Page 93 of Prodigal Son

Destiny assumed as much. “We’re just having fun.”

“But he likes you.”

Something giddy and juvenile awoke inside of her. She wanted to fish for more assurance and ask what she heard.

“He hasn’t said anything to me,” Gracie continued. “But I know how he thinks. You’re different from the other females he sees.”

“How many are there?” she asked dryly. Gracie spoke as if there were hordes.

“Oh, not that many. Cain has always been a bit of a hedonist.” She smirked and covered her lips. “My father calls him the sinner and Adam the saint.”

Cain wasn’t a bad person. Yet Destiny got the impression he didn’t have the best reputation among family. “Well, I think he’s kind and thoughtful. Whoever steals his heart in the end will be a lucky girl.”

“How so?”

Destiny shrugged. “I don’t know if Cain knows how to do anything halfway, so whoever he loves, I’m sure he’ll love her as much as any man can.”

Gracie looked at her and drew back. “You love him.”

“What? No. I don’t. We just met and barely know each other.”

“Love has nothing to do with time. It’s how two souls complement each other. And I think you and Cain complement each other very well. Do you ever dream of him, Destiny?”

“Um, not that I remember.” Sometimes Gracie gave the impression that she was some sort of a mystic and it freaked her out. Uncomfortable with the conversation, she turned the topic back to Dane. “Have you thought about telling Dane how you feel?”

“He knows. He calls me stubborn. He’s so full of emotion and anger sometimes, I want to make things easier on him, but I can’t sacrifice my beliefs.”

“He’s a teenager. Give him time.”

“He will be an adult in a few weeks. When I mentioned making him a gift, he said…” Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. “He told me exactly what he wanted from me.”

Destiny grinned and leaned closer. “What did he say?”

Gracie looked back at the empty hall and whispered, “He has very adult thoughts about us, and he makes no effort to hide his feelings from me. It’s embarrassing and it makes it impossible to be in his presence sometimes.”

“Really? I love when a man’s direct about his feelings. Most aren’t.”

“He’s a little too direct.”

“What does he say?”

“It’s not what he says so much as… He has a lot of fantasies.”

Destiny chuckled. Now they were getting to the juicy stuff. “And what about you? Do you ever fantasize about him?”

“I…” She looked away. “I’ve caught my mind wandering where it shouldn’t. He has nice eyes and I don’t mind the way he smells.”

“Two important qualities. What about how he makes you feel?”

Her gaze lifted and she drew in a slow breath. “When he’s around, I feel lighter. We bicker constantly, and he infuriates me most days, then I’m so frustrated I can’t stop thinking about him. But then there are days when he brings me things.”

“What sort of things?”

“He brought me a feather he found, and he carved my name into a piece of wood shaped like a heart. No one has ever given me gifts like that.”

“He likes you, Gracie. He’s trying to show you.”

“Well, I wish he’d stop.”

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