to, Jo."
"It'll break his heart."
"Aren't you overreacting?"
She lifted her face enough to look over her fingers, her voice just above a whisper. "He sees Anna in me, you know."
"Your grandmother?"
"Yes. When she was young. When he first met her."
Adam leaned forward, his penetrating gaze scanning her features as if studying a painting to determine if it was an original. She dropped her hands and saw him absorb the fact. "No wonder he favors you," he murmured.
"Yes. Even my name doesn't help."
"Joanna." It sounded different than when her grandfather said it. Her name gained a certain lilt when spoken by Adam, like a gentle, force two wind that barely moved the trees, caressing the branches.
"So you see, it would almost be like grandmother turning against him."
Adam nodded, but his expression quickly hardened, his eyes flashing black fire. "You aren't her, Jo."
"I know that, but Gramps—
"He has to let go of you. You've a life of your own to live."
She shrugged, "I know. Still it will hurt him—"
"You have to make the break, Jo. You can't live your life in her shadow."
"I know." She did, now, but until Adam had spelled it out for her, she hadn't realized that that was what she had been doing. And unconsciously trying to avoid, when she had stayed away so long at college. With a sense of anguish, Jo returned Adam's direct gaze, which had cut to the foundation of her rapport with her grandfather.
"You aren't Anna, Jo. It's time Gramps understood that, too. Maybe when you show an interest in me, he'll be forced to believe it."
Jo nodded slowly.
Adam gave her an inquiring look. "You have any idea how to start?"
His eyes are beautiful , she thought, dark as opals with flashes of fire in them. "No. If you called up and asked for a date, Gramps would explode. We've got to be extremely careful that we don't rush things. We must go slowly. Very slowly."
"All right."
"But how? He can't even stand the sound of your name."
"He can't, eh? Then that's where we'll start. When you get home, mention my name now and then, particularly around Gramps."
"Hum."
"Tell him you saw me this morning. A love-sick girl can't keep quiet — unless she's scared silent, like Karen — so start chattering about me, tentatively at first, then more as the days go by."
"I see...." She nodded as she understood the strategy. For the first time, she felt this crazy idea of Karen's really had a chance. "It might work. By watching his reaction, I can judge how he's taking things."
"Just don't back down."
She nodded grimly. "I can see a storm approaching."
He grinned, the spark in his eyes dancing. "If he's cantankerous, you could rub it in...about how good-looking I am and how you'd like to date me. I'll start calling you after a while, once it looks like he accepts the idea. Okay?"
She grinned back at him. "Good-looking? No way," she teased. "He won't stand for that." Especially if I mention the velvet darkness of your eyes .
"Well...passable, then."
"That's better. I'll tell him what happened last night. Gramps loves Paca. It'll be the perfect lead-in."
"So it's a go?"
"As long as we go slowly, Adam. We must give him time to adjust between each step. You must promise me that."
"I'll promise to go slowly, if you'll promise to let me call the shots."
Hot temper flared. Jo was leery of giving any man an advantage. "Oh, no. I want final say in everything we plan. You may go too fast for Gramps."
Pride flared his nostrils. "Don't you trust me?"
She hesitated and lost the opportunity to deny it. She trusted him, and yet she didn't.
His mouth hardened, his eyes lost their humor. "Huh. I see. Still suspicious. Do you think if Karen and Johnny announce their engagement it will be any easier on him?"
"No. Definitely not."
"Then we'll proceed. But I'll set the pace. You'd waste all summer before we even had one date."
"Forget it."
"Then forget Karen's plan." He stood up with finality, brushing his hat against his leg as if to be
"It'll break his heart."
"Aren't you overreacting?"
She lifted her face enough to look over her fingers, her voice just above a whisper. "He sees Anna in me, you know."
"Your grandmother?"
"Yes. When she was young. When he first met her."
Adam leaned forward, his penetrating gaze scanning her features as if studying a painting to determine if it was an original. She dropped her hands and saw him absorb the fact. "No wonder he favors you," he murmured.
"Yes. Even my name doesn't help."
"Joanna." It sounded different than when her grandfather said it. Her name gained a certain lilt when spoken by Adam, like a gentle, force two wind that barely moved the trees, caressing the branches.
"So you see, it would almost be like grandmother turning against him."
Adam nodded, but his expression quickly hardened, his eyes flashing black fire. "You aren't her, Jo."
"I know that, but Gramps—
"He has to let go of you. You've a life of your own to live."
She shrugged, "I know. Still it will hurt him—"
"You have to make the break, Jo. You can't live your life in her shadow."
"I know." She did, now, but until Adam had spelled it out for her, she hadn't realized that that was what she had been doing. And unconsciously trying to avoid, when she had stayed away so long at college. With a sense of anguish, Jo returned Adam's direct gaze, which had cut to the foundation of her rapport with her grandfather.
"You aren't Anna, Jo. It's time Gramps understood that, too. Maybe when you show an interest in me, he'll be forced to believe it."
Jo nodded slowly.
Adam gave her an inquiring look. "You have any idea how to start?"
His eyes are beautiful , she thought, dark as opals with flashes of fire in them. "No. If you called up and asked for a date, Gramps would explode. We've got to be extremely careful that we don't rush things. We must go slowly. Very slowly."
"All right."
"But how? He can't even stand the sound of your name."
"He can't, eh? Then that's where we'll start. When you get home, mention my name now and then, particularly around Gramps."
"Hum."
"Tell him you saw me this morning. A love-sick girl can't keep quiet — unless she's scared silent, like Karen — so start chattering about me, tentatively at first, then more as the days go by."
"I see...." She nodded as she understood the strategy. For the first time, she felt this crazy idea of Karen's really had a chance. "It might work. By watching his reaction, I can judge how he's taking things."
"Just don't back down."
She nodded grimly. "I can see a storm approaching."
He grinned, the spark in his eyes dancing. "If he's cantankerous, you could rub it in...about how good-looking I am and how you'd like to date me. I'll start calling you after a while, once it looks like he accepts the idea. Okay?"
She grinned back at him. "Good-looking? No way," she teased. "He won't stand for that." Especially if I mention the velvet darkness of your eyes .
"Well...passable, then."
"That's better. I'll tell him what happened last night. Gramps loves Paca. It'll be the perfect lead-in."
"So it's a go?"
"As long as we go slowly, Adam. We must give him time to adjust between each step. You must promise me that."
"I'll promise to go slowly, if you'll promise to let me call the shots."
Hot temper flared. Jo was leery of giving any man an advantage. "Oh, no. I want final say in everything we plan. You may go too fast for Gramps."
Pride flared his nostrils. "Don't you trust me?"
She hesitated and lost the opportunity to deny it. She trusted him, and yet she didn't.
His mouth hardened, his eyes lost their humor. "Huh. I see. Still suspicious. Do you think if Karen and Johnny announce their engagement it will be any easier on him?"
"No. Definitely not."
"Then we'll proceed. But I'll set the pace. You'd waste all summer before we even had one date."
"Forget it."
"Then forget Karen's plan." He stood up with finality, brushing his hat against his leg as if to be
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