to let her mother see how much it impressed her, knowing she’d failed as Felicia’s eyes narrowed on them. Felicity decided life was too short to let anyone take a moment of her happiness away. Looking over at the big blond man, she saw all kinds of happy reflected in his gaze.
“So, Hal, how long are you in town for?” Her dads booming voice broke into their intimate moment.
“Honestly? I don’t know, Mr. Evans.” Hal took a sip of the tomato basil soup.
“Call me Rand.”
She nearly choked on the bite of turkey she’d just eaten at her father’s words. He’d never allowed any of the guys she’d dated call him anything other than Mr. Evans. Of course, they’d never saved her life before.
“How about you, Brax?” Her father asked.
She looked at the man who came with Hal, really taking in his features for the first time. His last name suggested Irish, but his dark hair and eyes, along with his dark skin, she wasn’t sure what his nationality was. As if he felt her gaze on him, he turned liquid brown, almost black, eyes on her. Felicity felt like she was drowning in the dark pools.
“Cut it out, Braxton.” Hal growled.
“You’re trying to figure out what I am, yes? I’ll save you a few seconds. I’m what is commonly described as Irish Gypsy. My ancestors go all the way back to Ireland, with a whole lot of mixing sprinkled in. I guess some say Black Irish.” He shrugged massive shoulders.
“My mother was named after the town of Felicia California when her own mother was on a caravan. They’d stopped there because my grandma went into labor, and because it’s supposed to be the exact center of the world, my grandparents called their daughter Felicia after the town. They said she was the center of their world.” Felicity smiled across the table at the sweet look on her mom’s face.
“I know what that feels like.” Hal agreed.
Felicity coughed into her napkin, and then swiftly changed the subject. Sitting close to Hal she swore his heat seeped into her pores. A shiver stole over her.
“Are you cold?” Hal asked, pushing back from the table, he took his suit jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.
She didn’t have the heart, nor the want, to tell him no. The action brought him close enough that his body rubbed against hers. Goodness, but he smelled divine.
Throughout the rest of the meal she inhaled his masculine scent, and something settled within her. Never had she wanted a man the way she did Hal Aldridge.
“Thank you for the lovely meal, mom. I’m going to take Hal and Brax on a tour of the Hills. If you’d both like to go, that is?” Her girlie parts heated at the thought of spending time with him.
Hal’s hand covered hers where she had bunched the cloth napkin on the table. “I’d love to go with you, but Brax has to go back to the hotel. He needs to check in with base and call his daughter.”
“Oh, you have a daughter? What’s her name?” Felicity asked.
His dark eyes looked at her with true happiness. “Lita, and she’s sixteen years old.”
“Oh, I remember Felicity at that age,” Felicia said.
“Yes, well we must be going.” Felicity was the first to get up from the table. Her mother could, and would, go on and on about the mistakes she’d made as a teen.
“Thank you for the lovely meal, Mrs. Evans. It was wonderful seeing you again, Mr. Evans, I mean, Rand.” Hal shook the older man’s hand.
Felicity walked with them to the front door. “Brax, can you make it back or would you like to follow Hal and me? It’ll only take me a moment to get my car out of the garage.” She didn’t look at her mother as she asked the question.
“I’ll be fine, the car has GPS. I’ll see you back at the hotel in a couple hours, Hal. Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it was a pleasure seeing you both again. Felicity, I’m very happy to finally meet the young woman who has had the big guy here twisted up in knots.”
She smiled, hoping he was telling the
“So, Hal, how long are you in town for?” Her dads booming voice broke into their intimate moment.
“Honestly? I don’t know, Mr. Evans.” Hal took a sip of the tomato basil soup.
“Call me Rand.”
She nearly choked on the bite of turkey she’d just eaten at her father’s words. He’d never allowed any of the guys she’d dated call him anything other than Mr. Evans. Of course, they’d never saved her life before.
“How about you, Brax?” Her father asked.
She looked at the man who came with Hal, really taking in his features for the first time. His last name suggested Irish, but his dark hair and eyes, along with his dark skin, she wasn’t sure what his nationality was. As if he felt her gaze on him, he turned liquid brown, almost black, eyes on her. Felicity felt like she was drowning in the dark pools.
“Cut it out, Braxton.” Hal growled.
“You’re trying to figure out what I am, yes? I’ll save you a few seconds. I’m what is commonly described as Irish Gypsy. My ancestors go all the way back to Ireland, with a whole lot of mixing sprinkled in. I guess some say Black Irish.” He shrugged massive shoulders.
“My mother was named after the town of Felicia California when her own mother was on a caravan. They’d stopped there because my grandma went into labor, and because it’s supposed to be the exact center of the world, my grandparents called their daughter Felicia after the town. They said she was the center of their world.” Felicity smiled across the table at the sweet look on her mom’s face.
“I know what that feels like.” Hal agreed.
Felicity coughed into her napkin, and then swiftly changed the subject. Sitting close to Hal she swore his heat seeped into her pores. A shiver stole over her.
“Are you cold?” Hal asked, pushing back from the table, he took his suit jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.
She didn’t have the heart, nor the want, to tell him no. The action brought him close enough that his body rubbed against hers. Goodness, but he smelled divine.
Throughout the rest of the meal she inhaled his masculine scent, and something settled within her. Never had she wanted a man the way she did Hal Aldridge.
“Thank you for the lovely meal, mom. I’m going to take Hal and Brax on a tour of the Hills. If you’d both like to go, that is?” Her girlie parts heated at the thought of spending time with him.
Hal’s hand covered hers where she had bunched the cloth napkin on the table. “I’d love to go with you, but Brax has to go back to the hotel. He needs to check in with base and call his daughter.”
“Oh, you have a daughter? What’s her name?” Felicity asked.
His dark eyes looked at her with true happiness. “Lita, and she’s sixteen years old.”
“Oh, I remember Felicity at that age,” Felicia said.
“Yes, well we must be going.” Felicity was the first to get up from the table. Her mother could, and would, go on and on about the mistakes she’d made as a teen.
“Thank you for the lovely meal, Mrs. Evans. It was wonderful seeing you again, Mr. Evans, I mean, Rand.” Hal shook the older man’s hand.
Felicity walked with them to the front door. “Brax, can you make it back or would you like to follow Hal and me? It’ll only take me a moment to get my car out of the garage.” She didn’t look at her mother as she asked the question.
“I’ll be fine, the car has GPS. I’ll see you back at the hotel in a couple hours, Hal. Mr. and Mrs. Evans, it was a pleasure seeing you both again. Felicity, I’m very happy to finally meet the young woman who has had the big guy here twisted up in knots.”
She smiled, hoping he was telling the
Similar Books
