done
that," the woman observed to an old man in another seat.
"You're just trying to make
trouble," Misty accused Luc.
"I'm not the one ignoring our
children," he teased mildly.
"They are not our children!"
"Mystique, that woman is looking
back here again," he whispered. "She probably heard you say that and
plans on turning us over to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children."
"Oh, you... you..." Misty
sputtered.
"What's the matter, Misty?"
Mark turned awkwardly around in his seat.
"Nothing, Mark," she said.
"Temper, temper," Luc
whispered, a thread of laughter in his voice.
Misty shot a glance at him, surprised by
his amusement. Earlier, he had been so furious with her.
Janie turned around, too, and smiled at
her. "I like to skate. Do you, Mystique?"
"Her name's Misty," Mary
informed her friend. "And she teaches us piano, too."
"Oh? Uncle Luc calls you Mystique,
doesn't he?" Janie asked.
"That's the name I use
professionally," Misty explained, acutely aware that Luc had draped an arm
along the back of the seat.
"I think it's pretty," Janie
assured her.
"So do I," Luc murmured.
"We call her Misty," Mark
insisted, shooting a suspicious glance at Luc.
When they got off the bus, the three
children ran ahead, shouting over their shoulders that they would be careful.
"They have fun together," Luc
observed.
"Yes, they do," Misty said, not
looking at him.
"Will you have dinner with me this
evening?"
"No, thank you. I'm working."
Misty was relieved to have an excuse.
"Join me for a meal first," Luc
insisted, directing the children across the street.
"I generally don't eat before work.
I have a light lunch a few hours before I leave, and that's enough." She
clamped her mouth shut, annoyed with herself for having explained it to him.
"You're too thin," Luc
observed.
Stung, Misty pulled away from his hold
and hurried after the children.
"Stop being so defensive with
me," Luc called, catching up with her. "I just meant that I think you
should eat more nourishing meals."
"I thought we said everything there
was to say to each other yesterday," Misty snapped.
"Yes, we did say quite a bit. I've
been wanting to talk to you about that."
"Misty, hurry," Mary wailed.
"We want to skate."
"Coming." Misty trotted after
them, glad of the diversion as she ushered the children past the kiosk, not
bothering to try to pay for them when Luc's hard eyes glinted at her.
She rented a pair of skates and stood on
the sideline watching the children as they skated to an open area in the center
of the rink and began practicing turns and twists.
"Shall we skate?" Luc took her
arm in a firm grip and tugged her out onto the ice. "Don't worry, I have
no intention of racing. I just thought you might like to waltz to the Strauss
music." His brown eyes held a spark of recklessness that sent a frisson of
alarm down Misty's spine.
"I like Strauss's music," she
conceded grudgingly.
"Good." Luc spun her around the
ice in a gentle waltz. As always, she was caught up in the music. She felt her
body and spirit melt into the graceful rhythms of old Vienna.
"You're good," Luc whispered to
her, bringing her out of her reverie. "So very, very good. I love the way
you move."
"Oh!" Misty tried to look away
from his mesmerizing gaze, but she found it too difficult to do so.
They danced close together across the ice
for six waltzes.
When they finally slowed to a stop, Misty
felt out of breath, partly from the exercise, partly from Luc's lips hovering
so close to hers.
"The children," she gasped,
pushing away from him. The man was hypnotizing her!
"They're fine," he whispered in
her hair.
"See? There they are. Just about
where we left them."
"I have to watch them," Misty
said, breaking free of his hold and skating to the center of the rink. The
children looked up at her and smiled.
"Hi, Misty. Look what I can
do," Mary crowed, twirling around with her hands clasped over her head.
From then on, Misty stayed close to the
children.
that," the woman observed to an old man in another seat.
"You're just trying to make
trouble," Misty accused Luc.
"I'm not the one ignoring our
children," he teased mildly.
"They are not our children!"
"Mystique, that woman is looking
back here again," he whispered. "She probably heard you say that and
plans on turning us over to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children."
"Oh, you... you..." Misty
sputtered.
"What's the matter, Misty?"
Mark turned awkwardly around in his seat.
"Nothing, Mark," she said.
"Temper, temper," Luc
whispered, a thread of laughter in his voice.
Misty shot a glance at him, surprised by
his amusement. Earlier, he had been so furious with her.
Janie turned around, too, and smiled at
her. "I like to skate. Do you, Mystique?"
"Her name's Misty," Mary
informed her friend. "And she teaches us piano, too."
"Oh? Uncle Luc calls you Mystique,
doesn't he?" Janie asked.
"That's the name I use
professionally," Misty explained, acutely aware that Luc had draped an arm
along the back of the seat.
"I think it's pretty," Janie
assured her.
"So do I," Luc murmured.
"We call her Misty," Mark
insisted, shooting a suspicious glance at Luc.
When they got off the bus, the three
children ran ahead, shouting over their shoulders that they would be careful.
"They have fun together," Luc
observed.
"Yes, they do," Misty said, not
looking at him.
"Will you have dinner with me this
evening?"
"No, thank you. I'm working."
Misty was relieved to have an excuse.
"Join me for a meal first," Luc
insisted, directing the children across the street.
"I generally don't eat before work.
I have a light lunch a few hours before I leave, and that's enough." She
clamped her mouth shut, annoyed with herself for having explained it to him.
"You're too thin," Luc
observed.
Stung, Misty pulled away from his hold
and hurried after the children.
"Stop being so defensive with
me," Luc called, catching up with her. "I just meant that I think you
should eat more nourishing meals."
"I thought we said everything there
was to say to each other yesterday," Misty snapped.
"Yes, we did say quite a bit. I've
been wanting to talk to you about that."
"Misty, hurry," Mary wailed.
"We want to skate."
"Coming." Misty trotted after
them, glad of the diversion as she ushered the children past the kiosk, not
bothering to try to pay for them when Luc's hard eyes glinted at her.
She rented a pair of skates and stood on
the sideline watching the children as they skated to an open area in the center
of the rink and began practicing turns and twists.
"Shall we skate?" Luc took her
arm in a firm grip and tugged her out onto the ice. "Don't worry, I have
no intention of racing. I just thought you might like to waltz to the Strauss
music." His brown eyes held a spark of recklessness that sent a frisson of
alarm down Misty's spine.
"I like Strauss's music," she
conceded grudgingly.
"Good." Luc spun her around the
ice in a gentle waltz. As always, she was caught up in the music. She felt her
body and spirit melt into the graceful rhythms of old Vienna.
"You're good," Luc whispered to
her, bringing her out of her reverie. "So very, very good. I love the way
you move."
"Oh!" Misty tried to look away
from his mesmerizing gaze, but she found it too difficult to do so.
They danced close together across the ice
for six waltzes.
When they finally slowed to a stop, Misty
felt out of breath, partly from the exercise, partly from Luc's lips hovering
so close to hers.
"The children," she gasped,
pushing away from him. The man was hypnotizing her!
"They're fine," he whispered in
her hair.
"See? There they are. Just about
where we left them."
"I have to watch them," Misty
said, breaking free of his hold and skating to the center of the rink. The
children looked up at her and smiled.
"Hi, Misty. Look what I can
do," Mary crowed, twirling around with her hands clasped over her head.
From then on, Misty stayed close to the
children.
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