“I like toys and comic books. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy other activities. I read the paper. I read best sellers. I read cereal boxes.” He poured himself a glass of juice and drank it. “You underestimate me. You think I’m just another pretty face.”

“Okay, so you read cereal boxes. What else do you do?”

“I draw cartoons.”

Kate sat on a straight-backed chair and tuned her cello. “I mean what real things do you do?”

“Cartoons are real.”

“We aren’t making much progress here. Our personality types are too different. I’m type A, and you’re type… I don’t know if you have a type.”

“I don’t see why this job stuff is so important. Seems to me if you loved me, it wouldn’t matter what I did for a living.”

“It’s because I love you that it matters. I don’t want to mess up your life with a relationship that’s doomed from the start.”

He raked his hand through his hair. “Hell, don’t you think it’s a little late for that? Don’t you understand… I don’t have a life without you.”

Kate clenched her teeth and swallowed back the tears that were burning in her throat. She found she couldn’t talk, so she played. Bach. Suite 5. It was awful. She concentrated on the sheet music, but the notes were wavering in front of her. She blinked away the tears and attacked the opening passage. When she finally looked up, he was gone.

Kate got out of the cab, swearing. She stuffed her crutches under her arm and looked contemptuously at the cello case sitting at the curb. “Great. Just great. How am I going to get this thing into the house?” She would have asked the cab driver, but he didn’t speak English. Elsie. No. Elsie would still be at bingo. Dave. He was the only one left. “Damn!”

She swung her crutch at her garbage can, lost her balance, and fell flat on her back. “Dave!” No response. “David Dodd!”

Dave ambled down his steps and stood over her. She was wearing her long black velvet dress and black velvet cape, and she was stretched out in a pool of lamplight. “Why are you lying on the sidewalk?”

“I fell.”

“I suppose you want me to pick you up.”

Kate gritted her teeth. “That would be nice.”

“Haven’t seen you in a couple of days.”

“Are you going to help me up, or what?”

Dave rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms loosely over his chest. “I don’t know if I should. You kicked me out of your life.”

“Anybody ever tell you that you have a mean streak?” She saw the smile flash across his face and felt her heart stop. Lord, she loved him! How’d she ever get herself into this mess?