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“Good morning, Nicole. How are you feeling? You’re looking much better.”
Nicole smiled. “I’m feeling better. I can move without pain.” She glanced out the window. “You haven’t seen Colin this morning, have you?”
Maggie’s eyebrows rose. So, it was like that, was it? “He went riding early this morning. He hasn’t yet returned. Did you need anything?”
“No, I was just wondering. I’m going to be in the library if he asks for me.”
“Should I send him to you?”
Nicole waved her hands. “No, that’s not necessary. When I’m entrenched in a story, I usually forget the world around me.”
“I think he plans to show you the Cliff House this afternoon.”
“That gives me plenty of time to get some writing done.” She moved to the hallway door. “I won’t have to ride a horse to get there, will I?”
Maggie chuckled. “No, luv, he’ll drive the car.”
“Oh”, she hesitated, “maybe I’d have a better chance with the horse.”
“Did you not enjoy yourself yesterday?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, Maggie. I had fun. Horseback riding wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, but my legs are still recovering. I loved seeing the ruins. I came up with a lot of ideas for my story, which I’m going to forget if I don’t get them down on paper. Will you excuse me?”
“Of course. Go do your thing. I’ll bring your breakfast shortly.”
“No need to trouble yourself. I had a couple muffins with some coffee. I’m good to go.” She walked through the door, tracing her way back to the library.
As she sat behind the desk, firing up her laptop, she swiveled on the seat to stare out the window. She thought about Reece and the last few days. Was it possible they were falling for each other? Her head kept telling her no, but her heart was screaming yes very loudly. Which one was right?
She knew how she was beginning to feel, but she was unsure about Reece’s true feelings. Was it all just a game to him? Was he toying with her affections to lull away the time until his next movie project?
She frowned in thought. She had to protect herself from falling for him, but every time he opened his mouth or looked at her in a certain way, her heart melted, making her even more susceptible to him. And when he kissed or touched her, all her reservations flew out the window. God, she had it bad, but she would never let him know.
Shaking her head, she focused her attention on the computer, burying herself in her work and allowing the love story in her mind to carry her away.
~ ~ ~
Reece stood in the doorway, watching her as she typed. He’d been standing there for a while, but she never looked away from the screen. She tapped away on the keyboard as though her life depended on it. Her face alight with joy, she laughed at something she was writing. He could tell she loved her work and hoped others would as well.
The tapping stopped. She was now staring into space, as if she was in a trance. Maybe she was. Maybe she had transported herself to another place and time.
“I know you’re there,” she said after a moment.
He stood up straight. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“You’re not. I drew a blank just now and came back down to earth. How long have you been there?”
“I came inside about an hour ago.”
“You’ve been standing in the doorway for an hour? Wow, talk about the patience of a cat.”
He took a step into the room. “What do you mean?”
“Have you ever seen a cat and a mouse? The mouse knows it’s being stalked, waiting in fear for the cat to make its move, but the cat just watches, pretending it’s not interested. When the mouse lets down its defenses, the cat’s patience is paid off as it pounces on the poor defenseless mouse.”
“I take it I’m the cat in this scenario, and you fear I’m going to pounce on you.”
She shook her head. “Not at this particular moment, but yes, I think you will eventually pounce.”
