* * *
CHARLIE COULDN’T BELIEVE THIS. She felt her exhaustion, frustration and anger mix into a dangerous brew. “You come walking in here and within a few days, you know what’s right for me?” She opened her mouth to argue that Daniel was the one, but only ended up sputtering, she was so angry. “You know nothing about it or me. And...and what makes you an authority on relationships? From what you’ve told me, you’ve had only one and look how it ended.”
“I’ve witnessed enough of them.”
“So you aren’t in a relationship.”
“Not at the moment, but—”
“That’s what I thought.” She let out a bark of a laugh. “But you’ve already decided that Daniel is wrong for me based on your vast...experience?”
“I can see that I’ve upset you.”
“You think?” Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out and saw that it was Daniel. “I’ll take this in the other room since it is none of your business.”
“He’s calling to either cancel or ask you to pick up something on your way over to his house for the night,” he said after her.
She slammed the door, the sound echoing painfully through the apartment. She heard the man who lived directly downstairs yell a curse. “I was just heading to your place,” she said into the phone.
“That’s why I called.” For a moment she thought he was going to change his mind about her coming over to talk. “I was thinking...”
Charlie held her breath. Don’t let Shep be right.
“I’m sorry about earlier. Not seeing you, being with you... Well, it’s been driving me nuts. So I’m glad you’re coming over.”
“Me, too,” she said, relieved.
“You’ll be here soon?”
They only lived a few blocks from each other. She was looking forward to a night away from her apartment and Shep. “I’m on my way.”
“Great. Hey, I just had an idea.”
Don’t let Shep be right.
“Would you mind picking up something for us at that takeout place you like? I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t had a chance to go to the store so there is literally nothing to eat here. I’ll call and it will be ready and paid for. Say you don’t mind.”
Charlie groaned inwardly, before murmuring agreement. She disconnected, angry at herself for not telling him to go get the food himself. But then why should he have to go out in the storm when she was headed that way anyway?
What made her grind her teeth was that Shep had been right. But was he right about why she hadn’t moved in with Daniel as well?
She half expected to see Shep grinning when she came out of the bedroom. He’d called it, but then again, he didn’t know that.
When she looked at him, she saw that he didn’t seem to be pleased about anything this evening. He seemed distracted and out of sorts, which wasn’t like him.
She realized that he’d thought the news he’d brought her would exonerate her from Lindy’s death. He’d expected her to be happy and finally free of all of it. Shep was trying to help her. She wished she hadn’t argued with him about Daniel.
“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” she said, only to have him merely nod. “I shouldn’t be too late.” She headed toward the door for her coat and boots when she saw him get up and start doing the same.
“Where are you going?” she asked as he pulled on his coat.
“I’m going with you.”
“What?”
“I told you. I’m not letting you go out in the storm alone.”
“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with my boyfriend.”
“Right. Daniel. Unlike you, I’m not sure he isn’t involved in all this. Even if he isn’t, I’m at least walking you to his place.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “I told you, he doesn’t know anything about my past.”
“You don’t think he could have done some research on you?”
Charlie groaned. “What are you going to do? Stand outside his apartment house?”
“Don’t worry, you won’t see me.”
But she would know he was there, she thought angrily as she watched him reach for his Stetson. Once a ranch boy, always a ranch boy, she thought.
“Ready?” he asked as he snugged the Stetson down on his thick, dark hair. “Don’t want to keep lover boy waiting.”
She growled under her breath.
“I forgot to ask you,” he said as she buttoned her coat. “Was your boss sick from the mousse, too?”
“You know, I never got a chance to ask him,” she said. “But Amanda told me he’d called in sick and he hadn’t come to work until the afternoon.”
“Sounds like with the day you had there was no chance to ask him,” Shep said sarcastically.
She shot him a look. “It didn’t come up at the bar, okay?” His tone made it clear he was still upset with her. He couldn’t possibly think that she was interested in Greg.
But unless she’d lost her sixth sense, it appeared that Shep was jealous not just of Daniel—but Greg.
* * *
CHARLIE ARRIVED AT Daniel’s house with the food. She’d walked the four blocks through the falling snow. She knew Shep was somewhere behind her but she didn’t turn around to look. If he wanted to get cold and wet, far be it from her to stop him.
She’d made a decision. After a very long day, she was ready to tell Daniel the truth. About Lindy. About Shep. She couldn’t keep this from him any longer.
Common sense told her to wait until she wasn’t so emotional, so exhausted, so over everything. But in her weakened state, she knew she wouldn’t be able to stop herself.
“Here, let me help you,” Daniel said as she stepped through the front door of his apartment. He took the food into the small kitchen while she shrugged out of her coat and boots. She’d noticed that his roommate Jason’s car was gone, which meant she and Daniel would be alone.
“Baby,” he said, stepping to her and kissing her. “You’re nose is as cold as a snowman’s. I should have gone for the food,” he said as he planted kisses down the slope of her throat to her collarbone. “You’re too good to me. How can I make it up to you?” He drew back to meet her gaze. “I’m not all that hungry yet. I was thinking—”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. “There’s something I need to tell you first.”