He hadn’t liked her implication. It was almost as though she was saying he wasn’t cut out to be a world traveler. And maybe it was true that he’d made his little hut into a home. He had a garden with plants he’d found growing on the savanna. And he’d bought some nice, locally made furniture. He’d told himself that he was doing it to welcome Vera, but sometimes he thought he was making a home for himself.

He got up from the desk. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he needed to do something about Robbie.

CHAPTER FOUR

Kelly hadn’t slept much. She’d flopped around in bed, her mind awhirl, thinking about her life. If she were like Vera, she’d march over to Pauly and demand to be told what was going on. He’d been given an engagement ring and told to put it to its proper use. But he’d returned the ring to the store. So maybe that was good. It showed that he was money conscious. Maybe he wanted to buy a ring on his own and was saving for one.

That idea calmed her down for about five minutes. Then she turned over and stared at the ceiling.

She knew that any money Pauly got he invested in his future business. This trip to Britain must be costing him a lot.

“So he doesn’t want to get married now,” she said aloud. “But what if he never wants to get married?” The future that possibility showed her was too horrible to contemplate. If she and Pauly broke up, Dr. Carl would keep her as his assistant. He needed her. But Mrs. Carl was a woman of strong emotions. She hated as hard as she loved. Kelly had a vision of Dr. Carl in tears as he told Kelly how his wife was making his life hell. He would be sorry, but Kelly had to leave the practice.

She got up before dawn, as she often did, got into her four-wheel-drive Jeep and headed toward Dr. Carl’s clinic. The animals needed to be fed and watered and given some exercise. Dr. Carl would do it, but Kelly usually helped.

When she reached his driveway, she couldn’t bring herself to turn in. She had no doubt that Mrs. Carl would find her and quiz her about what Pauly was doing, as if Kelly knew anything. She felt that her mood was bad enough without being questioned.

She headed back home. She needed to study for her finals, but when she approached the long Hatten drive, she turned into it. It was early enough that Robbie and Adam would be asleep, so she could go to the barn without being seen. Right now she’d like to be with Xander. “Best listener in town,” she mumbled as she parked and got out.