him to kiss her again.
“Surviving,” she said. “A little stiff today.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, if anything intensifying the keen way he assessed her. “You stayed at your brother’s last night.”
“Yes.” She planted her fists on her hips. “You thought I was dumb enough to say no?”
“Dumb isn’t the word I would have used.”
“What is?” She still sounded almost polite. “Suicidal?”
“Bullheaded crossed my mind.”
A sound escaped her lips she didn’t think she’d ever heard before. Had she growled?
Noah’s eyebrows climbed. “What? You’re the woman who insisted on staying alone in her house after a maniac spray-painted messages all over the outside!” His voice had climbed, too.