to enjoy him. Dangerous! a part of her mind warned. But for this one evening, she’d ignore the warning.
“You kissed a girl?” Ryan asked incredulously. “Yuk!”
“It was pretty yukky, all right. But things improved as I got older.” He grinned at Megan and winked.
As she sipped her root beer, her eyes settled on his mouth and she found herself wondering just how his kiss might feel. That thought, Megan knew, was even more dangerous.
“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,” Ryan sing-songed as they walked through the graveled parking lot. “Gotta make a wish. I wish I had a kitten. What do you wish for, Alex?”
“That’s easy.” Holding the somewhat sticky hand that Ryan had slipped into his, Alex gazed up at a sky full of stars. “I wish I was on a windjammer ship sailing on the South Seas or in Switzerland getting ready to climb Mount Pilatus or in Kenya on a safari. Something fun and adventurous.”
Alongside the Porsche, they stopped, and Megan looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time. “You’ve done those things before?”
“Oh, yeah, and I want to do them again.” Alex’s expression was filled with yearning. “You feel so wonderfully alive when you’re out there—just you and the forces of nature.” He remembered it so well with something that resembled nostalgia, then caught Megan’s look. “Why are you frowning?”
“I knew someone like you once. He was never satisfied with things as they were, always searching for something new just over the horizon.”
Did she mean Neal? “You don’t approve?”
“I can’t understand such a restless nature, such a fierce pursuit of the next thrill, something more exciting than the last.”
“I think of it more as just having fun. Everyone needs some fun in their lives, Megan. You’ve heard about Jack, haven’t you?”
“Jack?”
“Yeah. All work and no play made him a dull boy.”
Perhaps she was dull, Megan thought. But that was far better than pursuing the impossible dream.
“What’s your wish, Mom?” Ryan asked.
That, too, was easy. Boring, but easy. “I want us all to stay healthy, and I want to keep our rooms filled.”
“You always say that, Mom.”
Alex looked into her eyes, trying to read through her guarded expression. “Surely you want more than that, Megan. This isn’t a dress rehearsal. We only go around once. Life’s mighty short.” Hadn’t he almost lost his recently?
“Yes, I know. I buried my husband last year. Like you, he was drawn to new adventures. And he died a very unhappy man.” She slipped her arm around her son’s shoulders, drew him near. “It’s time we left, sweetie. Say thank-you and good-night.”
“Thanks for the pizza. And the quarters. I had a great time.” Ryan beamed up at Alex.
Unable to resist, Alex ruffled the boy’s dark hair. “You’re welcome, sport. See you later.”
“And thanks from me, too.” Eyes averted, Megan pivoted on her heel, but her sandal got caught on a piece of gravel and she stumbled. She would have fallen if Alex hadn’t reached out and steadied her, bringing them in very close contact. So close she could feel his warm breath on her neck.
Heart thudding, she looked up at him, very aware of his strong hands at her waist, the pressure of those long fingers. His eyes were a silvery green in the moonlight, intense, darkly passionate. For a fleeting instant, she wished she could give in to the need she saw reflected there. The sensual pull was much stronger than when he’d touched her by the refrigerator.
Then she straightened and hustled her son to her six-year-old Mustang with the muffler that needed replacing. Inside, she sighed wearily.
She didn’t want a man in her life, Megan reminded herself, didn’t want to waste energy longing for things she was better off without, for feelings she would only regret. Besides, Alex Shephard was the wrong man to want. He was everything she should run from, everything she’d
“You kissed a girl?” Ryan asked incredulously. “Yuk!”
“It was pretty yukky, all right. But things improved as I got older.” He grinned at Megan and winked.
As she sipped her root beer, her eyes settled on his mouth and she found herself wondering just how his kiss might feel. That thought, Megan knew, was even more dangerous.
“Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight,” Ryan sing-songed as they walked through the graveled parking lot. “Gotta make a wish. I wish I had a kitten. What do you wish for, Alex?”
“That’s easy.” Holding the somewhat sticky hand that Ryan had slipped into his, Alex gazed up at a sky full of stars. “I wish I was on a windjammer ship sailing on the South Seas or in Switzerland getting ready to climb Mount Pilatus or in Kenya on a safari. Something fun and adventurous.”
Alongside the Porsche, they stopped, and Megan looked up at him as if seeing him for the first time. “You’ve done those things before?”
“Oh, yeah, and I want to do them again.” Alex’s expression was filled with yearning. “You feel so wonderfully alive when you’re out there—just you and the forces of nature.” He remembered it so well with something that resembled nostalgia, then caught Megan’s look. “Why are you frowning?”
“I knew someone like you once. He was never satisfied with things as they were, always searching for something new just over the horizon.”
Did she mean Neal? “You don’t approve?”
“I can’t understand such a restless nature, such a fierce pursuit of the next thrill, something more exciting than the last.”
“I think of it more as just having fun. Everyone needs some fun in their lives, Megan. You’ve heard about Jack, haven’t you?”
“Jack?”
“Yeah. All work and no play made him a dull boy.”
Perhaps she was dull, Megan thought. But that was far better than pursuing the impossible dream.
“What’s your wish, Mom?” Ryan asked.
That, too, was easy. Boring, but easy. “I want us all to stay healthy, and I want to keep our rooms filled.”
“You always say that, Mom.”
Alex looked into her eyes, trying to read through her guarded expression. “Surely you want more than that, Megan. This isn’t a dress rehearsal. We only go around once. Life’s mighty short.” Hadn’t he almost lost his recently?
“Yes, I know. I buried my husband last year. Like you, he was drawn to new adventures. And he died a very unhappy man.” She slipped her arm around her son’s shoulders, drew him near. “It’s time we left, sweetie. Say thank-you and good-night.”
“Thanks for the pizza. And the quarters. I had a great time.” Ryan beamed up at Alex.
Unable to resist, Alex ruffled the boy’s dark hair. “You’re welcome, sport. See you later.”
“And thanks from me, too.” Eyes averted, Megan pivoted on her heel, but her sandal got caught on a piece of gravel and she stumbled. She would have fallen if Alex hadn’t reached out and steadied her, bringing them in very close contact. So close she could feel his warm breath on her neck.
Heart thudding, she looked up at him, very aware of his strong hands at her waist, the pressure of those long fingers. His eyes were a silvery green in the moonlight, intense, darkly passionate. For a fleeting instant, she wished she could give in to the need she saw reflected there. The sensual pull was much stronger than when he’d touched her by the refrigerator.
Then she straightened and hustled her son to her six-year-old Mustang with the muffler that needed replacing. Inside, she sighed wearily.
She didn’t want a man in her life, Megan reminded herself, didn’t want to waste energy longing for things she was better off without, for feelings she would only regret. Besides, Alex Shephard was the wrong man to want. He was everything she should run from, everything she’d
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