River Wolf(80)

Gathering the tray of their used dishes, she set it aside before making the bed. After, she carried the tray down to the kitchen. The scent of Brett was everywhere—even the coffee reminded her of him. Rolling her eyes, she poured herself a fresh cup and left the dishes for later. Cup in hand, she retreated to the guest room and found clean clothes, but elected only for panties and shorts. Rolling his t-shirt up, she tucked the lip through her breasts and made a halter out of it.

Wearing his shirt might be a romcom kind of move, but she loved the feel of the cotton. Him wearing a t-shirt when he left, even with his focus on the emergency, proved he’d relaxed his armor.

Huh. She paused digging through her bag for fresh socks. The dress shirts, the loafers, even his remote expressions—they were all armor. They kept people at a distance. Now and again, she’d glimpsed beyond it, but earlier, in the bedroom over breakfast—it had been gone. Well…maybe I am good for him.

Locating sandals in the bottom of the bag, she decided to forgo the socks. By the time she’d dressed, she found the folder with all the information from SUNY and carried it and her coffee back to the kitchen. Outside, the sun shone so brilliantly, it cast the sky in an almost jewel-like blue. The deep green of the trees complimented the lighter green of the grass.

Outside would be so much better than in. After draining her coffee cup, she rinsed it out then set it in the sink. Brett kept water bottles in the fridge, so she grabbed one and strolled through the house to the library, then out to the stone patio. Heat swept over her as she stepped outside. Her imagination kicked into overdrive. She half-believed she could taste the musky scent of their sex everywhere.

Well, the loveseat and the stone pavers before. He’d cleaned up their discarded clothes. Still, they’d been pretty damn energetic out here. A silly grin tugged at her lips and she slid onto the chair he favored. So what if she imagined that it smelled of him or that like his shirt, she felt closer by doing so. Settling cross-legged, she flipped open the folder and began to read in earnest.

If she really wanted to make a go of it, she had to earn her way and that meant not living off Brett’s good graces. As a lover and a host, he was extraordinary. No need to take advantage of him. School and a job. She paused. Going to school cost money, her parents weren’t going to foot the bill and she wouldn’t dream of asking them in a million years.

Flipping the folder to the tuition page, she grimaced. Out of state was way out of her price range. Running her finger down the page, she located the in-state tuition terms. She’d need to live there at least a year. That would give her time and, if she could locate a position quickly, as soon as she saved up for an apartment, she would sock money away for full time tuition. Nothing says I couldn’t take one or two classes in the spring.

Digging her phone out, she returned the call to Professor Winthrop and left a message on his voice mail explaining her interest and her concerns. If he really wanted to talk to her about her potential, she was game. She’d given up enough of her life. After ending the call, she scanned the class list, the requirements for the program—admission as well as graduation—if her tally was correct, she only had about twelve months worth of work to do and a few more clinical hours if they didn’t credit her with the work at Alba.

Wouldn’t it be cool if I did this, then sent the judge my registered nurse certification? Why the hell the judge would care didn’t matter. What mattered was she would enjoy it.

Okay, job. She needed one. If she really wanted to make the move, settle here and see where this thing with her and Brett went…Colby paused. Do I want to see? Was she making the same mistake as before? Her stomach turned over. She’d leapt without looking a lot after getting to college.

Drugs.

Bad boyfriends.

Getting arrested.

They were impulsive choices, which led to severe consequences. Changing her plans from Florida to New York? I didn’t really have plans plans. If she were brutally honest with herself. Florida seemed as far from Maine as she could get. New York was only hours away, but a whole different world.

Was she making the choice because of Brett, though? Five—no, six days I’ve known him. Six.

The idea of leaving made her anxious, but the idea of not at least taking a shot at potential happiness? I’m not a coward. She and Brett might just be a fling or he could be the best thing that ever happened to her. What mattered was whether or not she was willing to take the risk and find out.

“Staying it is.” She said the words aloud, and they carried a certain finality.

“Not surprising, since I can smell him all over you.” The words jerked her out of her seat as adrenaline powered through her system. At the edge of the stone porch leaned a tall, leggy blonde.