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“You were going to order me tea?”
“Yeah. And I was going to ask you what I need to do about security. I only have the two bedrooms…”
Alex sighed in relief and said, “They’re working, so they don’t sleep. They have shifts, and I can arrange rooms for the ones that are off-shift before we leave.”
“So, youarecoming?” Bexley asked her, taking a bite of a strawberry.
“If you’ll have me,” she replied.
“Well, I already ordered the tea, so…”
Alex smiled softly and took another drink of wine.
CHAPTER 18
Part of Bexley didn’t want to go home at all. She was really enjoying her time in Kleinland, and her time in St.Rais, too, for that matter. The next week she’d spent with her students, who had been introduced to the patients they’d be working with for the next few months. She’d also held individual meetings with each student as well as each patient that week, which meant she was tired but still felt wired from her work. Bexley wished she had the opportunity to do more of this kind of work at the center, but she’d been so bogged down with administrative duties since she’d gotten the job that she hadn’t had the chance.
It was true that she’d been homesick initially, but she hadn’t felt that in a while now. She knew why, too. Part of it was the work, but an even bigger part was Alex.
They’d spent that first night in Alex’s cabin talking and laughing. After finishing the wine, Alex had insisted on walking Bexley the twenty feet to her own cabin. The next day, they’d spent more time in the springs, but they’d also gone for a walk in the woods surrounding them. Bexley’s heart had been going crazy since she’d seen Alex in only that green bikini the previous day. And she’d pictured herself kissing that tattoo between Alex’s breasts at least a hundred times.
She’d pictured other things, too. She’d thought about how close Alex had been in their private pool, how she’d touched Bexley’s skin, and how much Bexley wanted Alex to kiss her. She’d pictured it the next day when they’d all been in the main pool, and she’d tried to recreate the previous day by asking Alex to go with her to the smaller pool again, but even though they’d gone and had fun, it hadn’t been the same. Alex hadn’t moved closer to discover Bexley’s tattoo. She hadn’t touched it or cupped Bexley’s cheek. Alex had just stayed on her side of the pool, as if there had been some invisible barrier between them, and Bexley had stayed on her own.
Later that night, they’d gone to Elizabeth and Palmer’s cabin for dinner, and that had been it. They’d driven back to the airport and flown out the next morning. Alex hadn’t been auditing Bexley in the classroom anymore, and Bexley found that she missed having her there. Alex had returned to the UK for a few days to take care of something for her father and had only just gotten back the previous night. They’d exchanged pleasantries, and Alex had told her she was excited about going to Kansas with her, but that had been it. Alex had been tired, so Bexley let her go to get some sleep.
???
“Are you sure?” Bexley asked her.
“Yes, I’m sure. They have rooms at the hotel, Bex. They’ll be all right,” Alex told her. “The ones that are on shift will be outside the house. They won’t invade your home, Bexley.”
“It’s not that. I want to make sure you’re safe more than anything,” Bexley replied.
“I will be. No one knows I’m going to be there, remember?”
“Well, no one knew Alice was there until they did,” Bexley argued, resting her head back against the seat.
Alex smiled over at her and said, “It should be dinner soon. Why don’t I ask if they can put it out now?”
“You’re trying to distract me with food, aren’t you?” Bexley asked.
“Yes.” Alex laughed. “What are you so worried about?”
“You’re staying at my house, Alex. It’s a house I haven’t been to in weeks, so it’ll be dusty, and there’s no food in it.”
“I can live on tea for the weekend. All Brits can subsist on the stuff if we must,” Alex teased. “Biscuits would be better, but just the tea is enough. It’s in our blood.”
“Shut up.” Bexley laughed at her.
“I promise you, it will be all right. I don’t mind a little dust, and we can go to the shop when I’m there.”
“I’m not taking you to the grocery store,” Bexley stated.
“Why not?”
“Have you everbeento a grocery store?”
“Not in America,” Alex replied. “I went once in Dublin. I had a hat on and a very bulky winter coat, so no one recognized me.”
