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Slowly, he reached across the table and picked up the hand that rested on the black Formica, examining her fingertips, running his thumb over the jagged edges of her bitten-down nails. She flinched slightly at his touch, but didn’t pull her hand away.
“I thought you stopped biting your nails years ago?” he asked, intentionally trying to keep any hint of criticism out of his voice, and making sure he sounded simply curious instead. The Catherine he knew had never responded well to outright criticism, and he figured she probably hadn’t changed much in that regard.
She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. “Stress,” she answered simply, as though that one word explained everything.
“It’s a bad habit,” he scolded gently. “We need to put an end to it.” She looked up at him then, and he looked right back at her, then he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed the very tips. Electricity sparked between them and she audibly gasped. So she’d noticed it too, then. It wasn’t just him. That knowledge made him smile.
“No more biting your nails,” he whispered, still holding her gaze.
“Old habits die hard,” Catherine whispered back.
Jason tightened his grip on her hand, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles. “Old habits? Stress? Is that why your dreams are back? I remember you used to have it a lot. The same one, every time.”
His heart clenched as tears filled Catherine’s eyes and she blinked them away hurriedly, discreetly, trying to hide the fact she was crying. She nodded, but didn’t say anything, and it was obvious she wasn’t going to be forthcoming with any information about what she’d been through recently. Clearly, he was going to have to guess. And reading between the lines of her emails and her body language, it wasn’t a very difficult guess. She’d been hurt. Badly. By her ex.
“Did he cheat on you?” Jason asked, squeezing her hand tightly, trying to offer her comfort.
She shook her head briefly, just once.
Well, that’s one good thing, at least.He raised an eyebrow in silent question, but it went unanswered.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Catherine stated, and the tone of her voice brooked no argument. If he didn’t want to chase her away, he would have to drop it, no matter how curious he was.
“Okay,” he agreed, doing a good job of pretending he wasn’t bothered by her refusal to talk to him. He blew out a breath and changed the subject, just like she wanted. “I had a look at your hut. It’s cute,” he told her, then grinned at the way her face lit up. “It’s important to you, huh?”
“Yes,” Catherine confirmed. “I’ve been dreaming about it for years, but I don’t know why. I’ve never been there before.”
He’d thought about nothing but the hut all morning—his work had suffered for it. He’d mucked out the same stall twice, and missed out the next one completely. Luckily he’d managed to screw his head back on by the time he had to ride, because being away with the fairies was no state for an Olympic-level horse trainer. That’s how accidents happened.
The hut was isolated, maybe too isolated. There was no electricity, no cell phone service, no internet. They would be completely cut off from the world. He could focus entirely on her, on her healing. Hopefully rebuild their relationship, rekindle what they’d once had. Now that he’d found Catherine again, or more precisely she’d found him, he didn’t want to let her go. “It looks perfect for a romantic getaway.”How do you know she’s even interested in a romantic getaway?his subconscious chided.You’re getting mighty presumptuous there.
Catherine smiled. “Do you want to come with me? I thought you’d be too busy. With the Olympics coming up and all.”
He was busy—very busy. But he always was. He wasn’t going to get anylessbusy. Especially not as the Olympics drew closer.
“I’m sure Mum and Dad can look after the place for a couple of days,” he assured her. At least he hoped they would; he hadn’t actually asked them. He was determined to convince them, though—coming out of retirement for a few days would be good for them. The last time he’d rung, his mother had complained about his father constantly being underfoot and bored, despite having all the time in the world to travel and do the things they’d always wanted to do but never had the time for.
“I’d like to come,” he told her. “It will be good to spend time together, get to know each other again with no distractions.”There might be healing in the mountains, too,he thought, but he didn’t voice his hope. Maybe he could help her get over the pain her ex had caused her, and help her relax so the dreams would stop.
He watched the different expressions flit across Catherine’s face. Excitement first of all, then nervousness. Doubt. A wariness settled over her as she looked at him but he could also see the barest hint of a smile.
“I think I’d like you to come,” Catherine said shyly, a bit uncertainly.
“Good.” Jason let go of her hands and smiled. “I think it will be fun.”
* * *
As it got closer to lunchtime, the café started to get busier, and Catherine looked around nervously. Even after all this time, she still didn’t like crowds. Being surrounded by people reminded her of the restaurant, the years she’d spent putting on a brave face, plastering on a smile to hide her pain. Managing the bar and restaurant she’d owned with Steve while she’d been so broken had taken everything from her emotionally. It had left her as a shell of the woman she’d once been.
“You don’t like crowds?” Jason asked from across the table, and Catherine hid a smile.
Of course Jason would notice, she thought. He’d always noticed things like that; he’d always been able to tell instantly when something was bothering her.
“No. Not anymore.”
She expected him to press her for more information, to ask questions, but he didn’t. Instead, he gave her a wink.
“Let’s get out of here then, yeah?”
