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“The night’s young.” He gazed over at her and smiled. “I’ll bet I was wrong about that kissing thing because you sure don’t look like a little girl, especially in that nightgown. Maybe we should try it again and see.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t.” Oh, but she wanted to, which was why she made herself head for the door. “Thanks for the wine.”
“I guess you don’t have the courage of your convictions.”
“I guess I wasn’t born yesterday, either.” She heard him chuckle as she closed the door between their rooms.
Her skin felt hot. She couldn’t believe how much she’d wanted to stay. But he was still only a step away from being a stranger, and she needed more time to think about this.
Button lay curled next to Lucy in the double bed. Nealy made a place for her on the floor, then gently picked her up. The baby snuggled against her breast. She brushed her lips against that warm, downy head, then gently laid her on the makeshift bed and crawled in next to her sister.
It was a long time before she fell asleep.
As soon as Nealy awakened the next morning, she crept into Mat’s room to steal his keys so he couldn’t take off in the Oldsmobil
e and leave her behind. Once she got inside, however, she simply stared.
He lay face down across the bed with the white sheet tangled at the base of his bare, tan back. His hair was dark against the pillow bunched so aggressively beneath his head, his hand curled in a fist. As she stood there watching, he stirred and shifted his weight so that one leg angled out from beneath the sheet. It was strong and muscular, lightly dusted with dark hair. The sight of him filled her with a deep, un-Cornelia-like hunger.
She remembered everything she’d told him in her reckless confession last night. It had been so tempting to hide inside another person’s identity and spill her secrets. Tempting and foolish. She palmed the Olds keys, crept from the room, and made her way to the bathroom. This new day was a gift, and she refused to spoil it with old heartache.
An hour later and freshly showered, Mat poked his head into her room. He frowned as he saw the padding beneath her top. “I thought I told you I didn’t want you wearing that again.”
Button let out a squeal of delight as she caught sight of him. She began to squirm to get away from Nealy, who was trying to dress her in her last clean outfit. “I believe you mentioned it.”
“Well?”
“Are you under the illusion that I pay attention to you?”
“Da!”
“I want to go to the mall,” Lucy said as she came out of the bathroom. Her hair was wet from her shower and, for once, it wasn’t maroon.
“Nell’s not pregnant,” Mat announced. “That big stomach under her clothes is a pillow.”
“No way.”
He poked the padding before she could stop him. “It’s bogus.”
Lucy studied Nealy’s stomach. “Why?”
“She robbed a bank, and she’s on the run. “
“Cool.” For the first time Lucy regarded Nealy with respect. “So did you kill anybody or anything?”
Nealy spent a moment enjoying the fantasy of herself as Bonnie Parker. “I didn’t rob a bank. Mat’s just being cute. I’m . . . hiding from my ex-husband and his family.”
“That’s dumb.” Lucy shoved her clothes into her bag.
“Yes, well, I’d appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself.” She shot Mat a dark look. “Unlike some people who need to tell the world everything.”
“Da!” The baby squealed as Nealy fastened the final snap on her romper and released her.
Mat winced.
“I’m going to the mall today whether anybody wants to or not,” Lucy said.
Nealy saw trouble brewing, and to arrest it she imitated Mindy Collier, her perky social secretary. “I thought we might all go on a picnic.”
