Read Online The Heart of the Matter by Muriel Jensen - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Muriel Jensen
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the chain was delicate and perfect—just what the simple neckline called for.
Dixie laughed scornfully. “Ripe? I look like I should have been picked three weeks ago.”
Laura swept her hair up and deftly applied clip and pins to anchor it. “Now, what have I told you about that attitude?”
Dixie sighed. “That inner peace is reflected in outer beauty. I have to be happy with myself inside to look happy outside.” The lesson dutifully recited, she grinned. “But I’d be really happy if I was narrow-hipped and longlegged like you are. And those neat little boobs! It isn’t fair that you should be lean all over and still have full, perfectly shaped breasts.”
Laura grabbed up a small black jeweled bag and knocked her lightly on the head with it. “Stop it.” Then she stood still at the sound of a buzzer. “It’s him!” she said to Dixie, suddenly agitated, nervous.
Dixie blinked. “Of course it is. You’re going to have a wonderful time.” She took Laura’s shoulders and guided her to the intercom by the door. “Don’t panic. You look great.”
“Don’t panic,” Laura repeated to herself. “Right.” She flipped the intercom switch. “Hello?”
“Hi, Laura,” came the gravelly response. “It’s Jason.”
“I’ll be right down,” she called, then released the switch.
Dixie frowned at her. “You’re not inviting him up?”
Laura shook her head. “No.”
Dixie studied her knowingly. “I don’t think you have to be self-protective with Jason Warfield. He’s a very nice man.”
Laura picked up a shawl off the back of a chair. “You’ve only known him a week, Dix.”
Dixie denied that with a firm shake of her head. “I’ve been reading him for three years. I know him as well as I know Jerry, though not physically, of course.” Her eyes gleamed suddenly. “But I’ll bet that physically, he’s just as profound and wise. Loosen up, Laura. He’s not going to hurt you.”
Dixie followed Laura out the door into the hallway, and Laura locked the door behind her. Then she turned to find her friend seated on the top stair.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I’ll stay up here until you’re gone,” Dixie said, “so that he doesn’t know you’re wearing borrowed jewelry.”
Laura rolled her eyes, caught Dixie’s arm and pulled her with her down the stairs. “That’s ridiculous. If he’s so profound and wise, he won’t care that I’m wearing borrowed jewelry.”
He didn’t. He didn’t seem to care about anything but her. Laura couldn’t remember ever having been treated as though she were the focal point of a man’s complete attention.
Even in the memories she treasured of her father, sherecalled that usually he touched her absently, and only when she came to him while he was reading the paper or on the phone. And when he did focus on her, it was usually between phone calls and meetings and never for very long. She remembered always being greedy for more and always being disappointed.
Her last romantic relationship had been with a doctor, and it was common knowledge that no one ever had a doctor’s complete attention. He’d seemed delighted with her for about two months, then she’d overheard one of the nurses say that she’d spent a weekend with him several weeks before and went on to describe antics in a hot tub that should have caused drowning or at least a loss of consciousness—and that had been while Laura was dating him.
She stopped.
“You’re a very lucky young woman.” The Kiwanis president, a handsome older woman with platinum blond hair, leaned toward Laura as the crowd applauded Jason’s speech. “Not only is he gorgeous with a body any woman would lust after, but…” She sighed wistfully. “He has a sense of humor. I’d kill for a man with a sense of humor.”
She was married, Laura knew, to a very intense investment banker.
Laura applauded, too. “We’re just friends,” she said. “He’s taking my aerobics
Dixie laughed scornfully. “Ripe? I look like I should have been picked three weeks ago.”
Laura swept her hair up and deftly applied clip and pins to anchor it. “Now, what have I told you about that attitude?”
Dixie sighed. “That inner peace is reflected in outer beauty. I have to be happy with myself inside to look happy outside.” The lesson dutifully recited, she grinned. “But I’d be really happy if I was narrow-hipped and longlegged like you are. And those neat little boobs! It isn’t fair that you should be lean all over and still have full, perfectly shaped breasts.”
Laura grabbed up a small black jeweled bag and knocked her lightly on the head with it. “Stop it.” Then she stood still at the sound of a buzzer. “It’s him!” she said to Dixie, suddenly agitated, nervous.
Dixie blinked. “Of course it is. You’re going to have a wonderful time.” She took Laura’s shoulders and guided her to the intercom by the door. “Don’t panic. You look great.”
“Don’t panic,” Laura repeated to herself. “Right.” She flipped the intercom switch. “Hello?”
“Hi, Laura,” came the gravelly response. “It’s Jason.”
“I’ll be right down,” she called, then released the switch.
Dixie frowned at her. “You’re not inviting him up?”
Laura shook her head. “No.”
Dixie studied her knowingly. “I don’t think you have to be self-protective with Jason Warfield. He’s a very nice man.”
Laura picked up a shawl off the back of a chair. “You’ve only known him a week, Dix.”
Dixie denied that with a firm shake of her head. “I’ve been reading him for three years. I know him as well as I know Jerry, though not physically, of course.” Her eyes gleamed suddenly. “But I’ll bet that physically, he’s just as profound and wise. Loosen up, Laura. He’s not going to hurt you.”
Dixie followed Laura out the door into the hallway, and Laura locked the door behind her. Then she turned to find her friend seated on the top stair.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“I’ll stay up here until you’re gone,” Dixie said, “so that he doesn’t know you’re wearing borrowed jewelry.”
Laura rolled her eyes, caught Dixie’s arm and pulled her with her down the stairs. “That’s ridiculous. If he’s so profound and wise, he won’t care that I’m wearing borrowed jewelry.”
He didn’t. He didn’t seem to care about anything but her. Laura couldn’t remember ever having been treated as though she were the focal point of a man’s complete attention.
Even in the memories she treasured of her father, sherecalled that usually he touched her absently, and only when she came to him while he was reading the paper or on the phone. And when he did focus on her, it was usually between phone calls and meetings and never for very long. She remembered always being greedy for more and always being disappointed.
Her last romantic relationship had been with a doctor, and it was common knowledge that no one ever had a doctor’s complete attention. He’d seemed delighted with her for about two months, then she’d overheard one of the nurses say that she’d spent a weekend with him several weeks before and went on to describe antics in a hot tub that should have caused drowning or at least a loss of consciousness—and that had been while Laura was dating him.
She stopped.
“You’re a very lucky young woman.” The Kiwanis president, a handsome older woman with platinum blond hair, leaned toward Laura as the crowd applauded Jason’s speech. “Not only is he gorgeous with a body any woman would lust after, but…” She sighed wistfully. “He has a sense of humor. I’d kill for a man with a sense of humor.”
She was married, Laura knew, to a very intense investment banker.
Laura applauded, too. “We’re just friends,” she said. “He’s taking my aerobics
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