“Would you have kept treating her badly if you hadn’t run into Gates?” Joe asked.
Heath shook his head slowly. “I doubt it. The whole act was becoming real hard to sustain.”
“Act?”
“I don’t hate her, Joe,” Heath said softly, a catch in his voice. “I never did even when I was trying to convince myself otherwise.”
Joe nodded silently, moved by Heath’s struggle to contain his emotions.
Heath put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “I don’t know what to do,” he said.
Joe waited, unsure what to say. In his experience, Heath had always known what to do.
Heath opened his eyes. “Any advice?” he said.
“Do you want her to stay with you?” Joe asked.
“Of course, but I can’t keep holding her brother’s fate over her head to coerce her.”
“You don’t think she’ll stay with you otherwise?”
Heath was silent.
“Does she love you?”
“She did, but...”
Joe raised an eyebrow.
“I’ve done everything I could to destroy her affection for me. If it’s survived, it will be a miracle.”
“I’d bet she’s a lot tougher than she looks,” Joe said.
Heath nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve learned that during the past month.”
“Then tell her what you’re feeling. Don’t give up now when you’re so close to getting what you want.”
“I don’t know how close I am. She would never have married me in the first place if Tim weren’t on his way to jail.”
“That may have been the excuse she gave herself, but I’m sure she wanted to be with you, Heath. I remember when you were kids. I’ve never seen two people more in love.”
“A lot of time has passed since then.”
“Have your feelings changed?”
Heath didn’t answer for a long time, then he shook his head once, unable to meet Joe’s eyes.
“Chances are she feels the same. Go home and talk to her, Heath. I’m betting she’ll listen.”
Heath got up and walked toward the door, pausing as he passed Joe to put his hand on the older man’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Joe,” he said huskily.
Joe smiled to himself as the door closed behind Heath.
* * * *
Heath drove back home in a fog of apprehension; he knew that he had to confront Ann about this now, since there was no possibility of going on as before, but he dreaded her reaction.
She had every right to throw him out of the house or leave him on the spot. The only mystery was why she hadn’t done so already. But the idea that she might reject him now, after all that they had been through, was truly too awful to consider.
Ann was in the den wrapping a Christmas present when he arrived.
“Princess,” he said softly from the doorway.
Her head shot up and she looked at him. Her expression cut him to the quick; she looked as if she were anticipating a blow. And why not? He had been delivering little else lately.
“Heath,” she said, putting aside the gift. “I didn’t know where you were.”
“I came back last night but left again before you woke up this morning.”
“I didn’t expect you to come back.”
He nodded dismally. “How are you feeling?”
“All right.” She seemed surprised that he had asked.
“You said you were dizzy last night.”
She appeared confused. “But I thought that you didn’t believe me.”
Heath leaned against the doorway and closed his eyes. “I believe you, Ann. I think some part of me always has. Are you sure that you’re feeling better now?”
She nodded, clearly bewildered by his solicitous attitude. “I was too nervous to eat all day before the party, that’s all. I wanted the evening to go well.”
“It did go well, until I blew it at the end with my big mouth, of course.”
“Nobody heard that, Heath. Nobody but Joe, and he’s not going to say anything.”
He stared at her in amazement. She was still worried about him even though he didn’t deserve it.
“Princess, I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s all right, Heath. Forget it. I guess we were both tense last night. It’s over now.”
“I’m not talking about the incident with Ben Rowell. I’m talking about the way I’ve acted since we met again last month—the way I blackmailed you into marrying me and have used your brother’s situation to keep you with me ever since.”
Ann was so stunned she couldn’t reply.
“I knew that I couldn’t keep this charade going much longer. I think these irrational outbursts, like the one last night, were just reflections of my confusion.”
“What charade?” Ann said softly.
“Pretending that I didn’t care about you, that my only objective was to use you in bed and extract revenge for the past.”
“You convinced me.”
“I know. I’ve been a brute to you. Just thinking about some of the things I’ve said and done makes me cringe.”
Ann stared at him for a moment, then said, “Why this change of heart now, Heath?”
He sighed, not surprised that she didn’t know how to respond to this turnabout in his attitude.
“Ann, I know that the story you told me about your father prosecuting me for rape is true. Last night I talked to a cop who was on the Lime Island police force when your father was inquiring about assembling a case against me.”
Her lips parted and he held up his hand. She waited breathlessly, watching him.
“I want you to understand that even before I spoke to him I knew that we couldn’t go on like this. Torturing you wasn’t as much fun as I’d thought it would be. In fact, it wasn’t fun at all.” He ran his hand through his disordered hair, then added, “I’m letting you out of the deal. You’re free to go whenever you want and I’ll make you a generous settlement. And as far as your brother goes, I’ll continue to do everything I said I would with no strings attached. He’ll stay out of jail and I’ll pay the attorneys for his trial. I’ve already bought up the stock in ScriptSoft and I’ll oversee the company’s recovery.” He expelled his breath in a rush. “I guess that’s all I have to say.”
Ann swallowed hard, her expression unreadable, her body motionless.
“I’m going to leave for a couple of hours so you can make up your mind whether you want to stay here or return to New York. I’ll clear out if you want the house until the divorce is settled. I’m sorry about the timing of this, Christmas and all, but it couldn’t wait. I’ll be back around three. You can let me know what you want to do then. I know I’m springing this on you suddenly. Is that enough time for you to decide? I just want to get this over with and not prolong the agony.”
Ann nodded wordlessly.
Heath walked out of the den and Ann heard him leave.
She put her head down on her cradled arms and slowly closed her eyes.
* * * *
The afternoon of Christmas Eve was the longest period of Heath’s life. He had no idea what to do with himself so he drove to the mall on Big Palm and sat on one of the stone benches, watching the tardy shoppers hurry past him. The kids were hysterical with pre-Christmas excitement and the parents rushed and preoccupied. He was oblivious to the Christmas carols blaring over the intercom and the advertisements for the last-minute sales while his whole history with Ann played itself over in his mind like a newsreel. He had surely blown his last chance with her and that knowledge made him want to beg her to stay with him. But some warning instinct told him that she had to bring up that possibility herself.
He was through trying to force her into his mold. The idea must be hers.
When he got back to the house, the sun was beginning to decline in the winter sky and he found Ann sitting in the living room, waiting for him. She was dressed exactly as she had been when he’d left and there were no bags in the hall.
Ann’s eyes flooded with tears when she saw him.
He stared back at her, a muscle jumping along his jaw.
“Come here,” she said.