he faced her again. "i don't think it could be," he said softly. "i met the most incredibly warm, beautiful woman that night."

she was embarrassed by what he'd said. "i've never done anything like that in my life."

"and i have?" he countered.

"i...i wouldn't know. i don't know you. we don't know each other."

"ah, but we do," he insisted. "you're gloria ashton and you're generous, loving, courageous-"

"if i'm so courageous, then why am i shaking like a leaf?" she held out her hand so he could see how just being close to him made her tremble.

"but you agreed to see me again."

"i didn't feel i had a choice," she blurted out.

"no, you didn't," he said. "and i had no choice but to keep asking you. i fell in love with you that night, gloria. why else would i stand up to the kind of rejection you constantly threw at me?"

"you can't love me," she told him sharply. these were the very words she'd been afraid he'd say. "you don't even know me."

"why are you fighting me so hard?" he set his wineglass on the coffee table and moved to her side. placing his hands on her shoulders, he stared down at her.

although it was difficult, she met his eyes.

"okay," he finally said. "if you want to start again, we will." he dropped his arms. "hello, my name is chad timmons." he held out one hand in a gesture of mock solemnity.

"gloria," she said. her voice was breathless and quavery. "gloria ashton." she briefly touched her hand to his, suppressing a shiver at the contact.

"pleased to meet you."

"likewise. so...we're going out to dinner this evening," she murmured.

"yes."

it all seemed a bit ridiculous, but she'd asked for this. "good," she said in response. she was able to offer him a small grateful smile.

"are you ready to leave now?" he asked.

"okay." she took a quick sip of her wine, then brought both glasses back to the kitchen. standing by the counter she closed her eyes, praying she could get through the evening without making an idiot of herself.

"i made reservations at d.d.'s on the cove," chad said as he retrieved his jacket.

"sounds good," she said, joining him again.

chad helped her on with her sweater. gloria had fretted over what to wear; she didn't want to appear too casual, nor did she want to overdress. in the end she chose white linen pants, a sleeveless white top and a pink sweater with a rose pattern.

she locked her apartment and they walked to the restaurant. "i parked my car there earlier," he explained. "i thought after dinner we could go for a ride, if you'd like."

"sure. that would be nice."

he reached for her hand and she let him take it. his hold was gentle; she could feel herself beginning to relax. if they could start over, they might actually become friends-and then they could see if friendship led to anything else.

the dinner was everything she'd hoped it would be-and feared. once the awkwardness left her, they talked for two hours over succulent crab cakes and the same wine she'd served at the apartment. chad told her about his experiences at the clinic and she responded with stories from her years of police work.

"i'd accepted a position in the e.r. in tacoma," he said at one point.

"were they upset when you changed your mind?" if so, gloria would have to take the blame.

"not too much. they said if i ever wanted a job to let them know."

she looked into her wineglass and whispered, "i'm glad you stayed in cedar cove."

"i am, too."

he added something gloria couldn't quite make out. it sounded like "more than ever." but she couldn't be sure.

they finished their meal, ending with coffee, and strolled along the waterfront for a while. warm from the bottle of wine they'd shared and feeling more at ease than she'd thought possible, gloria smiled over at chad. "i'm really enjoying myself."

"don't act so surprised."

"but i am surprised. i didn't expect it to be like this."

chad rested one hand lightly on her shoulder. "i always knew it would be," he said.

gloria decided not to respond.

they walked in silence for another ten minutes, and then chad led her to his car, a sporty convertible. he put the top down. "don't worry," he said, "i only had a glass and a half of wine."

she nodded. "where are we going?" she asked once they were both seated inside.

"where would you like to go?"

the answer that came automatically to mind was "home." she wanted her life to go back to the way it was when her parents were alive. she wanted to go home to california, where she'd been raised and everything felt familiar. but that wasn't possible. her life there was over. her parents were buried, her home sold. everything she knew and loved was gone.

"wherever you'd like," she said, since he was waiting for an answer.

"okay." he put the car in gear and they headed down harbor street, then around the cove toward bremerton. chad turned on a golden-oldies station and they sang along to classics from elvis to the rolling stones. the car took the corners smoothly and soon gloria was laughing, closing her eyes in exhilaration and letting the wind tangle her hair.

"i love the sound of your laughter," chad said as he pulled into a parking lot near the shipyard and shut off the engine.

gloria smiled when he reached for her hand.

"i feel good," she whispered. "i don't know why, either-unless it's the wine. and the music."

"well, those things help, and so does my charming company, but i know what the big reason is."

curious, she looked at him.

"you found your family," chad said.

"my birth parents," she said. the mcafees had made every effort to welcome her into their lives but it hadn't really worked. not for her. she didn't fit. much as she wanted to belong, she simply didn't. it felt forced, like trying to break into a closed circle. the desire was there on both sides, but it would take more than blood to create this bond.

"you have a new family now," he added.

gloria didn't doubt that roy and corrie loved her. she felt their love-and their regret. she'd been excited to learn she had a full sister and brother, but try as they might they hadn't truly connected. not like real siblings. yes, they'd become friends, but these weren't intimate friendships.

"gloria?"

"do i have a family?" she asked, and was shocked when her voice cracked. she so badly wanted to fit in with the mcafees and didn't. couldn't. linnette tried to keep in touch but they weren't close, not the way gloria wanted. only yesterday she'd found out from corrie, who'd come over to her apartment with the news, that linnette was married and having a baby. gloria was the last one in this so-called family to hear of her sister's marriage. okay, so linnette had kept her wedding and pregnancy a secret from her parents, too, but mack knew. linnette hadn't told gloria, though.

to her acute embarrassment, tears gathered in her eyes.

"gloria?"

"linnette's married," she whispered, and blinked furiously, embarrassed beyond words by this unexpected display of emotion.

chad frowned.

"she married p-pete mason." somehow gloria managed to choke out the words. "i'm going to be..." she was about to say an aunt, when chad slipped his finger beneath her chin and turned her face toward him.

he was going to kiss her. she started to tell him she didn't want his kiss when his mouth settled lightly on hers. awareness ripped through her, and even as her brain screamed in protest she willingly surrendered her mouth to his. winding her arms around his neck, gloria yielded to the comfort of his embrace.

she wasn't sure how long they kissed. they couldn't seem to get enough of each other. when chad broke away, he released a shuddering breath, then immediately started the car and drove out of the darkened lot.

gloria didn't know where they were going. she didn't care. closing her eyes, she leaned her head against the back of the seat and tried to understand what had just happened. or, more accurately, what was about to happen.

they arrived at chad's apartment near the medical facility. he turned off the engine and looked straight ahead. "tell me to take you home, gloria."

"why?" she asked. her voice shook.

"because if we go inside, we both know what'll happen."

she didn't speak.

"tell me," he insisted.

"chad, i-" she couldn't do it. with chad, every defense she'd ever erected tumbled down as soon as he kissed her. her resolve, her determination that this wouldn't be a repeat of their first date, flew out the proverbial window.

reaching over, she slipped her hand around his neck and brought his lips back to hers. that kiss was like setting a match to a keg of dynamite. chad pulled away from her and got out of the car.

gloria didn't wait for him to come around and open her door. she climbed out and was in his arms again within seconds. they kissed continually on the way to his apartment.

he fumbled with the keys. she didn't make it any easier, nibbling on his ear as he attempted to unlock his door.

once inside he didn't turn on the lights. gloria was glad. she removed her sweater, hardly able to get it off fast enough; her top and her bra followed. with the same sense of urgency, chad threw off his clothes and led her into the bedroom.

entwined, they fell onto the bed without bothering to pull back the sheets. they made love once, drifted off to sleep, and then again when they woke in the middle of the night. afterward, he cuddled her spoon-fashion, wrapping the sheet and blanket around her shoulders, placing his arm around her waist.

gloria woke up at five that morning, feeling sick to her stomach. they'd done it again. she'd spilled her guts to a man she barely knew, revealed her disappointment after finding her family. even now, she couldn't figure out what it was about this man that made her forget every scrap of common sense she'd ever possessed.

chad snored softly close to her ear. taking care not to wake him, gloria slid out of bed. her clothes were scattered across three rooms. she collected everything in the dark and quietly dressed.

she left chad a note and propped it against his coffeepot, then tiptoed silently out of his apartment and walked back to her own. the early-morning chill seeped into her bones.

this wouldn't happen again. it couldn't. they'd been in such a hurry, so hot for each other, they hadn't even taken time to use birth control. they'd behaved with complete irresponsibility. not once, but twice. they were a doctor and a cop-two people who certainly knew better. her face burned.