itself? Unable to help herself, she ran her fingers
along his leg, from his knee on down. "Does this feel all right? I made it a little longer than normal, but I
figured with your boots and all-"
Jeremy jerked his leg away. "Yes," he bit out. "Dinah, aren't we done yet?"
"I'm going as quickly as I can. What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I feel funny standing here with you
kneeling at my feet," he said, and Dinah was amazed
to see a faint line of red creep up his neck.
She couldn't resist teasing him. "And here I thought
that was every man's dreams."
"Not mine. Dinah-"
She stood up. "I'm done," she said, unable to keep
a few chuckles from escaping. "All you have to do
now is get out of those clothes without removing any
pins."
"Or sticking myself."
"Of course."
He padded away, grumbling, just as Bryan wandered over, his hands full of two plastic containers and
a stuffed brown dog. "Jy?"
Dinah knelt down as he approached. "Jy's changing,
but he'll be right back." She patted a spot next to her.
"Show me what you got."
Bryan had just let her give his dog a hug when
Jeremy appeared again. She watched him scan the
room quickly for her, then his eyes light up when he
spotted the two of them. Seeing such a reaction made
her so happy. It was nice to know he didn't resent Bryan's appearance. "We're over here," she called out.
"Bry's been showing me his dog."
"Jy!" the little boy cried, dropping the dog and toddling over to Jeremy.
"Hey," he said, kneeling down on the floor as well.
"You know my name."
Dinah laughed. He seemed to know just what to say.
"I'm glad you came over this morning, even though
we'll see each other tonight."
"Promise?"
"Promise. And not just because I wanted to get your
costume done, either."
"That wasn't the only reason I stopped by, if you
want to know the truth."
"I was thinking," she began, only to be interrupted
by the doorbell ringing.
"I'll get it for you," Jeremy offered.
"Thanks."
Within minutes, he was leading Valerie into the
family room, chatting with her about school and education courses. Bonnie followed them both, her tail
wagging with pleasure.
"Hi, Dinah," Valerie said. "I forgot whether you
wanted me this afternoon or not. Are you going to the
store?"
Dinah almost couldn't think of a thing to say, she
was so mesmerized by the sight of Jeremy and Valerie
together. They looked so ... right. Both about the same age. Both had bright-eyed, all-American good
looks. Like a slap in the face, she was brought to the
truth that once again, she had no business being with
Jeremy Reece.
Realizing Valerie was waiting for a reply, she said
quickly, "Oh, thanks, but it's okay. If I do go in, I'll
take Bryan. The weather's not supposed to be that
great, it will probably be really slow."
Valerie looked at her strangely. Then glanced at Jeremy as if she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. "Are
you sure?"
"Positive." She cleared her throat, trying to sound
peppy. "Urn, gosh, Jeremy, did you go to Ohio State,
too?"
"I did."
"I guess the two of you must have so much to catch
up on, especially since Val is an education major."
He looked completely puzzled. "We'll have to talk
all about that one day," he said to her politely.
Dinah grasped for another topic. "Oh, and I bet you
two might have even gone to the same parties and
didn't even realize it. Were you both in the Greek
system?"
For the first time since she'd known Valerie, the girl
treated her to a teen-aged look of disdain. "I was a
Delta Gamma."
"Phi Delt," Jeremy said obediently.
A long, uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Dinah searched to think of anything else the two might
have in common.
"I need to go," Valerie said, standing up abruptly.
"See you tomorrow, Dinah?"
"Yes. At nine A.M., if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all," Valerie said, bending down to
give Bryan a hug. Bryan wrapped his chubby hands
around her neck, gave her a wet kiss, then plopped
back down to his
along his leg, from his knee on down. "Does this feel all right? I made it a little longer than normal, but I
figured with your boots and all-"
Jeremy jerked his leg away. "Yes," he bit out. "Dinah, aren't we done yet?"
"I'm going as quickly as I can. What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I feel funny standing here with you
kneeling at my feet," he said, and Dinah was amazed
to see a faint line of red creep up his neck.
She couldn't resist teasing him. "And here I thought
that was every man's dreams."
"Not mine. Dinah-"
She stood up. "I'm done," she said, unable to keep
a few chuckles from escaping. "All you have to do
now is get out of those clothes without removing any
pins."
"Or sticking myself."
"Of course."
He padded away, grumbling, just as Bryan wandered over, his hands full of two plastic containers and
a stuffed brown dog. "Jy?"
Dinah knelt down as he approached. "Jy's changing,
but he'll be right back." She patted a spot next to her.
"Show me what you got."
Bryan had just let her give his dog a hug when
Jeremy appeared again. She watched him scan the
room quickly for her, then his eyes light up when he
spotted the two of them. Seeing such a reaction made
her so happy. It was nice to know he didn't resent Bryan's appearance. "We're over here," she called out.
"Bry's been showing me his dog."
"Jy!" the little boy cried, dropping the dog and toddling over to Jeremy.
"Hey," he said, kneeling down on the floor as well.
"You know my name."
Dinah laughed. He seemed to know just what to say.
"I'm glad you came over this morning, even though
we'll see each other tonight."
"Promise?"
"Promise. And not just because I wanted to get your
costume done, either."
"That wasn't the only reason I stopped by, if you
want to know the truth."
"I was thinking," she began, only to be interrupted
by the doorbell ringing.
"I'll get it for you," Jeremy offered.
"Thanks."
Within minutes, he was leading Valerie into the
family room, chatting with her about school and education courses. Bonnie followed them both, her tail
wagging with pleasure.
"Hi, Dinah," Valerie said. "I forgot whether you
wanted me this afternoon or not. Are you going to the
store?"
Dinah almost couldn't think of a thing to say, she
was so mesmerized by the sight of Jeremy and Valerie
together. They looked so ... right. Both about the same age. Both had bright-eyed, all-American good
looks. Like a slap in the face, she was brought to the
truth that once again, she had no business being with
Jeremy Reece.
Realizing Valerie was waiting for a reply, she said
quickly, "Oh, thanks, but it's okay. If I do go in, I'll
take Bryan. The weather's not supposed to be that
great, it will probably be really slow."
Valerie looked at her strangely. Then glanced at Jeremy as if she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. "Are
you sure?"
"Positive." She cleared her throat, trying to sound
peppy. "Urn, gosh, Jeremy, did you go to Ohio State,
too?"
"I did."
"I guess the two of you must have so much to catch
up on, especially since Val is an education major."
He looked completely puzzled. "We'll have to talk
all about that one day," he said to her politely.
Dinah grasped for another topic. "Oh, and I bet you
two might have even gone to the same parties and
didn't even realize it. Were you both in the Greek
system?"
For the first time since she'd known Valerie, the girl
treated her to a teen-aged look of disdain. "I was a
Delta Gamma."
"Phi Delt," Jeremy said obediently.
A long, uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Dinah searched to think of anything else the two might
have in common.
"I need to go," Valerie said, standing up abruptly.
"See you tomorrow, Dinah?"
"Yes. At nine A.M., if you don't mind."
"I don't mind at all," Valerie said, bending down to
give Bryan a hug. Bryan wrapped his chubby hands
around her neck, gave her a wet kiss, then plopped
back down to his
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