“You can leave me alone now.”
Something in her eyes made him pause. A good portion of his job required being in tune with his patients’ body language. Kids didn’t always know how to express their symptoms, discomfort, or pain. Sometimes they lied about it for various reasons—they didn’t want to miss a Little League game or they were injured while at a place their parents had forbidden them to be. Or, in more tragic cases, they didn’t want to get their parents in trouble. While he’d become anexpert at figuring out children’s unspoken words, he was pretty good at assessing adults too. He wasn’t perfect with either group, but right now he was pretty sure Olivia wasn’t just angry with him. She was hurt. Deeply hurt, and that was a shot to his heart.
“I’m a jerk,” he said, to both her and himself. “A class A bona fide jerk. You’re right. I was going to tell you all those excuses, and a few more. And I did put work before you, and I lost track of time and my schedule. I didn’t have any time for one date, much less anything else.”
“But you have time to be a dance teacher.”
“There’s a reason for that—”
“I don’t care.”
He sighed. “Right again. It doesn’t matter. What does is that I didn’t call you to apologize and explain why I blew you off. I’m not only a jerk; I’m a coward too.”
Her arms, still crossed, relaxed slightly, and for just a moment he noted a little less fire in her eyes. Immediately she tensed again.
“Do you feel better now?” she snapped.
“I hurt you. So no, I don’t feel better.”
“You didn’t hurt me.” She averted her gaze. “We kissed a few times. Big deal.”
“It was a big deal to me.”
Olivia’s gaze shot back to him. “Obviously not.”
He ran a jittery hand through his hair. Espresso regret, right on cue. “I don’t go around kissing women all the time, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I wouldn’t care if you did.”
That made him smirk. “Oh really.”
She took a step toward him. “Really. You could kiss every woman in Maple Falls if you’re so inclined, and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”
Now he was amused. “Even your aunt Bea?”
“Keep your hands off my aunt Bea.” Her lips twitched. Then she moved away from him, her expression hardening. “I’ve said my piece. You’ve said yours. Let’s move on.” She started to leave.
He put his hand on her arm. “Please. Don’t go.”
***
Olivia glanced down. Kingston’s hand was so large that it almost covered her entire forearm. Then she met his gaze. Pleading again, but this time there was something else. Not the heat that had been between them in the past but something different. This was openness. And up until this moment, she hadn’t realized that he’d always had a facade, a distance, about him. He was charming and affable and perpetually willing to help. But he always held himself back too. Even when they were kids.
This time he wasn’t.
“Olivia.” His voice was gruff and shaded with emotion. “I’m a mess.” He dropped his hand from her and backed away, almost knocking down one of the chairs behind him. His hand was shaking.
She moved toward him, forgetting she was supposed to be furious and on her guard. “Are you okay? You’re not sick, are you?”
“What? No.” He glanced at his hands and let out a flatchuckle. “Too much espresso while I was waiting for you.” He put his hands behind him. “The truth is I really wanted to go out with you. I like you, Olivia. I still do. But for years I’ve been pretending to have things under control, and I really don’t. I’m lucky I didn’t get fired, just put on sabbatical.”
“Sabbatical? What are you talking about?”
She listened as he told her about overscheduling himself to the detriment of his patients and his reputation. “Every time someone asked me to do something, I’d do it. ‘No’ isn’t in my vocabulary. It all caught up with me. So that’s why I have time to take dance lessons. I didn’t intend to, but my mother asked me.”
“And you couldn’t say no.”
“Bingo. Same thing with helping out Sunny. I don’t really mind, to be honest. I like to dance, and I learned the steps in cotillion, so I do have some experience. It’s good exercise, and it’s something to do. I’ve been at loose ends lately, and I have two months to fill up.”
