“Erin, do you mind?” he asked, ignoring Krista’s pleading eyes.

“Not at all,” Erin agreed, as kindly as she could, and rained a warm smile on Krista. “We’ll get along just fine!” Kane’s gray gaze was dubious.

“Daddy, please, don’t go!” Krista cried in a shaky voice. Her frightened blue eyes skittered over to Erin and back to her father.

“Look, honey,” Kane answered, taking both of Krista’s hands in his. He squatted next to the chair, so that the child could look him squarely in the eyes. “You know I don’t want to go, so let’s not make it any harder than it already is. I’ll be back soon. I promise.” He planted a loving kiss on the top of her forehead as if to ward off any further protests. His silvery eyes locked with Erin’s for a moment, begging her to understand, but there was something more—the same old sense of wariness seemed to flicker across his face for an instant as he grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. Krista stared at her plate, unable to watch her father leave, but Erin followed him.

Kane stretched into his coat, took Erin’s hand in his and gently guided her out into the semiprivacy of the hallway. “Thank you,” he stated and his eyes held hers. Erin could see a question in their steely depths.

“It’s no problem,” she replied, doubting her own words as she thought about the headstrong blond girl.

Kane looked at her and seemed unconvinced. “You don’t have to mince words with me. I know that Krista’s a handful!”

“I can handle her,” Erin insisted.

“I know.” Still he hesitated, and in the dimly lit hallway Erin could sense an uneasiness creep over both of them. It was the same feeling that seemed to keep them from completely trusting each other. He began to reach for her and then let his hand drop. “I’ll be back as soon as I can….”

“I’m sure it won’t be long,” she agreed, knowing that her voice sounded feeble. What was it that was bothering her? Something didn’t seem right. “I thought that the repairmen fixed the computer on Friday,” she puzzled, shaking her head in an effort to remember the details of Friday afternoon. “Yes, I’m sure that we got a call around five o’clock, stating that all systems were go.”

Kane’s jaw flexed. “Apparently there have been additional problems.” His voice was strangely devoid of emotion—cold.

“Odd, isn’t it?” she murmured. “Oh, well.” She lifted her shoulders and managed a sincere smile. “Try to hurry home….”

His sudden and powerful embrace surprised and baffled her. His arms held her closely, tightly, as if he were afraid she might disappear. His strength imprisoned her, and she could hear the hammering of his heart, belying his calm exterior of a few moments before. His breathing was labored and uneven. She couldn’t see his eyes as her face was crushed, almost savagely, against his chest. There was anger in his strength and passion in his words. They were torn from him as if his admission were painfully traitorous.