Page 14 of Good Duke Gone Far

“What were they like?”

“They were all great. Just great people. All good people who died in a freak accident. Are you happy?”

“Not particularly. That would be devastating. How old were you?”

Quinn threw his hands in the air. He hated talking about how wonderful his family was. Past tense. Knowing that there would be no new memories to create. Even if he did open up, there was no one to laugh with in recollecting certain events. The memories were his, and only his, to treasure and to bear. His devil may care, loquacious, brother was the face of so many of those memories.

Despite all that, in sharing even what little he had, some part of his heart took a breath. His heart could breathe again. It had been years since he talked about any of it. That was a weird feeling. Best to avoid it.

“I was old enough to get over it.”

***

OLD ENOUGH TO GET over it.What kind of age was that?

Kat watched as he lengthened his strides to put some distance between them. That wouldn’t last long, but she would give him a bit of time. Clearly he didn’t like talking about his family. Odd, since she loved talking about hers. Of course, she couldn’t say he hadn’t warned her though.

The minutes dragged on. Kat couldn’t take it. She jogged up to him. “Jack, hold up. If you don’t want to talk, maybe you’d like to listen.”

She could practically see the tooth dust ground out from his mouth as he said, “With pleasure.”

“Just as I thought. That’s wonderful then. Well, as you know Charlotte is my sister, and Reggie is my brother. My parents are wonderful, albeit a little naive. That’s why I must be the one to sort all this out. Surely everyone knows that we can’t leave it to Reggie to handle.”

Kat thought she saw the Colonel shake his head, but didn’t bother to pry. He was probably doing a poor job of hiding his irritation at her rambling. She was used to it. Plow on! That was her motto.

“Well, as I was saying, I’m on a…mission. Yes, I should very well refer to it as such. And so should you. It is a mission. My first of its magnitude. Oh, I have undertaken other adventures before, but nothing like this. I’m surprised Reggie didn’t try to stop me.”

“You should be surprised.”

“What’s that? You’re mumbling again.”

“Nothing.”

“I just can’t get over it…”

She paused. It was The Pause. The aggravatingly piquing pause. Knowing that he would pretend he didn’t want to ask, she left The Pause for as long as she could. If she just waited a bit longer…

“Over what?”

There it is.“Why would this duke propose to Charlotte, of all people?”

“Why wouldn’t he? Charlotte’s very lovable.”

“And you’re saying I’m not?”

“I didn’t say that.” She could almost see his hands raised in defense.

“But she is?” Kat’s heart bucked inside her chest.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You just did.” Heat was pooling in her core.

“I did?”

“You just said, ‘Charlotte’s very lovable.’ If she’s so lovable, why don’t you marry her?” It was a stupid thing to say. It was, oh, so very stupid. But the thrumming heat in her cheeks, and the thumping beat of her heart wouldn’t let up until she flung those words at him. Maybe it was the lingering yearning from the kiss she had experienced with him, but she couldn’t shake some feeling of…ownership…No, that couldn’t be right. One kiss did not equal any amount of ownership of his body. Not even of his lips. Those delectable lips. Besides, he was the Colonel. Jack. He was the boring old Colonel who didn’t say much. In fact, she had probably spoken to him the least of all those in their crew. He was always busy doing something else with someone who was not her.

To her great surprise, he answered, “That’s a very good question.” Overacting, he tapped his nose. “Why don’t I marry her?”

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