tonight,” she said shortly. “I’m tired and upset.”
“You!” Lindsey cried. “Brenda and I are exhausted, but that doesn’t matter. What does is that you broke your word.”
“I didn’t promise not to see Steve again,” Meg told her. She’d been careful about that.
Meg went back to the door and stood in front of the screen, half hoping Steve would return—not knowing what she’d say or do if he did.
“You’ve been sneaking out of the house to see him, haven’t you?”
Meg lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
“You have!” Lindsey was outraged. “When?”
Meg lifted the other shoulder.
“Can’t I trust you anymore?”
“Lindsey, Steve’s not exactly what he said he was.”
“I’ll just bet,” she muttered. “He’s got you fooled, hasn’t he? You’d believe anything he says because that’s what you
want
to believe. You’re so crazy about this guy you can’t even see what’s right in front of your face.”
If she’d been a little less upset herself, Meg might’ve been willing to set the record straight then and there. “We want to talk to you,” Meg told her daughter. “Steve and I, together, and explain everything.”
“Never!”
“Mrs. Remington, don’t let him fool you,” Brenda threw in dramatically.
“Let’s not worry about this now,” she said as defeat settled over her. “It’s late and I have to be at the store early in the morning.”
Lindsey stood, her hands clenched at her sides. “I want you to promise me you won’t see him again.”
“Lindsey, please.”
“If you don’t, Mom, I’ll never be able to trust you again.”
“It’s time we had a little talk,” Nancy said, bringing a steaming cup of coffee to the breakfast table. After the night he’d had, the last thing Steve wanted was a tête-à-tête with his troublesome younger sister.
“No, thanks.”
Nancy left the table, taking the coffee with her.
“Hey, I want the coffee.”
“Oh.” She brought it back and slipped into the chair across from him. “Something’s bothering you.”
“Nothing gets past you, does it?” He almost scalded his mouth in his eagerness to get some caffeine into his system.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She stared at him with big brown eyes that suggested she could solve all his problems, if only he’d let her.
“No.”
“It has to do with that Meg, doesn’t it?”
Steve mumbled a noncommittal reply. He didn’t care to discuss Meg Remington just then. What he’d told Meg was the simple truth—she made him crazy. No woman had ever affected him as powerfully as she did. After the way they’d parted, he doubted they’d see each other again, and damn it all, that wasn’t what he wanted.
“She’s not the woman for you,” Nancy said, her eyes solemn.
“Nancy,” he said in a low voice, “don’t say any more. Okay?”
She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You’re falling in love with her.”
“No, I’m not,” he muttered. Cradling the mug in bothhands, he tried the coffee again, sipping from the edge to avoid burning his mouth.
“Thou protest too much,” she told him, with a sanctimonious sigh. “I’m afraid you’ve made it necessary for me to take matters into my own hands. Someone’s got to look out for your best interests.”
Steve lowered the mug and glared at his sister. “What did you do
this
time?”
“Nothing yet. There’s this woman, a widow I met on campus, and I’d like you to get to know her. She’s nothing like Meg, but as far as I’m concerned … “
“No!” He wasn’t listening to another word. The last time his sister had roped him into her schemes he’d met a crazy woman with an even crazier daughter. No more.
“But Steve … “
“You heard me.” The chair made a scraping sound against the tile floor as he stood. “I won’t be home for dinner.”
Nancy stood, too. “When will you be back?”
Steve regarded her suspiciously. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Because the least you
“You!” Lindsey cried. “Brenda and I are exhausted, but that doesn’t matter. What does is that you broke your word.”
“I didn’t promise not to see Steve again,” Meg told her. She’d been careful about that.
Meg went back to the door and stood in front of the screen, half hoping Steve would return—not knowing what she’d say or do if he did.
“You’ve been sneaking out of the house to see him, haven’t you?”
Meg lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
“You have!” Lindsey was outraged. “When?”
Meg lifted the other shoulder.
“Can’t I trust you anymore?”
“Lindsey, Steve’s not exactly what he said he was.”
“I’ll just bet,” she muttered. “He’s got you fooled, hasn’t he? You’d believe anything he says because that’s what you
want
to believe. You’re so crazy about this guy you can’t even see what’s right in front of your face.”
If she’d been a little less upset herself, Meg might’ve been willing to set the record straight then and there. “We want to talk to you,” Meg told her daughter. “Steve and I, together, and explain everything.”
“Never!”
“Mrs. Remington, don’t let him fool you,” Brenda threw in dramatically.
“Let’s not worry about this now,” she said as defeat settled over her. “It’s late and I have to be at the store early in the morning.”
Lindsey stood, her hands clenched at her sides. “I want you to promise me you won’t see him again.”
“Lindsey, please.”
“If you don’t, Mom, I’ll never be able to trust you again.”
“It’s time we had a little talk,” Nancy said, bringing a steaming cup of coffee to the breakfast table. After the night he’d had, the last thing Steve wanted was a tête-à-tête with his troublesome younger sister.
“No, thanks.”
Nancy left the table, taking the coffee with her.
“Hey, I want the coffee.”
“Oh.” She brought it back and slipped into the chair across from him. “Something’s bothering you.”
“Nothing gets past you, does it?” He almost scalded his mouth in his eagerness to get some caffeine into his system.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” She stared at him with big brown eyes that suggested she could solve all his problems, if only he’d let her.
“No.”
“It has to do with that Meg, doesn’t it?”
Steve mumbled a noncommittal reply. He didn’t care to discuss Meg Remington just then. What he’d told Meg was the simple truth—she made him crazy. No woman had ever affected him as powerfully as she did. After the way they’d parted, he doubted they’d see each other again, and damn it all, that wasn’t what he wanted.
“She’s not the woman for you,” Nancy said, her eyes solemn.
“Nancy,” he said in a low voice, “don’t say any more. Okay?”
She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “You’re falling in love with her.”
“No, I’m not,” he muttered. Cradling the mug in bothhands, he tried the coffee again, sipping from the edge to avoid burning his mouth.
“Thou protest too much,” she told him, with a sanctimonious sigh. “I’m afraid you’ve made it necessary for me to take matters into my own hands. Someone’s got to look out for your best interests.”
Steve lowered the mug and glared at his sister. “What did you do
this
time?”
“Nothing yet. There’s this woman, a widow I met on campus, and I’d like you to get to know her. She’s nothing like Meg, but as far as I’m concerned … “
“No!” He wasn’t listening to another word. The last time his sister had roped him into her schemes he’d met a crazy woman with an even crazier daughter. No more.
“But Steve … “
“You heard me.” The chair made a scraping sound against the tile floor as he stood. “I won’t be home for dinner.”
Nancy stood, too. “When will you be back?”
Steve regarded her suspiciously. “I don’t know. Why?”
“Because the least you
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