stood in as father to a lonely little boy, he thought privately. He shrugged aside the memory.
Fiona wanted to offer sympathy, but sensed somehow that Nick wouldn’t accept it. She knew what it was like to lose a mother. “How old were you then?”
“Eight. Winnie and Gray were wonderful to me. They saw I had everything growing up. They put me through college, then law school. A few years ago Gray died, but before he did, I promised him I’d look after Auntie. Protect her and her interests.”
Protect her from men like Fiona’s father, Fiona thought with a small, private smile. But she had to admire Nick for his devotion to the family he loved, for offering to look after his aunt. But soon that task would fall to her father. She wondered how Nick would react to that. Would he relinquish responsibility gracefully once Winnie was married?
“It sounds like Gray loved her very much,” she said, returning her thoughts to their conversation.
Nick’s face showed the hint of a smile, the first she’d seen this afternoon. “Yes,” he said quietly. “They were very happy.”
“Another example of a marriage that lasted,” she felt compelled to point out, but wasn’t sure if it was for Nick’s sake or to reassure herself that it was possible, just possible, that marriage could work a second time. For her father. For Winnie.
Nick frowned over at her. “I said there were rare exceptions. Maybe it was because they’d known each other so well, and for so long. Auntie told me they’d been childhood sweethearts.”
His reply didn’t reassure her.
He grew silent then, withdrawing into his thoughts. She wanted to ask him more about himself, about his mother, the father he hadn’t mentioned, but she somehow sensed that this was an area where her probing questions wouldn’t be welcome.
She dragged her gaze away from him and turned it on the passing scenery, the bleached landscape, the struggling vegetation, the dust devils kicking up here and there across the desert floor.
That was what she felt like inside—a dust devil, whirling madly around. Emotionally.Nick had reached into her heart and touched her on some level she hadn’t been fully aware of. She wasn’t sure she should respond. Feeling anything for Nick Killian could be dangerous.
“They’re miniature tornadoes,” Nick said, seeing Fiona studying the strange desert phenomenon. They’d always intrigued him and he’d even done a project for a science fair when he was in school, analyzing then recreating the activity.
“The kind that can’t hurt you, I hope,” she replied.
“They won’t hurt you, Fiona.” Nick turned his gaze back to the road ahead. He didn’t know where he was headed; he was just driving. Eating up miles.
He and Fiona were supposed to be plotting the demise of their relatives’ wedding plans, but the wedding seemed fated to take place, despite any attempt on their part to delay it.
Maybe he should just enjoy the day with Fiona. She’d be out of his life soon enough.
Yes, he would enjoy the day with her, come what may.
Then suddenly he knew where he wanted to take her. “There’s a place I want you to see,” he said. “It’s only a short drive from here. Are you game?”
Fiona didn’t know what she was promising, but she nodded. “I’m game.”
A lizard ran across her feet and Fiona squealed. But despite a few unwanted denizens the town offered, she was delighted they’d come.
Surprise, Nevada. A place time forgot.
A page out of the Old West.
The ghost town seemed lost in the desert. As different from the bright lights of Las Vegas as anything could get.
Feeling like she was on some kind of busman’s holiday, she stepped into a dusty antique shop and soaked up the atmosphere. Her eyes couldn’t take everything in fast enough. She gripped Nick’s arm, her fingers tightening around his biceps, as if for support.
“Oh, Nick, you knew I’d enjoy this.”
Nick smiled. The name of the town, Surprise,
Fiona wanted to offer sympathy, but sensed somehow that Nick wouldn’t accept it. She knew what it was like to lose a mother. “How old were you then?”
“Eight. Winnie and Gray were wonderful to me. They saw I had everything growing up. They put me through college, then law school. A few years ago Gray died, but before he did, I promised him I’d look after Auntie. Protect her and her interests.”
Protect her from men like Fiona’s father, Fiona thought with a small, private smile. But she had to admire Nick for his devotion to the family he loved, for offering to look after his aunt. But soon that task would fall to her father. She wondered how Nick would react to that. Would he relinquish responsibility gracefully once Winnie was married?
“It sounds like Gray loved her very much,” she said, returning her thoughts to their conversation.
Nick’s face showed the hint of a smile, the first she’d seen this afternoon. “Yes,” he said quietly. “They were very happy.”
“Another example of a marriage that lasted,” she felt compelled to point out, but wasn’t sure if it was for Nick’s sake or to reassure herself that it was possible, just possible, that marriage could work a second time. For her father. For Winnie.
Nick frowned over at her. “I said there were rare exceptions. Maybe it was because they’d known each other so well, and for so long. Auntie told me they’d been childhood sweethearts.”
His reply didn’t reassure her.
He grew silent then, withdrawing into his thoughts. She wanted to ask him more about himself, about his mother, the father he hadn’t mentioned, but she somehow sensed that this was an area where her probing questions wouldn’t be welcome.
She dragged her gaze away from him and turned it on the passing scenery, the bleached landscape, the struggling vegetation, the dust devils kicking up here and there across the desert floor.
That was what she felt like inside—a dust devil, whirling madly around. Emotionally.Nick had reached into her heart and touched her on some level she hadn’t been fully aware of. She wasn’t sure she should respond. Feeling anything for Nick Killian could be dangerous.
“They’re miniature tornadoes,” Nick said, seeing Fiona studying the strange desert phenomenon. They’d always intrigued him and he’d even done a project for a science fair when he was in school, analyzing then recreating the activity.
“The kind that can’t hurt you, I hope,” she replied.
“They won’t hurt you, Fiona.” Nick turned his gaze back to the road ahead. He didn’t know where he was headed; he was just driving. Eating up miles.
He and Fiona were supposed to be plotting the demise of their relatives’ wedding plans, but the wedding seemed fated to take place, despite any attempt on their part to delay it.
Maybe he should just enjoy the day with Fiona. She’d be out of his life soon enough.
Yes, he would enjoy the day with her, come what may.
Then suddenly he knew where he wanted to take her. “There’s a place I want you to see,” he said. “It’s only a short drive from here. Are you game?”
Fiona didn’t know what she was promising, but she nodded. “I’m game.”
A lizard ran across her feet and Fiona squealed. But despite a few unwanted denizens the town offered, she was delighted they’d come.
Surprise, Nevada. A place time forgot.
A page out of the Old West.
The ghost town seemed lost in the desert. As different from the bright lights of Las Vegas as anything could get.
Feeling like she was on some kind of busman’s holiday, she stepped into a dusty antique shop and soaked up the atmosphere. Her eyes couldn’t take everything in fast enough. She gripped Nick’s arm, her fingers tightening around his biceps, as if for support.
“Oh, Nick, you knew I’d enjoy this.”
Nick smiled. The name of the town, Surprise,
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