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"You're welcome. I'll wait while you throw some things together."
"What things?"
"Your things. Whatever you want to take. You're staying at my place for a while. It's no palace, but--"
"What are you talking about? I can't stay with you."
"Can and will."
"Forget it."
"Get your stuff."
"What entitles you to order me around?" she asked angrily. "Your policeman's badge? Being right about Roger's true spots? You accused me of staying with him out of stubbornness. Well, fine. I concede. I should have ended the relationship long ago, but out of pride, I didn't. I didn't want to admit how mistaken I'd been about his true character. So, okay, you were right. That doesn't give you license to take over where Roger left off."
She drew herself up to her full height, which was still far beneath his. "I've been bullied for the last time, Dodge. I won't be pushed around again, emotionally or physically or any other way."
He expelled a short breath. "Look, when it comes to expressing myself, I'm crap. I always sound like I'm bullying even when I'm not. And I'm not. I swear. I'm trying to be nice ... a friend. You need a hand, I'm offering one. But no matter how I put it, or how deep you dig your heels in, the fact is that I'm not leaving you here alone. End of discussion."
"That sounds like bullying."
"Sue me."
She smiled, but it wavered after a moment. "I'll be perfectly safe. Roger's in jail."
"He got out. Last night. His family posted bail."
"He won't be coming back to me."
"How do you know?"
"He told me so. He was livid. He said he was done with me."
"He'll change his mind, and I don't want you here when he does. In fact, you should relocate. You're a realtor. Put this house on the market. Find a new place."
She laughed without humor. "That would be poetic justice."
"What do you mean?"
"That's what set him off. I was excited over a pending contract. If it closes, it will be my largest sale to date. I was babbling on about it, then Roger said he hoped for me that it would close before I had to quit.
"I thought I'd misunderstood, but when I asked him what he meant by that, he stated unequivocally that I would no longer be 'a working girl' when I became Mrs. Roger Campton. It just wouldn't do for us to be a two-income family. What would people think? That he couldn't support his wife? I would have plenty to do, he said, taking care of him. He promised to keep me busy.
"I actually laughed. I told him that he'd taken leave of his senses if he thought for one moment that I planned to quit my job, forfeit my career, just because I was getting married." She raised her hands at her sides, adding sarcastically, "That didn't sit too well."
"The son of a bitch nearly knocked your eye out."
It had felt as though he had. The ophthalmologist who was summoned to the emergency room told her later that she was lucky her vision hadn't been impaired by one vicious blow.
Dodge said, "Gonzales told me the cops who responded to your call said you couldn't even stand upright."
"Roger hit me in the ribs, too. I thought some were cracked. They turned out not to be, but the bruise was very painful. Still is when I move too quickly or take a deep breath."
"Jesus," Dodge whispered. "That guy..." He placed his hands on his
hips and walked a tight circle in the center of the room, again looking like a man who wanted to throttle somebody. When he came back around to her, he said shortly, "Pack your things."
"All right. I'll pack. You can drive me somewhere. But be reasonable, Dodge. I can't stay with you."
