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Of all the people to see Taylor leaving his tent, why had it had to be Duffy? Jack leaned back in his chair. “Not planning to.”
“You like her.”
“Yes, and you’re right. I’ll probably hurt her,” he acknowledged. He was the first lover Taylor had had since her divorce and that made her even more vulnerable, made him want to protect her all the more, even when that meant protecting her from himself. “Then again, she may end up hurting me.”
Duffy laughed. “Yeah, right.”
Jack shrugged. “Crazier things have happened.”
Duffy’s brow lifted. “Never known you to get caught up enough with someone to be hurt. Not since Courtney.”
Yeah, Jack wasn’t digging this conversation. Not for a thousand reasons. Duffy knew him well. As well as anyone really. Hadn’t Duffy played a major role in influencing Jack’s decision to straighten his life out? To become a doctor?
“We agreed not to talk about Courtney years ago.”
Scowling, the older man shook his head. “Can’t say I recall ever agreeing to that.”
“Perhaps it was an unspoken agreement, but I thought you understood.”
“I understand a lot of things. Like that you never let anyone get close enough to care about them and I’m worried about whatever this is with Taylor.”
“There are a lot of people in my life I care about.”
“Not what I meant, and you know it. Let’s talk about Courtney and then you tell me why I saw Taylor coming out of your tent.”
Jack glared at his long-time friend. “Have you been drinking something besides soda this morning or just feeling philosophical about your own life choices and trying to project them onto me?”
Duffy’s expression hardened, but rather than respond he just stared at Jack with cynical eyes.
Hell.
Jack stood from the chair, crushed his empty drink bottle. “I’m done with this conversation and don’t understand why we’re having it anyway.”
“Because of what I saw this morning.”
“Because you saw Taylor leave my tent? It wasn’t a big deal.” Jack rolled his eyes. “You’ve seen women leave my tent before, seen me leave women’s tents before,” he reminded Duffy, “and you’ll likely see it happen again in the future. Not once have you felt the need to comment. Not once. Do us both a favor and don’t start now because Taylor leaving my tent meant nothing.”
* * *
Taylor hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on Jack and Duffy’s conversation, but hadn’t been able to avoid doing so. Not with their close proximity and the absolute agitation rolling off Jack.
She’d not known quite what to expect when they first saw each other this morning, but this upset, almost angry-sounding man wasn’t it.
She’d not been able to sleep and after she’d heard the four a.m. crew leaving the campground, she’d snuck out of his tent in the hope of being inside her tent before the returning night crew showed.
Except for Duffy, who must never sleep, she’d succeeded.
Not that she’d seen Duffy but, from what she’d just overheard, he’d seen her.
That’s when it hit her that she really didn’t care that he’d seen her. As Jack had once told her, she was a grown woman and could do as she pleased. She’d pleased herself quite well the night before. More than once.
She wasn’t ashamed of that. Actually, she was quite proud she’d gone to Jack’s tent and climbed into his bed with him. To have done so had been so unlike the woman she’d once been and she liked that change. Liked it that she’d taken the initiative to go for what she wanted.
She had no unrealistic expectations. Jack was right. Her leaving his tent had meant nothing.
She wouldn’t pretend that it had or that she’d wanted it to.
Daring Duffy or anyone to tell her she’d been wrong, she lifted her chin and made her way toward them.
