“Time off?”
“The nursery’s the same as Harper House, as far as this goes. Best you steer clear of both for a while. Mitch and I’ll see what we can do about tracing the bracelet, for what that’s worth.”
“Just pack up and move to Stella’s, quit work.”
“I didn’t say quit. Take some time off.”
There was such patience in his voice, the sort of patience that raised her hackles like fingernails on a blackboard.
“Some time.”
“Yeah. I talked to Mama about that, and to Stella about you staying with them for a while.”
“You did? You talked to them about it.”
He knew how a woman sounded when she was getting ready to tear a strip out of him. “No point getting your back up. This is the sensible thing to do.”
“So you figure the sensible thing is for you to make decisions for me, talk them over with other people, then present them to me on a platter?” Deliberately she took a step back, as if to illustrate she stood on her own feet. “You don’t tell me what to do, Harper, and I don’t leave this house unless Roz shows me the door.”
“No one’s kicking you out. What’s the damn big deal about staying with a friend for a while?”
It sounded so reasonable. It was infuriating. “Because this is my home now. This is where I live, and the nursery is where I work.”
“And it’ll still be your home, still be where you live and where you work. For Christ’s sake, don’t be so pigheaded.”
The lash of temper delighted her. It meant she could lash right back. “Don’t you swear at me and call me names.”
“I’m not—” He bit off the rest of the words, rammed his hands in his pockets to stride up and down the terrace while he fought with his temper. “You said she was getting stronger. Why the hell would you stay here, risk what happens to you, when all you have to do is move a couple miles away? Temporarily.”
“How temporarily? Have you figured that out, too? I’m supposed to just sit around at Stella’s, twiddling my thumbs until you decide I can come back?”
“Till it’s safe.”
“How do you know when it’ll be safe, if it’ll ever be safe. And if you’re so damn worried, why aren’t you packing up?”
“Because I . . .” He cleared his throat, turned to glare out at the gardens.
“That was a wise move. Choking back any comment that resembled because you’re a man. But I saw it on your face.” She gave him a hard shove. “Don’t think I didn’t see what almost came out of your mouth.”
“Don’t tell me what almost came out of my mouth, and don’t put words into it. I want you somewhere I don’t have to worry about you.”
“Nobody’s asking you to worry. I’ve been taking care of myself for a lot of years now. I’m not so stupid, or so pig- headed that I’m not concerned about what’s been going on. But I’m also smart enough to consider that maybe I’m the last push. Maybe I’m what’s going to finish this. Roz talked to her, Harper. Next time maybe there’ll be answers that tell us just what happened, and what needs to be done to make it right.”
“Next time? Listen to yourself. I don’t want her touching you.”
“It’s not your decision, and I’m no quitter. Do you know me so little you’d think I’d just, yes, Harper, and trot along like a nice little puppy?”
“I’m not trying to run your life, goddamn it, Hayley. I’m just trying to protect you.”
Of course, he was. And he looked so aggrieved, so frustrated, she had to sympathize. A little. “You can’t. Not this way. And the only thing that you’re going to accomplish by making plans around me that don’t include talking to me first is piss me off.”
“There’s a news flash. Just give me a week then. Just do this for a week and let me try to—”
“Harper, they took her child away. They drove her mad. Maybe she was heading there anyway, but they sure as hell gave her the last push over the edge. I’ve been part of this for over a year now. I can’t walk away from it.”
She lifted her hand, stroked the bracelet she continued to wear. “She showed me this. Somehow. I’m wearing what was hers. You gave it to me. It means something. I have to find out what that is. And I, very much, need to stay here with you.” She softened enough to touch his cheek. “You had to know I’d stay. What did your mother say when you said you were going to tell me to go to Stella’s?”
He shrugged, walked back to the terrace rail.