Her father just grunted his disapproval and returned his gaze to the chess game. Ashley appeared to have him in check, which no doubt accounted for his foul temper.
At the sound of the doorbell, all three women went perfectly still. When no one else moved, Jake said resignedly, “I’ll get it.”
Three pairs of expectant eyes focused first in the direction of the foyer, then on Trent. Dani wanted to be sure she caught her father’s reaction at his first glimpse of Mrs. Fawcett. Ashley’s pleased expression indicated she thought she’d done a masterful job of transforming the widow.
Quick, light footsteps sounded on the oak floors. Only one pair. Apparently Jake had been struck dumb. Dani figured that was a very good sign.
Just then her father’s mouth dropped open and his whole expression lit up. “Well, I’ll be,” he murmured, rising slowly and crossing the room. It was clear he had eyes for only one person. “Let me look at you.”
Dani followed the direction of his gaze and stared. Ashley, indeed, had every right to be smug. Matilda Fawcett might not look like a young girl again, but years had been stripped away. Under Ashley’s guidance, her hair had been cut into a becoming bob and had been colored a soft honey blond shade. She was wearing makeup for the first time Dani could ever recall, just a subtle hint of blush, a light sweep of eye shadow and a dab of mascara that emphasized her delicate bone structure and huge eyes.
The sneakers had been traded for high-heeled pumps, and the baggy sweat suits had given way to a stylish suit in pale pink linen with white accents. She had quite a figure for a woman well into her sixties. All that hiking she did around the mountains near Trent’s fishing cabin had kept her in fine shape.
“Well, what’s everybody staring at?” she inquired with characteristic testiness.
“You, Tillie,” Trent told her. “I declare I’ve never seen you look so beautiful, leastways not since the day I first laid eyes on you back in high school. You were a beauty then and you’re a beauty now.”
Mrs. Fawcett shot a disbelieving look at Ashley, who gave her a reassuring nod. The teacher lifted her chin then and said, “Why, thank you, Trent. I do believe your eyesight’s improved.”
The comment drew hoots of laughter and then everyone was complimenting the woman at once. Dani noticed that her father was looking increasingly disgruntled at not being able to get a minute to himself with Mrs. Fawcett.
“You know, Daddy,” she began slyly, “since Mrs. Fawcett looks so gorgeous, it’s a shame to waste it sitting around out here at the ranch. Maybe you should take her to dinner.”
“It’s too late for dinner,” the older woman said at once. “If we eat at this hour, we’ll both be up half the night with indigestion.”
“Breakfast then” Dani said, then added impulsively, “in Paris.”
That would go a long way toward serving two purposes. Her father and Mrs. Fawcett deserved an outrageous trip. They’d waited a long time–through separate and very happy marriages–before getting this second chance to be together.
It also wouldn’t hurt that a trip to Europe would keep her father out of her hair while she tried to land Slade for herself.
Surprisingly, her father took the bait. A wicked, daredevil gleam lit his eyes as he focused all of his attention and all of his charm on the petite woman standing before him. “What about it, Tillie? Should we show these stick-in-the-muds how to live a little?”
“I’ve always wanted to visit Paris,” Mrs. Fawcett said wistfully. She rested a hand on Trent’s arm. “I think I would very much enjoy seeing it with you.”
“As long as we’re going that far, we can’t miss Rome,” Trent said, already nudging her toward the front door. He cast a deliberate glance over his shoulder before adding, “And the Greek islands would be a great place for a honeymoon.”
He had steered the openmouthed teacher out the door before anyone inside could react. If she gave him an answer, they couldn’t hear it. Dani was so relieved that her tactic had worked, she had little thought for the implications of this impetuous trip.
“Do you think they’ll really do it?” Sara asked, staring after them.
Dani considered the possibilities and laughed. “I think we can count on that much.”
“I was talking about getting married.”
Dani stared innocently at her sister. “And what did you think I meant?”
“Oh, never mind,” Sara said. “Whatever the outcome, I think Ashley deserves a toast.”
Dani glanced over and saw that her youngest sister was gazing happily at her husband.
“There’s the proof,” he told her.
“Proof of what?” Sara asked.
“That Ashley’s decision was very smart. A business that helps to build a woman’s self-confidence with a little coaching in makeup and style has all sorts of possibilities,” he said. “Have you ever seen Mrs. Fawcett look any happier or more self-assured?”
“Sure,” Sara retorted. “When she was handing out failing grades in algebra class.”
Dillon scowled at her. “Other than that?” He beamed at Ashley. “You’ve really found the perfect way to make use of your talent and experience.”
“You would say that,” she teased. “You planted the idea in my head. I just wish I’d taken before-and-after pictures of Mrs. Fawcett. She’s a walking advertisement for the business.”
“No,” Dani corrected. “She is a walking advertisement for the power of love. No offense, sweetie, but the rest is all window dressing.”
“Thanks a heap,” Ashley said, then grinned. “But I have to admit I’m not the one who put that glow on her cheeks or that sparkle in her eyes.”
Not until they were back in the car and the boys had fallen asleep in the back seat did Dani find a moment to ask Slade about his reaction to Mrs. Fawcett’s dramatically changed appearance. “What did you think about what happened tonight?”
