would a swarm of bees,” she retorted.
He slid into the seat opposite her, taking note of the second glass of wine. “Where’s your date?”
“I’m here alone.”
“Good. Then I’ll join you,” he said, taking a sip from the untouched extra glass Gina had left for herself.
Karen frowned, annoyed by his presumption and by her own eagerness to have him stay. “Grady, you can’t just waltz in here and invite yourself to have dinner with me.”
“Why not?”
“Just because.”
“Because it’s going to stir up more talk?” he asked, regarding her with a pointed look.
“That, too,” she agreed.
“And what else?”
“Maybe I don’t want to have dinner with you.”
“Maybe?” he teased. “Let me know when you decide, then we’ll discuss it. Until then, I’ll just sit here and enjoy the wine and the vision of a beautiful woman sitting across the table from me.”
“I don’t want you here,” she said with more conviction. “And you know perfectly well why it’s a bad idea.”
He studied her thoughtfully, then shook his head. “Yes, you do want me here. You just feel compelled to deny it. You’re tough enough to stand up to a little idle gossip.”
“If you believe that, then why did you leave the house when I asked you to?”
“Because my being there had clearly upset you and because I was way too tempted to kiss you senseless to make you forget that inconvenient conscience of yours.”
“And now?”
“You’re here. I happened by. I consider that fate.” He smiled, then turned his attention to the menu. “What are you having?”
Because she knew from experience there was little point in arguing, she gave up. Besides, the truth was, she was so happy to see him, so happy to know that he wasn’t furious with her, that her heart felt lighter than it had in days.
“I have no idea what I’m going to eat.”
“You haven’t ordered?”
“Gina wouldn’t let me. She’s fixing what suits her.”
Grady nodded. “Maybe I’d better stick my head in the kitchen and make sure she fixes enough for two.”
As he crossed the restaurant, Karen watched him intently. Her pulse had kicked into high gear the second she heard his voice and hadn’t let up since. This wasn’t good, she thought. Not good at all.
Gina came stalking out of the kitchen on Grady’s heels and followed him straight to the table. Her indignant gaze came to rest on Karen. “Are you okay with this?”
“He’s not going away,” Karen said with an air of resignation. “I guess I’ll have to make the best of it.”
“I can kick him out,” Gina offered.
“You and who else?” Grady demanded, regarding Gina with amusement.
Gina’s gaze strayed to her mysterious man. “I can muster up some help if I need it,” she declared.
“No need,” Karen said. “Grady will be on his good behavior.” She looked at him. “Won’t you?”
He winked. “The best. And I’m a really big tipper.”
Gina grinned then, apparently satisfied that there would be no fireworks. “I’m counting on it.”
After she’d gone, Grady looked at Karen. “She’s very protective of you.”
“As you’ve figured out by now, I’m sure, there are five of us who grew up together. We’ve been best friends ever since. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do if one of us needed something.”
“And these are the friends who are willing to bankroll your vacation?”
“Some of them, yes.”
“It must be nice to have a circle of friends you can count on.”
Her gaze narrowed at that. “Don’t you?”
“I have acquaintances,” he said with no trace of self-pity. “And I have my grandfather. That’s always been enough.”
She thought she detected a rare note of wistfulness in his voice. “It has been? Not now?”
His gaze met hers. “No,” he said quietly. “Not now.”
Deep inside, she felt something give way. It was the last of her defenses crumbling…and for the life of her, she couldn’t seem to regret
He slid into the seat opposite her, taking note of the second glass of wine. “Where’s your date?”
“I’m here alone.”
“Good. Then I’ll join you,” he said, taking a sip from the untouched extra glass Gina had left for herself.
Karen frowned, annoyed by his presumption and by her own eagerness to have him stay. “Grady, you can’t just waltz in here and invite yourself to have dinner with me.”
“Why not?”
“Just because.”
“Because it’s going to stir up more talk?” he asked, regarding her with a pointed look.
“That, too,” she agreed.
“And what else?”
“Maybe I don’t want to have dinner with you.”
“Maybe?” he teased. “Let me know when you decide, then we’ll discuss it. Until then, I’ll just sit here and enjoy the wine and the vision of a beautiful woman sitting across the table from me.”
“I don’t want you here,” she said with more conviction. “And you know perfectly well why it’s a bad idea.”
He studied her thoughtfully, then shook his head. “Yes, you do want me here. You just feel compelled to deny it. You’re tough enough to stand up to a little idle gossip.”
“If you believe that, then why did you leave the house when I asked you to?”
“Because my being there had clearly upset you and because I was way too tempted to kiss you senseless to make you forget that inconvenient conscience of yours.”
“And now?”
“You’re here. I happened by. I consider that fate.” He smiled, then turned his attention to the menu. “What are you having?”
Because she knew from experience there was little point in arguing, she gave up. Besides, the truth was, she was so happy to see him, so happy to know that he wasn’t furious with her, that her heart felt lighter than it had in days.
“I have no idea what I’m going to eat.”
“You haven’t ordered?”
“Gina wouldn’t let me. She’s fixing what suits her.”
Grady nodded. “Maybe I’d better stick my head in the kitchen and make sure she fixes enough for two.”
As he crossed the restaurant, Karen watched him intently. Her pulse had kicked into high gear the second she heard his voice and hadn’t let up since. This wasn’t good, she thought. Not good at all.
Gina came stalking out of the kitchen on Grady’s heels and followed him straight to the table. Her indignant gaze came to rest on Karen. “Are you okay with this?”
“He’s not going away,” Karen said with an air of resignation. “I guess I’ll have to make the best of it.”
“I can kick him out,” Gina offered.
“You and who else?” Grady demanded, regarding Gina with amusement.
Gina’s gaze strayed to her mysterious man. “I can muster up some help if I need it,” she declared.
“No need,” Karen said. “Grady will be on his good behavior.” She looked at him. “Won’t you?”
He winked. “The best. And I’m a really big tipper.”
Gina grinned then, apparently satisfied that there would be no fireworks. “I’m counting on it.”
After she’d gone, Grady looked at Karen. “She’s very protective of you.”
“As you’ve figured out by now, I’m sure, there are five of us who grew up together. We’ve been best friends ever since. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do if one of us needed something.”
“And these are the friends who are willing to bankroll your vacation?”
“Some of them, yes.”
“It must be nice to have a circle of friends you can count on.”
Her gaze narrowed at that. “Don’t you?”
“I have acquaintances,” he said with no trace of self-pity. “And I have my grandfather. That’s always been enough.”
She thought she detected a rare note of wistfulness in his voice. “It has been? Not now?”
His gaze met hers. “No,” he said quietly. “Not now.”
Deep inside, she felt something give way. It was the last of her defenses crumbling…and for the life of her, she couldn’t seem to regret
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