off somewhere and no way am I gonna break the breakup news to a woman with a history of near-death cardiac episodes,” I added. “No freakin’ way. Not with my history.”
Townsend moved in closer and put a hand on my bare arm, my clean T-shirt clutched to my chest.
“You know what I think?” he asked, close enough for me to smell his aftershave and his musky, manly scent.
“What?” I managed, looking up into eyes more deli-ciously brown than Cadbury chocolate.
“You’re flirting with danger, Tressa,” he said, and I sensed he wasn’t just being melodramatic. “The longer you let this fiancée fantasy play out, the harder it will be to cut yourself loose when the time comes. And any-thing connected to Manny Demarco, no matter how innocent or well-intentioned, holds a certain element of risk,” he said. “It’s just the nature of the beast.”
I winced. Having someone refer to your faux fiancé as a beast is hardly the stuff fairy tales are made of. And let’s face it. I sure as heck wasn’t the belle of any-one’s ball.
“I really don’t think there’s anything to be con-cerned about,” I said. “Like I told Aunt Mo, when I get back home the three of us are going to have a nice long chat and we’ll explain things to her in a calm, lov-ing, non-stress-inducing manner.” I thought about it for a second. “Can a person rent a heart defibrillator, do you think?”
Townsend’s lips twitched, and I was ready to declare myself a free and unattached woman right then and there and cover his sensational sexy lips with mine when Mr. Mucous Mouth exited the bathroom.
“Do you two want to be alone?” he asked.
I was about to yell, “You’re damned right! Now get the hell out!” (being nookie-deprived has manifested in some rather unpleasant side effects) when Townsend turned to block me from his nephew’s view and I slipped my shirt on over my head.
“I was just asking Tressa here if she wanted to tag along with you, me and your sister to Sedona tomor-row,” Rick said by way of explanation. He turned back to me. “We’re looking for souvenirs and the obligatory wedding present for the happy couple,” he added. “But I imagine you’ve already got that covered. Right?”
“Of course,” I said, lying. To be honest, buying a wedding gift hadn’t even occurred to me.
“What did you get them?” Nick asked, coming over.
“Why, the gift of my presence at this auspicious oc-casion in their lives, of course,” I replied.
“Huh?” the kid said.
“Me! I’m their gift! My being here is gift alone,” I told the preteen.
“Didn’t you, like, have to come?” he asked. “Like me? So how is that like a present?”
I gritted my teeth. I wondered if it was true that all kids went to Heaven. This one was close to finding out.
“You’ll understand when you grow up,” I told him. “And realize that sometimes the most valuable gifts cost nothing,” I said, and patted his head when I wanted to paddle his behind.
“Sounds to me like something a cheapskate would say,” he said, sloughing my hand off his head. “Why don’t you ask Taylor to come with us again, Uncle Rick?” he said, looking up at Townsend. “I bet she’d come if you asked her real nice. I bet she’s gonna buy a real gift for Grandma Hannah and Grandpa Joe,” he said. “Let’s ask her.”
Townsend gave him a wobbly smile and then ex-tended it to include me.
“You already asked Taylor to go?” I said, as the warm glow I’d gotten over Townsend’s invite cooled like hot fudge drizzled over hard-packed ice cream.
Townsend swallowed. Once. Twice. I kept count by the up and down of his Adam’s apple.
“I planned on asking you, Taylor, and your cousin Sophie to go along,” he explained. “But your Aunt Kay said Sophie has classes tomorrow morning and Taylor isn’t feeling up to another car ride so soon. So, what do you say, T? You up for a day of sightseeing in Se-dona with a trio of Townsends? Lunch is
Townsend moved in closer and put a hand on my bare arm, my clean T-shirt clutched to my chest.
“You know what I think?” he asked, close enough for me to smell his aftershave and his musky, manly scent.
“What?” I managed, looking up into eyes more deli-ciously brown than Cadbury chocolate.
“You’re flirting with danger, Tressa,” he said, and I sensed he wasn’t just being melodramatic. “The longer you let this fiancée fantasy play out, the harder it will be to cut yourself loose when the time comes. And any-thing connected to Manny Demarco, no matter how innocent or well-intentioned, holds a certain element of risk,” he said. “It’s just the nature of the beast.”
I winced. Having someone refer to your faux fiancé as a beast is hardly the stuff fairy tales are made of. And let’s face it. I sure as heck wasn’t the belle of any-one’s ball.
“I really don’t think there’s anything to be con-cerned about,” I said. “Like I told Aunt Mo, when I get back home the three of us are going to have a nice long chat and we’ll explain things to her in a calm, lov-ing, non-stress-inducing manner.” I thought about it for a second. “Can a person rent a heart defibrillator, do you think?”
Townsend’s lips twitched, and I was ready to declare myself a free and unattached woman right then and there and cover his sensational sexy lips with mine when Mr. Mucous Mouth exited the bathroom.
“Do you two want to be alone?” he asked.
I was about to yell, “You’re damned right! Now get the hell out!” (being nookie-deprived has manifested in some rather unpleasant side effects) when Townsend turned to block me from his nephew’s view and I slipped my shirt on over my head.
“I was just asking Tressa here if she wanted to tag along with you, me and your sister to Sedona tomor-row,” Rick said by way of explanation. He turned back to me. “We’re looking for souvenirs and the obligatory wedding present for the happy couple,” he added. “But I imagine you’ve already got that covered. Right?”
“Of course,” I said, lying. To be honest, buying a wedding gift hadn’t even occurred to me.
“What did you get them?” Nick asked, coming over.
“Why, the gift of my presence at this auspicious oc-casion in their lives, of course,” I replied.
“Huh?” the kid said.
“Me! I’m their gift! My being here is gift alone,” I told the preteen.
“Didn’t you, like, have to come?” he asked. “Like me? So how is that like a present?”
I gritted my teeth. I wondered if it was true that all kids went to Heaven. This one was close to finding out.
“You’ll understand when you grow up,” I told him. “And realize that sometimes the most valuable gifts cost nothing,” I said, and patted his head when I wanted to paddle his behind.
“Sounds to me like something a cheapskate would say,” he said, sloughing my hand off his head. “Why don’t you ask Taylor to come with us again, Uncle Rick?” he said, looking up at Townsend. “I bet she’d come if you asked her real nice. I bet she’s gonna buy a real gift for Grandma Hannah and Grandpa Joe,” he said. “Let’s ask her.”
Townsend gave him a wobbly smile and then ex-tended it to include me.
“You already asked Taylor to go?” I said, as the warm glow I’d gotten over Townsend’s invite cooled like hot fudge drizzled over hard-packed ice cream.
Townsend swallowed. Once. Twice. I kept count by the up and down of his Adam’s apple.
“I planned on asking you, Taylor, and your cousin Sophie to go along,” he explained. “But your Aunt Kay said Sophie has classes tomorrow morning and Taylor isn’t feeling up to another car ride so soon. So, what do you say, T? You up for a day of sightseeing in Se-dona with a trio of Townsends? Lunch is
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