Free The Reluctant Bride by Kathryn Alexander Page A

well, you know we went out several times. I thought we both enjoyed it, but—”
    “Why would you doubt that? What did he say?” Angela asked.
    “Nothing.” Micah gathered her belongings and walked toward the doorway. “That's the mystery. Everything seemed fine after our last date. Then, nothing. I haven't heard from him in more than a week, except for a message called in to the school office explaining that he was busy.”
    “Busy? That's all he said?” Angela stepped into the hallway with Micah. “That doesn't sound like Rob.”
    “‘Busy with a trial’ was the actual message. But, unless times have changed, court is not in session in the evenings or on weekends.”
    “I haven't seen him lately myself, but we've spent so much time moving into our new house, he may have called and I missed it. I'll try to reach him tonight.”
    “If you do talk to him, don't mention any of this. I don't want him to feel that he owes me an explanation.”
    “Why not? He does owe you one.”
    The two women walked out into the bright sunshine. “But three dates don't exactly add up to a relationship.” Did they? No, it wasn't really the dates that caused Micah to believe they had something special. It was Rob's gentle touch and the tenderness in his eyes that had promised more than she had known with any man. Had her heart been wrong?

Chapter Six
    T he knocking on the door woke Micah from a restless sleep. The illuminated dial of the alarm clark showed 2:00 am. Bang, bang, bang. Before she walked from the bedroom, she grabbed the sweatpants she had left in the nearby chair and pulled them on under the big T-shirt she wore as a nightgown.
    “Who is it?” she called in a sleep-filled voice, reaching for the light switch and running a hand through her tousled hair.
    “It's me.”
    She froze. “Rob?” Ten days had passed since she had last seen him. Ten days with nothing more than a telephone message. Micah pulled open the front door. “It's 2:00 a.m.”
    “I know it's late,” he began, “but I just left the office—”
    “The office? In the middle of the night?”
    “I need to see you.”
    Micah stood speechless for a moment, staring into the eyes that had haunted her nights and unsettled her days. “It's been a long time,” she said in a voice much calmer than she felt.
    “I've tried to call. We've been in trial—”
    “Did Angela ask you to come?” she asked, remembering the conversation she'd had with her friend the other day. She should never have confided in someone so close to Rob.
    “Angela?” he asked with a frown. “What does my sister have to do with us?”
    Micah shook her head slowly. “Nothing….” Nothing, she hoped.
    Rob remained outside the door, his hands sunk into the pockets of his slacks. “Let me explain.”
    “There's no need for excuses, Rob.”
    “Excuses?” he responded sharply. “Do you think I'd come here at this hour to give you excuses?”
    “I don't know.” Her reply came softly. “I don't know what to expect from you.”
    He looked away from her, into the dark courtyard, as his anger seemed to fade. “It's this trial, Micah. It's a nightmare.” He paused, looking once again into her doubtful gaze. “We've spent every spare moment rehashing the case in Alsmore's office. Last weekend I had to fly to Phoenix to interview theclient's brother for more details, and I was stuck out there for three days trying to locate the guy.”
    Mrs. Poe's upstairs light came on, and Micah and Rob both glanced up at the tiny window to the east of the small rear apartment. Their privacy came to an annoying end when the landlady peered out at them from behind the shade.
    “Come in,” Micah offered, opening the door a little wider.
    “Why don't you have an answering machine?” he asked as he stepped inside.
    “They're so impersonal,” she replied. “Besides, I didn't think I could justify the expense.”
    “I've tried to call from the office, but you're never here. And it's been