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“Look—” she began, trying to sound as if she did this kind of thing all the time, as if it hadn’t been six years, as if her heart wasn’t gasping like a fish out of water “—I don’t need explanations. Not about this. It’s late. We’re both tired and we acted on physical needs. Let it go. I plan to.” She forced a smile to her face. A this is really no big deal smile. “I’m going to go sleep with Addy.”
Not moving from where he lay, Oz watched her dig under the covers for her underwear. She could feel his gaze boring into her. God, where were her panties?
“I don’t want you to go. Not like this.” He sounded tormented, which in some masochistic way vindicated what she was doing. Yet she knew his turmoil wasn’t really regarding her, but Dr Talbot.
For the same reason—for her love of the older man—she’d follow suit and say what needed to be said.
“Don’t make more of this than it was, Oz. That would unnecessarily complicate our lives.” She clenched her fingers over the silky fabric of her underwear. Thank God. “It’s no big deal.”
She was lying. Lying though her teeth. But she knew it was what she needed to say, what Oz wanted to hear.
His sigh of relief confirmed her suspicions, shattered the remaining tatters of hope in her heart.
She didn’t turn around, didn’t look back.
Instead, she went into the room across the hallway, slipped beneath the covers next to her daughter, and willed sleep to heal her breaking heart.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE following morning, Blair slept later than normal and, amazingly, so did Addy.
Despite the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, the same sick feeling that had caused her to lie in bed for hours before finally drifting off to sleep, Blair thanked God for her blessings. Thanked God for the precious little girl peeping at her from the other side of the bed.
Everything would be okay.
Stretching, Blair smiled at her precious daughter. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
Yawning, Addy grinned, her tongue pushing through the gap created by her missing top tooth. “I didn’t know you were here.”
“I missed you.”
But oh, if she’d known what the night would bring perhaps she’d have stayed home with Reesee.
Facing Oz this morning wouldn’t be easy. Thank God she hadn’t admitted that her feelings were much more than physical.
How much more she wouldn’t allow herself to contemplate.
She’d slept in her Springsteen T-shirt and underwear. She hadn’t brought extra clothing, so she put her shorts back on and slid into her sandals.
When she finished, Addy had dressed and stood with her brush and elastic bands. Blair brushed out Addy’s golden locks and plaited her hair into a single French braid down the back of her head.
When they went downstairs, Stephanie was sitting at the kitchen table. As usual, she’d brought breakfast. Knowing Addy had stayed the night, she’d brought extra.
“Blair, honey—” the older woman said, giving the little girl a hug “—I didn’t realize you were here or I’d have brought you a cinnamon streusel.”
Blair’s favorite. Just as well, she might throw up if she ate a thing.
She walked over to Dr Talbot and kissed his cheek. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m here.” He shot an annoyed look toward Stephanie. “She’s force-feeding me as usual.”
“If you’d eat, I woul
dn’t have to force-feed you.” Stephanie picked up a spoon and held it out to the older man, sitting in his wheelchair at the table. She nodded toward the box of muffins. “Help yourself, Blair. I brought extra for Addy and Oz, but he didn’t eat.”
Oh, Oz.
“He’s gone?” Oh, no. She shouldn’t have asked that. She busied herself by pouring a glass of orange juice for herself and Addy.
