felt that way, but he'd given her little reason to think otherwise. Finally, she gave him a shy smile, put her hand over his, and guided the fork to her mouth. Her eyes drifted shut as she slowly chewed, savoring the sweet morsel. His knees went weak at the sensual pleasure he read on her face. Would she look like that if he made love to her? Then she opened her eyes and smiled into his.
"Does this mean we can expect another wedding in the family soon, Zach?" Camp asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Wedding? Who the hell was talking about a wedding? Panic exploded in his chest.
"No, of course not," he blurted. "What gave you a crazy idea like that?"
Beside him, he felt rather than saw, Dani flinch. She turned her attention back to her fruit salad, the pleasure he'd seen on her face just seconds ago wiped away.
"Not everyone wants to get married, Grandfather," Chantal remarked. "Some of us like to keep our options open."
"And that's exactly what we're doing," Dani shot back. She put her hand on Zach's arm in a proprietary fashion. "We're enjoying being together right now, but we're not thinking about marriage. Perhaps we'll live in sin for a while."
Chantal's mouth dropped open and then abruptly closed. Everyone else at the table stopped eating to stare. Daniella got to her feet and retrieved the coffee carafe from the sideboard.
"Can I pour coffee for anyone?"
He didn't miss the tremor of her hand as she filled coffee cups. He'd hurt her, angered and humiliated her. So why did she keep coming to his rescue?
----
Chapter Five
Why did she keep rescuing him? She should have left him to hang out to dry, the rat.
After breakfast Dani helped Adele with the dishes before making her excuses and running up the two flights of stairs. She wanted to decompress in her room for a while, away from Zach, away from Chantal, and away from all the personal questions and their embarrassing answers. Soon she wouldn't have any peace. The idea of spending the entire day at the spa with Chantal gave her about as much joy as the thought of a root canal. As long as Chantal thought she was a rival, she'd continue her campaign of jabs and barbs. The day would be complete agony.
She'd just reached the top of the stairs and was headed to her room when the other bedroom door crashed open. Jonathan stormed from his room, barreling into her and knocking her over. She landed on her butt in an undignified heap.
This day just kept getting better and better.
"Dani! I'm so sorry," he said as he helped to her feet. "Are you hurt?"
She rubbed her bottom. "Luckily, I'm well padded."
"I'm so sorry," he repeated. He ran an agitated hand through his short, sandy-colored hair. "I got this phone call and I went a little nuts. I'm sorry."
"Is everything all right?" She took a look at his red-rimmed eyes, and realized he'd been crying. She put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
He shook his head, his expression bleak. "I don't know. Everything is such a mess. I don't know what to do."
"Come with me."
She led him to the sunny glassed-in porch overlooking the street, shut the glass door behind her, and made Jonathan sit on the rattan sofa. She sat beside him.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head bowed in misery.
"It's not easy to talk about."
"That's okay. We'll just sit here for a few moments and catch our breaths."
She curled her legs under her and leaned her head against the soft cushions of the sofa. Outside the sun was shining, though she knew the air was crisp. The trees across the street were still in the lovely stage when all the leaves were a fiery red and still attached to the branches. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly letting the tension seep from her body.
"I'm gay."
She opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Jonathan, not sure if she had heard correctly.
"I've known that I'm gay for a long time, but I've never openly acknowledged it. My dad and I
"Does this mean we can expect another wedding in the family soon, Zach?" Camp asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.
Wedding? Who the hell was talking about a wedding? Panic exploded in his chest.
"No, of course not," he blurted. "What gave you a crazy idea like that?"
Beside him, he felt rather than saw, Dani flinch. She turned her attention back to her fruit salad, the pleasure he'd seen on her face just seconds ago wiped away.
"Not everyone wants to get married, Grandfather," Chantal remarked. "Some of us like to keep our options open."
"And that's exactly what we're doing," Dani shot back. She put her hand on Zach's arm in a proprietary fashion. "We're enjoying being together right now, but we're not thinking about marriage. Perhaps we'll live in sin for a while."
Chantal's mouth dropped open and then abruptly closed. Everyone else at the table stopped eating to stare. Daniella got to her feet and retrieved the coffee carafe from the sideboard.
"Can I pour coffee for anyone?"
He didn't miss the tremor of her hand as she filled coffee cups. He'd hurt her, angered and humiliated her. So why did she keep coming to his rescue?
----
Chapter Five
Why did she keep rescuing him? She should have left him to hang out to dry, the rat.
After breakfast Dani helped Adele with the dishes before making her excuses and running up the two flights of stairs. She wanted to decompress in her room for a while, away from Zach, away from Chantal, and away from all the personal questions and their embarrassing answers. Soon she wouldn't have any peace. The idea of spending the entire day at the spa with Chantal gave her about as much joy as the thought of a root canal. As long as Chantal thought she was a rival, she'd continue her campaign of jabs and barbs. The day would be complete agony.
She'd just reached the top of the stairs and was headed to her room when the other bedroom door crashed open. Jonathan stormed from his room, barreling into her and knocking her over. She landed on her butt in an undignified heap.
This day just kept getting better and better.
"Dani! I'm so sorry," he said as he helped to her feet. "Are you hurt?"
She rubbed her bottom. "Luckily, I'm well padded."
"I'm so sorry," he repeated. He ran an agitated hand through his short, sandy-colored hair. "I got this phone call and I went a little nuts. I'm sorry."
"Is everything all right?" She took a look at his red-rimmed eyes, and realized he'd been crying. She put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"
He shook his head, his expression bleak. "I don't know. Everything is such a mess. I don't know what to do."
"Come with me."
She led him to the sunny glassed-in porch overlooking the street, shut the glass door behind her, and made Jonathan sit on the rattan sofa. She sat beside him.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head bowed in misery.
"It's not easy to talk about."
"That's okay. We'll just sit here for a few moments and catch our breaths."
She curled her legs under her and leaned her head against the soft cushions of the sofa. Outside the sun was shining, though she knew the air was crisp. The trees across the street were still in the lovely stage when all the leaves were a fiery red and still attached to the branches. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly letting the tension seep from her body.
"I'm gay."
She opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Jonathan, not sure if she had heard correctly.
"I've known that I'm gay for a long time, but I've never openly acknowledged it. My dad and I
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