threatening.
Because this entire situation was strangely weird and getting weirder. She certainly felt tugged in two directions. She had a deep underlying feeling she ought to have kept going once she was on her way out a few minutes before. And at the same time, she wanted to stay. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Not only was she worried about his condition, but there was also something about his brother that didn’t sit well with her.
Or was she rationalizing again?
“Hey,” she said as she noticed he was sitting up and beginning to swing his legs over the side of the bed. “What are you doing now?”
He stopped, eyeing her with a certain cool moodiness. “I’m doing whatever I feel like doing. And right now, I’ve got a yen to see my old house.”
“You mean, this one?”
He nodded. “If I’ve got another, I don’t remember it.” He gazed at her levelly. “I’m counting on you to be my crutches. To catch me when I fall. Okay?”
She was tempted to argue with him but she knew it would do no good. “Sure,” she said wryly. “I’m adjustable. That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
“Don’t go expecting diamonds and pearls from me,” he said, teasing. His grin was lopsided. “But play your cards right and if this royal thing comes through, I might be able to buy you an iced latte one of these days.”
“I’m excited,” she said, a trace of sarcasm showing. But she was smiling as she rose to help him up. He leaned on her lightly with one hand on her shoulder and they walked slowly out onto the beautifully finished maple floors on into the foyer with its marble inlays. She took the time to look around and appreciate how much care someone had taken in making this home a beautiful showplace. The fact that the décor was about fifty years out-of-date didn’t matter. The warmth and character of the home shone through.
He took her through the study and into the library, where the walls were filled with floor-to-ceiling, glass-enclosed bookcases full of books. They strolled through the kitchen and she realized it had only been the butler’s pantry she’d visited before. The central kitchen was huge with large ovens of all kinds and a refrigerator that took up one wall.
“We used to have huge parties,” he told her. “And people staying for the weekend. There was always something going on. But that was before…” His voice seemed to trail off.
“Before?” she asked, but he ignored her and went on, pointing out the herb garden from the kitchen window.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he said. “You can see almost the whole estate laid out in front of you from my old room.”
She thought she’d caught signs already that he was flagging a bit. “Mykal, do you think you should?”
“Sure I should.” He grinned at her. “We’ll take the elevator.”
“You have an elevator in your house?”
“Sure. My father got very weak after…after some financial reverses and this house has three levels.”
The elevator swayed a bit, but it got them there.
“Here’s my bedroom,” he said, leading her in and pointing out the bay window. “I used to sit on this window seat and stare out for hours.”
She could see why. Night had fallen but the place was littered with solar lamps that flickered from the trees and from the side of walkways. It seemed to be an enchanted garden. But she was more interested in looking at the artifacts of his boyhood that filled the shelves, books and trains and bats and soccer balls.
“Your parents left a lot of your things here, almost on display. You know what that means, don’t you?” She looked at him teasingly.
He shrugged. “That they were too lazy to throw it all out?”
“No. That they loved you so much they wanted to hang on to everything that reminded them of you.”
He smiled as though what she’d said had touched him, just a little. “Yeah. My mom likes me.”
She looked at him and thought, Who wouldn’t? He was such a charmer. Her
Because this entire situation was strangely weird and getting weirder. She certainly felt tugged in two directions. She had a deep underlying feeling she ought to have kept going once she was on her way out a few minutes before. And at the same time, she wanted to stay. She wanted to make sure he was okay. Not only was she worried about his condition, but there was also something about his brother that didn’t sit well with her.
Or was she rationalizing again?
“Hey,” she said as she noticed he was sitting up and beginning to swing his legs over the side of the bed. “What are you doing now?”
He stopped, eyeing her with a certain cool moodiness. “I’m doing whatever I feel like doing. And right now, I’ve got a yen to see my old house.”
“You mean, this one?”
He nodded. “If I’ve got another, I don’t remember it.” He gazed at her levelly. “I’m counting on you to be my crutches. To catch me when I fall. Okay?”
She was tempted to argue with him but she knew it would do no good. “Sure,” she said wryly. “I’m adjustable. That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
“Don’t go expecting diamonds and pearls from me,” he said, teasing. His grin was lopsided. “But play your cards right and if this royal thing comes through, I might be able to buy you an iced latte one of these days.”
“I’m excited,” she said, a trace of sarcasm showing. But she was smiling as she rose to help him up. He leaned on her lightly with one hand on her shoulder and they walked slowly out onto the beautifully finished maple floors on into the foyer with its marble inlays. She took the time to look around and appreciate how much care someone had taken in making this home a beautiful showplace. The fact that the décor was about fifty years out-of-date didn’t matter. The warmth and character of the home shone through.
He took her through the study and into the library, where the walls were filled with floor-to-ceiling, glass-enclosed bookcases full of books. They strolled through the kitchen and she realized it had only been the butler’s pantry she’d visited before. The central kitchen was huge with large ovens of all kinds and a refrigerator that took up one wall.
“We used to have huge parties,” he told her. “And people staying for the weekend. There was always something going on. But that was before…” His voice seemed to trail off.
“Before?” she asked, but he ignored her and went on, pointing out the herb garden from the kitchen window.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he said. “You can see almost the whole estate laid out in front of you from my old room.”
She thought she’d caught signs already that he was flagging a bit. “Mykal, do you think you should?”
“Sure I should.” He grinned at her. “We’ll take the elevator.”
“You have an elevator in your house?”
“Sure. My father got very weak after…after some financial reverses and this house has three levels.”
The elevator swayed a bit, but it got them there.
“Here’s my bedroom,” he said, leading her in and pointing out the bay window. “I used to sit on this window seat and stare out for hours.”
She could see why. Night had fallen but the place was littered with solar lamps that flickered from the trees and from the side of walkways. It seemed to be an enchanted garden. But she was more interested in looking at the artifacts of his boyhood that filled the shelves, books and trains and bats and soccer balls.
“Your parents left a lot of your things here, almost on display. You know what that means, don’t you?” She looked at him teasingly.
He shrugged. “That they were too lazy to throw it all out?”
“No. That they loved you so much they wanted to hang on to everything that reminded them of you.”
He smiled as though what she’d said had touched him, just a little. “Yeah. My mom likes me.”
She looked at him and thought, Who wouldn’t? He was such a charmer. Her
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