Page 20 of Crying Shame
Fair enough.
“You deserve good things.” Regret, as well as my upbringing, had taught me to be appreciative of the things I had. I kept the palm of my hand faceup, but she still didn't grasp it. “I… really did miss you.”
She inhaled and shook her head. “You’d be the only one.”
“My brothers wondered where you were, too, as you were the closest thing they had to a sister.” Her blush deepened, and I took a breath. “I spoke to my parents. Yours decided to retire to Fort Myers.”
Her chin went higher. “Good to know.”
My body buzzed with her nearness. “And mine are respecting our wishes for privacy right now, but they are excited to meet Sam.”
She pivoted to face me. “You told them.”
My heart beat faster. We'd never discussed keeping Sam a secret. I blinked and said, “It’s impossible to keep a secret from Maman.”
“You should have talked to me first before sharing that with her.”
“I… it slipped out when she asked me questions."
“Still, he’s all I got.”
“My parents are doting. They'll be good for Sam.”
“You’re right, I guess.” She shrugged and settled back down. “Must be nice to get taken into a loving family.”
It was time to follow my plan. I tilted my head and asked, “So other than bad boyfriends, did you develop any fun hobbies since you’ve been gone?”
She blinked and settled into her seat, though her shoulders were less rigid. “I learned to dance some routines. I don’t think that’s what you meant, but with work and Sam, it’s hard to have hobbies. So what about you?”
I relaxed. “I actually make wine.”
Her eyebrows raised. “Seriously?”
I nodded. “You drank some of it last night.”
“It was good.” She swung the seat, and I helped her keep it going. “What do you remember the most about me, Elon?”
Her kiss. How our bodies had fit together perfectly. How she’d always placed her hand on my arm, and her nearness kept me calm when I’d get anxious—and anxiety had plagued me a lot as a teenager. She’d been gentle and sweet. I couldn’t say any of that, though, and decided instead on specific examples. “How you were always in my corner, cheering for me. You came to my high school and college soccer games. You believed in me, and I didn’t realize how special that was till after you left.”
“I doubt that. You and your family are so tight.”
“Not always true,” I said. “Do you remember when I rode that horse to school to ask you to be my prom date, and the principal chased me off, which caused the horse to gallop in the wrong direction?”
“Right into the cafeteria.” She laughed.
Good. That sound was all I needed. She was sweet and sexy, an appealing combination.
“You never have more than a minute of anger in your family,” she said.
She’d be surprised. My stomach twisted at the thought of disappointing her. “Cyrus and I had a big argument recently.”
She pressed her lips together. “Let me guess. You two made up.”
Heat rose to my face. Family was about being on each other’s side. I swallowed. “I am going to be best man at his wedding.”
She shook her head. “Of course.”
Yet she’d not heard the rest of the story. I sucked in my lips and then decided to tell her. “A while ago, I found out an employee of mine had targeted Cyrus by using him to get her pregnant so she could cash in our money. I’d hired her as it's hard to find entrepreneurial doctors. After giving birth, she drove drunk and died, leaving the infant to Cyrus and my future sister-in-law. It was a big mess, and I felt responsible. They'd met because of me.”
