Page 53 of This Heart Of Mine (Chicago Stars 5)

As they shook their heads warily, Molly saw matching hickeys on their necks. Something uncomfortable stirred in the pit of her stomach.

Troy moved toward the door, and Amy’s longing gaze reminded Molly of Ingrid Bergman bidding Humphrey Bogart a final farewell on that Casablanca runway.

What would it feel like to be that much in love? Again she felt that unpleasant quivering in her stomach. Only after the lovers had parted did she realize it was jealousy. They had something she seemed destined never to experience.

Chapter 10

“It’s much too dangerous,” said Daphne.

“That’s what makes it fun,” Benny replied.

Daphne Gets Lost

A few hours later Molly stepped back to admire the homey space she’d created for herself on the nursery cottage’s screened porch. She’d put the blue-and-yellow striped cushions on the glider and the chintz-patterned ones on the bent-willow chairs. The small, drop-leaf kitchen table with its chipped white paint now sat against one side of the screen with two of the unmatched farmhouse chairs. Tomorrow she’d find some flowers to put in the old copper watering can she’d stuck on top.

With some of the essentials she’d transferred from the B&B to the cottage, she fixed toast and a scrambled egg and carried them out to the table. While Roo snoozed nearby, she watched daylight begin to fade over the wedge of lake visible through the trees. Everything smelled of pine and the dank, distant scent of the water. She heard something that sounded distinctly human rustling outside. At home she would have been alarmed. Here she settled back in the chair and waited to see who would appear. Unfortunately, it was Kevin.

She hadn’t thrown the latch on the screen door, and she wasn’t surprised when he walked inside without an invitation. “The brochure says breakfast is from seven to nine. What kind of people want to eat that early when they’re on vacation?” He set an alarm clock on the table, then glanced at the remnants of her scrambled egg. “You could have gone into town with me and had a burger,” he said begrudgingly.

“Thanks, but I don’t do burgers.”

“So you’re a vegetarian like your sister?”

“I’m not as strict. She won’t eat anything with a face. I won’t eat anything with a cute face.”

“This I’ve got to hear.”

“Actually, it’s a pretty good system for healthy eating.”

“I take it you think cows are cute.” He couldn’t have sounded more skeptical.

“I love cows. Definitely cute.”

“How about pigs?”

“Does the movie Babe ring a bell?”

“I won’t even ask about lamb.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. Or rabbit.” She shuddered. “I’m not too attracted to chickens and turkey, so I do occasionally indulge. I also eat fish since I can avoid my favorite.”

“Dolphin, I’ll bet.” He settled into the old wooden chair across from her and gazed down at Roo, who’d stirred enough to snarl. “You might have latched on to something here that I could get into. There are certain animals, for example, I find positively repulsive.”

She gave him her silkiest smile. “It’s well known that men who don’t like poodles are the same ones who grind up human body parts in garbage disposals.”

“Only if I’m bored.”

She laughed, then caught herself as she realized he’d turned the charm-thing on her, and she’d nearly gotten caught up in it. Was this supposed to be her reward for agreeing to help him out? “I don’t understand why you dislike it here so much. The lake is beautiful. There’s swimming, boating, hiking. What’s so bad about that?”

“When you’re the only kid, and you have to go to a church service every day, it loses its charm. Besides, there’s a limit to the size motor you can put on a boat, so there’s no water skiing.”

“Or Jet Skis.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Weren’t there ever other children around?”

“Sometimes a grandkid would show up for a few days. That was the highlight of my summer.” He grimaced. “Of course, half the time that grandkid was a girl.”

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