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Authors: Susan Carlisle
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long?”
“We’ve been dealing with treatments for the last six months.”
“That has to have been tough. On both of you.”
“It has been. I have all this medical knowledge but I can’t help her. What good is it all if you can’t save the people you love?”
A stab of pain filled him. What would have happened if he’d defied his parents and taken Joey for help? He knew too well what it meant to watch a loved one die. He carried the guilt daily.
“So what is the prognosis?”
“Mom seems to be doing well medically but I worry over her depression. Tonight is the first time in months that she’s been this animated and energetic.”
“So the way to perk her up is to see you interested in a guy?”
Michelle shifted away. “I’m not interested in you.”
Ty took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the top of it. He turned it over to where he could feel the whip of her pulse under the delicate skin covering her wrist. “Are you sure about that?”
She pulled her hand away. “I appreciate you making my mother happy but I don’t plan to play the game any further than tonight.”
Was he playing a game? No, he didn’t think so. Suddenly he wanted to get to know this beautiful, complicated woman better. Careful, that idea sounded too much like getting involved. That, he wouldn’t let happen. They could be friends. Have a few laughs while he was in town but that was it.
“Ever thought that I might find you interesting? Want to get to know you better?”
“No. Why would you? I’m not your type. We are too different. We barely tolerate each other.”
“I think we’re tolerating each other just fine now.”
And they were. In fact, it had been a long time since he’d just enjoyed talking to a woman without there being any expectation on the part of either side.
Mrs. Ross stuck her head into the room. “Dinner is served.”
Michelle shot to her feet as if her mother had seen them doing something she didn’t want her to know about. He stood more slowly.
* * *
Michelle’s heart caught and fluttered back into rhythm. Maybe there was more to Ty than she’d given him credit for. At least her mother was happier than she’d seen her in a long time. For that alone Michelle could tolerate him for an evening.
She followed her mother back into the kitchen. Michelle came to an abrupt stop, causing Ty to bump into her. His hand touched her waist briefly, steadying her.
Her mother had set her father’s place for Ty.
“You okay?” he asked next to her ear. If her mother turned round now she’d think there truly was something between them. They stood so intimately close.
“Yeah.”
“Ty, this is your place.” Her mother indicated her father’s chair.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Ty said as he sat. “This looks wonderful and smells even better.” Michelle sank into her chair. She watched as Ty’s well-manicured hands picked up his napkin and shook it out then placed it in his lap.
His hand touching hers under the table jerked her attention to his eyes. She smiled and shook off the melancholy. He removed his hand. It was past time to let her father’s place go. Maybe even other things about him. Her mother certainly needed to move on after so many years. Had they both been caught up in a void that they needed to get beyond?
“Michelle, why don’t you serve Ty some roast?”
Ty picked up his plate and offered it to her. His eyes still held a concerned look. He saw things about her that others never noticed. Far too often.
She dished up the meat and her mother passed him the bowl of mashed potatoes. The two of them carried on a conversation as if they were old friends, leaving Michelle time to observe Ty.
He might be the most handsome man she’d ever seen. At first she’d thought his hair was too much but the better she got to know him the more she thought it suited him. Combed back, the ends curled around the back of his neck. Tonight he was wearing a collared shirt of tiny green
“We’ve been dealing with treatments for the last six months.”
“That has to have been tough. On both of you.”
“It has been. I have all this medical knowledge but I can’t help her. What good is it all if you can’t save the people you love?”
A stab of pain filled him. What would have happened if he’d defied his parents and taken Joey for help? He knew too well what it meant to watch a loved one die. He carried the guilt daily.
“So what is the prognosis?”
“Mom seems to be doing well medically but I worry over her depression. Tonight is the first time in months that she’s been this animated and energetic.”
“So the way to perk her up is to see you interested in a guy?”
Michelle shifted away. “I’m not interested in you.”
Ty took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb across the top of it. He turned it over to where he could feel the whip of her pulse under the delicate skin covering her wrist. “Are you sure about that?”
She pulled her hand away. “I appreciate you making my mother happy but I don’t plan to play the game any further than tonight.”
Was he playing a game? No, he didn’t think so. Suddenly he wanted to get to know this beautiful, complicated woman better. Careful, that idea sounded too much like getting involved. That, he wouldn’t let happen. They could be friends. Have a few laughs while he was in town but that was it.
“Ever thought that I might find you interesting? Want to get to know you better?”
“No. Why would you? I’m not your type. We are too different. We barely tolerate each other.”
“I think we’re tolerating each other just fine now.”
And they were. In fact, it had been a long time since he’d just enjoyed talking to a woman without there being any expectation on the part of either side.
Mrs. Ross stuck her head into the room. “Dinner is served.”
Michelle shot to her feet as if her mother had seen them doing something she didn’t want her to know about. He stood more slowly.
* * *
Michelle’s heart caught and fluttered back into rhythm. Maybe there was more to Ty than she’d given him credit for. At least her mother was happier than she’d seen her in a long time. For that alone Michelle could tolerate him for an evening.
She followed her mother back into the kitchen. Michelle came to an abrupt stop, causing Ty to bump into her. His hand touched her waist briefly, steadying her.
Her mother had set her father’s place for Ty.
“You okay?” he asked next to her ear. If her mother turned round now she’d think there truly was something between them. They stood so intimately close.
“Yeah.”
“Ty, this is your place.” Her mother indicated her father’s chair.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Ty said as he sat. “This looks wonderful and smells even better.” Michelle sank into her chair. She watched as Ty’s well-manicured hands picked up his napkin and shook it out then placed it in his lap.
His hand touching hers under the table jerked her attention to his eyes. She smiled and shook off the melancholy. He removed his hand. It was past time to let her father’s place go. Maybe even other things about him. Her mother certainly needed to move on after so many years. Had they both been caught up in a void that they needed to get beyond?
“Michelle, why don’t you serve Ty some roast?”
Ty picked up his plate and offered it to her. His eyes still held a concerned look. He saw things about her that others never noticed. Far too often.
She dished up the meat and her mother passed him the bowl of mashed potatoes. The two of them carried on a conversation as if they were old friends, leaving Michelle time to observe Ty.
He might be the most handsome man she’d ever seen. At first she’d thought his hair was too much but the better she got to know him the more she thought it suited him. Combed back, the ends curled around the back of his neck. Tonight he was wearing a collared shirt of tiny green
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