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Authors: Colleen Rhoads
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fingers in a death grip. She’d held onto him through the entire confrontation.
He didn’t seem to mind.
Returning the pressure of his fingers, she smiled up at him. “I feel like we just lived through a waterspout.”
“And that describes Roger. He’s all blow.” Simon stood looking down into her eyes.
A shiver started at the base of her neck and worked its way down her spine as she looked into his eyes. Shetold herself it was just a reaction to seeing her brother and sister so happy, but deep down she knew Simon had always intrigued her.
She swallowed. “I smell tonight’s meat loaf. The least I can do is make sure you get fed tonight. Come with me.” She tugged at his hand then finally released it when they reached the front door.
“You don’t need to do that.” His protest was weak.
He followed her inside where Max and the rest of the family greeted him. Gram rose and went to him, and he kissed her cheek. “You finally decided to come home?”
“Did you miss me?” Her bright blue eyes twinkled as she looked at him.
“Always.” She took his arm, and he led her toward the dining room.
Wynne tailed behind, ashamed to notice her nose was out of joint at the way Gram hijacked Simon. But what did she expect? Him to suddenly find her overwhelmingly attractive? What a laugh. Wynne could just imagine what Amanda had been like—probably a blonde with perfectly coiffed hair, expertly applied makeup, clothing that shouted Saks and diction that betrayed her education at an Ivy League school.
He wouldn’t be interested in a bohemian type like her. She didn’t wear shoes half the time. And her education had come from a plain-Jane variety Midwestern college. The way she’d found a job in her field had more to do with her tenacity and passion than her education.
Besides, she wasn’t interested in him, so why was she piqued at his lack of interest?
Wynne resolved to catch up with Becca and forget what the handsome Simon was up to. She moved beside her sister. Isabelle began to fuss.
“I’ll take her,” Gram said. “I’m not hungry anyway. You young ones get started, and I’ll join you as soon as I get the baby settled down.”
Before Wynne realized what was happening, she found herself herded by Becca toward the seat Gram had vacated next to Simon. Becca had a self-satisfied look on her face as she grabbed the back of the chair across the table from Wynne and pulled it out. Wynne crossed her eyes at her sister, and Becca gave a smothered giggle.
“Something wrong?”
Wynne’s face went hot as she looked up into Simon’s quizzical face. “Not at all,” she stammered.
He held out her chair and seated her. His manners were impeccable, and Wynne wondered what he’d do if she knocked over her water glass or used the wrong fork. She kept her eyes cast down toward her plate so he couldn’t see her expression. Was she being unfair? It wasn’t a crime to be well-mannered. She didn’t know what was wrong with her.
Maybe Jake was right, and this was all part of her defenses. She didn’t want to be hurt again, and Simon might be the man who could do it if she weren’t careful. Putting her napkin in her lap, she turned to Skye, who was seated on her other side. As she chattedwith her sister-in-law, she found herself listening with one ear to Simon’s conversation with Max, who was seated across the table from him.
Her hostility rose the longer his cologne wafted around her. His deep voice grated on her nerves until she thought she’d scream. He had too much money and too much polish. And if she didn’t know better, she’d think he was trying to annoy her on purpose. Why couldn’t he hurry up and eat and get out of her hair?
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
NINE
S imon’s steps sank into the heavy carpet as he followed his cousin down the hallway. A faint paint smell emanated from the pale taupe walls, and he figured they’d been painted over the weekend.
The secretary ushered them
He didn’t seem to mind.
Returning the pressure of his fingers, she smiled up at him. “I feel like we just lived through a waterspout.”
“And that describes Roger. He’s all blow.” Simon stood looking down into her eyes.
A shiver started at the base of her neck and worked its way down her spine as she looked into his eyes. Shetold herself it was just a reaction to seeing her brother and sister so happy, but deep down she knew Simon had always intrigued her.
She swallowed. “I smell tonight’s meat loaf. The least I can do is make sure you get fed tonight. Come with me.” She tugged at his hand then finally released it when they reached the front door.
“You don’t need to do that.” His protest was weak.
He followed her inside where Max and the rest of the family greeted him. Gram rose and went to him, and he kissed her cheek. “You finally decided to come home?”
“Did you miss me?” Her bright blue eyes twinkled as she looked at him.
“Always.” She took his arm, and he led her toward the dining room.
Wynne tailed behind, ashamed to notice her nose was out of joint at the way Gram hijacked Simon. But what did she expect? Him to suddenly find her overwhelmingly attractive? What a laugh. Wynne could just imagine what Amanda had been like—probably a blonde with perfectly coiffed hair, expertly applied makeup, clothing that shouted Saks and diction that betrayed her education at an Ivy League school.
He wouldn’t be interested in a bohemian type like her. She didn’t wear shoes half the time. And her education had come from a plain-Jane variety Midwestern college. The way she’d found a job in her field had more to do with her tenacity and passion than her education.
Besides, she wasn’t interested in him, so why was she piqued at his lack of interest?
Wynne resolved to catch up with Becca and forget what the handsome Simon was up to. She moved beside her sister. Isabelle began to fuss.
“I’ll take her,” Gram said. “I’m not hungry anyway. You young ones get started, and I’ll join you as soon as I get the baby settled down.”
Before Wynne realized what was happening, she found herself herded by Becca toward the seat Gram had vacated next to Simon. Becca had a self-satisfied look on her face as she grabbed the back of the chair across the table from Wynne and pulled it out. Wynne crossed her eyes at her sister, and Becca gave a smothered giggle.
“Something wrong?”
Wynne’s face went hot as she looked up into Simon’s quizzical face. “Not at all,” she stammered.
He held out her chair and seated her. His manners were impeccable, and Wynne wondered what he’d do if she knocked over her water glass or used the wrong fork. She kept her eyes cast down toward her plate so he couldn’t see her expression. Was she being unfair? It wasn’t a crime to be well-mannered. She didn’t know what was wrong with her.
Maybe Jake was right, and this was all part of her defenses. She didn’t want to be hurt again, and Simon might be the man who could do it if she weren’t careful. Putting her napkin in her lap, she turned to Skye, who was seated on her other side. As she chattedwith her sister-in-law, she found herself listening with one ear to Simon’s conversation with Max, who was seated across the table from him.
Her hostility rose the longer his cologne wafted around her. His deep voice grated on her nerves until she thought she’d scream. He had too much money and too much polish. And if she didn’t know better, she’d think he was trying to annoy her on purpose. Why couldn’t he hurry up and eat and get out of her hair?
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
NINE
S imon’s steps sank into the heavy carpet as he followed his cousin down the hallway. A faint paint smell emanated from the pale taupe walls, and he figured they’d been painted over the weekend.
The secretary ushered them
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