Love, Come to Me(109)

“She’s going to like Winthrop Academy. It’s well recommended, both academically and . . . every other way. I’ve been assured that it’s the kind of place where someone like Amy will do very well.”

“By ‘someone like Amy,’ do you mean a relocated Southerner?”

He grinned and reached over to tug one of her curls, unable to resist the temptation. “Yes, that’s what I mean.”

“Do you think she has any doubts about staying here instead of joining her mother?”

“No. Not a chance.”

Lucy put down the letter, smoothing her knuckles over it absently. “When you take her to the academy, make certain that she understands she is welcome here whenever she wants to come back.”

“I will. And I’ll make a bargain with you . . . if you’ll take her shopping tomorrow and get her whatever she needs, then I’ll have her tucked safely away at the academy the day after. Then everyone will be out by the end of the week, and . . . God, I’m almost afraid to say it . . . everything will be back to normal.”

Lucy rapped her knuckles three times on the wooden desk and crossed her fingers.

“In the meantime,” Heath said, standing up and pulling her with him, “the night is young—”

“Actually,” Lucy replied with a nervous laugh, trying to shake her hands free of his, “the night is quite, quite mature, and I’m falling asleep standing up—”

“I know how to wake you.” He bent his head, and she turned away abruptly.

“Heath, not now.” She couldn’t. She couldn’t, not with Raine under the same roof. It would seem tainted. She had to know that Raine was gone completely, so that there would be no danger of lingering thoughts of Raine—his or hers—interfering with their lovemaking.

Heath went still, his good humor dropping away visibly, his expression becoming moody and distinctly resentful. “Just how long is this going to go on?” he asked softly. “Until I’m half-crazed?”

“I don’t feel like—”

“I’m well aware of what you don’t feel like doing . . . but I damn well do feel like it, and that’s as much your problem as it is mine.”

Angered by his high-handed manner, she folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. Her temper was so short these days. Why was self-restraint so impossible? “I can’t force what I don’t feel, Heath.”

“Then try pretending you feel it,” he sneered. “Or isn’t that what you’ve always done?”

Lucy was stunned by the quick flash of cruelty. She could see that Heath was immediately sorry for what he had said; regret was written all over his face, but before he could say anything else, she replied coldly.

“If you’re so anxious, then by all means, let’s get it over with. How about right here? Please, go ahead, but be quick about it.”

They exchanged a heated stare for a long minute, neither of them backing down.

“I won’t ask again,” Heath finally said, his voice cutting. “I won’t bother you again. When you decide you feel like it, or you’re ready, or the moon is full, or whatever the hell it is you’re waiting for, then let me know.” He started to leave the room, paused, and added, “And then maybe I’ll think about it.”

She resisted the urge to stamp her foot at him as he left. But if he thought that she would make the first move after what he had said, then he had a long wait ahead of him!

Lucy realized as she looked out the window that the first signs of spring would be here in a matter of weeks. Spring always arrived reluctantly and never stayed long; you had to use your intuition to know it was here. Just when you realized there would be no more snowfall or freezing rain for the rest of the year, the weather blossomed into a hot, steaming summertime to flock to the beaches of Cape Cod and wade in the icy water, dig in the cool black silt for clams, find creative uses for clumps of seaweed. She smiled and pictured Heath at the seashore. His eyes would be dazzlingly blue against the backdrop of the ocean. When summer came, she would think of some way to lure him away from work to take her to Cape Cod for several days. They had yet to take a wedding trip anywhere, and it would be the perfect place. Flushed with the pleasure of making plans for the future, she looked towards the doorway as she heard Raine’s soft steps across the polished floor of the breakfast room.

“I hope you’ll have some breakfast before you leave,” Lucy said, discovering that it took little effort to be nice to Raine, since she knew that Raine would be gone from her life in less than a half hour.

“Perhaps some coffee,” Raine said, serenely seating herself at the table. “I don’t like to travel on a full stomach.”

“You certainly have a long journey ahead of you.”

Raine said nothing; she merely watched Lucy through the dark screen of her lashes.

“I’m certain,” Lucy continued lightly, pouring coffee from a silver service, “that Heath regrets having been forced to leave without seeing you off this morning. But he has to make up for the time he missed while taking Amy to the academy yesterday.”

“I knew he would have to leave early this morning. We exchanged our farewells last night.” The way Raine spoke conjured up visions of long, tender goodbyes. Irritated, Lucy had to remind herself once again that Raine would be gone soon. Had the hands of the clock frozen in place, or was time really moving that slowly?