Chapter 33

“What—” She laughed in delight. “I’ve never had breakfast in bed. Unless I was sick.”

“Then it’s time you did.” He whipped off the bowl covering the plate. “Scrambled eggs, toast with butter and honey, two strips of bacon, extra crispy, and a bowl of blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Coffee is from Jamaica, with seconds available in the pot.”

“I can’t believe…” She gestured at the food. “Did Michelle help you?”

“Michelle is still asleep. But I quizzed her yesterday on your favorites.”

“Nolan.” She was oddly close to tears, even while she couldn’t stop grinning. So far she’d resisted the horrendous temptation to become involved with him, knowing she had to leave. But if he kept up this perfect-man stuff, she didn’t know how long she could hold out. “I don’t know what to say. This is all amazing.”

“And so am I.” He winked and backed toward the door. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

“Thank you. So much.” Candace only just managed to stop herself asking him not to go. Why would he want to stay here and watch her eat breakfast? She could deal with her worry all by herself—only now she’d get to worry on a full stomach with a fragrant and high-quality source of caffeine, brewed by a man she was afraid she’d fall for no matter what her common sense told her.

The eggs were delicious, creamy and rich, the toast crunchy and sweet, berries fruity and tart. She sighed blissfully at the last bite and unfolded the paper he'd placed next to it. An envelope fell out, For Candace written on the front in unfamiliar handwriting.

Inside, a single sheet of paper:

Your day belongs to me. Be at the Quinley Public Museum at 10:00 a.m. Enter through the parking garage. Nolan Oh, wow. She glanced impulsively at the clock. It was just past nine. But what did he mean, her day belonged to him?

“Candace?” Michelle this time.

“Yes, good morning.” She hastily hid the note, not sure why she wanted to keep it from her sister.

“Hey.” Michelle’s blond head peeked around the door, eyes sparkling. “Isn’t it time you dragged your butt out of bed and got going?”

“You know about this?”

“Oh, yes.” She nodded somberly. “I was entrusted with the important job of making sure you didn’t stay home out of some misguided sense of duty.”

“Misguided?” Candace shoved the tray away and got up onto her knees. “Gran and Grandad—”

“Will be fine. You know they will. And even if they’re not, what can you do about it? Last I checked, weather was one of the few things out of your control.”

“Oh, so funny.” She scowled at her giggling sister and sat back on her heels. “Look, I can’t go. I have to—”

“I figured you out, you know.” She came into the room, arms crossed over her chest, looking smug as hell.

“Oh, really.”

“You’re scared.”

“I’m—” She gaped. “Uh, what?”

“You’re scared of what you feel for Nolan,” she repeated oh so patiently. “Scared that he’s something really special. You want to stay and run away at the same time. You are drawn to being with him and also panicked at the thought.”

“No, I’m—” Candace blinked. She was right about the feelings. But Candace wasn’t going to admit it. “What makes you say that?”

“Ah.” Michelle held up a finger, the brilliant lecturer getting to her most powerful point. “Because it’s exactly what I do. I’ve figured this out, Candace, with Nick's help. You and I exhibit opposite symptoms, but it’s the same problem.”

“Opposite symptoms…”

“I go out with wildly unsuitable men. You go out with boring unsuitable men.”

She made a noise of outrage. “No, I—”

“You’re telling me Sam was half as fun as Nolan?”

“Well…” Oof. Not even half.

“Plus, take note, you dumped him the second he asked for commitment.

And before him there was Alan, the economics major. Oh my God, I wanted to take a nap just from the way he said ‘Hello.’”

“Alan was sweet.”

“Yes, he was so-o-o swww…” She pretended to doze off, then jerked herself “awake.” “He wasn’t right for you. You’re spirited and funny and indomitable. You need someone who matches you, not someone you can lead around by the nose.”

Candace folded her arms defiantly. “I did not lead—”

“They all but whined ‘Yes, dear’ to everything you said.”

More outrage noises. “No, they—”

“Candace.” Michelle climbed onto the bed, knelt on her heels opposite, pulled Candace’s arms uncrossed. “In every relationship you’ve ever had, who was in charge?”

“It was always fifty-fifty.”

Michelle shook her head, eyes intent but not angry and thank God no longer smug. “Think about it. Just think. Major decisions, minor decisions, where you lived, where you ate, what you had in the refrigerator, how you spent your weekends…”

“No, Michelle, it was—”

“Don’t answer yet.” She took Candace’s hands, gave them a little shake.

“Just think. Honestly.”

Candace made herself relax, closed her eyes, frowning, went back over memories, who decided what, how, when… “Oh. Well…Maybe.” She opened her eyes. “Yes, okay. I’m a dominatrix bitch.”

“You haven’t ever met a guy who really challenges you, who really is up to your level until Nolan.” She squeezed Candace’s fingers. “It’s exciting, isn’t it.”

Exciting? She felt absolutely miserable. Since when was Michelle the one giving romantic advice? Had Candace fallen this low without noticing?

“It takes you over, makes the world brighter, more exciting, like a drug rush without the bad health effects.”

“Sort of.” The words barely came out. Michelle’s theory better turn out to be as ridiculous as it sounded.

“Welcome to my world. Except no, your world is ten times better. Because Nolan is an incredible guy.” She dropped Candace’s hands. “A guy who could make you happier than anyone ever has. And if you ask me, you’re already half in love with him anyway, so why not—”

“Wait, whoa, Michelle.” She rose to kneeling in a ludicrous bid to be bigger than her sister. “I’m going to Rosehill, probably tomorrow, so what’s the point?”

“You don’t have to go.”

Et tu, Michelle? She bounced off the bed, started pacing. “Of course I have to go. I have an apartment, a job, Gran and Grandad to take care of…”

Michelle shrugged. “Okay.”

Candace stopped pacing. Not like her sister to give up that easily.

“Buk…buk…” Michelle started a weird jerking motion with her head, doubled her arms and flapped them like a chicken. “Buk…buk…buh-keek.”

Candace giggled in spite of herself. “Cut that out.”