Page 20 of Darla's Christmas Knight
Darla jumped. It was her new nurse assistant, Meredith. The middle-aged woman had moved to town at the beginning of the month, making a fresh start after her husband of twenty-six years passed away.
Shoving the scarf into the bag, Darla rounded her desk. “No problem,” she muttered, opening her bottom drawer. She dropped the bag and rammed it shut with her leg as something Meredith said registered. “Boyfriend?” she snapped.
Meredith gave her a surprised look. “Tall handsome blond cowboy? Hesaidhe was your boyfriend?”
“He said he was my boyfriend,” Darla parroted.
Her nurse nodded, her eyes growing rounder. “Did I do something wrong? He seemed so sincere. And very charming.”
Darla huffed. “No. It’s fine.”
When Bobby laid on the charm …
Well, even the hardest of hearts would melt, never mind a middle-aged woman recovering from the loss of her husband.
It was a couple of hours before she had a chance to pick up her cellphone. She found the messaging app and typed:
Boyfriend?
His reply came after several minutes’ delay:
Your assistant asked who I was. Boyfriend was the most innocuous label I could come up with.
Darla pondered the simple explanation. It sounded plausible.
Thanks for the scarf. It’s pretty.
You’re welcome. I saw it in a boutique when I took my mum shopping. The colors caught my eye, and you came to mind.
She bit her lip as a flash of shame washed over her. Not a last-minute thought, then.
Not sure if I’ll dream of you …
But you’ll think of me when you wear it …
He added a wink emoji.
Damn him. She would.
His next text came before she could respond.
Maybe you can wear it when I visit next week? Tuesday, right?
Now was the time to let him off the hook.
To tell him he needn’t visit her again.
But the idea of never hearing his knock on her door, never letting him into her apartment, never having him in her bed again, never feeling him slide over her,in her,was unbearable.
Another message popped up.
Maybe you can wear the scarf … and nothing else?
A flash of desire zinged through her, and she pictured Bobby’s expression when she opened the door wearing the scarf and nothing else.
She jumped at a knock on the door. Herofficedoor. Darlashoved her thoughts aside and hurriedly typed:
Next patient arrived. Till Tuesday.
