* * *
Ronnie was half dozing beside Annie’s bed when Maddie came into the room.
“You look beat,” she said, regarding him with sympathy. “Why don’t you get out of here and grab some rest yourself?”
“Someone needs to be here when Annie wakes up again,” he told her.
“I’ll stay, and I imagine Dana Sue will be back soon.”
“You got her to go home to take a nap?”
“I tried,” Maddie said.
Ronnie studied her face. “But?”
“She’s back.”
“Mustn’t have been much of a nap.”
“We never made it to her house. She decided there were things she needed to do here.”
“Such as?”
“She thought she should be nearby in case Annie needs her,” Maddie said, but her tone was evasive.
Ronnie regarded her quizzically. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I think maybe I’ll let you figure this out on your own,” she said. “All that matters is that I can sit with Annie for a while.”
“Since you’re here and not Dana Sue, that means she’s somewhere on the premises hoping to ambush me,” he concluded. He knew how these two worked as a team. He supposed he ought to be grateful that Helen wasn’t in on whatever scheme they’d hatched.
“I never said that Dana Sue’s return had anything to do with you,” Maddie responded.
“No, of course you didn’t. You’d never betray her,” he said, then grinned. “But you’d set me up.”
She flushed guiltily. “No comment.”
He latched on to her hand. “Look, I need to get out of here for a little while, that’s true. I need to find a motel room, clean up and get some rest. Annie’s sleeping for the moment, so why don’t you come along with me? We can take a little walk together.”
Maddie balked at the door. “I should stay.”
“Annie’s asleep.”
“Not two minutes ago, you thought someone needed to be here.”
He laughed. “I don’t imagine this will take all that long. Dana Sue’s probably lurking right outside the front door.”
“If you know that, why drag me along?”
“I want a witness to whatever she’s up to,” he said. “Come on, Madelyn. Protect me.”
“As if,” she grumbled, but she went with him.
Sure enough, just as they exited the building, Dana Sue appeared in front of him, hands on hips, her expression filled with sass and vinegar. What that woman could do to a man’s libido with just a look ought to be outlawed! Ronnie thought.
“You,” she began, poking a finger in his chest, “are...not...staying...here.” Each emphatic word was accompanied by another jab. “I won’t have it, do you understand me? This town is not big enough for the two of us. I’m not even sure the entire state of South Carolina is big enough for the two of us.”
Ronnie could barely contain a smile. He managed a shrug. “I’m afraid you’ll just have to learn to deal with it, sugar. I’m staying.”
“Did you not hear a word I just said?” she demanded.
“I’m sure every patient at Regional Hospital heard you,” he replied calmly. Then he turned to Maddie and silently mouthed, “Told you so.”
Maddie looked away.
Dana Sue frowned at his comment about her volume, and the next time she spoke, her voice was lower, but no less incensed. “If I’d thought calling you was going to give you some crazy idea about coming back here permanently, I would never have picked up the phone.”
“And if something had happened to Annie without me being here, I would never have forgiven you,” he responded quietly. “Let’s get one thing straight, Dana Sue. I love that girl. I was a fool to leave town just because it was what you wanted, and I was an even bigger fool not to demand joint custody instead of visitation, but I’m not going anywhere ever again.”
He decided now was not the time to mention that he still loved Dana Sue, as well. She’d just throw those words right back in his face, accompanied by a long-winded reminder about why they were divorced.
With apparent effort, she finally simmered down a notch. “I know you love Annie. That’s why I did call. But, Ronnie, seriously, I don’t want you to stay.”
“You’ve made that plain enough.”
“Then you’ll go?”
“No.”
“Dammit, Ronnie, you can’t want to be here again, not knowing the way I feel about you, not knowing that it’s going to dredge up a lot of bad memories and gossip.”
Once again, he was forced to contain a grin. “I can live with a little gossip and, indeed, I do know how you feel,” he said. He doubted she knew it half as well as he did. She wanted to believe he was beneath contempt—and to be honest, he couldn’t deny it—but that didn’t mean she didn’t still love him.
He probably could have proved that with a kiss, too, but then she’d have to slap him silly out of some sense of pride.
“I think we should table this discussion till things settle down a bit,” he said. Then, knowing it would provoke her, he added, “I’m sure you’ll be more reasonable then.”
“Reasonable!” she snapped, clearly outraged by the suggestion she was out of control now. “You want reasonable? How’s this? If you stay here, Ronnie Sullivan, I will make your life a living hell. I will...” She paused, apparently to consider all the vile things she intended to do to him.
He knew the only way to shut her up once she got this wound up was to kiss her, so he decided to risk life and limb to do it. He dragged her against him, sealed her mouth with his and kissed her until she turned weak in his arms. He felt none too steady himself. Dana Sue definitely hadn’t lost her
