Page 81 of A Twist of Faith
“And what’s that?”
“I only knew my story, this small little piece of life, and it painted a pretty drab picture.” She met his gaze, earnest and questioning. “I … I never knew how it could really be.”
“Appalachia?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Family.”
If he didn’t lighten the mood he’d end up as teary-eyed as her. “Crazy, loud, with enough twang to fill up your entire list?”
“Exactly.” Her grin curled wide. “And more than enough love to make me believe that any dream can come true.”
Chapter 17
I did it because we were pleasant together and I come—came—to care for you; not to want you to make love to me, and not forgetting the difference between us, but more friendly like. (Pygmalion, Act 5)
Adelina toyed with the chain around her neck and watched the refined procession of faculty from various departments around Charlottesville’s campus saunter into the Grand Ballroom. Standing in the Hall among the elite beat new energy into her love for the place, and renewed her wish to someday follow in the footsteps of so many professors she admired. Maybe her father pushed the dream her way, but a part of her took hold on her own.
Someday, maybe.
Alex Murdock hovered nearby, like a migraine in autumn, but he’d not spoken to her once. He kept sending her a giddy grin, almost like a kid at Christmas, but otherwise hadn’t spoken to her.Strange man.And stranger by the minute. He nearly glowed with unspoken glee, but even his irritating unpredictability didn’t bother her as it used to months ago. Why?
She’d changed. Her reformation put Reese’s accent modification to shame because hers transformed at the heart-level. Priorities rearranged. People replaced things. Family filled up lonely nights. Hope beat the rhythm of her dreams with something more long lasting than white stone columns and award-covered walls.
She belonged.
She smiled to herself, tender thoughts ofhomea welcome addition to her inner world. What a difference belonging made.
The atmosphere around her buzzed with life and prestige, sparking a tinge of regret in her choices.But only a tinge.
She made the right decision.
“Adelina?”
She turned at Alex’s voice, his dashing appearance only enhanced by the sleek tux. Oh, if she didn’t know him so well, she might feel some attraction to him, but no way. Her heart beat constant for a farmer tucked away on a lovely hillside in Ransom. She looked at her watch. Seven thirty. He was probably finishing up Brandon’s bath.
“You’re glowing.” He edged closer, hands sliding into his slacks’ pockets. “Glad to see me?”
The arrogance nearly dripped off his Grinch-like grin. “How are you, Alex?”
“Fantastic. I feel a little like Santa Claus.” He rubbed his palms together.
“As I recall Santa is in the habit of giving gifts, not taking research away.”
“Oh, Adelina, if you only knew.” He shook his head in a consolatory way. “I never really wanted your research. I only wanted you to prove yourself.” He glanced away toward the door, not making any sense at all. “And now I have the perfect surprise to make sure you’re noticed.”
Her smile faded one degree at a time and fingers of cautions pinched her spine. Why did Alex’s plans and immediate terror come in a pair? “You do?”
She followed Alex’s gaze to the entry stairs where a magnificent specimen of manhood entered. A particularly familiar magnificent specimen of manhood.
The confident walk, the dark hair, the broad shoulders? Knowledge and reality crashed head-on. It couldn’t be … The classic tux hugged his body in all the right places, his dark curls lay tamed and trimmed, even his walk matched the elegance of the atmosphere, but what took her breath away was his clean-shaven face. Not even a shadow. Her whole body froze, except her mouth, which dropped open. She forgot how to breathe.
Here? He was here? And he looked like a dream come true.
A sudden wave of reality hit the spin cycle toward panic. “Oh no! What have you done?”
“Just finishing what I started.” Alex’s words drew her attention back to him, his clueless smile still firmly implanted. “If you won’t make Drs. Lindsay and Franklin aware of who you are and your excellent skills, then I will. And since the wager fell through, I thought I’d bring your success to Charlottesville one way or another. You deserve this.”
“You planned the wager?”
