eyes on the road. "So I've decided...if you're in agreement, of course, that maybe I could help you. We could go out, make Ginny think you're fooling around a little, and, like magic, all your problems will be solved."
She shifted in the seat and stared at him. "You'd do that?"
"Why not?" He shrugged. "We residents of Oakland are a friendly, accommodating bunch."
Michael glanced over to see her reaction and was relieved to see her smile. He had stayed up half the night trying to figure out the best solution to their problem. He couldn't quite put his finger on when Laurel's worries had become his own, but in the brief time he'd spent with her, she'd stirred something deep inside him, something that made her happiness important to him.
What she needed right now, he'd decided, was a friend, an ally, even if she didn't know it herself. And he felt an overwhelming urge to be that friend.
"What are you grinning about?" Laurel asked.
"Oh, I was just congratulating myself on what a sly guy I am."
"Oh, yeah?" she mocked. "I want to know what happened to that big lecture you gave me yesterday?"
"Lecture?"
"Yeah, the one about teaching Ginny responsibility, about her needing to appreciate me for who I am?"
"Well—"
"The one about not giving in to my little sister's every whim."
''But—''
"The one about not compromising my morals."
"Now, wait a minute!" He caught her hand in his and tugged at it, urging her closer to him. She slid along the seat until her shoulder was only inches from his. The warmth of his skin against hers heightened her senses.
"I said all of those things," he told her quietly, "before I realized exactly what it was we were up against. I mean, this thing is bigger than you and me. The way I figure it, we're going to have a long hard fight in front of us if we're going to beat this...this..."
"Teenager?" Laurel offered, laughter bubbling up inside her.
"Exactly!"
He rested their clasped hands on his muscled thigh. Laurel had to make a conscious effort to keep her breathing normal. She couldn't believe how rattled she was by his nearness.
Taking a deep breath, she released it slowly. Calm down , she chastened herself. You should be on cloud nine! You don't have to go through this alone anymore. He's going to help you .
Slowly, a fog of suspicion gathered in her head. Why was he doing this? What had made him decide to help her? What could he possibly gain? A stark answer formed in her brain: nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Her spine went straight as she contemplated what his reason must be. Pity. He felt sorry for her! She scowled. Well, she could take care of herself. She didn't need anyone's sympathy.
"Michael, thanks for the thought. But I don't want you to feel that you need to do this. I mean, Ginny's my sister. This is my problem. And I can handle it." She tried to slip her hand from his, but he tightened his hold.
"I never said that you couldn't," he said solemnly. He glanced over at her. "Listen, I want to do this because I know what you're going through. I went through the same thing with Jim. And here it is almost three years later and he's just now getting himself straightened out."
His gaze returned to the curving country road. "If we work together, maybe we can keep Ginny's adolescent turmoil to a minimum."
He gave her slim fingers a squeeze. "How about it? Are we in this together?"
Laurel couldn't deny the relief coursing through her.
"When you put it like that, how can I refuse?"
Studying him, she gazed from his shining, silky hair, down his straight nose, over perfect, smooth lips, to his slightly indented chin and wondered why being close to him constantly made her come unglued, especially when he always seemed to be so calm and collected. He evoked extreme responses from her—anger and suspicion one minute, euphoria the next. She had to learn to control her responses to him, especially if they were going to work together to help Ginny.
"Come on, let's take a walk before we
She shifted in the seat and stared at him. "You'd do that?"
"Why not?" He shrugged. "We residents of Oakland are a friendly, accommodating bunch."
Michael glanced over to see her reaction and was relieved to see her smile. He had stayed up half the night trying to figure out the best solution to their problem. He couldn't quite put his finger on when Laurel's worries had become his own, but in the brief time he'd spent with her, she'd stirred something deep inside him, something that made her happiness important to him.
What she needed right now, he'd decided, was a friend, an ally, even if she didn't know it herself. And he felt an overwhelming urge to be that friend.
"What are you grinning about?" Laurel asked.
"Oh, I was just congratulating myself on what a sly guy I am."
"Oh, yeah?" she mocked. "I want to know what happened to that big lecture you gave me yesterday?"
"Lecture?"
"Yeah, the one about teaching Ginny responsibility, about her needing to appreciate me for who I am?"
"Well—"
"The one about not giving in to my little sister's every whim."
''But—''
"The one about not compromising my morals."
"Now, wait a minute!" He caught her hand in his and tugged at it, urging her closer to him. She slid along the seat until her shoulder was only inches from his. The warmth of his skin against hers heightened her senses.
"I said all of those things," he told her quietly, "before I realized exactly what it was we were up against. I mean, this thing is bigger than you and me. The way I figure it, we're going to have a long hard fight in front of us if we're going to beat this...this..."
"Teenager?" Laurel offered, laughter bubbling up inside her.
"Exactly!"
He rested their clasped hands on his muscled thigh. Laurel had to make a conscious effort to keep her breathing normal. She couldn't believe how rattled she was by his nearness.
Taking a deep breath, she released it slowly. Calm down , she chastened herself. You should be on cloud nine! You don't have to go through this alone anymore. He's going to help you .
Slowly, a fog of suspicion gathered in her head. Why was he doing this? What had made him decide to help her? What could he possibly gain? A stark answer formed in her brain: nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Her spine went straight as she contemplated what his reason must be. Pity. He felt sorry for her! She scowled. Well, she could take care of herself. She didn't need anyone's sympathy.
"Michael, thanks for the thought. But I don't want you to feel that you need to do this. I mean, Ginny's my sister. This is my problem. And I can handle it." She tried to slip her hand from his, but he tightened his hold.
"I never said that you couldn't," he said solemnly. He glanced over at her. "Listen, I want to do this because I know what you're going through. I went through the same thing with Jim. And here it is almost three years later and he's just now getting himself straightened out."
His gaze returned to the curving country road. "If we work together, maybe we can keep Ginny's adolescent turmoil to a minimum."
He gave her slim fingers a squeeze. "How about it? Are we in this together?"
Laurel couldn't deny the relief coursing through her.
"When you put it like that, how can I refuse?"
Studying him, she gazed from his shining, silky hair, down his straight nose, over perfect, smooth lips, to his slightly indented chin and wondered why being close to him constantly made her come unglued, especially when he always seemed to be so calm and collected. He evoked extreme responses from her—anger and suspicion one minute, euphoria the next. She had to learn to control her responses to him, especially if they were going to work together to help Ginny.
"Come on, let's take a walk before we
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