expression. Dustin pulled out a chair at the table, when he really wanted to grab the boy and run for the bunkhouse. Careful, boy, he wanted to say. She’s the kind of woman who’ll smile at you one day and break your heart the next. “Oh,” he said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a crumpled envelope. “I forgot this.”
“Oh, my,” Gert said, taking the envelope. “I just love getting birthday cards.”
“You must have a lot,” the boy said, climbing on a chair and leaning forward to watch Gert.
“Coffee’s just about ready,” Martha McIntosh announced. “Kate, do you want some too?”
Kate began unpacking one of the shopping bags. “Yes, thanks.”
Dustin walked over to the table and took a seat. Trapped, that’s what he was. A man surrounded by three generations of women determined to celebrate a birthday for as long as possible. He watched Kate pile gifts at Gert’s feet, while Danny and Gert exclaimed over the mounting pile of presents.
“You’re gonna open ’em now, right?” Danny asked.
“I sure am. And you can help me. You know where I keep the scissors,” Gert said, and Danny scrambled off the chair and hurried across the room. He dug the scissors out of a drawer by the telephone and hurried back to Gert. “Thank you,” she said, and cut a fistful of purple ribbons tied into a curly knot on top of a white box. “What do you suppose this is?”
Dustin glanced toward Kate, who looked as intrigued as Danny did. Her hair was lighter, though not as long as it was in high school. Her pink top and blue shorts showed off a figure that had only improved over the years. She looked as if she worked out in one of those fancy New York City gyms. He wondered if she had a lover, if they jogged together in Central Park and drank coffee in those restaurants with tables that lined the sidewalks.
“What do you take in it?”
Dustin turned as Martha set a cup of coffee in front of him.
“Just black, ma’am. Thank you.” He hated himself for sounding like the hired help, but that’s what he was. And that’s the way Kate’s mother eyed him. Did the woman know he’d made love to her daughter for one short summer so many years ago? Probably not, or she wouldn’t have invited him to stay for coffee.
Cake appeared for everyone, plus a glass of milk for Danny, who watched as each present was unwrapped and exclaimed over. And the women were careful to include the boy in the impromptu party. How did women—some women—understand all of this, anyway? How did they know that a little boy had probably never been to a birthday gathering like this one? He sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee, despite that it burned his tongue. He ate cake—two pieces, even—and tried not to look at Kate too often.
She was still beautiful, of course. It was natural to be attracted to her, as he would be to any beautiful woman who smiled at Danny and made the boy feel part of things. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with a woman, couldn’t imagine anyone in Beauville he’d want in his bed. In his life.
And now here was Kate, the only woman he’dever loved. He’d been young and foolish, but he’d been in love just the same. And seeing her again could still tie his tongue in knots.
“It’s time for bed, Danny,” Dustin said, once the gifts were opened and the boy had stuffed all the wrapping paper in a garbage sack. Gert, frugal as ever, insisted on keeping the ribbons and bows, so Danny stuffed them into a deep drawer filled with string and assorted other things the woman figured she might need some day.
“Aww,” the boy groaned. “Really?”
“Yep.” Dustin scraped his chair back from the table and picked up his empty coffee cup to set in the sink. It was long past time to leave this house full of women and take the boy home to bed.
CHAPTER SIX
“M OTHER, ARE YOU sure you don’t want to come back to town with us tonight?”
“I’m sure.” Gert felt a little stiff
“Oh, my,” Gert said, taking the envelope. “I just love getting birthday cards.”
“You must have a lot,” the boy said, climbing on a chair and leaning forward to watch Gert.
“Coffee’s just about ready,” Martha McIntosh announced. “Kate, do you want some too?”
Kate began unpacking one of the shopping bags. “Yes, thanks.”
Dustin walked over to the table and took a seat. Trapped, that’s what he was. A man surrounded by three generations of women determined to celebrate a birthday for as long as possible. He watched Kate pile gifts at Gert’s feet, while Danny and Gert exclaimed over the mounting pile of presents.
“You’re gonna open ’em now, right?” Danny asked.
“I sure am. And you can help me. You know where I keep the scissors,” Gert said, and Danny scrambled off the chair and hurried across the room. He dug the scissors out of a drawer by the telephone and hurried back to Gert. “Thank you,” she said, and cut a fistful of purple ribbons tied into a curly knot on top of a white box. “What do you suppose this is?”
Dustin glanced toward Kate, who looked as intrigued as Danny did. Her hair was lighter, though not as long as it was in high school. Her pink top and blue shorts showed off a figure that had only improved over the years. She looked as if she worked out in one of those fancy New York City gyms. He wondered if she had a lover, if they jogged together in Central Park and drank coffee in those restaurants with tables that lined the sidewalks.
“What do you take in it?”
Dustin turned as Martha set a cup of coffee in front of him.
“Just black, ma’am. Thank you.” He hated himself for sounding like the hired help, but that’s what he was. And that’s the way Kate’s mother eyed him. Did the woman know he’d made love to her daughter for one short summer so many years ago? Probably not, or she wouldn’t have invited him to stay for coffee.
Cake appeared for everyone, plus a glass of milk for Danny, who watched as each present was unwrapped and exclaimed over. And the women were careful to include the boy in the impromptu party. How did women—some women—understand all of this, anyway? How did they know that a little boy had probably never been to a birthday gathering like this one? He sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee, despite that it burned his tongue. He ate cake—two pieces, even—and tried not to look at Kate too often.
She was still beautiful, of course. It was natural to be attracted to her, as he would be to any beautiful woman who smiled at Danny and made the boy feel part of things. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been with a woman, couldn’t imagine anyone in Beauville he’d want in his bed. In his life.
And now here was Kate, the only woman he’dever loved. He’d been young and foolish, but he’d been in love just the same. And seeing her again could still tie his tongue in knots.
“It’s time for bed, Danny,” Dustin said, once the gifts were opened and the boy had stuffed all the wrapping paper in a garbage sack. Gert, frugal as ever, insisted on keeping the ribbons and bows, so Danny stuffed them into a deep drawer filled with string and assorted other things the woman figured she might need some day.
“Aww,” the boy groaned. “Really?”
“Yep.” Dustin scraped his chair back from the table and picked up his empty coffee cup to set in the sink. It was long past time to leave this house full of women and take the boy home to bed.
CHAPTER SIX
“M OTHER, ARE YOU sure you don’t want to come back to town with us tonight?”
“I’m sure.” Gert felt a little stiff
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