Page 27 of Payback
That was the last thing Loran wanted to hear. “You don’t think people need time to make a decision like that… whether they love someone? Whether they want to spend the rest of their lives with that person?”
She tipped her head to the side, studying him. “That depends. Why is she uncertain? Is it something you did to make her doubt you?”
“Sort of.”
She sighed. “I’ve told you everything there is to know about me. Bored you to tears some days, I’m sure.”
“Impossible,” he said, winking.
In truth, Stella’s life had been interesting. She travelled the world and taught English as a second language until she met her husband in South Korea when she was twenty-four. They returned to the States to get married and start a family and he’d worked two jobs to put her through school so she could become an English teacher.
They had four children, ten grandchildren, and she’d won Teacher of the Year for her work with underprivileged kids in low-income school districts.
It was hard for Loran to believe all of those students whose lives she’d impacted didn’t keep in touch with her. If they had they’d have known their time was running out to let her know that she’d made a difference in their lives.
“So, what did you do?”
He couldn’t imagine talking to Stella about sex, but it was obvious she wasn’t going to let this go until he offered her some kind of explanation. “Bella and I went away together for the weekend. Vegas.”
She dropped her blanket and clapped her hands together. “Oh I love Las Vegas! I haven’t been there in years!”
He’d like to resurrect some good memories for her. “Tell me about it. Who’d you go with? What’d you do? Gamble, see some shows—”
“Oh no you don’t, young man. You’re just trying to distract me.”
Damn. She was too smart for her own good. “I was?”
“You know you were. Now tell me what happened between you and Bella in Vegas.”
“Things were going well,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “We were getting closer.”
She wiggled her thin white eyebrows and giggled. “As close as two people can get, I’m guessing?”
He chuckled, certain she’d made him blush. “You could say that.”
“So what’d you do to screw things up? You don’t strike me as the type who’d be selfish in the sack.”
His jaw dropped. “Stella!”
She laughed and slapped his arm. “You forget I taught raunchy teenagers most of my life. There’s nothing I haven’t seen or heard. Don’t worry about shocking or offending me. In fact, I’m pretty sure I could shock you.”
“I have no doubt.” He shook his head, trying to shake that thought loose. “Anyways, my argument with Bella that night had nothing to do with that. I saw her talking to some guy in a bar and got angry.”
“How angry?” She curled her little hands into fists and held them up. “Did you punch him out?”
Loran smirked. “You’re too cute, lady.”
“Well, did you?”
“Something like that.”
She nodded. “And your girlfriend got mad and dumped you.” She clucked her tongue. “She should have been flattered that you cared so much.”
“She was upset that I didn’t trust her.” Loran had no doubt who was at fault that night. He was. “I hit first and asked questions later.”
She seemed to consider that before she said, “Trust is important in a relationship. That was one thing Herbert and I had going for us. He knew I’d never look at another man and vice versa.”
“What does it take to get there?” Loran asked, wondering if he would ever get to the point where he could see another man check Bella out without clenching his fists. “I mean to be so secure in your relationship that you know nothing and no one could shake it?”
“Time, my dear.” She patted his hand. “Just time. And fortunately you and your young lady have that on your side.”
