whispered.
Kelly’s dark green eyes went wide. “What did you say?”
“She said she kissed him.” The voice came from the doorway
behind them.
Both of them whirled around to see their grandmother
standing there in her usual black dress and stern expression.
Rose wanted to melt with embarrassment. She wouldn’t have
minded for Kelly to know she’d slipped up and kissed James. But she definitely
didn’t want her old-fashioned, interfering grandmother to know.
The old woman walked all the way into the room and sat down
in her favorite Queen Anne chair near the fireplace. “Am I to assume the
gentleman kissed you first?”
Rose wished the floor would open up and swallow her. “I
don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Young lady, you just brought it up with Kelly, so it has
now become appropriate conversation for the family. I assume you didn’t kiss
him against his will.”
With a gasp, Rose replied quickly, “Of course not.”
“Very good.” Her grandmother closed her eyes. “Very good.”
Kelly’s and Rose’s eyes met across the room. “It’s not
really good,” Rose said dryly.
“Of course it is. We can make it work. What is this I hear
about his still being engaged to that most inappropriate woman who came into
our house uninvited last week?”
“He’s not still engaged to her. He broke it off several days
ago. She’s just going around talking as if they’re still together.”
“Hmm.”
“Does she have a few screws lose?” Kelly asked, shaking her
head in confusion.
“I don’t know. I assume she’s trying to make things work in
her favor, but I don’t know what her end goal is.”
“Her end goal must not be realized,” their grandmother
intoned, in that almost prophetic tone that never failed to scare Rose. “Let me
think for several hours. I will develop a plan.”
“I don’t want a plan, Grandmama. Really, I don’t. I just
want to go back to work and forget all of this drama ever happened.”
“You really think you can do that?” Kelly asked.
“I can try.”
The truth was, Rose was absolutely positive that she could
never forget about any of it.
***
Jill texted Rose around lunchtime to
ask if she was coming back to swim that afternoon, and Rose felt too bad for
the little girls to refuse.
It turned out the afternoon wasn’t too painful. They played
games in the pool for a few hours, and then they dried off and went inside. At
five o’clock, the girls were getting hungry, so Rose went to the kitchen to
make some sandwiches.
She was spreading peanut butter when James joined her in the
kitchen. He’d acted naturally and casually all day, not behaving as if anything
was different. Rose marveled that he could put it behind him so easily.
She wished she could.
“Do you need any help?”
Rose shrugged. She didn’t need help, and she’d rather not be
with him alone like this, but she nodded toward the pitcher of lemonade she’d
pulled out of the refrigerator. “You can pour drinks, if you don’t mind.”
James pulled out some cups and started pouring.
“What are the girls doing?” Rose asked, mostly to make
conversation. She felt strange—and like James was discreetly watching her, as
if he wanted to make sure she was all right and wasn’t going to have an
emotional breakdown or something—and she wished for the billionth time she
hadn’t been stupid enough to kiss him yesterday.
“They’ve decided to build a fort with the blankets and
towels and eat their sandwiches underneath it.” There was a smile in his voice.
“Good for them.”
It still felt like James was observing her, and it was
starting to get on her nerves. When she put the last sandwich together, she
turned around and gave him an almost challenging look. “You don’t think I’m
going to faint away in your presence or something, do you?”
He blinked. “Of course not.”
“Then why do you keep looking at me?”
“Why wouldn’t I look at you?”
“You never have
Kelly’s dark green eyes went wide. “What did you say?”
“She said she kissed him.” The voice came from the doorway
behind them.
Both of them whirled around to see their grandmother
standing there in her usual black dress and stern expression.
Rose wanted to melt with embarrassment. She wouldn’t have
minded for Kelly to know she’d slipped up and kissed James. But she definitely
didn’t want her old-fashioned, interfering grandmother to know.
The old woman walked all the way into the room and sat down
in her favorite Queen Anne chair near the fireplace. “Am I to assume the
gentleman kissed you first?”
Rose wished the floor would open up and swallow her. “I
don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Young lady, you just brought it up with Kelly, so it has
now become appropriate conversation for the family. I assume you didn’t kiss
him against his will.”
With a gasp, Rose replied quickly, “Of course not.”
“Very good.” Her grandmother closed her eyes. “Very good.”
Kelly’s and Rose’s eyes met across the room. “It’s not
really good,” Rose said dryly.
“Of course it is. We can make it work. What is this I hear
about his still being engaged to that most inappropriate woman who came into
our house uninvited last week?”
“He’s not still engaged to her. He broke it off several days
ago. She’s just going around talking as if they’re still together.”
“Hmm.”
“Does she have a few screws lose?” Kelly asked, shaking her
head in confusion.
“I don’t know. I assume she’s trying to make things work in
her favor, but I don’t know what her end goal is.”
“Her end goal must not be realized,” their grandmother
intoned, in that almost prophetic tone that never failed to scare Rose. “Let me
think for several hours. I will develop a plan.”
“I don’t want a plan, Grandmama. Really, I don’t. I just
want to go back to work and forget all of this drama ever happened.”
“You really think you can do that?” Kelly asked.
“I can try.”
The truth was, Rose was absolutely positive that she could
never forget about any of it.
***
Jill texted Rose around lunchtime to
ask if she was coming back to swim that afternoon, and Rose felt too bad for
the little girls to refuse.
It turned out the afternoon wasn’t too painful. They played
games in the pool for a few hours, and then they dried off and went inside. At
five o’clock, the girls were getting hungry, so Rose went to the kitchen to
make some sandwiches.
She was spreading peanut butter when James joined her in the
kitchen. He’d acted naturally and casually all day, not behaving as if anything
was different. Rose marveled that he could put it behind him so easily.
She wished she could.
“Do you need any help?”
Rose shrugged. She didn’t need help, and she’d rather not be
with him alone like this, but she nodded toward the pitcher of lemonade she’d
pulled out of the refrigerator. “You can pour drinks, if you don’t mind.”
James pulled out some cups and started pouring.
“What are the girls doing?” Rose asked, mostly to make
conversation. She felt strange—and like James was discreetly watching her, as
if he wanted to make sure she was all right and wasn’t going to have an
emotional breakdown or something—and she wished for the billionth time she
hadn’t been stupid enough to kiss him yesterday.
“They’ve decided to build a fort with the blankets and
towels and eat their sandwiches underneath it.” There was a smile in his voice.
“Good for them.”
It still felt like James was observing her, and it was
starting to get on her nerves. When she put the last sandwich together, she
turned around and gave him an almost challenging look. “You don’t think I’m
going to faint away in your presence or something, do you?”
He blinked. “Of course not.”
“Then why do you keep looking at me?”
“Why wouldn’t I look at you?”
“You never have
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