All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [81]
His mouth curved into a reluctant smile. "Now you're shoveling it on. I'm sure your opinion of me changed in the weeks after that Christmas when I treated you like shit."
"Of course it did. You really pissed me off," she said candidly. "But we've both had a few years to gain some clarity." And those years of clarity made her let go of Cole's arm and sit back in her seat.
"You must be a great doctor," Cole commented. "You have a hell of a bedside manner. I feel better."
"Good. Since I'm now acting as your doctor, I have a prescription for you."
"So we're playing doctor now?" he asked, lightening the mood with his teasing question.
"Very funny. No, I think you were right when you said you needed a break."
"I know I said that, but it isn't a good idea. There's so much to do. My father is probably on the phone right now to the police department. I need to check in again with my investigator. I need to track down Dylan, and—"
"You can do all that later. You should go home, take a nap, watch a sporting event on TV, or since it's you, turn on one of the news channels and let your mind go."
"What about you? What are you going to do?"
"I don't know," she said. "Do you think the reporters will have left?"
"Doubtful. They'll wait a while to make sure we don't circle back."
"Great."
They sat silently for a few minutes; then Cole said, "I have an idea. Do you feel like being anonymous for a while?"
"More than I want to take my next breath."
Cole glanced over at her and smiled. "We could play tourist in San Francisco, do all the things locals never do. I bet you've spent most of the past few years inside the hospital walls. Am I right?"
"You might be."
He nodded. "I knew it. Let's go." Cole started the car.
"Go where?"
"Well, first we need to get a disguise."
His words made her think of the disguise they'd found in Malone's room, and she felt guilty at the thought of taking some time off from the problem at hand. But the last few days, and especially the last few minutes, had been emotionally draining. She needed some fresh air, some wind in her face. Maybe she'd be able to think more clearly after a time-out.
* * *
A San Francisco Giants baseball cap covered her glorious red hair, a pair of dark sunglasses concealed her eyes, and a large gray sweatshirt made her look ten pounds heavier, but Cole still thought Natalie was the prettiest woman he'd ever seen. Actually, that wasn't completely true. While he was no doubt attracted to her body, he was also fascinated by the rest of her: the sharpness of her mind, the generosity of her spirit, the tenderness of her smile. She was a complicated woman—driven, ambitious, an achiever, tough when she had to be, and yet sometimes he saw the lingering remnants of a lonely girl who just wanted someone to love her the way she deserved to be loved. He'd once been that man. He'd blown it big-time, and he'd hurt her. She didn't have to tell him that. He knew. He'd known it a long time ago.
Natalie leaned over the railing to look at the water below. They were taking the Blue and Gold Ferry to Alcatraz. It was a chilly October day, especially here on the water, but Natalie seemed to be enjoying the fresh air. She looked more relaxed now than he'd seen her in a long time.
On impulse, he put his arm around her. She looked up, giving him a questioning glance, but she didn't move away. If he was going to take an inch, he might as well take a yard, he decided, drawing her closer to his body. "This is better," he said with a grin. "I was getting cold."
"That's the best line you've got? Ten years as San Francisco's most eligible bachelor, and you're using the 'I'm cold' line. Not very impressive, Cole."
Trust Natalie to call him on it. She'd never been an easy woman. Although she'd