Forever Fall by Elizabeth Sinclair Page A

condescending attention, and even pretended to care only to prove they didn’t. Never, in all that time, had anyone sincerely offered to listen, really listen  . . . until Luc. Not that she expected him to shower her with sympathy. That wouldn’t change the past. Besides, she couldn’t stand any more sympathy. His feeling bad for her didn’t change her past.
    She slipped into the room, still indecisive about what she would do or say now that she was here, and took a seat next to him on the big sectional. Finally, she decided that if she did tell him about herself, it might serve to help him to better understand why getting the baby simulators into the classes would be beneficial, and why it meant so much to her. If she could accomplish that, it would be worth pulling her dirty laundry out of the box in which she’d kept it hidden for so many years.
    But how in blazes did one start a conversation like that? Perhaps something along the lines of  . . . So, Luc, let me tell you about my crappy childhood. She glanced at him. He was so immersed in the game that she wasn’t sure he’d even detected her presence. Bottom-line was, no matter how she initiated the conversation, first she had to drag his attention away from the baseball game.
    “Good game?” she asked conversationally.
    “It would be if they’d get their heads out of their—” He turned to her, his face creased in a sheepish grin. “Sorry. I get too wrapped up in the game sometimes.” His smile deepened, and Mandy’s heart leaped. “Where’s Shannon?”
    “She went upstairs early. Between you and me, I think she’s exhausted from getting up with Joey last night and plans an early bedtime.”
    Luc nodded, but made no comment and went back to watching the game.
    Mandy sat silently staring at her folded hands, wondering how to divert the attention of someone so engrossed in a baseball game. The crack of the ball hitting the bat drew her gaze to the screen. As a runner crossed over the little white object in front of the man dressed in padding and a face mask, the crowd went crazy.
    “Yes! Finally,” Luc yelled, punching the air with his fist.
    “Does that mean he got a touchdown?” She wasn’t so ignorant of the sport that she didn’t know a touchdown from a homerun, but that should get his attention.
    The screen went black. Luc laughed out loud, then laid the remote on the coffee table and turned to her. “I can see I’m going to have to educate you in the American male’s favorite pastime. First of all, they score touchdowns in football. That was a homerun.” Wide-eyed, she feigned understanding and nodded. He shifted his position to look directly at her. “Secondly, it was rude of me to ignore you in favor of the game.”
    Mandy was stunned. Sports had never been an interest of hers, but she knew enough about men and their favorite teams that little if anything came between them and a game. This man was obviously an unusual guy. Little things about Luc that she could appreciate were piling up faster than she could count. In the process, the wall she’d kept around herself for years was showing signs of crumbling. The realization sent a shock wave through her, followed by a chill of fear. That wall had been her protection against relationships for so long, and without it she’d be left vulnerable.
    As with most things in her life that she found troubling, she tucked it away until later when she could think it through to a solution. “Don’t let me interrupt. Please, go ahead and watch the game.”
    He grinned. “I can catch the score on the news later. Besides, my team was losing miserably. I’d rather not be witness to the slaughter.” He stood. “It’s beautiful evening. How would you like to take a walk down by the lake with me?” He held out his hand.
    “I’d like that.” Without thinking, she slipped her hand in his.
    When her skin made contact with his, she had to catch her breath. Immediately, as if burned, she let