Michael's Discovery - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,51
front of him.
“Okay, then, we’ll talk first. I’m sorry,” he apologized.
She finally met his gaze. “For?”
“Making light of what happened between us the other day.”
She shrugged. “It was a kiss. No big deal.”
“It was more than a kiss and it was a big deal,” he insisted. “I guess that’s why I did it. I felt guilty for taking advantage of you.”
“You?” she said incredulously. “I’m the one who took advantage. I’m the one who broke the rules.”
He struggled with a grin. “You have rules about that kind of thing?”
“The two of us made rules about it.”
“Then who better to break them?” he asked.
“We can’t keep doing this,” she said plaintively.
“It was a kiss,” he said, echoing her words before adding, “A great kiss.”
The beginnings of a smile tugged at her lips and she slanted a look at him. “Great, huh?”
He laughed at the hint of satisfaction in her voice. “Phenomenal.”
“Okay, don’t overdo it,” she said. “I can live with great. Now, let’s get to work.”
“In a sec. There’s one last thing I wanted to say.”
“Oh?”
“I’m glad you haven’t given up on me. It’s more than I deserve.”
She sighed. “There was never a question about that, Michael. I’m here for as long as you need me. There’s nothing you could do that would chase me away.”
The heartfelt commitment took him aback. Few people in his life had made that kind of commitment to him. His own parents certainly hadn’t. The Havilceks had, but because adoption had been out of the question, there had never been that final leap to becoming a real family that he believed he could count on forever. The reservation had been his alone. He’d been scared to allow himself to feel too much for the Havilceks.
Beyond that, though he and Bryan had been as close as brothers, or at least as close as he’d remembered brothers being, they hadn’t stayed in touch once he’d joined the navy.
Now here was a beautiful, compassionate, loving woman telling him she was in his life for as long as he needed her. An unfamiliar feeling filled his chest. He tried to pin a label on it, but couldn’t.
Only later that night, when he was all alone in his cold bed, his leg throbbing, did it dawn on him what that feeling had been: contentment. If he could feel such a thing at the worst time of his life, then he owed the woman responsible. He owed her more than respect and fair play. He owed her his heart, and it was past time he proved he was capable of giving it.
Chapter Eleven
When there was a knock on Michael’s door about six o’clock on Friday evening, he opened it, anticipating that he’d find Kelly on the other side. Instead, it was Sean, his usual jovial expression far more grim than Michael had ever seen it.
“Come on in. Is there a problem?” Michael asked his older brother.
“We need to talk,” Sean said, looking around the apartment with a cursory glance.
Since it was the first time Sean had been to visit since Michael had returned to Boston, Michael assumed it had to be important, especially when they were supposed to see each other at the pub in less than an hour.
“Okay,” Michael said cautiously, gesturing for him to come in. “I take it this is something we couldn’t get into later at Ryan’s Place.”
“Too many people around,” Sean said. “I figure you and I need to work this out and present a united front.”
Michael sighed. “Then it’s about the search for the rest of the family,” he guessed.
Sean nodded. “You know where I stand on that. Where do you stand?”
Despite the conversation he’d had with his mother, since then Michael had tried to avoid giving the matter any serious thought at all. He’d been secretly hoping that Ryan would simply take the matter out of their hands and do whatever it was he felt the need to do.
“Have a seat,” he said to Sean, just to buy himself some time to put his thoughts into words.
“I’ll stand.”
“And make me get a stiff neck trying to look you in the eye?” Michael inquired.
Sean immediately looked chagrined. “Sorry, man. I wasn’t thinking.” He sat down on the edge of the sofa. “Are you doing okay?”
Michael shrugged. “Kelly thinks I’m making progress.”
“Well, she’s the expert.”
He thought of the young girl he’d seen at the clinic the day before and how guilty he’d felt when he’d seen how hard she was struggling to overcome her injuries. “Kelly’s idea