“Is there a bear in Georgia’s room?” Nate asked, rubbing his eyes.
“No, Nate,” he said. “No bears.”
She watched as he pulled Nate into his arms, hugging him tight, offering the comfort Georgia had refused.
“I had a nightmare,” she said. “I’m sorry I woke you, kiddo. It won’t happen again.”
Eric drew back from his nephew and looked over his shoulder at her. She saw the uncertainty in his expression. Then Eric returned his gaze to the scared, still-half-asleep child. He was trying to choose, she realized.
“It’s not a choice,” she said. “I’m fine. Take Nate back to bed.”
Eric nodded. He stood and walked over to her. “I’ll be back once he’s asleep.” He kept his voice low to ensure his words were not overheard. “I promise. Wait here for me. We’ll talk.”
“Eric, I’m fine,” she insisted, knowing deep down it was a lie. But this wasn’t his battle to fight.
He rested his hand on her shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “I’m going to help you through this, Georgia.”
“Go,” she said firmly. “Nate needs you.”
Georgia watched Eric lift Nate into his arms. The little boy looked so small compared with his uncle. But he was safe there, right where he belonged.
“Night, Georgia,” Nate mumbled, resting his cheek against his uncle’s shoulder. “Maybe we can have pancakes in the morning. With syrup.”
“Maybe, kiddo,” she said. “Maybe.”
Georgia waited until the sound of Eric’s footsteps on the wooden floorboards faded, then she sat on her bed, drawing her knees tight against her chest. She picked up the sheet and wrapped it around her shoulders, draping it over her legs. Now that she was alone, the tears threatened.
“I’m strong,” she whispered. “I know I am.”
She closed her eyes, letting the teardrops flow freely. The nightmare, the fear, was all in the past. But the way Eric had looked at her? As if she were weak? As if his love was wrapped in pity? That hurt nestled deep inside. But what scared her the most was the way he looked back at her after Nate came into the room, as if he had to choose, as if he couldn’t be enough for both of them.
And that was just plain wrong. Eric had infused her life with stability. She knew he did the same for Nate. His willingness to listen had helped strengthen her, allowing her to crack open the locks holding back her emotions.
But maybe he was right. Maybe it all came down to a choice. Deep down, she knew she couldn’t stay here. Not if her nightmares disturbed the small child living down the hall. Nate had to come first. Always. She could still care for the little boy, even if she lived at her brother’s house for a while, until the nightmares went away for good. And they would. She’d make sure of it.
A new wave of tears threatened. But this time Georgia fought back, squeezing her eyes tight against them. She refused to wallow. Pushing off the bed, she stripped off her damp nightclothes and pulled on the jeans and T-shirt she’d been wearing earlier. Gathering the keys to her borrowed Jeep, she headed for the door. Right now, she needed to feel the wind in her hair. She needed to feel alive, strong, and in control—because she was all of those things.
ERIC SAT ON the floor beside Nate’s toddler bed, running his hand through the little boy’s hair. His nephew had closed his eyes the minute his head hit the pillow, but Eric had stayed, wanting to make sure Nate was settled before he went back down the hall to Georgia. Was this what his father felt, he wondered, torn between a child who’d needed him and a woman who owned his heart?
As a kid, Eric had hated his father for choosing the latter. The women. The first time, he’d understood. He’d loved his dad’s girlfriend like a second mother. But then she’d left, breaking his heart. He’d been older than Nate at the time, but still too young to understand the fickle nature of relationships. They weren’t permanent, not like a son’s love for his parents. So why had his mother and father insisted on falling in love again and again?
Because walking away was impossible.
Eric looked down at Nate. He didn’t want to drag his nephew down the same road he’d traveled as a child. But he refused to abandon Georgia when she needed him most.
Eric shook his head. He’d find a solution in the morning. Whatever it took to make things right for her and for Nate. Right now he needed to check on her. Eric shifted away from Nate’s bed, slowly rising to his feet. He stepped forward and the floorboards creaked.
Nate’s hand shot out, reaching blindly in space, his eyes still shut. “Stay.”
“I will, buddy. I’m not going anywhere,” he said, grabbing hold of his nephew’s hand. Eric sank to his knees beside the bed. He found one of Nate’s stuffed animals, placing it under his head as he stretched out on the floor. Another few minutes and the kid would be sound asleep. Then he could go to Georgia.
Staring up at the ceiling, Eric heard footsteps in the hall. Panic rose, his stomach somersaulting as his blood seemingly ran cold.
Georgia was leaving.
Eric closed his eyes. His world rushed headlong into a downward spiral, shifting beyond his control. Here, in this little boy’s room, a stuffed animal under his head for a pillow, he felt as if he’d been thrust back in time. He’d been on the verge of falling for her. He’d wanted to believe they could have a future together. And she was walking away.
No. He couldn’t let her go. He refused to lose her.