He had the good grace to at least look embarrassed.
Cara sighed. “I take it you turned him down?”
“I told him I’d think about it.” He shrugged out of his suit jacket and laid it over a chair, then undid his tie so it hung loose around his neck. His top button followed, leaving him with an extremely sexy, rumpled look that tugged at her heart.
Hardening herself toward him was hard, but she couldn’t afford to feel bad because he looked so torn. “Why didn’t you just tell him the truth? That you don’t want to stay here? You never wanted to be here in the first place.”
“Because I don’t know if that’s true!” He spun away and walked to the window.
She’d never seen Mike look so torn, so unsure. Unable to help herself, she rose and joined him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You told me yourself, you were here while Simon needed you. He’s in remission. He’s retiring. You can go back to the life you love and leave this small town and all of us behind. Like before.”
Cara was proud that her voice didn’t crack.
“I didn’t count on you,” he said quietly.
“What?”
He placed a hand on hers and turned. “You heard me. I didn’t count on you. And when I tell you I’m not sure what I want to do, I mean it. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
His hands slipped to her waist, burning her with his touch. “Yes, you can,” Cara told him. “Or that suitcase wouldn’t be packed.” She stepped out of reach, knowing she was close to shattering.
“I just need time,” he said, his voice pleading with her to understand.
“You’ve been nothing but honest with me, so let’s not start sugarcoating things now. Actions speak louder than words, but together? They send a potent message.” Her shoulders shook, but she continued. “You’re leaving just like you always said you would. This was short term and I knew it. Shame on me for falling harder and hoping for more.” She turned away, unable to believe she’d admitted her feelings. “Take care,” she said, almost running for the door.
“Cara, wait.”
She paused without turning to face him.
“I’m suffocating. I just need time and space to sort things out.”
She shook her head. “If you needed time, I’d have given it to you. All you had to do was ask. Instead you did what you always do—you packed up and you ran.”
She wasn’t just referring to his going back to New York, but to his disappearing act this past week. He wasn’t dumb enough not to know what she meant.
“Bye, Mike.” It took everything she had, but Cara walked out the door without looking back.
Seventeen
Cara’s doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Then the pounding started. She’d taken the week off from work to pull herself together…and yes, maybe wallow a little. She had the sick time owed to her and figured she deserved to indulge herself, so here it was Thursday, and someone was banging on her door. At eight in the morning.
She grabbed her fuzzy robe, pulled it on over the tank top she slept in, and stormed to her front door. She whipped it open, prepared to give whoever was there a piece of her mind.
She found Sam, who had been calling her twice daily to make sure she was okay. “Can’t a girl take time off without you checking on me constantly?” she snapped at him, leaving her door open for him to follow her inside.
“You’re not sick, you’re depressed, and though you have good reason to be, it’s enough. He may be my brother, but he’s an ass. He doesn’t deserve you, and he sure as hell doesn’t deserve for you to be sitting around sulking over him, so let’s go. Shower and get dressed. We’re going shopping.”
Cara wrinkled her nose. Neither one of them loved hitting a mall. “For what?”
“It’s my mother’s birthday this weekend and I need to buy her a present.”
“Fine. For Ella, I’ll pull myself together. Besides, I want to buy Daniella a little motivational gift. She’s signed up for paralegal courses online, and she’s interviewing with some firms who are willing to wait until she can work. Belinda’s got some great contacts,” Cara said of Havensbridge’s founder.
Sam smiled. “That’s great. One less person to worry about,” he said. “Has her ex gotten a court date yet?”
Cara shrugged. “I’m not sure. Daniella said he’s been quiet, but sometimes she gets that eerie feeling she’s being followed. I reminded her not to go out alone, and she said she knows.”
“That’s all you can do. Now go. Get ready.” He prodded her on the back.