thought that six kids could
make so much noise."
Nikki shrugged. "You get used to it."
"How long is this party supposed to last?"
"Until three o'clock."
Arden glanced at her watch. It was a little past one.
The party had started at noon, with hot dogs and potato chips for lunch. Then Carly had opened her presents, and now the kids were
playing some kind of game that apparently required running around the house at
full speed and full volume. Arden concentrated on helping Nikki pick up the
scattered remnants of wrapping paper and ribbon, refusing to think about the
fact that Shaun had yet to make an appearance.
"How's your new associate working out?"
Nikki asked.
"Good. It took her a while to get her bearings,
but she's settling in well."
"So what's bothering you?"
"Nothing."
Nikki sent her a pointed look; Arden sighed.
"I'm not sure."
"Must be a man," Nikki said, smiling.
"No. Well, sort of."
"He's sort of a man?"
Arden laughed. He was definitely a man.
"He sort of bothers me."
"It's about time."
"What do you mean?"
"You always close yourself off from people, never
letting anyone get too close. If he bothers you, it means he's getting to
you."
Arden frowned. It frustrated her to realize that she
still carried the emotional scars from a man who'd been gone from her life for
so long, and that her inherent distrust was so apparent. "Do you think I'm
cold?"
"No," Nikki responded immediately.
"You're the warmest, most giving and caring person I know, but you don't
often let other people see it."
Arden stuffed a wad of wrapping paper into the bag in
Nikki's hand.
"Does he see it?" Nikki asked.
"He thinks he does."
Nikki grinned. "I like him already."
"You would," Arden muttered.
"Speaking of men," Nikki mused, as she
scooped a huge purple bow from the floor. "I wonder what happened to
Shaun. When I talked to him last week, he said he was going to be here."
"He told me the same thing yesterday," Arden
said, not thinking about the implications of her statement until the words were
out of her mouth.
Nikki turned to look at her. "You saw Shaun
yesterday?"
"Um … yeah." Hell .
"I keep forgetting that you guys must run into
one another all the time at the courthouse."
Arden decided not to correct her cousin's
misapprehension. There was no reason to invite speculation, and the chime of
the doorbell forestalled any further discussion of the matter.
That will be Shaun, Arden thought.
"I'll get it," Colin said, coming through
the dining room from the kitchen. He stopped on his way to brush a soft kiss on
Nikki's lips. The tenderness of the gesture almost made Arden sigh.
She had expressed more than a few reservations when
Colin had come back into town, after a five-year absence, claiming to still
love Nikki. But he'd stuck, and if appearances were any indication, they were
very much in love. Nikki and Colin had been remarried for four months now, and
it warmed Arden's heart to see how happy they were together, and if she was a
little envious—well, it was just a little.
"Isn't the honeymoon period supposed to be over
by now?" she teased.
Colin ended the lingering kiss to respond to the door.
Nikki, bless her, actually blushed. "I wouldn't have thought it was
possible," she admitted. "But I love him more every day."
"They say that's the way it's supposed to
be."
"You don't have to sound so skeptical," her
cousin chided.
Arden shrugged. "I don't see a lot of cases of
love at its finest. But it's great to see you so happy."
"I want you to be happy, too."
"I'm not unhappy," Arden said.
"No," Nikki agreed. "But you're not
really happy, either."
Arden shrugged again but was saved from answering by
Colin's return, accompanied now by his brother.
Shaun's eyes met hers, held for a moment. "Hello,
Arden."
"Hi," she responded, lamenting the sudden
acceleration of her pulse. She'd always been aware of his innate maleness and
sensuality, but there was something different now. Since the night he'd kissed
her,
make so much noise."
Nikki shrugged. "You get used to it."
"How long is this party supposed to last?"
"Until three o'clock."
Arden glanced at her watch. It was a little past one.
The party had started at noon, with hot dogs and potato chips for lunch. Then Carly had opened her presents, and now the kids were
playing some kind of game that apparently required running around the house at
full speed and full volume. Arden concentrated on helping Nikki pick up the
scattered remnants of wrapping paper and ribbon, refusing to think about the
fact that Shaun had yet to make an appearance.
"How's your new associate working out?"
Nikki asked.
"Good. It took her a while to get her bearings,
but she's settling in well."
"So what's bothering you?"
"Nothing."
Nikki sent her a pointed look; Arden sighed.
"I'm not sure."
"Must be a man," Nikki said, smiling.
"No. Well, sort of."
"He's sort of a man?"
Arden laughed. He was definitely a man.
"He sort of bothers me."
"It's about time."
"What do you mean?"
"You always close yourself off from people, never
letting anyone get too close. If he bothers you, it means he's getting to
you."
Arden frowned. It frustrated her to realize that she
still carried the emotional scars from a man who'd been gone from her life for
so long, and that her inherent distrust was so apparent. "Do you think I'm
cold?"
"No," Nikki responded immediately.
"You're the warmest, most giving and caring person I know, but you don't
often let other people see it."
Arden stuffed a wad of wrapping paper into the bag in
Nikki's hand.
"Does he see it?" Nikki asked.
"He thinks he does."
Nikki grinned. "I like him already."
"You would," Arden muttered.
"Speaking of men," Nikki mused, as she
scooped a huge purple bow from the floor. "I wonder what happened to
Shaun. When I talked to him last week, he said he was going to be here."
"He told me the same thing yesterday," Arden
said, not thinking about the implications of her statement until the words were
out of her mouth.
Nikki turned to look at her. "You saw Shaun
yesterday?"
"Um … yeah." Hell .
"I keep forgetting that you guys must run into
one another all the time at the courthouse."
Arden decided not to correct her cousin's
misapprehension. There was no reason to invite speculation, and the chime of
the doorbell forestalled any further discussion of the matter.
That will be Shaun, Arden thought.
"I'll get it," Colin said, coming through
the dining room from the kitchen. He stopped on his way to brush a soft kiss on
Nikki's lips. The tenderness of the gesture almost made Arden sigh.
She had expressed more than a few reservations when
Colin had come back into town, after a five-year absence, claiming to still
love Nikki. But he'd stuck, and if appearances were any indication, they were
very much in love. Nikki and Colin had been remarried for four months now, and
it warmed Arden's heart to see how happy they were together, and if she was a
little envious—well, it was just a little.
"Isn't the honeymoon period supposed to be over
by now?" she teased.
Colin ended the lingering kiss to respond to the door.
Nikki, bless her, actually blushed. "I wouldn't have thought it was
possible," she admitted. "But I love him more every day."
"They say that's the way it's supposed to
be."
"You don't have to sound so skeptical," her
cousin chided.
Arden shrugged. "I don't see a lot of cases of
love at its finest. But it's great to see you so happy."
"I want you to be happy, too."
"I'm not unhappy," Arden said.
"No," Nikki agreed. "But you're not
really happy, either."
Arden shrugged again but was saved from answering by
Colin's return, accompanied now by his brother.
Shaun's eyes met hers, held for a moment. "Hello,
Arden."
"Hi," she responded, lamenting the sudden
acceleration of her pulse. She'd always been aware of his innate maleness and
sensuality, but there was something different now. Since the night he'd kissed
her,
Similar Books
