The Street Where She Lives Read online

“No,” she whispered.

  “Same old story,” he whispered back. “Fine. You can’t.” With that he helped her up and into the car. The ride to and from the physical therapy appointment was interminably silent…and long.

  Afterward, he insisted on helping her up to her room. He’d just helped her back on her bed, had leaned over her with a look on his face that had her hormones jerking to attention, when from below, the front door slammed, making them both jump.

  Emily’s voice called out hopefully. “Dad?”

  With a groaning laugh, Ben scooped up the wildly wriggling puppy who’d become frantic at the sound of her beloved Emily’s voice—and set her on the bed.

  “Dad?”

  Rachel closed her eyes to the happiness in her daughter’s voice, the happiness that had come from Ben’s presence, but jerked them open again when she felt Ben come close again. Hand on either side of her hips, he leaned in, brushing his mouth over hers, smiling a sexy little smile when her lips clung of their own accord. “Now that’s better. Did you know you lose your grumpiness when we kiss?”

  Patches barked joyfully, right in their faces.

  “Dad! Where are you?”

  “We’re not finished,” he said softly.

  “We were finished thirteen years ago.”

  Still looking at Rachel, he called out, “Up here, sweetness.” When Emily danced into the room, he smiled grimly when she jolted to a stop at the sight of Patches in her mother’s room.

  “Uh-oh,” she breathed.

  Ben stood up and kissed Emily’s forehead. “Own up to your mistakes, kiddo. Always.” And then he left them alone.

  “You, uh, found Patches.” Emily winced, resembling Ben so much it almost hurt to look at her at all. “Oops.”

  “This is bigger than an ‘oops’.”

  “Mom, she was homeless!”

  “But you lied to me.”

  “No, I didn’t. I never said I didn’t have a dog in here.” When Rachel just looked at her balefully, Emily caved and sagged to a chair. “I know. I lied by omission.”

  “Yes, you did. Emily, a dog is a big responsibility.”

  “I can handle it, Mom. I’ll train her, I’ll feed her, I’ll do everything for her.”

  “Yes, you will.”

  Emily brightened. “Then I can keep her?”

  “On a couple of conditions.” Emily looked guarded again and Rachel wanted to touch her so badly. What had happened to her baby? When had she grown up and needed her independence so fiercely? Why did it have to be this way? “One, you’re right—you’ll train her, clean up after her and feed her.”

  “I will, I promise.”

  “You’ll also earn the money it’ll take to train and feed her by adding to your chores.”

  “Okay,” she said, slightly less enthusiastic. Emily liked her hard-earned money. She liked it a lot.

  “And three…” I love you, baby. “You won’t ever hide anything like that from me again. Deal?”

  Emily stood up.

  Rachel’s heart cracked. She was going to walk away. Be snooty. Be…distant.

  But her daughter smiled, walked over and wrapped her arms around Rachel so tightly she could hardly breathe.

  “Deal,” Em whispered and squeezed harder.

  Which was good, because breathing was overrated anyway. Rachel blinked away tears and hugged her back.

  Patches barked in joy.

  TWO DAYS PASSED while Rachel thought about what Ben had said, dreamed about it.

  We’re not finished.

  Adam had brought her some books earlier, but neither they or Adam himself had been able to hold her full attention. When Garrett had come by with her mail, she’d been able to do little more than smile her thanks.

  Her thoughts were concentrated on one thing, and one thing only. Ben.

  We’re not finished.

  Sleepless late one night, she grabbed her cane and hobbled down the hall, ignoring the pain in her leg from overuse. She was tired of the wheelchair. Tired of not moving under her own steam.

  Tired of everything, she had to admit.

  She was ready to get better, and refused to understand what was taking so long.

  In Emily’s room, she watched the moonlight dance across the bed. Beneath the covers, her precious daughter sighed in her sleep. On top of the covers at the foot of the bed slept Patches.

  God, she missed this, coming in here to kiss Emily good-night. With a little smile she turned in a slow circle, taking in the comfortable disaster that was Emily’s room, grateful to be able to touch the slim sprawled-out form. She straightened the wildly strewn covers the best she could with her one good arm, inhaling the smell of bubblegum-scented shampoo and soap, looking at the mess that never ceased, the laptop that was open and—

  Open and online. Moving closer in the dark, Rachel sighed, the smile gone. She turned to the bed. “You’re not sleeping.”

  She got a soft snore.

  With a disparaging sound, Rachel shut the computer and disconnected the phone cord. “It’s late and it’s a school night.”

  No movement, but at least the fake deep breathing had stopped. Rachel stroked the pixie cut sticking out of the covers and let out a breath. “Good night, baby. Love you.”

  Still no answer.

  She nodded to herself, trying not to hurt over that, and made her way back to her own room. She moved to the window with muscles that were now throbbing. It wasn’t just stubbornness that kept her from taking a painkiller, but the fact that she hated the grogginess in the morning. She’d rather hurt.

  On the street below, a police car turned the corner. An unusual sight. Even more unusual, it came to a slow crawl right in front of her house. While she frowned, the officer looked the place over with what seemed like extreme caution. After a long moment, he drove on.

  Unnerved, Rachel got into bed. Stared at the ceiling.

  And worried that some crazed criminal was on the loose. No, that couldn’t be it. He’d only looked at her house, none of the others.

  She wanted to talk to someone. She could call Adam—he’d come in a heartbeat. But he wasn’t looking at her as her accountant; he was looking at her differently now—no, wait. That wasn’t true.

  She was looking at him differently.

  And then there’d be the look she’d get from Ben if Adam showed up in the middle of the night.

  And then there was Ben himself. Just down the hall, in one of her spare beds… It wasn’t talking she wanted to do with Ben. She wanted… Oh, boy, what she wanted.

  Diversion, she needed a diversion and quick. Shaking, she reached for the phone. Mel. He sister had always said Ben wasn’t good enough for her. Mel always told Rachel about what a womanizer he’d become, how he never asked about Rachel, how he seemed so relieved not to have to deal with her.

  Yep, her sister would talk her out of this insanity. She dialed as fast as her fingers could go.

  “Hey,” said Mel in a breathy voice.

  “Mel, thank God.” Rachel rushed out. “Quick. Talk me out of going down the hall and—”

  “Leave a message, sexy,” Mel continued in a throaty murmur. “And I’ll get back to you, I promise!”

  Beep.

  Really bad time to be gone, sis. “Hey. It’s me.” She let out a shaky sigh. “Look, it’s no biggie, don’t worry about calling me back. I’ll just…” Rachel’s voice hitched, giving her away, damn it. “I’ll just talk to you later,” she added quickly, before she lost it, and disconnected. Then she curled up in bed the best she could, and did her best to fall asleep.

  She finally managed, but not before the sun finally started its rise over the horizon.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Dear Ben,

  Do you think you’ve paid enough?

  Don’t stop watching, waiting…

  I surely won’t.

  FOR TWO WEEKS, Ben worked overtime—writing articles, picking small freelance pieces he’d never had time to do before—trying not to go