Edge of Forever. Sherryl Woods

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СКАЧАТЬ disappointment that shadowed Tony’s face as he gave her directions to his house.

      It took less than ten minutes to drive across town to an area where the homes were separated by wide sweeps of lawn shaded by ancient oak trees tipped with new green leaves. The Verones’ two-story white frame house, with its black shutters, wraparound porch and upstairs widow’s walk, stood atop a low rise and faced out to sea. The place appeared to have been built in fits and starts, with additions jutting out haphazardly, yet looking very much a part of the whole. Lights blinked in the downstairs windows and an old-fashioned lamppost lit the driveway that wound along the side of the house. More than three times as large as Dana’s two-bedroom cottage, the place still had a warm, cozily inviting appeal.

      She was still absorbing that satisfying first impression when the side door opened and Nick appeared. Tony threw open the car door and jumped out. “Hey, Dad, Ms. Brantley brought me home. I asked her to come in for ice cream, but she won’t. You try.”

      Dana wondered if she could disappear under the dashboard. Before she could attempt that feat, Nick was beside the car, an all-too-beguiling grin on his face. He leaned down and poked his head in the window. His hair was still damp from a recent shower and he smelled of soap. Dana tried not to sigh. She avoided his gaze altogether.

      “How about it, Ms. Brantley?” he said quietly, drawing her attention. “Will I have any better luck than Tony?”

      She caught the challenge glinting in his hazel eyes and looked away. “It’s late. I really should be getting home and Tony ought to have some dinner.”

      “You both ought to have dinner,” Nick corrected. “I’ll bet you haven’t eaten, either.”

      “I’ll grab something at home. Thanks, anyway.”

      She risked glancing up. Nick tried for a woebegone expression and failed miserably. The man would look self-confident trying to hold back an avalanche singlehandedly. “You wouldn’t sentence Tony to another one of my disastrous meals, would you?”

      Despite her best intentions, Dana found herself returning his mischievous grin. “Surely you’re not suggesting that I stay for dinner and that I fix it.”

      His eyes widened innocently. On Tony it would have been the look of an angel. On Nick it was pure seduction. “Of course not,” he denied. “I’ll just pop another TV dinner in the oven. We have plenty.”

      Suddenly she knew the battle was over before it had even begun. If Nick had been by himself, she would have refused; her defenses would have held. He would have been eating some prepackaged dinner, while she went home to canned vegetable soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. The idea of being alone with him made her heart race in a disconcerting way that would have made it easy to say no, even when the alternative wasn’t especially appealing.

      But with Tony around, she began to waver. He needed a nourishing meal. And while a ten-year-old, especially one who already had matchmaking skills, was hardly a qualified chaperon, he was better than nothing. She wouldn’t have to be there more than an hour or so. How much could happen between them in a single hour?

      “Do you have any real food in there?” she asked at last.

      “Frozen dinners are real food.”

      “I was thinking more along the lines of chicken or beef or fish. This town has a river full of perch and crabs. Surely you occasionally go out and catch some of them.”

      “Of course I do. Then we eat them. I think there might be some chicken in the freezer, though.”

      “And vegetables?”

      “Sure.” Then as an afterthought, he added, “Frozen.”

      Dana shook her head. “Men!”

      Telling herself it might be nice to have a friend in town, then telling herself she was an idiot for thinking that’s all it would be with a man like Nick, she reluctantly turned off the ignition and climbed out of the car. “Guide me to your refrigerator. We’ll consider this payment for your first day’s labor on my roof.”

      “So Billy didn’t show up?” he said, jamming his hands in his pockets.

      She scowled at him. “No.”

      “I told—”

      “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”

      “Right,” he said agreeably, but his grin was very smug as he turned away to lead her up the driveway.

      If she’d thought for one minute that she’d be able to relax in Nick’s presence, she was wrong. Her nerves were stretched taut simply by walking beside him to the house. He didn’t put a hand on her, not even a casual touch at her elbow to guide her. But every inch of her was vibrantly aware of him just the same and every inch screamed that this attempt at casual friendship was a mistake. At the threshold, she had to fight against a momentary panic, a desire to turn and flee, but then Tony was calling out to her and curiosity won out over fear. She told herself she simply wanted to see if this graceful old house was as charming on the inside as it was outside.

      In some ways the house itself had surprised her. She would have expected a builder to want something modern, something that would make a statement about his professional capabilities. Instead, Nick had chosen tradition and history. It raised him a notch in her estimation.

      They went through the kitchen, which was as modern and large as anyone could possibly want. She regarded it enviously and thought of her own cantankerous appliances. A built-in breakfast nook was surrounded by panes of beveled glass and situated to catch the morning sun. This room was made for more than cooking and eating. It was a place for sharing the day’s events, for making plans and shaping dreams, for watching the change of seasons. It was exactly the sort of kitchen she would have designed if she and Sam had ever gotten around to building a house.

      Enough of that, she told herself sharply. She dropped her purse on the gleaming countertop and headed straight for the refrigerator. Nick stepped in front of her so quickly she almost stumbled straight into his arms. She pulled back abruptly to avoid the contact.

      “Hey, don’t you want the grand tour first?” Nick said. “I really didn’t invite you in just to feed us. Relax for a while and let me show you around.”

      Once more, with her heart thumping crazily in her chest, Dana prayed for a quick return of her common sense. She knew she was feeling pressure where there was none, but suddenly she didn’t want to see the rest of the house. She didn’t want to find that the living room was as perfect as the one she’d dreamed about for years or that the bedrooms were bright and airy like something straight out of a decorating magazine. She didn’t want to be here at all. Nick was too overwhelming, too charming, and there was an appreciative spark in his eyes that terrified her more with every instant she spent in his company.

      She took a deep, slow breath and reminded herself that leaving now was impossible without seeming both foolish and ungracious. She took another calming breath and tried to remind herself that she was in control, that nothing would happen unless she wanted it to, certainly not with Tony in the house. Unfortunately, Tony seemed to have vanished the minute they came through the door. If only he’d join them, she might feel more at ease.

      “Let me see what treasures are locked in your freezer first,” she finally said. “Then while dinner cooks, you can show me around.”

      It СКАЧАТЬ