"I am going to be sick. "

Curtis pulled to the side of the road and Simone jumped out of the truck. She made for the first bank of trees and before he could get to her she 'd gotten sick.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? "

"Go away. " She wouldn 't turn toward him. "Let me be for a moment. "

"I 'm a doctor. I 've seen people get sick. "

She held her hand up to ward him off. "Not me. Now go away. "

He took a few steps back toward the truck before she threw up again. When she was done she stood there for a moment. She reached into her purse, which hung from her shoulder, and pulled out a tissue. She wiped her face and then ran her fingers under her eyes. When she was composed, she turned back to him.

"I am very sorry, " her voice shook and she kept her eyes diverted to the ground.

"It 's really not a problem. Are you okay? "

"I 'm fine. " She walked past him and climbed back in the truck.

Curtis followed and stood at the door. "I told Zach I didn 't think you were feeling well. "

With that she tensed in the seat. "Doctor Keller, I am fine. It has been a busy week. I have not been eating as I am accustomed to. Please just take me home. "

"I 'll take you home, and then I 'm staying. " He shut the door and walked around the truck. By the time he 'd climbed in behind the steering wheels Simone was sobbing. "Sweetheart, what is wrong? "

"I left you on that yacht. " She sucked up a breath. "I should not have done that. "

"No, you shouldn 't have. But I made it home. " He put the truck in drive. "It took me six days, but I made it. "

There was a slight chuckle that came from the sobbing mess of a woman next to him, but then the tears started all over again.

"Curtis, first, you cannot stay. Those are my rules. Second, " she took another deep breath and paused, causing him to turn his head toward her. "I left you on that yacht because I did not know what to do. I had never been in love with anyone before. "

Thank God for the stoplight. Curtis jerked the truck as he stopped and turned to her. "Love? " His voice cracked and that alone told him to stop the conversation and steer it in another direction.

"I know, it sounds silly, really. But yes. " She finally turned to him. Her makeup had smeared, her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair matted to her face. She was beautiful.

"I fell in love with you, Curtis, and it scared me to death. "

He 'd like to laugh at her, but he couldn 't. In fact, he understood her completely.

The light turned green and Curtis eased off the break. For a moment, he had nothing to say, and he knew that was eating her up by the way she tore the tissue in her hand into tiny pieces.

"Simone, I understand. "

"You do? How could you? It is quite silly. "

"I understand, because if anyone else had left me stranded in the ocean I wouldn 't be trying so desperately to spend time with them, no matter how crazy they made me. "

"Curtis, what are you saying? "

He glanced at her and then turned his attention back to the road. "I 'm saying, that I felt the same way. " He pulled up to her apartment building, parked the truck, and then turned toward her. "At first I was worried sick about you. I thought maybe you 'd fallen overboard and I 'd lost you. "

She covered her mouth and the tears were back. "I did not know that. I did not think of that. "

"I spent two hours trying to figure out what might have1 happened and yelling for you, as if you 'd appear out of the water. I couldn 't quite figure out the radio, but eventually I got it and called for help. I told them I 'd lost you overboard. "

"Oh, Curtis. "

"Someone knew where you were because when they got to me and I was frantic. They told me you 'd been taken to the mainland on a private boat. "

"I am so sorry. "

"I 'd never been so scared and that should say a lot since I work in an E.R. and I 've seen my sister lying there beaten and undergoing a C-section. But the difference was, I was there and I could help her. I didn 't know where you were and I couldn 't help you. "

The sobs were stronger now and he hated that he was causing them, but she needed to know what went on while she gallivanted off into her private life.

She wiped at the tears that kept forming. "How can you even be this close to me? I was horrible. "

"For the same reason you left. "

Her head shot up and her eyes opened wide.

Curtis reached out his hand and caressed her wet cheek. "I fell in love with you, Simone. "

Her jaw trembled and a line of worry creased her forehead. "You did? "

He nodded. "I did. "

She looked down at her hands. "What an idiot I was. "

"You were scared. "

"I am still scared. "

"But you 're here. " He let his hand drop and gathered hers in his. "I 'm not going anywhere. I 'm here and now so are you. We can try again. "

"You really care about me that much, after what I did? "

He took a deep breath and made sure his mind was clear. What he was about to say wasn 't anything he 'd said to anyone else before. "Simone, I forgive you. "

Not many people surprised Simone Pierpont, except her father when he 'd banished her from his office, and now Curtis Keller.

She 'd been taught to remain in control no matter the situation, but what was she supposed to do when everything fell into place?

Her throat went dry and the pace of her heart ramped up. "You forgive me? "

"I can 't say I 'm not pissed that it had to come about this way. But I forgive you for leaving me. "

"Oh, Curtis. " Why couldn 't she control her tears?

He scooped her up in his arms and held her against his chest. "I didn 't think you were this girly, " he chuckled and then kissed the top of her head.

"I want this to work. I really want this to work. "

"Then we have to work at it. "

She nodded and sat back to wipe her eyes.

"Now, " he brushed her cheek with this thumb, "are you going to let me stay the night to make sure you 're okay? "

Through her tears she shook her head. "No. I am fine and I want our next time to be special. "