smiled then. A slow, male smile that made her aware that if he stepped just a little closer he could touch her bare arms and maybe even kiss her. Her breath caught as she imagined what it would be like to feel his skin on hers for real, and not just in her dreams.
Her mouth went dry at the thought. Her legs quivered slightly and there was a definite warmth flowing out from her belly.
“Nora?”
She turned at the sound of her name and saw Katie standing next to her. Petite, blond Katie wearing a pretty blue dress and looking like a perfect china doll. Nora sighed. She was tall. She would always be tall. Sometimes she even enjoyed being tall. If only there weren’t so many short people around.
“I’m happy for you,” Nora said quickly. “I mean that. I’m not a mean person, just crabby on occasion.”
Katie gave her a grateful smile. “I know there have been some problems between our two families.”
“Yeah. A hundred-plus years of feuding.”
“I don’t want it to be like that anymore.” Katie’s expression turned earnest. “I want us to be friends.”
Nora swallowed and was a little surprised to find she wanted that, too. As if her family wasn’t big enough already. “That sounds good,” she murmured, then had to clear her throat.
“About the house. Jack and I were going to rebuild his place. I mean, I know I don’t belong here. I’m selling the place I bought because Jack needs to live on the ranch.” She cleared her throat. “The thing is Hattie decided she wanted a new place for herself. She insisted Jack, Shane and I live here.” Katie’s hold on her glass tightened. “I sort of got trapped into the situation.”
Nora touched the smaller woman’s shoulder. “Stop saying that. You’re marrying the oldest Darby son. That makes this house your home. It’s always been that way, Katie. You know that. As for Hattie, if my mom didn’t really want a charming new house of her own, you couldn’t pry her out of here with a crowbar. You know that, too.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“As much as I would like the title, I’m not the queen of the world. I want you and Jack to be happy. I mean that.”
“Good.” Katie smiled again. “The wedding is going to be fairly soon. We don’t want a long engagement. Also, we don’t want a big fuss, so it’s only going to be friends and family attending. My father didn’t take the news very well, so I’m not sure if he’ll be coming, but the rest of my family will be there.”
Katie didn’t have to spell it out for her. Nora knew exactly what her future sister-in-law meant. David Fitzgerald, Katie’s oldest brother, would be at the wedding.
“I’m a big girl,” Nora said with a lightness she didn’t feel. “I can handle David.”
Before Katie could respond, Jack called her over to his side. Nora watched the couple step close to each other, as if they’d always been together. She sighed. “I think they’ll be very happy.”
“I think you’re right.”
Stephen’s voice surprised her. She’d forgotten he was standing next to her. Now he took a step closer, which meant that she could almost feel his heat.
“You did a nice thing,” he said softly. “Katie was afraid that you’d be upset about the engagement and the fact that Hattie wants them to have the house.”
Nora grimaced but didn’t say anything. In her capacity as a physical therapist, Katie spent a lot of time consulting with Stephen. Of course they would talk.
“Katie makes my brother happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“And you’re really fine with this?”
“I already told you. I think it’s wonderful. Jack will be a great husband to Katie and an even better father to Shane.”
Stephen did the unthinkable. He actually put his arm around her. Nora was so stunned she nearly dropped her drink.
“Now that we’ve cleared that up,” he said conversationally, as if he touched her like this all the time. “Answer me another question. Who’s David?”
Chapter Four
Stephen tried not to read too much into the situation, but Nora actually trembled in his embrace. He could feel the slight shiver rippling through her as he kept his arm around her. The thought that he might make her nervous pleased him. She might be mouthy and ten kinds of prickly, but she wasn’t immune. He found he didn’t want her to be able to walk away and not think about him. Not when he spent so much of his time thinking about her.
After two years of not noticing another woman, he found himself fully aware of the one next to him. The light scent of Nora’s perfume made him want to lean close and inhale the fragrance more fully. She wore a pale yellow sundress that left her arms bare. He had the strong urge to find the zipper tab and slowly lower it until the sleeveless, low-cut garment fell open. He was stirring to life and even enjoying the process. From what he could tell, his reaction was specific to Nora. He wasn’t intrigued by any other woman he’d met.
She gave him a quick, awkward smile, then sidestepped his embrace. In her high-heeled sandals, they were nearly the same height. She wore her beautiful dark hair pulled back in a braid. Her eyes were wide and mysterious, her mouth slightly parted and tempting.
“What do you want to know about David?” she asked, her voice almost a squeak.
She glanced around the living room as if concerned who might be listening to their conversation. But Jack and Shane were talking to each other while Hattie and Katie pored over a bride magazine.
David? Who was David? he wondered. It took him a minute to get up to speed. Then he remembered he’d asked her a question. Funny how being close to her and touching her, however casually, was enough to fry his brain.
“Katie said there would be family and close friends at the wedding,” he said softly. “The implication was that could be a problem. You said you could handle David. So who is David?”
“Oh.” She folded her arms across her chest, which pushed her breasts up and together, giving him an eyeful of impressive cleavage. She didn’t just rank a Slippery When Wet warning sign; Nora was one of those woman who needed a Dangerous Curves Ahead marker.
She sighed. “I might as well tell you because if I don’t, you’ll hear it from someone else. And they’ll get the story wrong.”
“Why would I hear anything about him?”
She looked at him as if he wasn’t very bright. “Because my brother is marrying a Fitzgerald. That will start all kinds of speculation. People will want to recap history.”
“Good point. So what’s the story?”
“David Fitzgerald is Katie’s oldest brother,” she said, sinking onto the sofa. He settled next to her, not as close as he would like, but still near enough to enjoy the scent of her perfume without being in slapping range. “We started dating in high school.”
The information took a couple of seconds to sink in. “You dated a Fitzgerald?”
The question came out louder than he’d intended. Everyone in the room turned to look at him. Nora flushed, then sprang to her feet. “We’ll go set the table,” she told her mother. “Are we eating in the dining room?”
“Yes, dear.” Hattie’s gaze shifted from Stephen to her daughter and back. “That would be nice. Use the good china.”
Nora stalked off. Stephen trailed after her. When they reached the dining room, she turned on him. “Don’t do that,” she instructed. “I don’t need the pleasure of being humiliated in front of my family.”
He held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry.