“No,” he said, his eyes flashing with insult, “that is not true. It is not worthy of you to say that to me. Or about her. The simple truth is that there’s something about her.” Angel bowed his head. “It just happened. We did not plan this. How could we? But I . . . could love her. Say what you want about me. But leave her out.”
Hannah swallowed hard. Angel had many sides. He could be the angel one moment, the devil the next. She was pretty good at being able to tell when he was being sincere. In that moment, Hannah believed that he really did care about Gerta. Her anger dissipated, replaced by sadness that he no longer felt that way about her.
“Then it’s over between us.”
He looked at her with sad eyes. “It’s been over for a long time.”
She looked at her hands, ring-less, and nodded. “I know.” She took a breath. “Thank you for telling me right away. I appreciate not looking the fool in front of my friends.”
“I would never do that to you. I hope you know that.” He smiled at her, that damned, sweet, innocent smile. “I will always love you.”
There it was. The final good-bye. “And I will always love you,” she said, sealing the breakup. It was all over but the packing. She reached over to grab a pillow from his side of the bed and stuffed it into his stomach. “Now, go sleep on the couch.”
He chortled and bent to kiss her cheek. She held up her hand, refusing it. “Good night, querida.” He straightened and quickly walked around the room, grabbing his clothes. Even his shoes.
Hannah smacked her lips and patted the bed, calling, “Nacho, come.”
The Chihuahua leaped to the bed and took his place in her lap. Hannah petted the silky fur and realized she didn’t feel anger or resentment, nor even any great sadness at seeing Angel’s back at the door. He was right. They’d both known this relationship was coming to a close. Their gazes had shifted elsewhere—his to Gerta, hers to her company. That was where her heart lay now. Hannah looked down at Nacho. He stared back at her adoringly. And her dog.
She looked up as Angel was leaving the room.
“Javi?”
He turned and looked over his shoulder. “Sí?”
“Close the door.”
* * *
Moira and Elise settled Tut and Birdie in their crates. They were keeping the boys in the family room downstairs with Maybelle—away from Gigi. Elise’s boxer mix was neutered and not the least fazed by the pheromones in the air. Tut, however, was intact and pining for Gigi. He was frantic, scratching at his crate, and refused to eat.
Back in Moira’s bedroom, Gigi jumped onto the bed and wagged her tail, ready for play.
“Gigi, you’re such a flirt,” Elise told her as she held back the Cavalier from licking her face. “How much longer will she be in heat?”
“Another week or so. She’s starting to show interest in Tut now. I’m on high alert.”
Once Moira put Gigi into her crate, the women showered, changed into pajamas, and climbed into Moira’s queen bed. Elise lay on her back, shoulder to shoulder with Moira as her gaze swept the bedroom.
“I don’t think this room has changed since college,” Elise said.
She’d often visited Freehold Farm in the summer when the girls toured the United States in competition. There were the same white French Provincial furniture, pale-blue-and-white striped silk curtains, and a pastoral painting of horses grazing in a field. There was also a wall of framed photos of Moira in competition, reaching over the neck of Quicksand as they took a jump, her face shining with intensity and drive. With her dark hair and slender, long body, she looked smart in her black jacket, boots, and helmet.
Moira yawned and said sleepily, “Who had time? I haven’t stayed here long enough to make changes. I was in shows with you. It wasn’t that long after college that I got married.”
She paused to rub her eyes. Elise knew she was thinking about Thom.
Moira dropped her hand on the bed. “I don’t think Mama wants to change it. She probably likes to think I’m still just away at college.”
They both laughed at that. Grace’s devotion to Moira was a running joke between them.
Outside the wind was picking up again. It was a strange night—wind and rain one moment, quiet the next.
“It’s wild out there,” Elise said, looking out the window at the weather. “I thought it would be quiet up here in the mountains. Not so . . . well, stormy. We’re so far from the coast.”
“Well, we are safe, compared to the coast,” Moira said. “That’s why we’re here.”
“Don’t hurricanes lose strength as they move over land?”
“They do, but they still carry vast amounts of moisture, which causes thunderstorms and thus . . .” She indicated the window. “The main problem for us up here is the flash floods. But we’ll be fine here. Trust me.”
Elise was silent for a moment. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“No.”
“Do you find Karl attractive?”
Moira appeared astonished by the question. “Me?”
Elise rolled her eyes. “Yes, you. You’re so obvious.”
“What?” Moira asked, her voice rising. “Don’t be ridiculous. I think he’s very nice. And he’s a very good teacher.” Turning to meet Elise’s teasing eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, yes. I do find him attractive. So what?”
“I think he finds you attractive too. I’ve seen the way he watches you. When you’re in the same room, there’s an atmosphere.”
“He does not.”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I’ve seen you smile back at him.”
“Why shouldn’t I smile? I smile at everyone.”
“Come on, Moira, it’s me you’re talking to. What are you thinking? Do you like him?”
Moira was silent for a moment, chewing her lip. She rose to a sitting position. “I kissed him,” she blurted out.
Elise scrambled to sit up. “You kissed him? As in kiss, or you hooked up?”
“Kissed,” Moira affirmed.
Elise scrunched up her face in distaste. “Karl . . .” She shook her head. “So, does this mean you’re splitting with Thom?”
Moira shifted back against the pillows. “No. I kissed Karl—and it was a good kiss,” she admitted, “but it made me realize that I love Thom. I’m not playing innocent. I let Karl kiss me—I wanted him to. But smack in the middle of the kiss, I realized I didn’t want it to go any further. I still love Thom. He’s my husband. But I’ve been the walking dead. That kiss brought me back to life. I might love Thom, but he has to accept that I’m making choices now. And first of all, I’m choosing me.”
In a sudden shift of mood, Moira bolted off the bed and said with a burst of enthusiasm, “Let’s not waste our time talking about Karl or kisses. There’s something so much more important I want to share with you. Wait a minute.”
Elise had no idea what Moira was on about, but it was fun to see her so excited about something again. She fluffed up the pillows then stretched out as she watched Moira dig papers out of her desk drawer and hurry back to the bed. She jumped on the mattress like a schoolgirl. They sat face-to-face, Moira resting back on her heels and clutching a sheaf of papers against her breast. Elise had never seen her eyes so bright. There was a radiance about her that pushed away the sounds of the storm outside the windows. Her joy was infectious, making Elise smile too.