Texas Proud and Circle of Gold (Long, Tall Texans #52) - Diana Palmer Page 0,19
“My goodness!”
“So, how about a movie Friday night?” he asked. “I’ll have Santi rent a smaller car, one that won’t get so much attention from the populace.”
Her heart skipped a beat and ran wild. “You want to take me out, on a date?”
“Of course I do,” he said softly.
She thought she might faint. “But I... I have all sorts of health issues...”
“Bernadette, you have a kind heart,” he said quietly, his dark eyes soft on her face. “None of the other stuff matters. Least of all an illness you can’t help.” He grinned. “I won’t ask you to go mountain climbing with me. I promise.”
She laughed. “That’s a deal, then.”
He shook his head. “Why would you think you’re untouchable?”
“A local boy told me that when I was in high school. He said he didn’t want to get mixed up with a handicapped girl.”
“Idiot,” he muttered.
She smiled at him. “Thanks.”
“How long ago?”
She blinked. “How long ago was it?”
He shifted. “Clumsy way to put it. How old are you?” he added. His dark eyes twinkled. “Past the age of consent?” he probed.
She closed up and looked uncomfortable.
He put a big, warm hand over hers on the table. “I don’t proposition women I haven’t even dated yet,” he said softly. “And you aren’t the sort of girl who’d ever get such a proposition from me. Honest.”
She caught her breath. He was so unexpected. “I’m twenty-four. Almost twenty-five.”
He was shocked and looked it. “You don’t look your age, kid.”
She beamed. “Thanks.”
He laughed and curled his fingers around hers, enjoying the sensations that ran through him. Judging by the flush, she was feeling something similar.
“Careful,” she said under her breath as more people came in the front door.
“Careful, why? Somebody with a gun looking our way?” he asked, and not entirely facetiously.
“Gossip.”
He scowled. “What?”
“Gossip,” she repeated. “If people see you standing close together or holding hands, they start talking about you, especially if you’re local and unmarried. You’ll get talked about.”
“Like I care,” he teased.
She felt as if she could float. “Really?”
His teeth were perfect and very white. She noticed, because he didn’t seem to smile much. “I don’t mind gossip. Do you?”
She hesitated. But, really, nobody here was likely to gossip about her to him, at least. Not many people knew about her parents or, especially, her grandparents. “No,” she said after a minute. “I don’t mind, either.”
“Just as well. I have no plans to stop holding hands with you,” he said. “It feels nice.”
“It feels very nice,” she said.
* * *
He had Santi drive her back to her office. He even got out, helped her from the car and walked her to the door.
“That woman in the courthouse said she works here. That right?” he asked.
She made a face and nodded.
“Then I won’t come in. Phew,” he added. “She could start a perfume shop on what she was wearing.”
“She could in there, too,” she said.
He laughed. “Well, I’ll see you back at Mrs. Brown’s later. If it starts raining, you call me and I’ll come pick you up.”
She looked hesitant.
“Oh. Right.” He pulled out his wallet, extracted a business card and handed it to her. “Cell phone. At the bottom. You can call me or you can text me. Texting is better. I hate talking on the damned phone.”
She laughed. “So do I.”
“Okay, then. See you later, kid.”
“See you.”
He got back in the car. She went into her office and closed the door behind her.
Jessie was watching. Her face was livid. She’d tried to cadge a ride back to the office in that nice limo and been refused. It made her furious that little miss sunshine there had managed it. And she was late back to work, to boot!
Chapter Four
Bernie didn’t have to look to feel Jessie’s fury, but she sat down at her desk without even glancing toward the front desk. Apparently Jessie wasn’t going to push her luck by attacking Bernie, though. She settled down at her desk and busied herself typing up letters for the boss while she answered the phone.
It wasn’t hard to avoid her at quitting time. Jessie was always the first one out the door, just in case the phone rang and somebody had to answer it. She was never on time in the mornings, either, something resented by all her coworkers.
“Phew,” Bernie said with heartfelt thanks when Jessie was out of sight. “I thought my number was up when we got back from lunch.”
“Jessie won’t quit,” Olivia said quietly. “She’s got that nice rich visitor in