Playing Doctor
Page 17
He walked up the walkway to the store. He wished he knew how Cressida was. That was the hardest part of not talking to her. When last he’d seen her, she was medicated and at the hospital. He didn’t know how the trip back was, or anything. He had worried about her, but he knew that he had to handle his own end before he could help her on hers. He hoped that Henry Curton had done as he’d promised and delivered the cash himself.
He was a big, hot mess of feelings, frankly.
Taking a deep breath, he walked into the store, closing the door behind him. It was the same as usual, warm, cheery, inviting – at least, if you were a geek. He stepped over to the counter.
Cressida was there, looking down at a comic book. “Welcome to Frost Fandoms. How can I –” she began, then stopped immediately when she registered who he was. “Noah.”
“Cressida,” he said. At least she hadn’t cursed him. Yet. “I… um, brought back the RV.”
She was staring at him, those gray-green eyes of hers luminescent.
“And I thought we should talk. That is, I wanted to talk.” He felt his throat clog, and he quickly cleared it. “Mostly, I wanted to apologize.”
She continued to stare at him.
“I am so sorry for everything that happened in the Mojave,” he said quickly. “You were right not to trust me, and you have every right to still be pissed at me. I was an idiot. I was so hung up on being screwed over by a rich and powerful guy and my Mom was so scared, I just… I justified taking the treasure from you. I thought I’d be able to make it up to you somehow. But it was still a dick move, and I fucked up bigtime.”
She quirked her lips a little. “You found the treasure.”
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “But really, you found it first. It was right where you told me it would be.”
“You told Henry to give me all the treasure.”
“I thought about what you would do, in my place,” he said quietly. “And I figured if the police wouldn’t listen to me, I’d videotape in my own home, legally, and get him to admit what he’d done. He was just arrogant enough to do that.”
“I saw,” she said. “I went on the boards after Henry mentioned it, and I saw the video that you uploaded. That guy pulled a gun on you!”
“Yeah,” Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling both proud and a little tense as that memory replayed itself in his head. “That sort of sucked. But at least he’s in jail right now. He’s having some trouble making bail, because he’s got so much debt and he’s seen as a flight risk.”
“You were in trouble,” she said. “You did what you thought was best. I can’t blame you for any of that.”
They were quiet for a long moment. Noah shifted his weight from one foot to another.
“Just kiss already!” a woman’s voice called from the kitchen.
“Hailey!” another voice snapped. Then one of the sisters – Rachel? – stepped out. “Cressida… I can man the counter if you want to talk somewhere more private?”
Cressida nodded gratefully. “Why don’t we go up to my room?” she said.
Noah followed her up the stairs, then turned down a narrow hallway. She opened the door. The ceiling was blue, with cream colored walls and natural wood trim. There were Doctor Who knick-knacks and posters all over. She sat on the bed, and he gingerly sat next to her.
“I wasn’t lying,” he said quickly, jumping right in. “I know it feels quick, but I’d been falling for you for over a year. I looked forward to your texts every day. I loved chatting with you online every week. You are one of the most awesome women I’ve ever known.”
She blushed, looking at him from below her fan of auburn lashes. “Really?”
“And then when we were together in the RV…” He shivered. “God, woman. How could I not fall in love with you?”
“You hurt me, Noah,” she said quietly. “You abused my trust.”
“I know, baby, I know,” he answered. “And I plan on spending as much time as you’ll let me, making it up to you.” Like the rest of my life.
She looked at him, studying him warily. Then her hand went up and she stroked his cheek. He curved his face into the palm of her hand.
“Noah,” she said, and leaned forward.
He met her halfway, kissing her gently, then with increasing pressure as she clutched at his shoulders. He threaded his fingers in her hair. “I’m sorry,” he said, pressing hot kisses against her throat. “I’m so damned sorry.”
“I believe you,” she said, and she sounded surprised. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone. In my gut, I trusted you, and I don’t trust anybody.”
“And then I fucked it up,” he said bitterly. “I will do whatever I can to make it up to you.”
“Whatever I ask?”
He nodded eagerly. “Whatever you want.”
“Then take back your half of the treasure.”
He startled. “What? No! You found that, not me.”
“No, the deal was always for half,” she said. “I’ve already put in an offer on this house, and our landlord accepted it. In thirty days, give or take, this place will belong to us, and I won’t have to worry any more. I know you have plans, too, and I don’t need all four million.”
“But Cressida…”
“You drove me down. You took care of me during my panic attacks. You made sure I felt safe and comforted and cared for.” She snuggled against his chest. “And you were the one that ultimately went into that mucky pond and pulled out the treasure. No, half of it belongs to you.”
“My Mom’s safe,” he said stubbornly. “I don’t need it. I care about you more than money!”
She smiled. “Well, you won’t have to choose,” she said. “You can have the money – and you can have me.”
He held her to him, hugging her tight. “I’m moving up here,” he said. “If you’re okay with that.”
“Well, I’ll be honest – I’m not moving down to L.A. I just bought a house,” she said, and he laughed. “And it may be a while before I do another road trip.”
“I’m fine with that,” he said. “When and if you’re ready, I’ll be your wheel man. But in the meantime, I just want to spend time with you.”
She kissed him again. It felt like coming home, he thought, as he pressed his lips to hers, nibbling at her, savoring her.
“What are we going to do, now that the hunt’s over?” she asked, stroking her hands over his back, then rubbing them suggestively over his chest.
“We’ll figure out some new adventures,” he assured her. “I promise.”
“I know we will. I trust you,” she said, and kissed him.
About the Author
Author Photograph © Linda Gossett Raderman
Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She spends her time writing in the wilds of Eastern Washington with her husband, son, and three dogs.
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COPYRIGHT PAGE
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
PLAYING DOCTOR Copyright 2019 by Cathy Wilson. All rights reserved.
First edition: January 2019