“The day before I went into labor with Johnny.”
“Precisely. Today is for fun. No cost, no expectations.We’re celebrating summer, okay?”
She opened her eyes again, faced the unholy light in his,the kind of enthusiasm that was far too infectious.
“Is this how your family operates?” she asked dryly.
He grinned like a pirate. “I’m not even warmed up yet.You know darn well you don’t have anywhere else to go today.”
“I have things that need doing. People I should be seeing.”
He shrugged. “And what are they going to do if you don’tshow up? Shave your hair short and send you to Nam?Lighten up, girl.”
The oddest urge to giggle swelled in her. A desperate desire to let loose.
“Tell you what,” he coaxed. “We’ll have such a goodtime today that we’ll both be asleep by dark.”
Claire saw the subtext in his statement. She saw the invitation, whether intentional or accidental. She heard enoughmessages in that one challenge to take the stuffing out of her knees, especially when they were coupled with the subtle firein those shallow-water eyes. Her heart gave a slow roll. Hertoes curled with the lazy lightning that flickered through herlimbs. She was surprised how much she liked the feeling,when she knew as well as he how impossible it was.
“Sounds good to me,” she answered, and was disconcerted all over again. She didn’t hear invitation in her voice. She heard plea. She heard the kind of desperation a womancloses to herself like a grievous sin.
She heard the defeat she felt every time she saw Tony Riordan walk out into the dark.
She was even more surprised to see that he understood without her having to explain. He lifted his hand, brushedhis knuckles against her cheek as if his message were tooimportant to be given so far away.
“Believe it or not,” he assured her with a quiet voice andhonest eyes, “I didn’t sleep with the ants because I was afraid. I like the night, especially outside. Always have...well, always did. That was one of the things I lost, and it’sone of the things I’ve gotten back.”
“But it was hard to do,” she insisted.
He didn’t touch her. He didn’t have to. “So’s having to drink half a bottle of wine every night to get some sleep,honey.”
“I don’t need that wine,” she protested instinctively, justas she did every time she opened the bottle.
His smile was deprecating and open. As courageous an actas Claire had ever seen. “And I don’t need the beer. Exceptwhen I’m stressed. Right before I finally went to The Wall,I was up to almost half a case. It’s not just the hard-corecases who rely on crutches sometimes, Claire.”
“Hey, are we on our way yet?” Johnny called out as heushered Gina their way.
Claire’s heart threatened to stop. She didn’t want them toknow. She had so much she suddenly still wanted to say.
That quickly, Tony smiled, a flash of sunlight against athreatening sky. “But enough about me,” he said easily.“Today is for the kids. All us kids.”
Claire battled tears.Herthroat closed with them. Herchest was thick with them. She didn’t know what shewanted. She didn’t know what she was ready for. She justknew that whoever had sent Tony Riordan to her had senta miracle, and he frightened her to death.
She was still faced off with him, soaking in his couragelike water to a dry rag, when Jess yanked the back door openlike an escaping felon.
“Shut up, Johnny.”
“Shut up, Jess.”
“Shut up both of you,” they both chorused with impishglee as the three of them tumbled into the car like rodeoclowns, filling the small space with scents of fried chickenand fresh dinner rolls. The sights and sounds and smells ofnormalcy. Claire turned to the front of the car and squeezedher eyes shut. Pushed back the tears. Regained control. Found, to her eternal astonishment, that below that maelstrom of emotions lurked anticipation.
She really did want to go to the beach, and she wantedTony to take her.
“Who has the directions?” Tony demanded, turning hisattention to the ignition.
“Right here!” Jess sang out, waving the atlas she’d beencarrying. “You’re in charge of reading it, Mom.”
“No, Jess. You do it. And listen, you two—”
