“I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me!”
Caitlin giggled.“Well, from experience, I know it’s very difficult not to return a Cavallo kiss.”
Dana wanted to stay angry, but her friend’s giggle was infectious.“Okay, yeah, they know how to kiss,” she agreed reluctantly.She sobered quickly.“But he should have told me.He did say he wanted to talk to me about it, but he never got around to it.”
“Well, there you have it.He was probably going to tell you the story, but then he got sidetracked when he kissed you.”Caitlin had a twinkle in her eye just as the front doorbell chimed.“That will be my mother-in-law.Wait till she hears about it,” she teased and jogged toward the front door, her baby bobbing up and down in her arms.
Alarmed, Dana followed her.“Don’t you dare say anything to her!She’s going to tell your mother, and then I’ll end up in one of her stories!”
“I know!”giggled Caitlin as she opened the door.“Isn’t it wonderful!”
“What is so wonderful?”Don’s mother stood smiling on the doorstep.
“David kissed Dana!”Caitlin sang, giving her mother-in-law a hug.
“It’s about time.I was wondering when he’d get around to it.”Rosa was still smiling as she entered the house.
Dana wished she could disappear into thin air.
But the older woman pulled her closer for a hug.“I knew it!”she whispered.“And I’m so pleased.”Rosa took her arm, and they turned to walk toward the kitchen while Caitlin started closing the front door.
Dana tried to explain.“There is nothing going on, I promise you.It was just a kiss, just one… well, maybe two…”
“Three actually, but who’s counting?”David said behind them, and Dana spun around.
He was standing on the doorstep where his mother had stood a few minutes ago.Her heart leaped up and bounced for joy.
Chapter Six
“David!”His motherheld out her arms to him.
Without taking his eyes off Dana, he stepped into his mother’s hug.
“Hi, David.”Caitlin stood on tiptoes and kissed him.“It’s nice to see you; is everything all right?”
“I don’t know.”His eyes were still on Dana.“I hope so.I heard about your interview with Sean Murray.Are you okay?”
Dana lifted her chin.“Am I okay?”she asked, putting enough incredulity in her voice to make him wince.“I can’t believe you’re asking me that.No, I’m not okay.I had to hear from a stranger that you were the one who put the story about my dad on the front page of a newspaper before you knew your facts.”She rubbed a hand over her face.“And you didn’t tell me.You…” She hesitated, but what the hell, they all knew about it anyway.“You kissed me, but you didn’t tell me you were responsible for leaking the story.”
“I never knew Gareth Roux was your father.Don only mentioned it during Zoe and Dale’s wedding.I was going to talk to you about it this weekend—”
“And what?Lie to me?Give me a watered-down version of the facts?”
David stared at her, his hands resting on his hips.His eyes turned to slits.“I don’t lie,” he said in a clipped voice and turned to Caitlin.
“I heard Dana’s car broke down, and I’m here to take her to Hermanus.”
Caitlin glanced in her direction quickly.“I…” she began, but Rosa interrupted, pushing Dana toward the front door.
“What a splendid idea.I wasn’t going to be able to keep Donato as long as I hoped; I have to go back to the restaurant.So now I can visit my grandbaby, and Caitlin doesn’t have to drive all the way to Hermanus and drive back alone.”
Dana ground her teeth.She was positive Rosa was embellishing the truth a little bit, and she was being coerced into going with David.She glared daggers at him, but he ignored her and kissed his mother.
She didn’t want to spend any more time with him than was necessary, but she also would prefer Caitlin didn’t drive all the way to Hermanus and back.And he knew it, damn it!
Swallowing her frustration, she said her goodbyes and followed David to his car.
*