“I think the three of you are very special,” he said approvingly, warmth shining in his eyes. “You gave those two the push they needed to get together. It was a wonderful way to give them your blessing.”
“I wonder if Daddy would ever have made a move, if we hadn’t?”
Slade laughed at that. “Knowing your father, I’m sure he would have done exactly what he wanted sooner or later. In the meantime, though, he would have driven you all crazy.”
“That’s true. If we’ve learned one thing as the daughters of Trent Wilde, it’s how to get exactly what we want,” she said, then added pointedly, “eventually, anyway.”
“In other words, you’re masters of your own fates?” he asked thoughtfully.
Dani smiled. “I think you’re catching on. I’m just not sure if that’s good news or bad.”
He winked at her. “Are you trying to suggest that now that I know, I might as well cave in to the inevitable?”
“I would never be so crass as to make a suggestion like that,” she said with feigned indignation. “Just tell me one thing.”
“What?”
“Are you weakening?”
“A little,” he conceded, amusement glittering in his eyes. “But don’t let it go to your head.”
“Not a chance,” she said. “It’s these little challenges that keep life interesting.”
Slade reached over and drew her closer, looping one arm around her shoulders as he drove. “Sweetheart, life around you couldn’t possibly be anything but downright fascinating.”
Dani gave a little sigh of satisfaction, but her pleasure was short-lived. If she was so darned fascinating, then why the devil hadn’t the man said yes yet? How could she prove to Slade that the future didn’t have to be controlled by the past? The wisest people learned from their mistakes and moved on.
Chapter Eleven
“Dad, I’ve been thinking a lot since the other night,” Timmy said the next morning. He was sitting on the edge of the bathtub watching Slade shave.
“About?”
“I was thinking maybe you and Dani sh
ould just get married.” He regarded Slade hopefully. “Don’t you think that would be a great idea? That way, if you die or something, she’ll already be our mom.”
Slade practically slit his throat with the razor when Timmy’s observation fully registered. He glanced down to find his son staring at him with a sober, thoughtful expression that suggested he really had been giving the matter some consideration. Despite the panic rising in his throat, Slade owed him an equally thoughtful response.
“A few days ago you were worried that I was going to screw things up with her,” he reminded him casually, forcing himself to continue shaving, albeit a bit more carefully.
“But you promised you wouldn’t,” Timmy countered.
“What put the idea of marriage into your head? I thought you were happy with things the way they are, with Dani as your friend.”
“Everybody was talking about getting married and stuff last night,” he said, proving once again that kids were not above a little eavesdropping. “It sounds like Mr. Wilde is going to marry Mrs. Fawcett, and he’s pretty smart. And Sara and Jake and Dillon and Ashley seem pretty happy. I guess marriage can’t be so bad, especially if you get to have cake and stuff at the wedding. That’s what Annie said. Was she right? Do you have all sorts of great food at a wedding?”
“At the reception, actually.”
“So what do you think?”
Slade thought that the pressure to marry Dani Wilde had just escalated way beyond his ability to fight it for much longer. Aside from the opportunity to eat cake, he wondered why Timmy was suddenly so hot for the idea.
“Is there some particular reason why you think Dani and I should be together?”
Timmy considered the question for a long time before saying, “She’s real pretty, for one thing.”
“True,” Slade admitted, thinking of how often lately she’d plagued his dreams, causing him to awaken with his body aching with desire. “But you don’t marry a woman just because she’s beautiful.”
Timmy remained undaunted. He obviously had a whole list of reasons he was just itching to share.
“She cooks good, better than you, that’s for sure.”
Slade grinned. “There’s no dispute there, but it’s still not the reason a man gets married. Besides, we’re not exactly starving, are we?”
“Because Dani cooks for us most of the time,” Timmy pointed out with some accuracy.
“It’s still not the reason a man gets married.”
“She’s a lot of fun. And she hardly ever yells at me and Kevin. And she likes Pirate. She even lets him come in the house when he’s all muddy and stinky. You never do that.”
Which meant he and Dani were likely to have their first major disagreement over the damned dog, Slade concluded. That dog was not coming into his house all muddy and stinky, but he kept that to himself for the moment.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Oh, yeah, and she yells louder than all the other moms at the baseball games.”
“Certainly a laudable trait, but I’m not sure it qualifies as a marriage prerequisite.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not a reason to get married.”
“So what is?” Timmy regarded him innocently. “Sex?”
Slade was very glad he’d put the razor down just seconds before that question popped out of his son’s mouth. Timmy was ten years old, for heaven’s sakes. Was he watching some cable channel Slade didn’t know about?
“What do you know about sex?” he asked, frantically trying to formulate an impromptu birds-and-bees conversation in his head. He’d figured he had another year or two before he’d have to get into this.
Clearly oblivious to his father’s panic, Timmy said, “My friend Davey Bleecker says it’s what grown-ups do all the time.”
That was certainly vague enough, Slade thought with some relief. He considered his next question very carefully. Everyone had heard the old joke about the little boy who wanted to know where he came from. After a detailed description of conception and birth, the kid had shrugged and said, “Oh, Jimmy said he came from Peoria.”
