1022 Evergreen Place - Debbie Macomber [22]
And with Danny… He’d had trouble with the law. In fact, she’d found out just in time that he was only interested in marriage so she would make conjugal visits while he served a twenty-year prison sentence for fraud. Plus, her role as his wife meant supplying him with money for the entire length of his term.
“Christie?”
She knew James was waiting for her response.
“I…I don’t think I’m ready for marriage yet,” she murmured, and felt him tense. She didn’t expect him to be pleased but she couldn’t say anything different.
James didn’t respond right away. “I thought marriage was what you wanted,” he finally said. “What we both want.”
“I do…but not yet.”
He removed his arm and straightened. Leaning forward, he stared down at the floor, then asked, “When do you suppose you will?”
“I don’t know. Why? Are you planning to walk out on me again?” If so, she wanted to know that now.
“No. I plan to spend the rest of my life loving you.”
She’d heard that before. Her suspicions rose again; it sounded so promising, but then it always did…until she learned the truth.
“Why do you want to get married so quickly? Do we really know each other, James? I trusted you and look what happened.” She didn’t mean to keep throwing that one transgression in his face, but she was genuinely worried about it.
He stood and walked to the other side of the room. “I’d hoped we could let it go.”
Christie wished their situation was that simple. “Do we really know each other?” she repeated. “Sure, we’re attracted and it would be easy to become physically involved…”
“Okay.” He perked up at that.
How predictable men were. This was usually when other men she’d dated would suggest they “test” their relationship by setting up house together. Naturally they always moved in with her—because they could no longer afford rent. Granted, that wasn’t the case with James, but she realized he was growing frustrated, although he was the one who’d initially wanted to wait. He’d resisted jumping into bed a few months ago, when she’d been willing. Apparently their views on this subject had been reversed. Imitating a game-show host, she blared, “Wrong answer.”
The vehemence in her voice made his head jerk back. “You aren’t interested in sex?”
She laughed spontaneously. “I didn’t say that.”
“Okay,” he said with reluctance. “Then what’s the problem? You were certainly ready to do it with other men. Why not me?”
Christie blinked at the physical pain that struck her at his words. She pressed her hand against her heart until it passed. Then she drew in a deep breath and slowly expelled it before she stood.
“I think it’s time I left. Thank you for the tea.” She carried her mug to the sink. Her hand shook as she set it down and she tried to swallow the constriction in her throat. She turned to leave and found James blocking the door.
“I didn’t mean that,” he said, sounding utterly miserable.
He wasn’t the only one feeling bad. “Sure you did,” she said, putting on a bright face. “And why shouldn’t you? It’s true. I was all too willing to give myself to other men. There were a lot of them, too. And then I was stupid enough to tell you everything, thinking—oh, I don’t know, thinking that if you knew, we could put it behind us. Thinking you’d understand how important a clean slate was to me. And let me remind you, James, you turned me down a few months ago.”
“Yes, but…” He sighed. “You can trust me, Christie. You know I’d never intentionally hurt you.”
“I used to think so,” she muttered. “Now…”
He closed his eyes. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s best to hold off on marriage. I’ll tell you what—you let me know when you’re ready to forgive and forget, and we’ll talk again.”
“Good idea,” she said cheerfully. “And you do the same.”
His brows shot up, and he stepped aside so she could exit the apartment.
Christie walked past him and was halfway down the stairs when he said, “I don’t suppose this is a good time to mention that I’m going away for a few days.”
She paused, her foot midway between two steps. The only reason he’d told her this now was