Page 4 of Breaking Point
This woman’s dress was none of those things.It had a high neckline, right up under her chin.There were no sleeves, which displayed well-toned, slender arms and a bracelet with red and black gems in it.
The body of the dress did cling to her, yet it covered her from her throat to hips.She was slender, with a graceful inward curve at the waist.
The full layers of the skirt started at her hips, not her waist, which gave the dress an intriguing shape.There seemed to be more fullness behind her than in front, too, and the hem touched the ground, holding the dress out more than the layers beneath did.
He pulled his gaze back to her face and frowned.“Do I know you?”The face, now she was standing and looking directly at him, tugged on a memory that wouldn’t form.
“You do not,” she replied.“I don’t like tankball.”
He felt his lips part in surprise.Clearly, she knew who he was.“Then why are you at the ball?”
“The social event of the year?When I can wear this…?”She turned, displaying the dress.
“I thought the Endurance picnic next month was the social event of the year,” Brice muttered.
“If you like grass stains, you might think that way.”Her smile was full of knowledge.Then it turned impish, which was astonishing, for the woman was not young.She was his age…perhaps even a bit older, although her smooth skin was deceptive.“Besides,” she said in a conspiratorial tone, “I can’t dress like this at the picnic.”
“You could, if you wanted to.”
“I prefer to be taken seriously.”Her smile didn’t fade, yet he sensed that she was speaking a flat truth.She waved toward the main doors of the arena, where other ball attendees were moving in and out, heading for the facilities, or returning to the ball.“I should return to my table before my son starts to worry.”
She was here with a son, not a lover.He absorbed that information.“Go ahead.And again, I’m sorry.”Over her shoulder, Brice spotted someone hovering, clearly waiting for him to be done with his conversation so the man could leap and grab his attention, and paw and dig for whatever it was he wanted.“I don’t suppose,” Brice said, “you could walk back to the ball with me?”
Her eyes widened.Then she shook her head the tiniest bit.“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“It’s just that there’s a man hovering behind you, waiting to talk to me.”
“And you don’t want to talk to him?”Her tone was sympathetic.
“I shouldn’t have come here at all, but…”
“But you’re the president of the association putting the whole thing on, so you had to make an appearance,” she finished.
He stared at her.“Whoareyou?”
“No one you need to know here and now,” she replied.
Andthatdidn’t intrigue him at all.Was she doing it deliberately?There was something a bit odd in the way she had said it, too.
“I do want to go back,” she added.“You’d better walk with me, then.”She turned toward the doors.He walked alongside her.“Although I doubt that me alone is enough to hold off the hoards.”
He nearly laughed again.“You’re enough if he thinks we’re….”He couldn’t shrug, not using the cane.
“You’re a little young for me.”Her tone was amused.“I have a grown son who can only be fifteen years younger than you.”
“I’m older than I look,” he said, ruffled.“All those healthy sports when I was younger.”
He suspected she was shortening her steps for his sake, for she had long legs that could probably match him stride for stride…if he could stride anymore.They moved passed the man in the tuxedo, who had the good sense not to try to waylay him, and moved out through the doors of the arena and into the roped-off corridor back to the ballroom area.
“Is your son alone at your table?”Brice asked her.He couldn’t think why else she would be so anxious to return.
“He invited a friend, who I like a lot.”The woman smiled.The smile wasn’t for Brice.Her gaze was far away.Back at the table where her son and his friend were, Brice guessed.“I think they’re in love.”Her smile grew even warmer.“Which, if you knew my son, you’d understand how extraordinary that is.He…doesn’t make friends easily.”
Brice had once had many friends.They’d all drifted away after he had retired and was no longer the sought-after groundsman.Now, he supposed he was as friendless as her son, even though hundreds of people would claim they were friends.
“Your son is lucky,” Brice said truthfully.“And I’m pleased for you.”It came out sounding gruff, as though he was just saying it to be polite, which wasn’t the way he meant it.Yet it was out now.
She paused just inside the ballroom area.Some dance that involved everyone moving in a huge circle around the large dance floor had nearly everyone up on their feet, dancing enthusiastically, even if they weren’t graceful.No one was paying any attention to them.
