Page 30 of Out on a Limb

---

Once again her eyes came to mine. “You do?”

“Of course.” I missed that I no longer had a limitless budget. I missed that my job no longer had the stability she provided.

But this moment wasn’t about those things.

“I used to talk to her every day.” I stretched out my legs. “She was an interesting person.”

Collette smiled, the sadness I’d identified earlier easing away. “She really was.” She stretched her legs out beside mine. “She loved this place.”

“We all do.”

Collette’s smile faltered just a little.

I’d said something that brought back the sadness.

She sniffed a little. “Not the assholes behind us.”

That was why she was here. Why she was sitting alone in an empty park.

“It’s going to be okay.” I reached out to smooth down a strand of her hair.

I didn’t mean to do it.

Didn’t mean to touch her in such an intimate way.

I just wanted to make her feel better. It was something I usually attempted with words.

At this point I was fairly confident in my ability to identify and understand feelings.

But knowing when a touch was wanted was something different altogether.

And I didn’t want to get it wrong.

But Collette didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull back.

Her eyes stayed on mine, lips parting just a little as she leaned closer.

I always waited for a woman to make the first move. Always.

Had to. Just to be safe.

But expecting this woman to do one more thing didn’t feel right.

“It’s late.”

She blinked. “Oh.” Collette leaned back, one hand coming to run through the hair I could still almost feel. “I should get home.” She grabbed Phillip and the bag of food and immediately started down the small path leading back to the main walkway.

Without looking back.

Shit.

I wiped one hand down my face.

I was damned if I did.

And damned if I didn’t.

I stood from the bench.

---