meant, if anything. My gut, however, had other ideas. My gut told me this wasn’t a good sign.
I’d sent Dana over to the house because I’d been too much of a coward to check it out myself. The last thing I wanted was for Nick to find me snooping around. What would be even more humiliating was if I found him there with another woman.
I didn’t think my heart could sink any lower. Straightening, I drew in a deep breath. I was letting my imagination run away with me, jumping to conclusions when in reality I knew nothing.
Instead of thinking the worst, I should be glad. He no longer hid inside the house or sat in the dark. He was out with friends, living life just the way I’d hoped he would do. I’d been an emotional crutch and clearly he no longer needed me.
I should be happy, right?
Overjoyed.
Thrilled.
I was none of the above.
Because it grew dark early these days, it was nearly so when I left the school building. Heading toward the parking lot, I heard a dog bark. If I didn’t know better I’d swear it sounded like Elvis. A second bark and I was even more convinced it was Nick’s German shepherd.
“Elvis?” I spoke his name in the form of a question.
Not a second later the big dog loped toward me, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. I fell to my knees and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I hugged him close. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“Did you miss me, too?”
Nick.
Releasing Elvis, I glanced up to discover Nick standing on the other side of my car. Drinking in the sight of him, I couldn’t speak. He looked so good it was all I could do not to leap to my feet and launch myself at him. Instead, I remained frozen in a crouched position.
“Em?”
When I finally found the ability to speak I said, “It’s not four months yet.”
“No, it’s been two.” He walked around the car and offered me his hand and helped me straighten.
When he released it I wanted to cry out in protest.
“Em?” he asked again, louder this time. “Do you want me to leave?”
I must have taken too long to answer, because he started to turn away.
“No,” I cried in a panicky voice. “Don’t leave.”
He turned back.
“Why’d you move out of the house?” Of all the questions I could have asked, that was the one that made it to the surface first.
“I heard you’d been asking about me.”
“Not me.”
One corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “No, you had the pesky real estate agent do it for you.”
“How’d you know?”
He gave me a full smile this time. “I have my ways.”
No doubt he did. “That doesn’t answer my question. You moved out. Why?”
For a long, uncomfortable moment I didn’t think he intended to answer. All the while he held my look, his eyes warm and inviting. “Because I knew if I stayed in Cedar Cove I wouldn’t be able to stay away from you for two minutes, let alone four months.”
“You dated.”
“Hey, don’t put that on me.” He raised both hands in surrender. “You’re the one who made that a stipulation.” He cocked his head to one side. “Did it make you jealous?”
“Insanely.”
His smile was huge, and he took one small step closer to me. “Glad to hear it.”
“Meet anyone interesting?”
“Oh yeah, a whole lot of interesting.”
My heart fell and I struggled to disguise the effect it had on me. “Oh.”
“Not much substance or character, though. There was a lot of interest, but it came from them, not me.”
“Not you?” It is true hope does spring eternal. I stepped closer to Nick, but it was a small step, not so he’d notice.
“I’ve already got my girl, but she’s stubborn and she’s got trust issues when it comes to lasting relationships. Can’t say that I entirely blame her, but I wish she had more faith in me and in herself.”
“I don’t have trust issues,” I protested.
“Did I say it was you?” he asked, looking cocky now.
“It’d better be.”
His grin was huge. “I’m not waiting two more months for you, Em. I know what I want and who I want and that’s you. I love you and that’s not going to change.”
His words were enough to make my knees go weak. He couldn’t have said anything that had more of an impact on me.
He loved me.
He loved me despite everything.
I started toward him,