luminous blue eyes and a head of curly blond hair. Kathleen waved, but Ben looked away shyly. She introduced her wheelchair patient, Darla, an eight-year-old girl with a compound ankle fracture set in a cast to her knee. Raina introduced Sally, a seven-year-old whose burned hands were wrapped in gauze.
“Your date, huh?” Raina said.
“It was the only way I could get him to come,” Holly whispered to her friends.
“How about some face painting?” Raina asked.
Raina’s and Kathleen’s charges agreed enthusiastically. Ben remained quiet.
They went over to the tables and after parking the chairs, each girl grabbed a brush and a tray of watercolors. “What would you like me to paint?” Raina asked Darla.
“How about you, Ben?” Holly asked. “Anything special?” His little shoulders rose in a shrug. “How about a bear?”
“You can draw a bear?” Raina looked skeptical.
Holly grinned. “Decals. For the artistically challenged.” She picked through an assortment on the table until she found a smiling bear cub.
But Darla wouldn’t hear of such a shortcut. She wanted Kathleen to hand-paint a flower on her face. And so did Sally. The girls set to work. Kathleen was leaning close, concentrating on painting the flower’s petals, when Darla said, “You sure have a lot of freckles.”
Kathleen sighed. “I know. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have so many.”
Darla kept staring. After a time she said, “I like them.”
“Really?”
“I like them too.” Carson’s voice so startled Kathleen, she almost dropped the brush. “Nice work,” he said.
“I—I didn’t know you were here.”
“I’m dishing ice cream.” He motioned towardthe cooler. “I do it every year. It’s fun and the kids like it.”
She wouldn’t have expected it of him. He’d been invisible ever since their date and now suddenly, here he was, looking at her with his heart-stopping grin and sexy brown eyes. She would have liked to ignore him but couldn’t. “How nice of you,” she said coolly.
“I’m on a break right now. I saw you and figured I’d invite you over for an ice cream sundae. You
are
planning on eating ice cream, aren’t you?”
“It’s up to Darla.”
Darla glanced between them. “Do you like each other?”
“I like her,” Carson said. “Why do you ask?”
“ ’Cause her face is all red.”
Kathleen could have slid through her chair’s slats. “I think I’m finished with your flower, Darla,” she said crisply, setting the brush in a jar of water.
“Then I want ice cream,” Darla said.
“Smart choice,” Carson said, and winked.
“Don’t you want to play some games first?” Kathleen asked.
“No, I want ice cream. But I want him to get it for me. I like chocolate with candy sprinkles.”
“He’s on break,” Kathleen said.
“Break’s over.” Carson grinned down at Darla. “Your flower looks terrific.”
Kathleen glanced at Raina and Holly, hoping they’d come with her. Raina said, “I’m still working on a masterpiece here.”
“Me too,” Holly said.
Kathleen almost shouted,
“How hard is it to put on a bear decal?”
but decided against it. “Okay,” she said to Darla. “Ice cream it is.”
They followed Carson, who went behind the cart to stand with another server while they got in line. He made a production out of creating their sundaes. Minutes later, the three of them were sitting at a table with their ice cream concoctions. “I thought you were working,” Kathleen said, still feeling testy.
“Still on break. Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“I don’t mind,” Darla said, giving him a decidedly adoring look.
He didn’t wait for Kathleen’s vote.
While Carson and Darla chatted amiably about Darla’s injury, Kathleen concentrated on her dish of ice cream. She also watched Darla’s little face light up while she talked to Carson and realized that all females were susceptible to his charms, regardless of age. This was his gift—to wind girls
“Your date, huh?” Raina said.
“It was the only way I could get him to come,” Holly whispered to her friends.
“How about some face painting?” Raina asked.
Raina’s and Kathleen’s charges agreed enthusiastically. Ben remained quiet.
They went over to the tables and after parking the chairs, each girl grabbed a brush and a tray of watercolors. “What would you like me to paint?” Raina asked Darla.
“How about you, Ben?” Holly asked. “Anything special?” His little shoulders rose in a shrug. “How about a bear?”
“You can draw a bear?” Raina looked skeptical.
Holly grinned. “Decals. For the artistically challenged.” She picked through an assortment on the table until she found a smiling bear cub.
But Darla wouldn’t hear of such a shortcut. She wanted Kathleen to hand-paint a flower on her face. And so did Sally. The girls set to work. Kathleen was leaning close, concentrating on painting the flower’s petals, when Darla said, “You sure have a lot of freckles.”
Kathleen sighed. “I know. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have so many.”
Darla kept staring. After a time she said, “I like them.”
“Really?”
“I like them too.” Carson’s voice so startled Kathleen, she almost dropped the brush. “Nice work,” he said.
“I—I didn’t know you were here.”
“I’m dishing ice cream.” He motioned towardthe cooler. “I do it every year. It’s fun and the kids like it.”
She wouldn’t have expected it of him. He’d been invisible ever since their date and now suddenly, here he was, looking at her with his heart-stopping grin and sexy brown eyes. She would have liked to ignore him but couldn’t. “How nice of you,” she said coolly.
“I’m on a break right now. I saw you and figured I’d invite you over for an ice cream sundae. You
are
planning on eating ice cream, aren’t you?”
“It’s up to Darla.”
Darla glanced between them. “Do you like each other?”
“I like her,” Carson said. “Why do you ask?”
“ ’Cause her face is all red.”
Kathleen could have slid through her chair’s slats. “I think I’m finished with your flower, Darla,” she said crisply, setting the brush in a jar of water.
“Then I want ice cream,” Darla said.
“Smart choice,” Carson said, and winked.
“Don’t you want to play some games first?” Kathleen asked.
“No, I want ice cream. But I want him to get it for me. I like chocolate with candy sprinkles.”
“He’s on break,” Kathleen said.
“Break’s over.” Carson grinned down at Darla. “Your flower looks terrific.”
Kathleen glanced at Raina and Holly, hoping they’d come with her. Raina said, “I’m still working on a masterpiece here.”
“Me too,” Holly said.
Kathleen almost shouted,
“How hard is it to put on a bear decal?”
but decided against it. “Okay,” she said to Darla. “Ice cream it is.”
They followed Carson, who went behind the cart to stand with another server while they got in line. He made a production out of creating their sundaes. Minutes later, the three of them were sitting at a table with their ice cream concoctions. “I thought you were working,” Kathleen said, still feeling testy.
“Still on break. Do you mind if I sit with you?”
“I don’t mind,” Darla said, giving him a decidedly adoring look.
He didn’t wait for Kathleen’s vote.
While Carson and Darla chatted amiably about Darla’s injury, Kathleen concentrated on her dish of ice cream. She also watched Darla’s little face light up while she talked to Carson and realized that all females were susceptible to his charms, regardless of age. This was his gift—to wind girls
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