“What about?”
Lauren shrugged. “I heard the words cluster species and algorithms and tuned him out.”
Seth raised both eyebrows. “Sounds interesting.”
“Yeah, right.” Lauren laughed. “Only if you’re a math geek.”
“Are you going?”
Lauren didn’t even have to think about her answer. “You couldn’t pay me enough.”
Seth gazed into the crackling fire. His chores were all done. Ivy had been in bed for hours. He assumed Lauren was asleep by now, too. She’d gone to her bedroom after dinner to work on her dissertation...and because she probably sensed he needed some time alone.
He’d been distracted all evening, but instead of badgering him to tell her what was wrong, she’d let him be.
Even if she’d asked and he’d wanted to tell her, he wasn’t sure what he’d have said. All Seth knew was that ever since his conversation with Mitch several days earlier, he’d felt unsettled.
He looked up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs and his heart flip-flopped in his chest. He hadn’t expected to see Lauren again this evening.
His smile of welcome faded when he saw her tears. Seth jumped to his feet and hurried to her side. “What’s the matter?”
She swiped at her cheeks with the tips of her fingers, her smile wobbly. “Sorry. I thought you’d already gone to bed.”
Seth shot her a wink. “I was waiting up for you.”
He was rewarded with a slight smile.
“I came down because I couldn’t sleep.”
Seth forced a teasing tone. “And to see me, of course.”
This time the smile reached her eyes. “How’d you guess?”
He tapped his temple with an index finger. “Psychic.”
She laughed and the tense set of her shoulders eased.
“Come sit with me by the fire.” Sensing her embarrassment, he pretended not to notice her red-rimmed eyes.
When she hesitated, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the sofa. “C’mon, I don’t bite.”
When she sat, he dropped down next to her. ‘Talk to me.”
“About what?”
“What’s keeping you from sleeping might be a good place to start.”
“You mean, other than you?”
He grinned. “Other than me.”
Her gaze shifted and the smile faded from her lips. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. “My father called.”
Seth shifted in his seat and took her hands, trying not to show his alarm. “What did he have to say?”
Lauren shook her head. “You should get to bed.” She tried to pull her hands away, but he held on. “You’re still recovering. You don’t need to listen to me whine about my life. I’ll just make some warm milk and—”
“Lauren,” he said gently but firmly, cutting off her nervous chatter. “I can’t make it better if I don’t know what’s wrong. Did something happen to your mother? Or your dad?”
“No. No. Nothing like that.”
Seth released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Then what?”
“Okay, but please understand.” A hint of pink tinged her cheeks. “I’m not some child desperate for a father’s love and approval. I’ve known for a long time exactly where I fit into his life.”
“Understood.”
“I grew up with every material advantage. Now, after observing firsthand what a home filled with love looks and feels like, I realize that I was shortchanged. It makes me angry. And hurt. And...”
As he listened to her talk, Seth realized she wasn’t the only one who’d had her eyes recently opened. Lauren’s presence had brought completeness to his world. While he loved the ranch and his life with Ivy, there’d been an emptiness inside him.
An emptiness only Lauren had been able to fill. His gaze settled on her face. He couldn’t deny it any longer. He was falling in love with her. No, he was in love with her. Instead of joy, despair flowed through his veins.
“This situation doesn’t lend itself to a quick-fix solution,” she added.
Truer words had never been spoken.
Seth squeezed her hands. “My grandmother used to say a burden is always lighter when it’s shared with someone who cares.”
“I hadn’t spoken with my father since Thanksgiving, and that was when I called him.”
Seth bit his tongue and smiled encouragingly.
“Edmund didn’t call to ask about my Christmas or to see how I was doing.” Though she spoke calmly, he heard the underlying hurt. “Adam had e-mailed him about his lecture in Bozeman on Monday. Since my father was already flying to the East Coast for a symposium in New York, he changed his airline reservations so he could stop over and listen.”
“And so he could see you,” Seth reminded her.
“Actually, he made it clear he was stopping in Montana only because Adam was speaking,” Lauren said lightly, her smile not reaching her eyes.
“He must think a lot of the guy.” Seth couldn’t think of anything else to say. Or at least anything that didn’t involve a few choice cuss words.
Lauren gave a humorless laugh.
“Still, he’s going to see you while he’s here. I mean, he’ll be just down the road.”
“I asked. He hadn’t built in the extra time to come all the way to Sweet River.” Lauren’s eyes were now dry, but the sadness lingering in the emerald depths tore his heart in two.
“Why even bother to call?” Seth asked.
“He asked if I was interested in driving to Bozeman to listen to the lecture. Said I could go to dinner with him and Adam afterward. He hinted he may have news about one of the colleges where I’d interviewed.”
Seth’s heart stuttered. “That’s right. You’ll soon be starting a whole new exciting life.”
Lauren stared into the flickering flames. “I’m really going to miss it here. My clients. My work on the crisis line...everything.”
What about me? he wanted to ask. Will you miss me?
“Hopefully you can still do counseling wherever you end up.”
“Colleges are cutting budgets.” Lauren shrugged. “I’ll have a heavy class load as well and be expected to do research and publish. I wouldn’t be able to do justice to the clients.”
“You’ll be a great professor,” Seth said. “You’re someone who’ll be successful at whatever you choose to do.”
He gazed at her for a long moment,
