Page 25 of Robert

*****

The scent of coffee hit her before she even left the room and had her hurrying towards the source. She had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning and woke up to realize it was almost nine.

He was seated at the dining table, a cup of coffee in his hands and his hair was damp.

“Hi.” She approached cautiously, her eyes wandering over his face.

“Hi.” He gestured to the pot. “I made coffee and some eggs and bacon. I don’t really eat breakfast.”

“Thanks.” She went to get a cup and poured herself some of the brew, adding creamer.

You’re wet.”

“I went for a run and got caught in the rain.”

“Oh.” Taking her cup with her, she joined him at the table and looked out. “It’s really pouring.”

He nodded. “I am accustomed to exercising first thing.”

“So am I, but there’s no way I’m going out in that.”

“I wouldn’t advise you to. It is freezing. I put some more logs on the fire and the range is on. Are you cold?” His hazel eyes took in the thick sweater she had on.

“No. I am quite warm actually.” She toyed with her cup. “How did you sleep?”

He gave her a sharp glance and wondered if it was a loaded question. He had barely slept, thinking about her in the room afew feet away and tortured himself wondering what the hell she had on. He had also been tempted to take a bloody peek.

“Good.” He lied. “You?”

“I had trouble falling off for a few hours. Strange place.” She murmured, avoiding his gaze.

“Well…,” scraping back his chair, he rose, “I have some work to catch up on. I will be in the living room.”

“Me too,” she cleared her throat. “I -er- I’ll just finish breakfast and do the cleaning up.”

With a curt nod, he left the room. She stared down into her cup and felt despair clouding her vision. He was still upset, and she had no idea what to do about it.

*****

He gave up reading the contract. The words were blurring together anyway, and he wasn’t making head or tail of the sentences. The technical terms didn’t make much sense, and nothing fitted.

Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes briefly and realized that he was very tired. Last night he spent time dwelling on his life. The past which had reared its ugly head because of their conversation. He was not ashamed of who he was at that time, it had made him the man he was today.

But parts of it he would love to forget. Like the hunger, Jesus! The acute hunger that made his stomach cramp. He had gone without food because he had been saving money to purRobert a broken-down oil well that everyone had thought was no longer of any use. But he had studied the place and done his homework without anyone knowing.

He had saved every penny, except what he had sent home to his mom and little sister. Her second husband had not lasted long but had died in a vehicular crash when Catherine was barely five. The one good thing he had done was to leave them in a tiny house that had been paid for. And a life insurance that had not lasted very long.

So, Robert had helped as best as he could. He thought he would have resented his little sister who had come so late in his life, but the moment he laid eyes on her, he had fallen in love and his protective spirit had come to the fore.

His life was a mess, he acknowledged. He was rich, something he had always wanted, and he was not happy. Had he ever been? He wondered grimly.

No, because the only thing he wanted was the woman in the bedroom who was out of his reach and out of his league. He should be able to go to her and tell her how he felt but was afraid of being rejected. She just wanted to pretend to be married so that she could go on with her life.

“Damn me.! He whispered hoarsely. “And damn her!”

*****

Supper wasn’t any easier. She had spent the time in her room, just sitting there and staring at the documents she had brought with her.

---