the last word, and he pulled her closer. “No one knows," he said quietly. “We weren’t together long enough for me to introduce you to any of the family, and only my parents knew that I was dating you and that you became pregnant.”
Her lack of response didn’t fool him into thinking he had pacified her. Her body was stiff, her expression distraught. He smiled gently down at her. “I can see where my parents might appear formidable to anyone who didn’t know them, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. They’re marshmallows.”
“I doubt that.”
“No, it’s true. When I was young, one used to protect me from the other, only neither ever figured out that the other one was doing the same thing. I can remember when I was about four or five, my father gave me strict instructions to stay out of his study. Naturally, like any other little boy, I regarded his warning as an invitation. One afternoon I decided it would be fun to play businessman. I sneaked into his study and sat at his desk and ‘read’ his papers. I also signed my name on every document I could find, just as I had seen my father do many times. Except, of course, I printed. But it was really nice printing, with good, solid, block construction of all my letters. Really, you should have seen it.” For the first time, she smiled, and, encouraged, he went on. “When my mother found me, I thought my life was over. I’d never seen her so angry. But my father came in, took one look at my stricken face, and announced he had given me permission to be in there. Later, when mother left, he told me if I ever did anything like that again, he would give me a spanking I wouldn’t soon forget.”
“And did you? Do anything like that again?”
“Of course. I was a little boy. But he never once spanked me. Neither did Mother.” He paused. “They really are nice people, Sharon.”
“There’s no reason for you to defend them to me,” she said dully. “They protected you as a little boy and they continued protecting you as you grew older. They sound like ideal parents.”
He gave a silent, colorful curse. He had meant to divert her, not remind her. Instantly he decided on another tactic. “I think I can safely say we’ve accomplished a great deal here tonight,” he said.
Slightly wary but nevertheless curious, she asked, “And what would that be?”
“Well, for instance, you don’t seem the least bit self-conscious about my holding you.”
She tensed, then, realizing he was right, she slowly relaxed again. While her mind had been on other things, her body had adjusted to his.
A silence that was oddly companionable fell between them, and as they continued to dance, her gaze wandered to the other people on the dance floor. She saw Angelica DiFrenza, vivacious and full of life, her dark eyes sparkling with gaiety as she laughed up at the man with whom she danced. Then there were Caitlin and Nico, matched in strength and love, very much involved with each other. And Amarillo Smith, a man with a stillness about him even when he was moving in time to the music, a man apart, even though he was holding a gorgeous woman in his arms. Finally there were Conall’s parents, standing at the edge of the dance floor, a group of people surrounding them. To her mind they all seemed larger than life; they were part of Conall’s life but would never be part of hers.
Conall . . .
“Conall?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for trying to make me feel better.”
It had seemed natural at the time to try to vanquish the vulnerability he had seen in her eyes, but he supposed under the circumstances he could see why she felt It unusual. “You’re welcome.”
“And thank you also for intervening when your mother thought she recognized my name.”
Again it had seemed a natural thing for him to do, but now he realized he had been protecting her. How curious.
An incredible weariness came over Sharon all at once. The past few days had taken more out of her than she
Her lack of response didn’t fool him into thinking he had pacified her. Her body was stiff, her expression distraught. He smiled gently down at her. “I can see where my parents might appear formidable to anyone who didn’t know them, but I’ll let you in on a little secret. They’re marshmallows.”
“I doubt that.”
“No, it’s true. When I was young, one used to protect me from the other, only neither ever figured out that the other one was doing the same thing. I can remember when I was about four or five, my father gave me strict instructions to stay out of his study. Naturally, like any other little boy, I regarded his warning as an invitation. One afternoon I decided it would be fun to play businessman. I sneaked into his study and sat at his desk and ‘read’ his papers. I also signed my name on every document I could find, just as I had seen my father do many times. Except, of course, I printed. But it was really nice printing, with good, solid, block construction of all my letters. Really, you should have seen it.” For the first time, she smiled, and, encouraged, he went on. “When my mother found me, I thought my life was over. I’d never seen her so angry. But my father came in, took one look at my stricken face, and announced he had given me permission to be in there. Later, when mother left, he told me if I ever did anything like that again, he would give me a spanking I wouldn’t soon forget.”
“And did you? Do anything like that again?”
“Of course. I was a little boy. But he never once spanked me. Neither did Mother.” He paused. “They really are nice people, Sharon.”
“There’s no reason for you to defend them to me,” she said dully. “They protected you as a little boy and they continued protecting you as you grew older. They sound like ideal parents.”
He gave a silent, colorful curse. He had meant to divert her, not remind her. Instantly he decided on another tactic. “I think I can safely say we’ve accomplished a great deal here tonight,” he said.
Slightly wary but nevertheless curious, she asked, “And what would that be?”
“Well, for instance, you don’t seem the least bit self-conscious about my holding you.”
She tensed, then, realizing he was right, she slowly relaxed again. While her mind had been on other things, her body had adjusted to his.
A silence that was oddly companionable fell between them, and as they continued to dance, her gaze wandered to the other people on the dance floor. She saw Angelica DiFrenza, vivacious and full of life, her dark eyes sparkling with gaiety as she laughed up at the man with whom she danced. Then there were Caitlin and Nico, matched in strength and love, very much involved with each other. And Amarillo Smith, a man with a stillness about him even when he was moving in time to the music, a man apart, even though he was holding a gorgeous woman in his arms. Finally there were Conall’s parents, standing at the edge of the dance floor, a group of people surrounding them. To her mind they all seemed larger than life; they were part of Conall’s life but would never be part of hers.
Conall . . .
“Conall?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for trying to make me feel better.”
It had seemed natural at the time to try to vanquish the vulnerability he had seen in her eyes, but he supposed under the circumstances he could see why she felt It unusual. “You’re welcome.”
“And thank you also for intervening when your mother thought she recognized my name.”
Again it had seemed a natural thing for him to do, but now he realized he had been protecting her. How curious.
An incredible weariness came over Sharon all at once. The past few days had taken more out of her than she
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