Just One Night Together (Flatiron Five Fitness #3) - Deborah Cooke Page 0,58

would have left him to his misery, knowing that he didn’t want her interference. It turned out that taking a chance or two had given Haley the need to speak up, and to be more active about facilitating change.

Even if it meant offering help where help wasn’t wanted.

She rang the bell again.

Nothing.

She went around the back of the house and knocked on the kitchen door. There was no curtain on the window in this door, and she could see that the kitchen was meticulously clean.

As if no one lived there at all.

Or as if Damon did.

Haley went back to the front door to ring the bell one last time, only to find Damon striding down the walkway to the house. He was frowning at the pavement, looking as if he was in bad mood, and he stopped cold when he saw her. There was a flicker in his eyes, but she didn’t have time to decide if it was annoyance or relief before it disappeared and he was impossible to read again.

“Lost?” he asked. His tone was less than welcoming and she figured resistance was starting immediately.

“You got a ride with Joe from the hospital one night. He told me where you lived.”

“Spy network?”

“He likes to tease me. I didn’t intend to ever come here.”

“But you did.” Damon didn’t move past her, didn’t unlock the door, didn’t take any chance of her coming inside. He stood eight feet away from her, his expression wary, and she wondered if he was afraid to come closer. “What did I say to change your mind?”

“Nothing. It was what you did.” She took two steps forward and saw him inhale.

Ha. Haley understood that she had power in this transaction, that he was worried about losing control if she touched him. He must be close to letting it slip.

So, she would touch him. Haley was sure that she had to break Damon’s composure to make a difference.

“What did I do?”

“You thanked me so very well that I can’t forget it.”

He frowned again. “Haley...”

“I’m sorry about your mom,” she said, interrupting him. “She was a nice lady.” When he didn’t reply to that, she offered her hand, as if to shake hands. “I came to give you my condolences.”

“You must have come for more than that,” he accused, the corner of his mouth lifting just a little. “Nothing is ever that simple with you.”

“Is that a good thing?”

The smile almost broke free, then he shook his head and heaved a sigh. “It’s an interesting thing,” he admitted with caution.

Haley would take interesting over the other possibilities. “Why?”

“Because you’re fearless. You think you can poke and prod me without repercussions, like I’m a great big teddy bear, but you’re wrong, Haley. You don’t want to provoke me. I don’t want you to provoke me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to hurt you. You saw the other night...”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.” Haley lifted her chin. “You have the strongest moral compass of anyone I’ve ever known. I’m not afraid of you, Damon.”

“Maybe you should be.” He made to step past her.

“Because you’re determined to protect me from yourself?”

He stiffened but continued to the door without looking back. “It was great, Haley, but don’t make more of it than it was.”

“I thought it was romantic.”

“Check your definitions again.”

“I don’t have to. Making sure your partner is pleased is romantic. Period.”

He gave her one of those simmering looks and stepped past her.

“Even if it’s just sex.”

Damon paused then continued toward the front door.

Haley continued in a light tone. “The other nurses said you’re not going to arrange a funeral for your mom.”

“It’s really not your business,” he said without looking back.

Haley shook her head. “Wrong. I think friends tell friends when they’re making mistakes.”

“We’re not...”

“I think we are, or at least I come closest to being a friend of yours. The line is a bit short.” Damon started to protest, but Haley kept talking. “So, I’m going to tell you why you’re wrong. First of all, by not having a funeral, you’re not honoring your mom’s life.”

“I don’t need to pay for a priest to say some words over a box.”

“I think you do, actually, but you can manage it however you want. You’re making a selfish choice because you don’t want to do it, and that’s shirking your responsibility to her.”

Damon looked at Haley, then, really looked at her.

“She was a lovely lady and her days on this earth should be celebrated. You can’t be the only person