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“I don’t want to go until he stops looking at me like I’m some criminal.”
“Maybe just a little space will help.”
She looked at Simon. “Do I look like a criminal to you?”
With his arm still around her waist, Simon directed her away from the bakery. “You look beautiful to me.”
Any other time, his compliment would have stirred something within her, but right now there was nothing but torment, angst and grief. There was no room for good feelings. Life as she knew it was over—again.
Why did she keep losing the things and people that meant the most to her?
Her head started to pound and her stomach churned. The rest of it was a blur, until she was once again sitting in the back of Simon’s car. They were rushing down the street and she had no idea where they were going. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to go.
“Here.” Simon pressed a bottle into her hand. “Drink it.”
She glanced at the bottle and then at him.
“It’s water. Drink it. You look like you’re ready to pass out.”
Her gaze searched his. “Tell me this is a nightmare. Tell me that when I wake up it will be over.”
“I wish I could.”
Her bottom lip trembled.
“My beautiful bakery. It’s gone.” Her voice cracked. “It’s all gone.”
Was this shock? She’d heard people talk about out-of-body experiences. Was that what was happening to her?
“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” Simon asked. The concern was evident on his face.
“The hospital? Why? I wasn’t in the fire.”
“For shock. This can’t be easy for you.”
She had to pull it together. She’d been doing fine on her own. She couldn’t let a fire undo her. She was made of sturdier stuff than that; at least that’s what her grandmother used to always tell her when she missed her mother. The Kane women were made of sturdy stuff. They could get through anything.
Pepper glanced at the water. She didn’t want it, but she knew if she didn’t pull herself together that they would be at the ER posthaste. And that was one more bill she didn’t need.
She pressed the bottle to her dry lips. The cool liquid soothed her scratchy throat. She drank half the bottle. After handing it back to him, she leaned back against the black leather upholstery and closed her eyes.
With her eyes still closed, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“Do you have someplace to go? A relative?”
She shook her head. “There’s just me.”
“A boyfriend?”
Her eyes sprang open and narrowed in on him. “After my last brief but disastrous romantic encounter, I haven’t bothered with dating.”
Simon’s mouth opened, but then he seemed to decide it was best not to say anything at this particular juncture, and his lips pressed together in a firm line.
Good. Because on top of the fire, she didn’t have the energy to argue with him.
“Just let me out here.” Why was she telling Simon? It wasn’t like he was driving the car. She leaned forward, speaking to the driver, “If you could pull over, I’d appreciate it.”
The driver didn’t say anything. But she could see his gaze in the rearview mirror moving to Simon with a question in his eyes.
