She shook her head. He closed the door behind him, and she rubbed her face again. A quick shower later, she joined him in the garden once more in a tank top and jeans. The balmy spring air was warm, even after dusk fell. Her thoughts drifted to the island. It seemed so far away, like a dream.
Ever the gentleman, Wynn cleared the table and returned with two drinks: warm, spiced wine. Deidre accepted hers but hesitated to drink it.
"You're a good friend, Wynn," she murmured. She pushed herself down in her seat until her head rested on the back of the chair. "What made someone like you take my case?"
"I enjoy a challenge. The doctor before me said you wouldn't make it a month. Figured I'd try it."
"You really are too good to quit the field," she said again.
"Probably," he agreed. "I prefer to work on my terms. There was a little too much outside interference."
Deidre studied him. Wynn was relaxed, sharp gaze on some point in the distance as he sipped his wine. She frowned. She had the same strange sense she did when she first met Gabriel, that he wasn't fully part of this world.
"Do you believe there are people in our world who aren't like us?" she started.
"You're talking more than the everyone-is-a-snowflake paradigm?"
"Yeah."
"I've seen a lot during my years as a doctor. We are so far from understanding the roadmaps of our DNA. Who's to say there aren't genetic variations that lend people to being different?" he asked, shrugging. "Did you meet someone unlike us?"
"I think so. I, uh, did something really awful Saturday night, and the whole world has gone insane."
"You do something bad? You're too sweet, Deidre."
"I had a one night stand," she admitted. "Logan or …Wynn, if I wasn't with Logan this weekend …Dammit. One thing at a time." She pressed the meat of her hands to her eyes to keep from crying again.
"One night stand? This is awful? I thought you'd admit to killing Logan at least."
"You're going to think I'm crazy by the end of this." She breathed deeply then told him everything. Almost. One aspect of the weekend she wasn't ready to accept.
Wynn was calm. Deidre took some solace from the fact he didn't laugh or throw her out. He listened intently, swirling and sipping his wine. She'd expected horror or disbelief from him during the hour straight that she poured her heart out to him. When she fell silent, he appeared thoughtful rather than surprised.
"Well?" she asked tentatively. "If you want me to get a hotel room, I totally understand."