She appreciated that gift and clung to it.
She’d lain next to him all night, barely sleeping, her brain on blender mode and her heart trying to elbow its way into the mix. This was territory she hadn’t traversed before, and she felt as if she were wearing flip-flops and a cocktail dress to climb Everest. She had no clue how to even…process this. She brought her coffee to her lips and sipped, wishing it held answers instead of just a jolt of caffeine.
“You sure you want to go back to your family’s place?” he asked. “I could just go in and get our stuff.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not going to run away from it. I caused a scene, which I’ll apologize for because that wasn’t my intention.”
“You were provoked.”
She sighed. “Even so, I should’ve walked away. I doubt they still want me at the wedding, but I don’t want to look like I’m turning tail and running. Plus, I came here to visit with my mother. I can still do that at least.”
His big hands flexed around the steering wheel. “Do you still want me to go in with you? I could leave you with the car and rent one to get back to The Grove.”
She frowned. “Why would you do that?”
He peered her way. “They know what I do now. If that’s going to be awkward for—”
“No,” she said. She wasn’t sure of a lot of things but she was sure of that. “No shame, remember?”
“Right.” He nodded. “Doc, about last night—”
“I can’t.”
His expression turned guarded. “Can’t what?”
She took a breath. “Talk about last night right now. I need to handle the drama with my family first. When we get back to The Grove, we can deal with last night.”
His jaw twitched and he looked back to the road. “Right. Deal with it.”
She caught the edge in his tone but didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have answers for him. She didn’t regret last night, hearing the things Lane had said, sharing the things they’d shared. But the light of day brought things hidden by the fog of sex into sharp relief. The problems they’d left behind at The Grove didn’t go away just because they weren’t there right now.
Maybe she could learn to take a compliment, to be sweet with Lane, to trust him. God knows they had enough chemistry to set the world on fire. But one thing kept sticking pins in her balloons of hope no matter how she tried to find her way around it.
How was she going to accept being in a serious relationship with someone who slept with other women for a living? The thought had gnawed at her last night until she’d wanted to scream. She wished she could be so self-assured that his patients wouldn’t feel like a threat, but she saw who walked into The Grove. Beautiful, young actresses, sexy musicians, wealthy businesswomen. She would have to share him with those people, and she
couldn’t imagine swallowing that particular pill down without choking.
And that’s what had her gut churning this morning.
She was falling for someone who wasn’t hers to have alone.
They pulled in front of her mother’s house, the sky still dark at this early hour but the porch light burning.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones up,” Lane said.
Elle’s gaze drifted to the far side of the porch, where a woman bundled in a blue shawl sat on one of the rocking chairs. Elle frowned. “That’s weird. Nina’s always been a late sleeper.”
Lane sniffed. “She’s getting married. That’ll keep anyone awake. Lifetime commitment and all. Scary stuff.”
She peered over at him and attempted to smirk. “Says Mr. Relationship.”
“Mr. Relationship?” He lifted a skeptical brow. “Is that how you see me?”
She shrugged, though the move felt tight. “You said some pretty heavy things last night. Most guys would’ve been terrified to go there.”
He stared at her and shook his head, wry amusement on his face. “You assume I wasn’t terrified. That I’m not still terrified. That I haven’t spent my whole life avoiding anything long term.”
She blinked, the words taking a moment to register. “But the things you said…”