Page 32 of Unraveled

“Fine, fine,” the older man commented, waving one hand toward the extra chair. “Carter, this is Dr. Stanton. Doc, this is my son, Carter.”

Carter didn’t make a move except to slant a look her way. Audrey’s breath suspended in her lungs as he stared down at her. “How are you?”

“Good, thanks.”

After a painfully long silence, Audrey pushed up from the chair, careful to avoid brushing against Carter in the process. “Well, I should be going. Take care of yourself, John.”

He offered a little wave, and she departed the room like her heels were on fire. She’d just made it to the elevator when a strong hand wrapped around her wrist, halting her progress. Not hard enough to hurt, just enough to get her attention, there was no mistaking who the hand belonged to. Slowly, she turned to face Carter.

He released her arm and let his own fall to his side. He just stared at her. Why did this man affect her so badly? There never seemed to be any middle ground with him—he made her feel too much. Too much passion. Too much pain.

She steeled her heart as she peered up at him. “Do you need something?”

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, then snapped it closed again. “It didn’t mean anything.”

Audrey’s heart cracked at his admission. Hearing him say out loud that their time together meant nothing hurt more than she thought it would. She couldn’t even muster up the ability to speak over the lump in her throat. She started to turn back toward the elevator when his voice stopped her cold.

“That woman—she meant nothing. I... We didn’t…” He let out a harsh sigh. “Nothing happened.”

Honestly, she didn’t know whether to believe him or not. He looked sincere enough, but she was well aware of how conniving and manipulative people could be when they wanted to be. “Okay.”

“I just wanted you to know,” he said softly. “There hasn’t been another woman since you.”

Audrey’s heart leaped in her chest, and she fought to control her expression as he continued to speak, his voice low, his eyes serious. “I promised I’d wait for you, and I will.”

She wanted so badly to believe him. She wasn’t honestly sure what scared her more—her intense reaction to him or his avowal to win her over. Either way, it seemed like a losing proposition for her. She’d fall and have her heart shattered once more. She couldn’t let that happen.

The elevator arrived with a quiet ding. Without a word, she stepped inside and turned. Carter’s eyes remained locked on hers until the doors closed, just like the walls surrounding her heart.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

Carter slowed to stop in the garage, then shut off the engine and headed around to the passenger side. His father waved him off as he opened the door and held out a steadying hand.

“I’m fine on my own,” he groused. “Don’t know why they insisted on me coming home with you.”

Carter bit back an exasperated sigh. “Because you just had a heart attack—multiple, actually—and your body is still weak. They wanted to make sure you had someone close by in case you needed help.”

His father struggled out of the seat, then leaned against the side of the car for a moment, catching his breath. “I’ve been taking care of myself for sixty years. Nothing’s going to change now.” He drew in a panting breath and glanced around the garage. “It’s too hot in here.”

Carter turned away as he rolled his eyes. Of course it was hot in the garage; it was almost a hundred degrees outside. He was half tempted to give in and take his father back to his house, but both Audrey and the staff at the hospital had insisted he have someone close by at least for the next few days.

Like it or not, they were stuck together for the foreseeable future. Carter’s baby sister Whitney was their father’s favorite, but she lived three states away and had a family of her own. He couldn’t make her walk away from that just because Dad was being stubborn.

He let out a sigh. “Let’s just go inside.”

Carter turned and headed toward the house, leaving his father to follow. God forbid should he think Carter was doting on him. He opened the door and stepped into the kitchen, then made his way to the fridge for a bottle of water. He cracked the lid and took a healthy gulp as Dad shuffled in and shut the door behind him.

Carter watched over the rim of the bottle as his father puttered around the counter and sat heavily on one of the barstools. His face looked flushed, and there was a fine layer of perspiration on his forehead from his trek inside. Carter couldn’t tell if it was the strain on his body or the unbearable heat that had caused it.

He slid a look at his father and gestured toward the fridge. “Want some water?”

His father gave his head a little shake. “No, but I’ll take some coffee if you’ve got some.”

Carter blinked once, hard. His father was messing with him, right? What was it with old people and coffee? He’d complained less than two minutes ago that it was too hot out, but thought it was totally normal to drink coffee now? He gave his head a little shake as a rueful laugh escaped his mouth. “I can make some for you.”

His father gazed around the room, and one eyebrow lifted at the sight of the single-serve brewer on the counter. “No, it’s fine. I don’t want to put you out any more than I already have.”