Fearing he might be in a similar situation, Slade did not want to supply information that wasn’t actually being requested, not on this delicate topic. He gazed down at his son. “Was he any more specific than that?”
“Not really. I figured it had something to do with kissing. I saw you kiss Dani the other night, so I figured you must want to marry her.”
Heaven protect him from ten-year-old logic. “Kissing is something special that grown-ups share, but it doesn’t always lead to marriage.” He left the subject of sex out of the explanation altogether.
“How come?”
“It just doesn’t, okay?”
Timmy shook his head. “I don’t get it.” He shot an all-too-knowing look at his father, apparently aware that there was a lot Slade was leaving out. “I’ll ask Dani. She’s real good at explaining things.”
“Forget it,” Slade commanded.
“How come?” Timmy asked.
“Just forget it.”
He knew in his gut, though, that the instruction might silence Timmy’s questions, but his own mind was suddenly working overtime with thoughts of Dani and very hot, very steamy sex. Timmy might not be old enough to understand what went on between men and women, but Slade was.
Suddenly he couldn’t wait to see her again… privately. His level of eagerness was so troubling that he perversely resolved to put a little distance between the two of them. They were close enough to the edge of emotional quicksand as it was. Another session of lovemaking and he might as well kiss his independence goodbye.
* * *
Slade hadn’t shown his face around the house for days and Dani was beginning to worry that all of her plans were about to go up in smoke. She absolutely refused to cross-examine Timmy and Kevin about their father’s whereabouts, which meant she had no idea at all what was going on with the man. Maybe he was just lost in cyberspace. She’d heard that kind of thing happened a lot to computer geniuses. She glanced up from the bowl of cake batter she’d been stirring to find Timmy staring at her.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
He nodded.
“How come you’re not outside with the rest of the boys?”
“I wanted to talk to you.”
She regarded him closely. “Sounds serious.”
He nodded. “It’s pretty serious.”
“Then why don’t you pour yourself a glass of milk, grab a cookie and sit down and tell me what’s on your mind.” She put the batter aside. She’d finish making the cake later. This was clearly more important.
When he sat down without either milk or one of her freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookies, Dani knew the topic was indeed very serious. She pulled out a chair and sat down opposite him.
“What’s up?”
“I was wondering about sex,” he told her, his blue eyes fixed on her face. “Could you explain it to me?”
If he’d asked her about quantum physics she couldn’t have been any more stunned or out of her depth. The question left her absolutely speechless.
“You want me to explain about sex?” she repeated, still not certain she’d understood him correctly, even though the question seemed direct enough. She swallowed hard and tried to buy some time by asking, “What has your father told you?”
“Nothing that made any sense,” Timmy said, looking disgusted. “I guess he thinks I’m just a dumb kid or something.”
“I’m sure it’s not that at all,” she told him. She suspected Slade had probably been as dumbfounded as she was.
“Look, I know all about kissing and stuff,” he informed her, then added, “but there’s more, right? I mean stuff men and women do when they’re married?”
Dani nodded, at a loss as to how to get into this. Surely Slade would tell Timmy whatever he wanted him to know, whatever he felt the boy was capable of understanding.
“I really think this is a topic you
should be discussing with your father,” she said.
“But he doesn’t explain,” Timmy repeated, his frustration evident. “I told him I was going to ask you.”
“Oh, really? And what did he say when you told him that?”
Timmy promptly looked guilty. “He told me not to,” he admitted in little more than a whisper. “But I’ve gotta know, Dani. I’ve just gotta.”
She doubted the urgency was quite as extreme as he was making it out to be. Timmy was ten, for pity’s sake. He still thought girls were yucky…with the possible exception of Hattie McDonald, whose batting skill he seemed to admire quite a bit.
“I’ll speak to your father,” she promised by way of a compromise.
“Couldn’t you just tell me?”
“I’m sorry. This should be between you and him.”
Timmy looked thoroughly disappointed. “Will you at least tell him to tell me everything this time?” he asked.
His expression was so innocent Dani couldn’t imagine that he had any idea what he was asking of her. Still, with those wide blue eyes regarding her so hopefully, she couldn’t say no.
“I’ll do the best I can to convince him you’re ready to hear everything.”
A smile stretched clear across his face. “Gee, thanks,” he said, bouncing up and grabbing the cookies he’d forsaken before. “Make it soon, okay? It’s really, really important.”
“The next time I see him. I promise.”
* * *
It was a few days before she caught so much as a glimpse of Slade, much less got him alone long enough to bring up Timmy’s interest in sex.
Cheeks flaming, she decided to be direct. “Timmy wants to know more about sex,” she blurted.
Slade groaned. “Damn. I thought I’d settled that with him.”
So the topic really was no surprise. His dismay was evident. “Would you mind telling me how the subject came up in the first place?” she asked curiously. “I know he’s precocious and all that, but he is only ten.”
Slade stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity. Just when Dani was certain he didn’t intend to answer, he blurted, “Actually, it started out with a discussion about you and me and marriage.”
The Bridal Path: Danielle Page 13
