page_426 < previous page page_426 next page > Page 426 Charles paused and tried another smile. "As I said, if you think I'm going to spoil everything now because of a little lost blood, you're vastly mistaken. Now go get dressed." Devina smiled. "Charles, why could I never talk to Ross the way I can talk to you?" "Because you love Ross, and love gets in the way." The tears in Devina's eyes belied her annoyed response to his prompt reply. "Charles, you're too damned smart." Turning she walked into the next room. Charles watched as the front door of the Dale house closed behind Devina. Pausing only a moment longer, he descended the steps and headed home, his step lagging. "Charles, you're too damned smart . . ." Charles gave a short, self-deprecating laugh. Yes, so smart that he had outsmarted himself. He looked up at the sky, realizing that it was not yet midnight. The realization startled him. The day had been so long, so crammed full of events of great magnitude that it seemed like an eternity since he had stood at Devina's side in the courtroom and heard sentence pronounced on Ross. Light-headedness assailed Charles, and his step faltered. He raised a hand to his forehead and paused to take a deep breath. Damn, hold on! You're all right. The wound is only a crease, and the blood loss was not significant. Charles felt the urge to laugh. Strange as it seemed, his debility seemed only to bring things into clearer perspective. His own stupidity, for instance. He had seen the expression on Jake's face when he swept Lai Hua up onto his saddle, when he had declared his love for her. He supposed only a man similarly in love with a woman whom he had considered wrong for him could appreciate the full scope of Jake's declaration of love. And only a man similarly in love could appreciate what a damned fool Charles Carter had been. Then there was the unhappiness that faced Ross and Devina, an unhappiness that could so easily be reversed if they could only manage to overcome the past. Wasn't there a lesson in that for him, also? Charles winced at the pain that stabbed his shoulder. Firmly ignoring the new throbbing that ensued, he hurried forward. He paused at the corner of Allen and Sixth and fixed his gaze  < previous page page_426 next page >