Page 44 of Too Close To Call

Case stuffs a piece of bacon in his mouth and would have shoved in another if I didn’t stop him with my good hand. “Spill, Murphy. What else happened?”

He looks down and mumbles, “Um… I helped her in the bathroom.”

I didn’t need to know any more. I grin and then giggle. “Oh, poor Case. Was it a traumatic experience for you?”

He slumps back on the pillows braced against the headboard. “It’s one I hope to never experience again, but we got through it.”

But he did it and a small smile plays around the corners of my lips. Does he even realize he’s fallen in love with Daisy? My heart flutters wildly. Could this be a sign he’s considering more with me? I don’t know and I’m afraid to hope. We get back to emptying the food tray and I ask, “How was seeing Ryan again?”

He shrugs like it’s no big deal. I’m sure it was. “Not like I’d imagined. At some point, we’ll need to talk and clear the air. He did apologize, but with his wife and two other kids there, he couldn’t say much. It was more like a polite exchange of conversation. Daisy was excited to introduce me to the twins. I can’t even imagine raising two at once.”

“Do you think you two could ever be friends again?” Could Ryan be the reason for the distance I can’t bridge with Case?

He sets the fork down. “I don’t know. I would like to say it doesn’t matter. I wish it didn’t.”

I nod and place my own fork back on the tray. I’ve eaten more than I thought I could and hearing his reply has my throat closing up anyway. “I’m sorry, Case. I know I’ve said that before, but you don’t know how sorry I am.”

He takes my good hand and kisses the top of my fingers. “Stop. We both made mistakes and I don’t want you shouldering the blame for us not working out. Maybe your dad was right and we aren’t meant to be together.”

That’s not what I was saying at all. I never got that impression from my dad. Is Case using that as a valid excuse to keep from giving us another try? “Is that what you really think, Case? Or is that what you want?”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “I’m not sure it matters what I want. There are too many things in the way and other things that will never change.”

“Are you talking about Daisy?” I ask because I need to know if my daughter is the reason he’s holding back.

“No. I live here now, Tori. This is my home. You are well established back in Matthews. Your home, garage, driving school, and your life is back there.”

I call bull. I don’t even try to hide the snap in my reply. “And I wouldn’t hesitate to give it all up and move here—with you. Don’t use location as an excuse for us to be apart.”

His eyes widen in disbelief and he almost appears afraid I just might mean what I said. I do. I mean it with all my heart. Is this all one-sided? Wanting to build a relationship… a life together. Am I the only one that wants to fight for us? It feels like it.

“I would never ask you to do that,” he replies and starts to gather the breakfast tray.

My heart drops. I stop him by laying my hand over his. I wait until his eyes meet mine before saying, “You didn’t ask. I offered.”

He gives a huff of skepticism. “You really think you could live here? You would go crazy without something to do.”

“Who says I wouldn’t have something to do? Since seeing the set-up you have going here, I have a crazy idea about going into partnership with you and only working on restoration projects.”

Case’s eyes widen and I see the cautious interest in them. “That’s making some big assumptions.”

I nod, but I wonder if I’m dreaming of a future with Case that won’t ever have a chance of coming true. I need him to know how serious I am. How much I love him. He owns my heart. Can’t he see that? Does he care?

“It is, but I’m through with not going after what I want. I want you, Case. Like we should have always been. I’m waiting to hear if any of this is what you want.”

He looks away and then rolls from the bed to his feet. I wish I could see his eyes. I could tell what he’s thinking.

“I better get the kitchen cleaned up and then I’ll help you to dress and out to the deck.”

I glare at his back as he escapes from both my presence and my question. What is it going to take?

* * *

A week from the knife-meets-finger incident, I am at my wits’ end with Case. We have lived for the past week as closely as a married couple, minus any intimacy. He’s driving me out of my ever-loving mind and I am through with it.

He’s not going to use my finger as a reason to keep me at arm’s length. He’s still sleeping in another bedroom and leaves the room if things between us become heated. Which happens often with the two of us.

I only have a bandage on my finger and have been given the “all clear” by the doctor on the island who took over my case.

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