awkward and not liking the unfamiliar sensation of it. It made him put a little more bite into his words than he intended. “You just have to learn to channel it into other things besides minestrone and chainsaws.”
One side of her mouth curved up slightly, and if she noticed the bite, she didn’t seem bothered by it. “Circular saws.”
“Yeah, those, too.”
Her smile grew, and it even looked as though she was trying not to laugh.
He had succeeded in cheering her up. Funny how that made him feel better about himself, too.
• • •
“So why Drew?”
Shannon finished the last bite of her salad and glanced up. “What do you mean?”
“Of all the men in all the world, why is he the one you want?”
She was beginning to lose her self-consciousness about the matter, around Michael anyway, at least to the point where she no longer felt her face grow warm when he mentioned it. That had to be some progress. “Are you really so surprised? He’s got a lot of female admirers.” She should know since she was the one making his dinner reservations for him.
Michael had already finished his burger and now sat back in his chair and studied her while he idly picked at the French fries that came on the side. Something flickered briefly in his expression that might have been irritation. “But what is it about him? Looks? Money? Sense of civic duty?”
Apparently she hadn’t completely gotten over being self-conscious. Poking at one last little part of a lettuce leaf on her plate, she avoided Michael’s eyes. “I don’t know. The whole package, I guess. He’s just a really great guy.”
“Saint Drew. I’ve heard this story before.”
She frowned at him. “I never said he was a saint, but is there something wrong with being a good guy?”
Michael gave a small, rueful chuckle. “No, not a thing.” He turned his face to look out the window, his expression distant. “It just sets the bar awfully high for sinners like me.”
She wondered if he would explain what he meant by that, but he remained silent. She didn’t think he was just trying to be cute. “You almost sound like you’re feeling sorry for yourself.”
He turned back to her, startled. After a moment a wry smile spread across his face. “Me? Never. Somehow I doubt you would let me get away with that.” Clearing his throat, he pushed his plate of French fries toward her. “Here. Have some.”
They did look tempting in all their greasy glory. She let him change the subject and reached for one. “Thanks.”
“How long have you had a thing for my brother?”
And we’re back to that, she thought. She squirmed inwardly. “Does it matter?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Depending upon how long you’ve known him, you may want to approach things differently.” He put a French fry in his mouth.
She mumbled something under her breath.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, about ten years. Give or take.” It was a conservative estimate, but he didn’t really need to know that, she decided.
Michael nearly choked on his fry. “
Ten years?
”
It was hard not to sound defensive. In fact, she was sure she failed completely. “Something wrong with that?”
“No, but … Damn. Ten years and you’ve never told him how you feel about him?”
She gave him a dark look and ate another of his French fries.
“I’m sorry, it’s just a little hard for me to wrap my head around.” He stared at her thoughtfully. “Maybe I underestimated my brother.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I don’t think
I’ve
ever inspired feelings with that kind of longevity in a woman.”
She frowned, trying to tell if he was making fun of her or not. No, she decided finally. He looked genuinely shocked and possibly a little pensive. She took pity on him. “Oh, you never know.”
Michael glanced up at her, looking as surprised as she felt at her words.
Now where had that come from? she wondered, carefully refocusing her attention on the fries. Since when did she
One side of her mouth curved up slightly, and if she noticed the bite, she didn’t seem bothered by it. “Circular saws.”
“Yeah, those, too.”
Her smile grew, and it even looked as though she was trying not to laugh.
He had succeeded in cheering her up. Funny how that made him feel better about himself, too.
• • •
“So why Drew?”
Shannon finished the last bite of her salad and glanced up. “What do you mean?”
“Of all the men in all the world, why is he the one you want?”
She was beginning to lose her self-consciousness about the matter, around Michael anyway, at least to the point where she no longer felt her face grow warm when he mentioned it. That had to be some progress. “Are you really so surprised? He’s got a lot of female admirers.” She should know since she was the one making his dinner reservations for him.
Michael had already finished his burger and now sat back in his chair and studied her while he idly picked at the French fries that came on the side. Something flickered briefly in his expression that might have been irritation. “But what is it about him? Looks? Money? Sense of civic duty?”
Apparently she hadn’t completely gotten over being self-conscious. Poking at one last little part of a lettuce leaf on her plate, she avoided Michael’s eyes. “I don’t know. The whole package, I guess. He’s just a really great guy.”
“Saint Drew. I’ve heard this story before.”
She frowned at him. “I never said he was a saint, but is there something wrong with being a good guy?”
Michael gave a small, rueful chuckle. “No, not a thing.” He turned his face to look out the window, his expression distant. “It just sets the bar awfully high for sinners like me.”
She wondered if he would explain what he meant by that, but he remained silent. She didn’t think he was just trying to be cute. “You almost sound like you’re feeling sorry for yourself.”
He turned back to her, startled. After a moment a wry smile spread across his face. “Me? Never. Somehow I doubt you would let me get away with that.” Clearing his throat, he pushed his plate of French fries toward her. “Here. Have some.”
They did look tempting in all their greasy glory. She let him change the subject and reached for one. “Thanks.”
“How long have you had a thing for my brother?”
And we’re back to that, she thought. She squirmed inwardly. “Does it matter?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Depending upon how long you’ve known him, you may want to approach things differently.” He put a French fry in his mouth.
She mumbled something under her breath.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said, about ten years. Give or take.” It was a conservative estimate, but he didn’t really need to know that, she decided.
Michael nearly choked on his fry. “
Ten years?
”
It was hard not to sound defensive. In fact, she was sure she failed completely. “Something wrong with that?”
“No, but … Damn. Ten years and you’ve never told him how you feel about him?”
She gave him a dark look and ate another of his French fries.
“I’m sorry, it’s just a little hard for me to wrap my head around.” He stared at her thoughtfully. “Maybe I underestimated my brother.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I don’t think
I’ve
ever inspired feelings with that kind of longevity in a woman.”
She frowned, trying to tell if he was making fun of her or not. No, she decided finally. He looked genuinely shocked and possibly a little pensive. She took pity on him. “Oh, you never know.”
Michael glanced up at her, looking as surprised as she felt at her words.
Now where had that come from? she wondered, carefully refocusing her attention on the fries. Since when did she
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