Page 13 of Unexpected Union

When they reached the cabin, Audra exitedthe car in a hurry. She was hungry and it’d take a while to preparea meal. Cooking always soothed her. And she needed soothing afterthis.

Mitch stopped her with a hand on hershoulder.

“Wait a minute, I want to talk withyou.”

Startled, she stepped back, almost losingher balance on the three steps leading up to the wide porch. Histouch sent tingling sparks skidding across her skin. For a moment,she couldn’t think, could only feel. Feel sensations she hadthought vanished forever.

“About what?”

Sidestepping away she faced him from thedistance of a few feet. Her breathing felt erratic. Her heartraced.

“If we’re going to share this place for afew weeks, we need to set some ground rules. I don’t want youexploding into a tirade again. It can’t be good for your or thebaby. What caused it?”

She tried to organize her thoughts. Some menwere driven to push themselves beyond what they could handle. Mitchhad been consumed with work. He’d spent long hours every day at theoffice, brought work home at night. If he didn’t go in on theweekends, it was because he already had stacks of papers to read athome.

Their honeymoon had lasted a week and astheir marriage progressed, he spent less and less time with her andmore and more at work.

She looked at him, trying to ignore thefeelings that fluttered inside. Trying to ignore the growingattraction that being with him seemed to engender. She refused toget involved with him again—even on a casual basis. She was stillheartbroken they hadn’t made it work.

But, darn it, her emotions didn’t feelcasual around him. Involuntarily her gaze dropped to his lips,remembering again the passion in that kiss. Would he kiss her againwithout the anger?

Did she want him to?

She stepped back, trying to distance herselffrom her own wayward thoughts.

She’d learned her lesson and learned itwell, she reminded herself.

“You’re here to recuperate, so you said,”Audra began.

He nodded.

“Is that all?”

He started to nod his head again, thenhesitated. “Not exactly. According to my doctor, I need to cutback. To get more rest.”

He moved impatiently, as if he didn’t likerevealing that fact.

Bart and Patty strolled into view, smilingand waving. Audra returned the greeting, her smile feelingforced.

“Who are they?” Mitch asked as theypassed.

“The Stevens. They’re staying in the nextcabin. They’re on their honeymoon.”

“Do they know we’re married?”

Her eyes widened. “I don’t know. I hadn’tthought about it. I introduced myself yesterday.”

For a moment Audra tried to remember whatthey’d discussed. It’d been a friendly, casual conversation. She’dsaid she was on vacation, they’d talked about being married threedays and some hours.

She remembered more feeling jaded andcynical in the face of their obviously new love than she couldremember the exact words spoken.

“I doubt it came up. They’re so in love theyonly see each other.”

“I don’t have time for that,” Mitchsaid.

“Meaning marriage?”

He gave a curt nod.

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