Standing in the Shadows (McClouds & Friends #2)(86)

"Yeah. It creeped me out, big time. I was going crazy when I couldn't find you, girl. She needs help."

Erin forced herself to look into Tonia's sympathetic eyes. "Thanks for checking on her. And thanks for trying to get in touch with me."

"That's what friends are for," Tonia said briskly. She held out the keys to Erin. "I have to hustle if I want to get to work on time." She smiled at Connor. "Good to meet you. Sorry if I startled you."

He gave her an unsmiling nod. "No problem."

Tonia gave Erin a peck on the cheek and fluttered her fingers in an airy farewell. "See you, chica. Go check on your mom, quick."

"Of course," Erin said.

She stared blankly at the door after Tonia shut it. Connor nuzzled the top of her head, and she swayed in the warm circle of his arms. "I shouldn't have gone on that trip," she whispered.

"Don't start," he said gently. "It never helps."

She turned, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her face against his chest. His hands moved gently over her back.

"What does your friend do for a living?" he asked.

"Tonia? Oh, she's a nurse."

His hand stopped moving. "A nurse? She was wearing three-inch heels. What nurse goes off to work a double shift in three-inch heels?"

"I think she's doing administrative work these days," Erin said. "I'm not sure. I've been absorbed in my own problems lately, and Tonia is one of those women who believes that one must suffer to be beautiful."

"I could see that."

His cool tone surprised her. "You didn't like her, did you?"

"I wasn't wild about her, no," he admitted. "Did you ask her to go check on your mom?"

"No. But she does know Mom. And she knew I was worried about leaving her for my trip," she said. "Why do you ask?"

"I didn't like the way she told her story."

She was puzzled. "What about it?"

Connor looked uncomfortable. "She was enjoying herself a little too much. Some people get off on being the bearer of bad news. Drama makes them feel important." His lip curled in distaste. "Like life isn't difficult enough."

"Oh, that's just her way," Erin assured him. "She's flamboyant by nature. She doesn't mean any harm."

"Hmph. When did you meet her?"

"About a year ago. She was working at a clinic where I went to visit a friend," she said. She kept her face pressed against his shirt and hoped that he wasn't doing his mind-reading routine. She was feeling shaky enough as it was without having to explain her obsessive clinic visits to him.

"She doesn't look like a nurse," he mused.

She let out a secret sigh of relief. "And just what is a nurse supposed to look like?"

"Not like her. Can't see her emptying bedpans and checking vitals. She doesn't look like the type that would stick it out all the way through nursing school."

She pulled away from him. "That is so cold and sexist and unfair! Just because she wears spike heels? You are such a—"

"Don't." He lifted his hands in surrender, grinning. "Sorry. You're right. That was an awful thing to say. Subject change, please. Do you want to go straight over to your mom's house?"

"As soon as I feed Edna." She pulled a can of cat food out of the cupboard. "But you going with me is not the most brilliant idea."

"Erin," he said, in a warning tone. "For God's sake, don't start."

She scooped the goopy stuff into Edna's bowl and started pulling the various dropper bottles, pills, and powders out of Edna's medicine bag. "I would really rather break this to her gently. You thought Nick's reaction was bad? It'll be nothing in comparison to Mom's."

He shrugged. "I'm not going to leave you alone just because I'm afraid of your mother. I can weather a tantrum, Erin. Sometimes you've just got to sacrifice yourself for love."

Erin let at least six extra drops of liquid Vitamin B plop onto Edna's wet food before her arm unfroze.

That was the first time the word had been spoken. Thirty-six hours of sexual involvement was pretty early to start thinking about love, at least from a man's standpoint. But there it was, dressed up as a casual, throwaway remark. She was probably making too much of it. She kept her hot face turned away as she laid Edna's dishes on the floor. "We better go," she said. "I hate leaving while Cindy might call."

Connor held out his cell phone. "Here. This is yours now."

She stared at it blankly. "But—"

"Nick's call soured me on carrying this thing around. You take it. We'll leave the number for Cindy on your outgoing message. I don't like doing that, but today's a special case."

"But if people call you?"

"Nobody but my brothers and my friend Seth have the number. And Nick. But I'm going to be with you twenty-four-seven until Novak's accounted for. They can still call me on it if they want."

At that moment, her telephone rang. She snatched it up. "Yes?"

"Erin?" Cindy's voice sounded soft and uncertain.

"Cindy? Oh, thank God. I've been so worried—"