A Brother's Honor (Grangers) - By Brenda Jackson Page 0,71
this guy you’ll find that out, as well.”
Shana came back to her chair and sat down. “I have to make a decision by Monday.”
Gloria nodded. “Good luck, but can I give you some advice?”
“Yes.”
“I know you. You like having total control of your life and everything in it. But every once in a while, it’s okay to let go, lose control and forgo the norm.”
Shana drew in a deep breath. “There will be a price to pay.”
A smile tipped the corners of Gloria’s mouth. “Maybe. Maybe not. But only you can determine if that price, if there is one, is worth it.”
* * *
Mona’s heart was racing overtime as she glanced over to where Ben was sitting. She couldn’t see him—at least not clearly—but she felt him. His very presence was radiating emotions through her.
Her talking watch had announced the time just seconds before he’d rung the doorbell earlier that evening. Using what she had come to know as her “magic wand,” she had slowly walked to the door. After verifying it was him, she had opened the door and allowed him into her world.
“Did you enjoy the pizza tonight, Mona?”
An easy smile spread across her lips. “Yes, thank you. I thought your daughter would be joining us tonight.”
He chuckled. “She was invited but she made other plans. She’ll be sorry she missed this.” He had been glad Shana hadn’t come, since he’d wanted Mona to himself tonight. When she had opened the door, he had stood there and looked at her up and down, appreciating what he saw. She was wearing a beautiful printed sundress with a pair of cute sandals. Her hair was curly and crowned her face.
She had explained that her hand wand, which had been developed by students at the college, was magical. It filed in its memory every outfit she had in her closet and a description of each. All she had to do was scan her wand over an outfit and it told her just what outfit it was as well as the color and a description. Special tags had been sewn into the backs of her dresses to make them easier to put on correctly. Then the handheld wand replaced the cane and could detect any obstruction in her path. He’d found everything she told him fascinating.
“I had a good time tonight,” she said softly. “It’s been a while since I’ve been out.”
“You mean out on a date?”
“Yes.”
He took a sip of his tea and watched her take a sip of hers. She had explained how she could locate everything on the table in front of her. All he had to do was tell her the location once. “When was the last time you went to the beach?”
“Oh, goodness. Years.”
“Would you go to the beach with me next weekend?”
He could tell his question had thrown her. “You want me to go to the beach with you?”
“Yes. I want you to walk with me barefoot in the sand, let the waves wiggle between our toes as we listen to the sound of the ocean.”
He watched as she slowly smiled, knowing that description had been tempting. “I don’t know, Ben. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“You won’t be. In case you haven’t figured it out already, I enjoy being with you.”
After several moments of silence, Mona said, “You might think so now, but—”
“And I’ll think so later.” He cleared his throat. “But there is that one thing....”
She bunched up her forehead. “What one thing?”
“That you might not like my company.”
He watched the way her smile brightened her face, and she tipped that same face toward him. “Trust me, that’s not the case.”
“Great. Then it’s settled. We’ll do the beach next week.”
Her head lowered for a minute, and then she lifted her gaze to him. “Thanks. I appreciate you.”
“No,” he said, reaching out and taking her hand in his. “I appreciate you.”
* * *
Sunday afternoon, and Shana wasn’t any closer to making a decision than she had been two days ago. Although Gloria had given her food for thought, it was food she wasn’t quite ready to digest.
Jules had called and they talked, but her sister was the last person who needed to know what she’d done with Jace. Her sister had been full of questions about their father’s date with Mona last night. Jules hadn’t been happy to know it was past noon already and Shana hadn’t even called their father to get any scoop. That meant Jules would have to be the nosy