Page 42 of Only the Beginning

“Afraid everyone will figure out the truth?” She slipped into his arms. “You are an amazing guy. You can run, but you can’t hide.”

“I don’t feel very amazing,” he said, although she did. Heather fitted perfectly in his arms. Knowing the crowd around them would help keep his desire under check, he pulled her close until they were touching from shoulder to thigh. He inhaled the scent of her perfume. “You smell good.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

He tucked their linked hands close to his shoulder and wrapped his free arm more firmly around her waist. “Did I tell you how beautiful you are today?” he asked.

“About five times, and I appreciate every compliment more than you can imagine.”

“Why? Don’t you know you’re an incredibly beautiful woman?”

She looked up at him. Her eyes were wide and color stained her cheeks. “Wow. No one has ever said that to me before. Thank you. I feel very special.”

She was special. So special that the thought of always being like this wasn’t the least bit scary. Unrealistic, but not scary. If he were willing to give a relationship and love a try, Heather might be the one woman he would want to be with. Of course, because of how much he admired and respected her, he would never inflict himself upon her. Talk about a no-win situation.

They danced twice more. As they returned to their table at last, a gray-haired older woman stopped them. A boy of nine or ten was at her side. The woman spoke in rapid Spanish.

“She says to tell you that she is Lupe’s grandmother,” the boy said, then paused to listen. “She says that you were very kind to Rick and that she’s glad God has blessed you with a wife and family of your own. Your daughter is beautiful.”

Jim shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. “Tell her…” He paused.

Heather smiled at the grandmother and touched her arm. “Tell her that we appreciate her kind words and that we wish Lupe and Rick all the happiness in the world.”

The older woman beamed in response, then moved off. Jim tugged at his collar. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know what to say.”

“I know.” She looked at him with wide-eyed innocence. “Gee, have you noticed we’ve been getting some not-so-subtle messages from the world at large? An awful lot of people assume we’re married. I wonder what that means?”

He closed his hand over the back of her neck. “Yeah, like you want to get married any more than I do.”

“Less,” she said firmly as she led the way back to their table. “I want to get married even less than you do.”

Fifteen minutes later, she was dancing with one of Rick’s uncles. Jim watched, trying not to feel annoyed at the way the other man was holding her close. He felt someone move next to him, glanced over and saw Flo.

“Don’t you want this for yourself?” she asked.

“Are you referring to the cake on my plate? Help yourself.”

She swatted his arm, then motioned to the bride and groom sitting alone at the head table. They stared into each other’s eyes and spoke as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.