Page 66 of Capturing You
“Where did you grow up?”
He took his time swallowing, hoping she’d give up waiting for a response. When she didn’t, he said, “Massachusetts.”
“So specific. Wow. Do you have siblings?”
“No.” Another lie, but Ford Baker had no siblings. He figured the only way to get Brooklynn to stop asking questions was to ask his own. “Tell me about your sisters.”
“Well, there’s Alyssa. You know about her. She’s a year older than I am.” While Brooklynn described her four sisters in detail, Forbes listened, really listened. He had nothing else to do, after all, and Brooklynn’s voice just made him…happy.
Which was stupid, and which he wouldn’t admit to under threat of death.
She spoke about each sister with great affection, then went on to describe her mother. “I always wanted to be just like her. She’s so elegant, my mom. And she makes everybody feel right at home.”
“You do that.”
“You think so?” Hope filled her voice, as if he were right on the verge of making her year.
“Sure. You’re nice.”
Nice?
That single word didn’t begin to describe Brooklynn.
“I do try to be nice. I like people to like me.”
Yeah. That fit.
“But I’m not elegant. Mom’s just got this way about her that makes everyone take notice when she walks into a room. I swear, in a past life she was a queen.”
A past life? “Are you a Hindu or something? Into some New Age?—”
“I’m kidding.” Her laugh was lighthearted. “I’m a Christian. I’m just saying, she was born to be royalty, you know what I mean? Alyssa’s like her, with that long pretty blond hair. I’m nothing like that. I’ve always been… I don’t know. Just ordinary. And also… Too much.”
“Too much of what?”
“I don’t know.”
At the shift in her tone, Forbes looked at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Obviously something. You’re not smiling.”
“I don’talwayssmile.”
“You do unless something’s wrong.”
She licked her lips, and the sudden rush of warmth Forbes felt had nothing to do with the burning logs a few feet away.
“I don’t know what makes me too much, but I’ve always had the sense that people think I am. Just…too much. Too much to deal with. Too much trouble. Even you think that.”
“I never said that.”
“I snoop.”
“Thatisannoying.”
“See? Too much.”
