Free Midnight Kisses by Wayne Jordan Page B

hesitation.
    And therein lay the problem. Or, therein didn’t lay the problem, more appropriately.
    She was falling in love with Daniel Buchanan. She didn’t want to. She knew that she shouldn’t. She’d only met him a week ago. Things were moving much too quickly.
    He was still in love with his wife. That much she knew. She’d noticed again the ring on his finger, evidence of his devotion to a woman who’d died.
    And she could do without relationships. Love was the stuff in romance novels that ended happily ever after. In real life, love could be there, but so many factors existed that challenged its chance of survival.
    She turned the shower on full blast, allowing the water to feel like needle pricks on her body. She welcomed the harshness, and it soothed her. It was something she needed. And then it happened, the unexpected.
    She started to cry. Fast-flowing, uncontrollable tears that she wasn’t even sure had a reason to appear. Maybe she could no longer deny the loneliness that defined her existence. Maybe Daniel’s entrance into her life had only made her aware of all that was missing. Maybe it was those feelings she thought she had buried since her abrupt return to singlehood several years ago.
    For so long she had not wanted a man, but Daniel Buchanan had changed that. He affected her in ways she could not understand.
    Turning the water off, she stepped out of the showerand headed back to the bedroom. She dried her skin quickly and changed the sheets on the bed. Daniel’s scent lingered everywhere.
    Sighing in frustration, she walked to the closet, forcing his scent and image from her mind. She had to get a hold of herself. In a few hours she’d be at work, and she needed to be able to focus. Things were a lot more hectic during the day shift.
    She perused the closet, searching for the perfect outfit for the day. She chose red, a color she didn’t often wear, but red seem to fit the mood she was in. She had no intention of sulking because he’d disappeared without a word.
    Daniel Buchanan was in for a big surprise. He made a mistake by messing with Renée Walker.

Chapter 7
    T he days passed and Daniel didn’t call. She waited each night for the phone to ring, but it didn’t happen. She’d gone through the entire range of emotions possible, but today, Sunday morning, she had reached a state of resignation.
    He’d not been to the hospital and Jamie had asked for him on more than one occasion. By the end of the week, Jamie, too, had reached indifference. Renée could see it each time she visited the teenager.
    What hurt most was that she’d given herself to him without reservations and he had, in a very callous, unfeeling way, rejected her.
    Ironically, even though she’d being trying to talk herself out of a relationship, she still wanted him. She knew Daniel had to be dealing with issues about his wifeor work, but it did not lessen the hurt she was feeling. They needed to talk. Maybe, just maybe, they’d rushed into the lovemaking too soon.
    She couldn’t wait any longer. She needed to talk to him. She searched for her cell phone and quickly found his number, but again, the only response she got was his deep baritone over the voice mail.
    At that moment, she made up her mind. She wasn’t going to call him again. If they were going to talk, he’d have to do the calling. She’d left enough messages and was beginning to sound like the whining, dumped girlfriend. And she was not that kind of woman.
    She was concerned about him. She couldn’t help the hurt or pain that burned inside at the thought of his suffering. He’d lost everything that was important to him.
    The ding of the toaster oven drew her from her thought. Good. She’d eat breakfast and face the day head on. If Daniel decided to call her, then that was his choice. If he didn’t that, too, was his choice.
    Life was all about choices. She, too, had a