"I don 't think so either. "

There was a raw nerve that his compassion for Cynthia struck, jealousy, maybe? "You care about her a lot, don 't you? "

He nodded slowly, as if he were thinking about her. "I suppose it 's like you and Zach. She 's always got my back. "

The comparison gave her hope. Sure she 'd been giddy over Zachary Benson most her life, but it was only because he 'd shown her kindheartedness when no one else would. She 'd never turned his head, that much she knew was different between her and Cynthia. Cynthia had certainly turned Curtis 's head. But if he was comparing their relationship to the one she had with Zachary, then Cynthia wasn 't a threat at all.

He hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans. "It also seems as though your new roommate 's girlfriend has scammed me into going dancing this weekend. "

Simone looked up at him. "And you are going? "

"I assume you are too? " She nodded and he smiled. "When are you moving in with Sam? " His voice shifted in pitch when he said his name.

"Saturday. "

"Need some help? " A giddy flutter took over in her chest. This was a moment that could change her life.

"I only have a suitcase. "

He stood there a moment longer, gave her a slow nod, and turned and left. He hadn 't said goodbye and she took that as a good sign, as if they weren 't parting ways.

She put her hand on her stomach. There was hope. Curtis Keller had brought her a gift and an invitation to pick her up for a date.

The need to laugh replaced the earlier desire to cry. She was happy that her co-worker wasn 't in the room, because laugh she did. She laughed until she cried.

Money and prestige couldn 't by the kind of hap1piness she was feeling. This was going to work. If she kept her calm and made sure Curtis forgave her for what she 'd done, she could ease him into learning about the baby.

The time was coming. Regan had announced her pregnancy. There was joy in that arrival. Perhaps it was time she was able to share in that joy with her own pending arrival.

But the laugher died down and she sat still for a moment. She needed to keep a level head. What if Cynthia was right and Curtis Keller refused to forgive her?

Chapter Eight

Zach was up on Saturday morning dressed in a pair of jeans and a Benson, Benson, and Hart softball team T-shirt. He sipped his cup of coffee as he rested against the counter.

Simone would miss talking to him in the mornings, but now she wouldn 't live countries away.

"Do you never sleep in? "

"Not on moving day. "

She retrieved a mug from the cupboard and shifted her eyes to him. "Moving day? "

"You didn 't think you were just going to sneak out did you? I have John Forrester 's truck outside loaded up and ready to go. "

"Loaded up? " She set the empty mug on the counter. "I only have one suitcase. "

"Yeah, I know. But between John moving, my mother redecorating, and my wife 's need to clan her closet out, that truck is now full of clothes, a bed, a dresser, lamps, and I don 't know what else. I hope Sam 's place has space. You 're going to need it. "

She thought her heart might burst. "They all did this for me? "

"They all love you, Simone. "

There was no fighting back the tears now. They streamed down her cheek and she brushed them away as quickly as she could.

He reached for the dishtowel that had hung over the sink, handed it to her, and she wiped her eyes.

Zach chuckled. "In all my life I don 't think I 've ever seen you cry at the drop of a hat. "

"This independence makes me a bit emotional. "

Zach picked up his coffee and took a sip. "I talked to your father yesterday. He asked about you. "

She wadded the towel in her hands. "And what did you tell him. "

"I said you were doing great. I told him he 'd be pleased with how you were getting along. "

The circulation in her fingers was being cut off from the tension from the towel being wrapped around them. "Is that all? "

"Yes. He was very brief. "

She nodded. It was certainly more than she 'd ever expected. She unwrapped the towel from her hands and hung it back over the sink. "I am ready to go. "

Zach nodded toward the empty coffee mug on the counter. "Don 't you want some coffee? "

"No. I just want to get moving. "

Simone fought emotions that threatened to attack her between uncontrollable laughter and tears. The morning had been full of surprises already. Tyler had reached out for her and rested his head against her shoulder. Regan had cried when she 'd left, even though she wasn 't really going away. The truck filled with items that people were giving her to start her new life drove down the street in front of her.

The tears had started and stopped a number of times on the ten miles from her best friend 's house to her new home. And that was where the biggest surprise of them all nearly stopped her heart.

Curtis sat on the steps of the building. When he saw her pull up he stood and when she stopped the car he walked toward her.

Her breath was coming in rapid spurts, her heart beat an unnatural rhythm in her chest, and her mind was blank. She could see his blue eyes peering at her through the window, but she didn 't make a move to get out of the car.

A moment later Curtis pulled open the door. "Were you just going to watch us move all this stuff, or are you planning on helping? "

Her voice still hid within her throat. He was absolutely the most handsome man she 'd ever laid eyes on, and she 'd had her fair share of male models and well taken care of men. Curtis was a bit rugged for her usual taste, but she 'd long ago decided that she simply hadn 't known her taste until that first moment he 'd slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to dance and Carlos 's first wedding of the year.

His brows lifted and then lowered in concern. "Are you okay? You look as though you 've been crying. "

"This is all just a bit overwhelming -this whole week really. Your girlfriend gets me a job "

"Not my girlfriend, " he said with a grin.

Simone acknowledged with a nod. "Sam offers me a place to live, and I do not know him. "

"He 's a decent man. He won 't hurt you. Are you worried about that? "