Page 6 of Two Hearts
“Gracie…she hates this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing do I hate, Daddy?”the deep, honey-rich voice of the woman asked from the doorway behind Jack.
He turned around, saw those eyes, electric-blue and almond-shaped, dancing over her father with concern and real love.
“I was trying to convince Jack here to come to your party tomorrow night.”
Did those eyes light up just a little bit?Jack couldn’t be sure.Hell, maybe it was wishful thinking on his part.If it was, it sure shouldn’t have been.
“That would be…wonderful.”
“Would it?”
Smiling slightly, she nodded.And Jack was trembling way down deep on some subatomic level.He could feel it, but it didn’t show.As if it was his soul shivering in reaction to hers, not just his body.
“Yes.Will you come, Jack?”
Oh, man, when she said his name it was like electrocution.When he caught his breath again he said, “Only if you promise me a dance.”
She smiled so suddenly it was like a flash of heat lightning.And her cheeks went warm and pink as she lowered her head.“As many as you want,” she whispered, not meeting his eyes.
Jack’s stomach was doing weird things, and it seemed as though his hands were in the way.He didn’t know what the hell to do with them, so he stuck them into his pockets and felt like a schoolkid with his first crush.“I, um, I have to go.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow night, then.”
“Yeah.See you then.”
Jack left the room, but as he did he glanced back and saw that old man grinning from ear to ear.
He should have stayed.He should have asked the old guy just how far he intended to carry this ruse—this lie he’d dragged Jack into.He should have asked him just what the hell he was supposed to do if he ended up falling head over heels in love with his daughter.What then?She’d have to learn the truth sooner or later, wouldn’t she?
He should have asked.But he didn’t.Because it seemed like such a small lie…at the time.
* * *
“Dammit, Charlie, how could this possibly be happening?”Grace yanked yet another blouse from the closet, eyed it, and then threw it atop the mountain of clothing on the bed.
“How could what be happening?”Charlie sat there as if she hadn’t a care in the world.She wore a pair of black warm-up pants with a white stripe down the side, a New York Liberty warm-up shirt and a baseball cap.Gracie had the exact same clothes, hidden way in the back of her closet.She and Charlie had bought them together on Charlie’s fortieth birthday when Grace had taken her to Madison Square Garden to see a game.
Good old Charlie.She didn’t look any older than Gracie did, except for the twenty or so pounds of adulthood she carried around her hips.
“How could it happen that my mother was actually right all these years?”Gracie wailed.
“Oh, yeah.Maybe in her dreams.What was she right about?”
“About me, Charlie.About how being a tomboy and a jock would ruin me, and how no decent man would ever look twice at me unless I acted more like she wanted me to.”
Charlie leaned back on the bed, cocking one eyebrow.“And since when did you decide your mom was right about that?”
“You should have told me, you know.You were my nanny!It was your job to tell me.”
“I tol’ you what I knew, kid.To be yourself.To do what you love best, and to hell with the rest.And I sort of thought it had served you well.I mean, you were the lead scorer on the college basketball team, weren’t you?And you did win that kickboxing championship last summer, right?And if I’m not mistaken, that box full of trophies hidden under the bed belongs to you, too, doesn’t it?”
“Charlie!”Grace glared at her, putting a finger to her lips.Then she ran to the door and peered out into the hall.She looked up and down, saw no one.Sighing in relief, she closed it again.“You know better than to talk about any of that out loud.”
“Jeez, Gracie, you’re a grown-up now.Don’t you think it’s time you came out of the locker room already?”
Sighing, pacing, Gracie shook her head.“Mother was right,” she said.“Last night, when I met Jack…I was wearing that stupid getup Mom bought me for the party, those dumb pearls at my throat, and my hair all tamed down and tugged back.And he… Oh, Charlie, the way he looked at me…”
