She was messing with him, but he wasn’t going to let her make him mad. “Yeah. All bristly. Quills everywhere. Ready to stab me if I got too close.”
Tessa’s hands relaxed on the wheel. “I did do that. I apologize.”
Zane made an effort to keep his voice gentle. “I don’t need an apology, Tess. I need to understand.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because we’re friends? Because I care about you? Because obviously at some point in your life, the idea of having a death wish hurt you, and I want to know if I need to kill someone? How many more reasons do you need?”
Rather than bristling further, she laughed, although her laughter had a brittle edge. “You have a bloodthirsty streak.”
“Only when it comes to the people I care about.”
TESSA COULDN’T DISPUTEZane’s sincerity. She also wasn’t sure how to get out of this conversation without telling him. It wasn’t that it was some dark secret or she minded him knowing. But she’d overreacted, he’d called her on it, and now she’d rather jump out of the car than answer him.
“Tess?”
She had to say something. “It’s not that big of a deal. It hit me wrong for some reason. Not your fault. And not anything you need to worry about.”
“I prefer to decide for myself when it comes to whether or not I should worry about something. Particularly when it comes to you.”
There were several ways she could go with that response, but before she could stop herself, she decided to focus on the part that most intrigued her. “Why do I get special treatment?”
Now it was Zane’s turn to go quiet.
“Zane?”
“You know why, Tess.”
Zane’s declaration sent a wave of warmth through her system, chased by a terror so cold she fought a shiver. Because she did know. But she also knew that while Zane was acknowledging the powerful connection between them, he was also fully aware of how fragile it was.
All of a sudden dredging up old family hurts didn’t seem like such a bad idea. She’d talk about anything to avoid the one conversation she wasn’t ready to have with Zane. Might not ever be ready for.
“My grandparents moved to Texas when my dad was two. He grew up returning to India every two or three years for the summer. He spoke the language, ate the food, and in their home they were a traditional Indian family. But he also went to public school, spoke English without an accent, and had strong opinions about everything from college football to salsa.”
Tessa almost never talked about her dad. Even with Zane. So she had his full attention. “My mom was half Indian. Her dad, my grandfather, could trace his genealogy back to Norway in the 1800s. He was blond and blue-eyed.” That tidbit put a smug grin on Zane’s face. He ran his hand through his own reddish-blond hair and flashed his baby blues at her. “Anyway, when he fell in love with my grandmother, it caused quite a stir. She was born in India and hadn’t moved to the States until she was nine. She spoke with heavily accented English and had very traditional parents. They’d planned to arrange a marriage to a nice Indian boy.”
Zane was hanging on her every word. “How did they meet?”
“My grandfather was an engineer. My grandmother was an accountant at the plant where he worked. They started having lunch dates and staying late at work. She knew her family wouldn’t approve. They had indulged her desire to get a degree and start work, but they expected her to marry by the age of twenty-five and had begun bringing men around at dinner.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Apparently my grandfather did not like that at all. But there were plenty of family members on his side who wouldn’t approve either. So they kept their relationship a secret. The way my grandmothertold the story, no one knew until they returned from Vegas, married.”
“They eloped?” Zane laughed with unhidden delight. “Good for them. How did the families react?”
“My grandmother told me once that she never regretted falling in love with my grandfather, but the first few years of their marriage were tough. Her parents were furious. His were hurt. But my grandparents had stayed in Vegas long enough that everything was legal, the marriage had been consummated, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it.”
“Wow.”
“Then my half-Indian mother went and married an Indian with a very traditional family. My grandmother couldn’t believe it. Told her that she was in for a lot of heartache, but that if she loved him, she’d never be sorry.”
Tessa’s voice broke. “My mother told me at Dad’s funeral that she’d do it all over again. She loved my father. They were sure of who they were to each other, they made an effort to treat the various family members with respect, and they taught us to do the same. My siblings and I learned all the traditional dances and customs. We spent several summers in India with family and have close ties to both my mom’s and dad’s Indian relatives there. It was a beautiful way to grow up, with rich heritage on all sides.”
Zane took a few minutes to absorb everything, and Tessa didn’t interrupt his thoughts. “So, you told me this story now because you wanted me to know you come from a long line of hopeless romantics who believe true love can conquer any obstacle?” He steepled his fingers. “Or to distract me from the death-wish conversation you continue to avoid?”
“Zane!”
