heard laughter float from an interior room. “I shouldn’t have told you now. I just wanted you to understand why I didn’t feel comfortable staying tonight. But I do appreciate the invitation.”
When she turned to leave, he caught her arm. “You can’t just go like this.”
“Yes, I can. Have a good night, Logan. I’ll see you Wednesday for Daniel’s session.”
“You always run away before we’re finished,” she heard him mutter. But she didn’t linger and listen to anything else he had to say. His reaction to her revelations had indicated to her that he might have stood up for her. The fact that he’d wanted her to stay tonight said he didn’t care about appearances.
All those years ago, Gina had thought she’d left Logan for all the right reasons. But now she realized she’d simply been too insecure to stay and fight.
Logan rang the doorbell of the Victorian, not sure what he was doing there. He just knew he and Gina had to talk. For almost twenty-four hours, he’d mulled over whatGina had said about his father. Long dusky shadows were beginning to fill corners as he pressed the bell again.
Suddenly the door opened and Gina was there, looking breathless and beautiful in jeans and a lime-colored blouse. “I was out back,” she explained. “The evening was just too nice to stay indoors.”
“Are you home alone?” Logan asked, thinking they could go for a drive if she wasn’t.
“Yes, Raina is at her brother’s. Come in,” she said, motioning him inside.
She switched on the Tiffany light in the foyer and its jewel tones dispelled the shadows. When she led him into the living room, he noticed the kitchen beyond, then the hall that led to other rooms. It was an intriguing house, definitely large enough for two or three women to share.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked. “I have…a local wine, soda, juice, beer.”
Did she think he’d turn down anything but the finest champagne? Did she have the beer for men friends she might invite over?
“I’m fine.”
She nodded as if she didn’t know what to do next.
“I thought we should talk,” he said bluntly, motioning to the sofa to indicate this wouldn’t be a quick conversation.
They rounded opposite sides of the coffee table and met in the middle.
He waited for her to be seated, and then he lowered himself a good six inches away. “I want to know more about the conversation you had with my father.”
She took one of the fringed throw pillows into her lap and held it as if she needed something to hold on to. “I’m not sure there’s any point.”
“I believe there is.”
Staring across the room rather than at him, she pulled the pillow into her chest. “The truth is—I wasn’t mature enough or assertive enough to stand up for myself, but I think that’s because I believed he was right.”
“That you were a nobody?” She’d been intelligent and bright and sweet.
“ You made me feel like somebody, but I knew that wasn’t enough. I felt I had to be your equal. Your father didn’t think I was, didn’t see that I was, so I was sure I wasn’t.”
“You really believed that?”
She nodded and swung her gaze toward him. “I didn’t have the latest clothes. I wore Josie’s hand-me-downs. I wasn’t a cheerleader or even a debater because I always had to get home to take care of Angie. I never resented that because I found satisfaction in taking care of her and fulfilling my role in my family. It was important to me, and it helped my mom bring home a paycheck, too. But that role also kept me isolated from my classmates. When I met you, you didn’t know that I wasn’t the most popular girl in school. You didn’t care that I wasn’t a cheerleader. You were somehow beyond all that. At least, that’s what I thought.”
“But my dad made you feel differently.”
She hesitated, then seemed to choose her words carefully. “Your dad made me see who I truly was. That wasn’t going to change
When she turned to leave, he caught her arm. “You can’t just go like this.”
“Yes, I can. Have a good night, Logan. I’ll see you Wednesday for Daniel’s session.”
“You always run away before we’re finished,” she heard him mutter. But she didn’t linger and listen to anything else he had to say. His reaction to her revelations had indicated to her that he might have stood up for her. The fact that he’d wanted her to stay tonight said he didn’t care about appearances.
All those years ago, Gina had thought she’d left Logan for all the right reasons. But now she realized she’d simply been too insecure to stay and fight.
Logan rang the doorbell of the Victorian, not sure what he was doing there. He just knew he and Gina had to talk. For almost twenty-four hours, he’d mulled over whatGina had said about his father. Long dusky shadows were beginning to fill corners as he pressed the bell again.
Suddenly the door opened and Gina was there, looking breathless and beautiful in jeans and a lime-colored blouse. “I was out back,” she explained. “The evening was just too nice to stay indoors.”
“Are you home alone?” Logan asked, thinking they could go for a drive if she wasn’t.
“Yes, Raina is at her brother’s. Come in,” she said, motioning him inside.
She switched on the Tiffany light in the foyer and its jewel tones dispelled the shadows. When she led him into the living room, he noticed the kitchen beyond, then the hall that led to other rooms. It was an intriguing house, definitely large enough for two or three women to share.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked. “I have…a local wine, soda, juice, beer.”
Did she think he’d turn down anything but the finest champagne? Did she have the beer for men friends she might invite over?
“I’m fine.”
She nodded as if she didn’t know what to do next.
“I thought we should talk,” he said bluntly, motioning to the sofa to indicate this wouldn’t be a quick conversation.
They rounded opposite sides of the coffee table and met in the middle.
He waited for her to be seated, and then he lowered himself a good six inches away. “I want to know more about the conversation you had with my father.”
She took one of the fringed throw pillows into her lap and held it as if she needed something to hold on to. “I’m not sure there’s any point.”
“I believe there is.”
Staring across the room rather than at him, she pulled the pillow into her chest. “The truth is—I wasn’t mature enough or assertive enough to stand up for myself, but I think that’s because I believed he was right.”
“That you were a nobody?” She’d been intelligent and bright and sweet.
“ You made me feel like somebody, but I knew that wasn’t enough. I felt I had to be your equal. Your father didn’t think I was, didn’t see that I was, so I was sure I wasn’t.”
“You really believed that?”
She nodded and swung her gaze toward him. “I didn’t have the latest clothes. I wore Josie’s hand-me-downs. I wasn’t a cheerleader or even a debater because I always had to get home to take care of Angie. I never resented that because I found satisfaction in taking care of her and fulfilling my role in my family. It was important to me, and it helped my mom bring home a paycheck, too. But that role also kept me isolated from my classmates. When I met you, you didn’t know that I wasn’t the most popular girl in school. You didn’t care that I wasn’t a cheerleader. You were somehow beyond all that. At least, that’s what I thought.”
“But my dad made you feel differently.”
She hesitated, then seemed to choose her words carefully. “Your dad made me see who I truly was. That wasn’t going to change
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