Page 84 of Kiss an Angel

The beach was deserted but still littered with the debris left behind by the day’s visitors, anxious to get an early start on the summer season: empty soda cans, a rubber shower thong, the broken lid of a Styrofoam cooler. They wandered toward the water.

“The audience liked the new act.”

“I was so scared my knees were knocking. If it hadn’t been for the new story line, it would have been a disaster, but when I tried to thank Jack afterward, he said it was your idea.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Don’t you think you were stretching it a bit with the French nuns?”

“I’ve heard your lectures on morality, sweetheart. Unless I miss my guess, at least part of that erratic schooling of yours was spent with nuns.”

She didn’t deny it.

They walked for a while in comfortable silence. The breeze tossed her hair, and the pounding of the surf drove out the distant noises of the boardwalk amusement park, giving her the feeling that the two of them were alone in the world. She waited for him to drop her hand, but he held on.

“You did a good job tonight, Daisy. You’re a hard worker.”

“You really think so? Do you really think I’m a hard worker?”

“I do.”

“Thank you. Nobody’s ever said anything like that about me.” She gave a soft, self-deprecating laugh. “If they had, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.”

“But you believe me.”

“You’re not a man who gives praise lightly.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Not fair.”

“What?”

“I said something nice about you. Surely you can come up with at least one good thing about me.”

“Of course I can. You make great chili.”

To her surprise, he frowned. “Fine. Forget I said anything.”

Thunderstruck, she realized she’d hurt his feelings. She thought he’d been teasing, but with Alex, she should have known better. Still, it surprised her that he cared about her opinion. “I was just warming up for the good stuff,” she said.

“It’s no big deal. It really doesn’t matter.”

But it did matter, and she was pleased. “Let me think.”

“Forget it.”

She squeezed his hand. “You do what you believe is right, even if other people disapprove, so I should admire your integrity. I do admire your integrity, but—” She folded her fingers around his hand. “Do you really want me to be honest?”

“I said so, didn’t I?”

She ignored the belligerent thrust of his jaw. “You have a wonderful smile.”

He looked faintly befuddled, and his hand relaxed around hers. “You like my smile?”

“I do. Very much.”

“Nobody ever said that to me before.”

“Not many people get to see it.” She hid her own smile as she watched the serious way he pondered what she’d told him. “There’s one other thing, but I don’t know how you’re going to take this.”

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