Homecoming Wife. Joan Kilby
and they came away dirtier. Gritting her teeth she tried using her shoulder to scrub her face but couldn’t reach the spot.
Nate suppressed his laughter and moistened a clean rag from the pouch on the back of his bike with water from his drink bottle. “Brown really isn’t your color,” he said, handing her the damp rag.
“Thanks.” She wiped her face, shuddering a little when she saw the mud that came off.
“You missed a spot.” With his thumb he dabbed at a smudge near the corner of her mouth and she tilted her face so he could wipe it more easily. Their eyes met. The dirt, the trail, even the bikes faded out as the air between them crackled. He had to admit, they still had chemistry. But what good was chemistry if they weren’t getting involved again?
“What’s this Albert character like?” he said, dropping his hand. The question had been bugging him for a long time.
She went over the spot near her mouth he’d just cleaned. “I told you, it’s finished.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“He’s a nice man who was supportive when I needed a friend,” she said.
That didn’t sound like grand passion. Nate hated to admit he felt relieved. “Then why did you leave him?”
“The relationship wasn’t working for either of us anymore.” She used the cloth to scrub at her fingers. “He’s…older than me.”
“How old?”
Avoiding his gaze, she said, “Fifty-two.”
“Fifty-two!” Nate exploded. “My father is fifty-two. That’s it, isn’t it? You were looking for a father figure. Security.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Her voice lacked conviction.
“Were you in love with this joker?”
“We were very fond of each other. There was mutual respect. Love is for teenagers.”
That last statement didn’t ring true; not for Angela. Despite the grinding hardship of her childhood she’d had a deeply romantic streak. Nate grasped her by the shoulders and drew her closer. “When did the passionate woman I married turn so cynical?”
Angela trembled beneath his hands. He watched her gaze travel from his eyes to his mouth. As he struggled to keep his own desires under control he realized she wanted him to kiss her, whether she would admit it, or not. Well, she would have to ask.
Instead, she drew back suddenly. “Passion doesn’t equal love.”
Nate snorted. “Did Albert know you didn’t love him?”
“Of course. I was completely honest with him. He didn’t love me, either. But he was good to me. He never hurt me.”
“I never wanted to hurt you, Ange.”
“I didn’t want to hurt you, either. Nevertheless, we did.” She spoke flippantly, as if the pain and loneliness he’d endured meant nothing.
“You ran away.”
“You let me go.”
When he made no reply to her counteraccusation, Angela glanced away again. If he didn’t know better he would have thought she was trying to hold back tears. But Angela was too tough for tears. A moment later, his assessment was confirmed when she turned back to him, her blue eyes dry and fierce. “What do you want from me? Anything?”
Yes, he wanted something. He wanted to not compare every woman he met with her. He wanted to not imagine her in bed with other men. He wanted her to admit she was wrong to run away so his heartbreak wouldn’t have been completely in vain.
But he couldn’t say all that so he got back on his bike. “The kids will be waiting to continue the lesson.”
He rode ahead, glancing back over his shoulder to check on Angela. She was pedaling so slowly Nate could have walked faster but she wasn’t giving up until she completed the ride.
His gaze veered west across the valley and beyond. Over the ocean the sky was clear and a balmy breeze was blowing in from the Pacific. Cloud patterns on the horizon promised continued fine weather ahead. Pity life wasn’t so predictable, or so temperate.
When he’d asked her about filing for divorce, at first she’d said if, not when. If. A little word with big implications. But he wasn’t sticking his neck out again, not without something more concrete to go on.
ANGELA HEATED UP two servings of frozen lasagna for dinner and because she knew kids should eat their vegetables, she popped some frozen French fries in the oven.
“You’re a really good cook, Angela,” Ricky said later, tucking in with gusto. “Mom hardly ever makes this kind of yummy stuff. She and Dad like stir-fries and vegetable soup.” He made such a gruesome face, Angela had to laugh.
“Glad you like it, kiddo.” Angela helped herself to a small portion of lasagna. “I’d love to make stir-fry. I’ve just never taken the time to learn how.”
The phone rang and Angela got up to answer it.
“Angela? It’s Janice.”
“Janice! Where are you?”
“Amsterdam. We’re having a great time. The weather’s perfect, the food is wonderful. We’ve seen the Van Gogh museum and today we’re going on a canal boat ride.”
“Do you want to talk to Ricky? He’s just eating dinner.”
“Let him finish. How are you doing?”
“I’m glad you called. Somewhat against my better judgment I signed Ricky up for Nate’s mountain-bike course. Mountain biking can be dangerous, Janice. If you say no, I’ll pull him out.”
“Aside from the expense…”
“I’m giving it to Ricky as an early birthday present.”
“Angela, thank you. You’re too good to us. I wish there was some way I could repay you.”
“It’s nothing, really. Don’t even think about it.” Angela took the cordless phone and wandered into the living room.
“Then as long as Ricky wears padding and a helmet, I can’t see why not. Nate’s great with kids. Plus, you’ll get a break from looking after Ricky.”
“Not exactly. I signed up for the course, too.”
“You’re kidding! What are you up to? Is this a ploy to get Nate back? If so, I predict he’ll crack in a week.”
Angela groaned and threw herself into an armchair. “He’s the most aggravating man I’ve ever known.”
And the most exciting. But their confrontation on the bike track had brought home to her that she couldn’t just ignore their unresolved issues and pick up where they’d left off even if she wanted to. What she didn’t understand was why he hadn’t kissed her when she was so sure he wanted to. That wasn’t like the Nate she thought she knew.
Casually, she added, “It’s odd Nate never hooked up with anyone else even though we both agreed years ago we could go out with other people. Has he had any serious relationships?”
“I’m always trying to give you the gossip on Nate but you barely listen to a word about the man.”
“When I was three thousand miles away I didn’t want to know who he was dating or be reminded of what I’d left behind.”
“Nate doesn’t exactly confide in me about his love life but I’ve seen him with quite a few women over the years,” Janice said. “He’s an attractive guy, Angela. You shouldn’t have let him alone so long.”
“Never mind that. Who’s the latest?”
“Kerry Martin, Tim’s mom. Nate went out with her for