Page 24 of The Honorable Texan
“For feeding me trout?”she asked, wide-eyed.
He shook his head.“No.For…this.”
He bent and kissed her, very gently.He lifted his head.“I like kissing you.”
She smiled slowly.“I like kissing you, too.”
“To what end?”
She blinked.“Excuse me?”
“I don’t want to get married,” he said bluntly.
She felt all at sea, confused and uncertain.
He stared down into her wide eyes.She looked miserable and he felt confused.“Forget it,” he murmured, dropping his stare to her soft eyes.“I’m just talking.I don’t even know what I’m talking about.”
“I know about her,” she blurted out.
He scowled.“Her?”
“Shannon Culbertson,” she said, averting her gaze to the budding rosebushes.“I’m sorry it happened like that.It must have been devastating for you.”
He couldn’t think of another single person he wouldn’t have cursed for mentioning her name.But it didn’t feel at all uncomfortable to discuss Shannon with Violet.She had a tender heart.He ached for comfort.He’d never had it.
“She was beautiful,” he replied.“Young and full of fun and promise.I loved her until she was an obsession.I didn’t think I could go on living when she died.”
“But you did,” she replied.“You’re stronger than you realize.”
“You have an odd effect on me,” he murmured.
“What sort?”she asked, studying him.
One shoulder lifted and fell.His eyes went back to the landscape as he rocked the swing lazily into motion.“I don’t talk about her.I haven’t in years.”
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder, staring across his broad chest toward the distant highway.“You can’t bury the past,” she said absently.“It affects everything we do, everything we are.”
He frowned.“Did you lose someone?”
She laughed.“Me?When I was in high school, I weighed even more than I do now.My parents sent me to a private school because they thought I might not get picked on as much.But I did.There are always the beautiful people who feel privileged to comment on the less fortunate.I hated school.”
“I thought schools were cracking down on bullies.”
“If they crack down very hard, they tend to get sued,” she pointed out, with a speaking look in his direction.
He chuckled.“I don’t take frivolous lawsuits,” he reminded her.
“Plenty of other lawyers do.Then they get huge awards, which they keep the lion’s share of.Then insurance, and everything else goes sky high.”
He scowled.“Well, you have got a point.”
“I make up in intelligence for what I lack in looks,” she murmured.
He tilted her face up to his and searched her blue, blue eyes.“Violet,” he said softly, “there’s nothing wrong with the way you look.I had a bad morning and I took it out on you that day.I’ve been trying to find a way to apologize every since.You look like a woman should.”
She studied him with big, curious eyes.He was very handsome.She was fascinated by the way he was looking at her, as if he really did find her enchanting.She smiled slowly.
“Ahh,” he cautioned in a husky tone.“Looking at me like that will get you into trouble.”
