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She leaned in immediately and touched his arm. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry for your pain.”
He could see that she was intuitive, the way Amy was sensitive, empathetic. “You can feel it, can’t you?”
“I can,” she confirmed, offering a small smile, her beautiful eyes still scanning mine.
He smiled. She was a beautiful soul. “You feel, I see.”
Her smile dropped from her face and she took a step back. Shame. Shame and fear replaced the smile that quickly. He reached for her elbow to halt her retreat and reassure her.
“I see only beauty.”
She searched his eyes and he held her gaze, wanting to give her what words he could, aching to give her something.
She relaxed, and whispered, “Thank you.”
Zale plowed over, jokingly accused Barrett of trying to pick up his wife, and the mood turned back to jovial. It was a good night. Willa, Bex and Mara together were entertainment all on their own. As hoped, Zale had driven Willa to the bar, leaving the opportunity for him to drive her home open.
It was close to twelve-thirty when they were ready to call it a night.
“Willa, I can give you a lift home,” he rumbled.
She turned her thunder and lightning eyes on him, and he willed himself to be still, give her time to think it through. Everything in him wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her into submission. For all his ability to see Mara, he couldn’t see shit where Willa was concerned. At least, that’s how it felt.
She nodded. “Thanks, I’ll take you up on that.”
They headed outside and said their goodbyes and he opened the passenger side door for her.
She peeked at him sideways. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmured low. She was welcome to anything she wanted that was in his power to give her. He circled round and got in. “Are you tired?”
She slid her eyes his way, rubbed her palms down her thighs. She seemed nervous. “Um, a bit. Why?”
“You want to go out to eat something?”
At that her stomach growled, loudly. She laughed. “Apparently! But where would we go? Nothing’s open at this time of night.”
“I know a place.”
Without waiting for further confirmation, he took the highway exit to Milltown. A comfortable silence rested between them during the drive.
She broke it fifteen minutes into the drive. “Mara…”
He reached across the seat and took her hand in his. “I know.”
She whipped around to look at him even as she curled her fingers around his palm. “What do you know?”
He glanced at her for a moment before turning back to the road. “I don’t know anything for sure, but she reminds me of my sister-in-law, Amy. She reminds me of her a great deal. I’m not saying Mara has what she did, but I would not be surprised if she has borderline personality disorder.”
He heard her sniff, and she squeezed his hand. He held on and so did she.
“She does,” she whispered, “not full-blown apparently, but that’s what it is.”
“Is she getting help yet?”
“Yes.”
He could barely hear her and what he heard in her voice squeezed his heart. He laced his long fingers through hers.
