He felt the loss keenly. Something about her comforted the turmoil inside him. Calmed him. Gave him a sense of peace. She linked her hands behind her back and looked up at the stars. “This is why I don’t live in the city,” she said. “I love the space, the sky, the solitude.” “Do you like being alone?” She whirled to face him, her face a pale oval. “What does that mean?” “Maybe you use your dedication to your charges as a way to hide out from real life.” Tension arced between them. His accusation was perhaps unpardonable, though he stood by it. “You have no right,” she said, the words ragged, her hands fisted at her sides. He grabbed her wrist, feeling the frantic race of her pulse. “Did I hit a nerve?” “I won’t discuss this with you.” She yanked free of his hold.
