firmly against him. For the first time in weeks, my initial thought on waking wasn’t about Harper, what she needed, how I could best help her, who I needed to talk to, what should be done. Instead I was wrapped in warmth and comfort. Every cell in my body wanted to escape that hospital. If I never stepped into a medical facility again it would be too soon.
We woke after eight. Eight! This was the first night of solid sleep I’d had since I couldn’t remember when. But eight? I’d planned on being at Bean There when it opened. Apparently, I’d slept through my alarm. Sean had, too.
The moment I saw the time, I tossed aside the covers and scurried out of bed. Forgetting my clothes were in the spare bedroom, I ran around the bed, searching for something to wear.
“Sean,” I cried, waking him.
He sat up and stretched his arms above his head. Yawning, he announced the obvious. “We slept in.”
Well, duh. That was putting it mildly. “I need to get to the café.”
“Give me a few minutes,” he said, sounding far too calm.
Couldn’t he see how panicked I was? I should have been at the shop hours ago. Instead, Sean stilled me, brought me into his arms, and hugged me close.
“Good morning, baby,” he whispered, and kissed the side of my neck.
His touch and kiss calmed my racing heart. I drank in his strength, his calm, wondering how long it would be before I would have the opportunity to be in his arms again. Breaking away from him was hard.
“Dad is coming for me at noon,” I said, not that Sean needed the reminder. The sooner I could return to Harper, the better I’d feel.
I was about to ask Sean when I would be able to see him again when he volunteered his plans for the day.
“I’ve got to unpack, do laundry, deal with the mail, and make my flight arrangements.”
Flight arrangements.
His words fell like lead weights into the center of the room.
“You’re leaving? Again?” The words stuck in my throat to the point that releasing them was painful. I was convinced I hadn’t heard him correctly. Surely there was some misunderstanding. Why would he need to leave again when he’d so recently arrived home? It made no sense.
He held me at arm’s length, only it felt as if we were worlds apart. “I need to go to Chicago, where Doug lives. The two of us are working on the article for National Geographic.” He spoke slowly, succinctly, as if I should already know this.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
“I won’t be gone long,” he promised. When I didn’t comment, he added, “Trust me, I’m not excited about leaving you again, especially now.”
Swallowing became difficult. Speaking was impossible. It felt as if I’d been sucker-punched.
“It isn’t something I want to do, Willa. But I have to see the rest of this assignment through…”
I was frozen in place; it was all I could do to take in a breath.
“I don’t want to leave,” he said, looking miserable. “I tried to get an extension, have the magazine hold the article until the following month, but the editor refused.”
Heading back to the bedroom, I reached for my clothes, dressing with my back to him, eager to leave.
“I realize the timing is bad. If I could put this off, I would.”
“So you said,” I managed, eager to be on my way before I lost control and said something I’d regret.
“Please, Willa, don’t be angry…I probably should have said something sooner. I’m sorry, sorrier than you know.”
“It’s fine,” I said, doing my best to hide my feelings. “You have no obligation to me or my family. We’ve only been dating a few months. This situation is with my family, not yours.”
As far as I was concerned, we were finished. This was his life, his profession. He left for weeks on end to places any sane person would avoid, risking his health and his safety. His camera was his mistress. The time had come for me to wake up and accept the truth. This relationship was not going to work for me. Perhaps I was a coward not to break it off right then. The temptation was strong, but I didn’t want to lash out impulsively. When we next talked, I’d be able to think and speak without emotions clouding what needed to be said.
As soon as I dressed, Sean drove me into town. The silence between us was