Or I can stay with Colby when he comes back," she added deliberately. She even smiled. "He'll take care of me."
His black eyes narrowed. "He can barely take care of himself," he said flatly. "He's a lost soul. He can't escape the past or face the future without Maureen. He isn't ready for a relationship with anyone else, even if he thinks he is"
She didn't rise to the bait. "I can count on Colby. He'll help me if I need it."
He looked frustrated. "But you won't let me help you."
"Colby isn't involved with anyone who'd be jealous of the time he spent looking out for me. That's the difference."
He let out an angry breath and his eyes began to glitter. "You have to beat the subject to death, I guess."
She managed to look indifferent. "You have your own life to live, Tate. I'm not part of it anymore. You've made that quite clear."
His teeth clenched. "Is it really that easy for you to throw the past away?" he asked.
"That's what you want," she reminded him. There was a perverse pleasure in watching his eyes narrow. "You said you'd never forget or forgive me," she added evenly. "I took you at your word. I'll always have fond memories of you and Leta. But I'm a grown woman. I have a career, a future. I've dragged you down financially for years, without knowing it. Now that I do…"
"For God's sake!" he burst out, rising to pace with his hands clenched in his pockets. "I could have sent you to Harvard if you'd wanted to go there, and never felt the cost!
"You're missing the point," she said, feeling nausea rise in her throat and praying it wouldn't overflow. "I could have worked my way through school, paid for my own apartment and expenses. I wouldn't have minded. But you made me beholden to you in a way I can never repay."
He stopped pacing and glared at her. "Have I asked for repayment?"
She smiled in spite of herself. "You look just like Matt when you glower that way."
The glare got worse.
She held up a hand. "I know. You don't want to talk about that. Sorry."
"Everyone else wants to talk about it," he said irritably. "I've done nothing but dodge reporters ever since the story broke. What a hell of a way to do it, on national television!
His black eyes narrowed. "He can barely take care of himself," he said flatly. "He's a lost soul. He can't escape the past or face the future without Maureen. He isn't ready for a relationship with anyone else, even if he thinks he is"
She didn't rise to the bait. "I can count on Colby. He'll help me if I need it."
He looked frustrated. "But you won't let me help you."
"Colby isn't involved with anyone who'd be jealous of the time he spent looking out for me. That's the difference."
He let out an angry breath and his eyes began to glitter. "You have to beat the subject to death, I guess."
She managed to look indifferent. "You have your own life to live, Tate. I'm not part of it anymore. You've made that quite clear."
His teeth clenched. "Is it really that easy for you to throw the past away?" he asked.
"That's what you want," she reminded him. There was a perverse pleasure in watching his eyes narrow. "You said you'd never forget or forgive me," she added evenly. "I took you at your word. I'll always have fond memories of you and Leta. But I'm a grown woman. I have a career, a future. I've dragged you down financially for years, without knowing it. Now that I do…"
"For God's sake!" he burst out, rising to pace with his hands clenched in his pockets. "I could have sent you to Harvard if you'd wanted to go there, and never felt the cost!
"You're missing the point," she said, feeling nausea rise in her throat and praying it wouldn't overflow. "I could have worked my way through school, paid for my own apartment and expenses. I wouldn't have minded. But you made me beholden to you in a way I can never repay."
He stopped pacing and glared at her. "Have I asked for repayment?"
She smiled in spite of herself. "You look just like Matt when you glower that way."
The glare got worse.
She held up a hand. "I know. You don't want to talk about that. Sorry."
"Everyone else wants to talk about it," he said irritably. "I've done nothing but dodge reporters ever since the story broke. What a hell of a way to do it, on national television!
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
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