“If I tell you that I think I should have listened to you, will it make things better?” he asked.
“Do you mean it?”
“Yeah. I need to take a deep breath before I react. Maybe listen more.”
She stopped working and glanced at him. “Want to share the details of that thought process that got you there?”
“I was mad this morning. Too mad to think clearly. What Kelly did is inexcusable, but you’re right. Her motives put a different light on the situation.” He held up a hand. “Not that I’m saying she shouldn’t be punished.”
“That sounds more reasonable than what you were saying this morning.”
Francesca set down the pan of chicken. He took that as a sign of forgiveness and moved toward her. She melted into his embrace.
“You have no idea how much I need you,” he said as he stared into her eyes.
“So we’re talking gratitude?” she asked lightly.
“Some, but it’s more than that.” He kissed her. “You’re very important to me.”
More than important, Sam thought. Vital.
He was about to tell her just how vital when she stepped free of his embrace. “You should probably head upstairs and put your daughter out of her misery. She’s convinced her punishment is going to include being banished to a small cot outside and surviving on little more than leaves and tree bark.”
“I was thinking along the lines of no TV for a week.”
“I’m sure that will be a relief.” She gave him a little push toward the door. “Go on. I’ll get dinner ready, then I need to head home.”
He’d been about to ask her to spend the night, but if she didn’t want to…
Sam headed out of the kitchen. He wanted to clear things up with Kelly, but as he climbed the stairs, he couldn’t help thinking there was something going on with Francesca. It was almost as if she’d known he wanted to talk about their relationship, and she hadn’t wanted to have the conversation. Which made him wonder why. Was all this too much for her?
He didn’t want to think about that. Losing her would be a disaster. Not just because of Kelly, but because of how much he’d grown to care about her. He needed her. He trusted her.
He came to a stop at the top of the landing. Need. Trust. Desire. Longing. Well, hell. Somehow, when he hadn’t been paying attention, he’d gone and fallen in love.
Still stunned by the revelation, he crossed to Kelly’s room. When he opened the door, she looked at him. He could see the fear and regret in her eyes.
Neither of them spoke. He wasn’t sure what her reasons were. His were about not wanting to get it wrong. Finally he held out his arms. She raced toward him and flung herself into his embrace.
He held her close. “One of these days we’ll get it right,” he murmured.
She nodded. “Think it will happen soon?”
He chuckled. “I sure hope so.” He exhaled. “You know you’re still in trouble.”
She snuggled close. “I know. It’s okay.”
Funny how suddenly it was.
19
Kelly watched herself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror. She raised her left leg a little higher, trying for the perfect line.
“That’s right,” Miss Angelina said approvingly. “Stretch. Like Kelly, girls. See how hard she tries.”
Kelly felt a sharp pain in her leg and her hips, but she ignored it. Perfection came at a price. How many times had she been told that? Dance class was the only place she never screwed up, so she was determined to be the best here.
Against her will, her gaze slid from her own reflection to the window high in the opposite wall. She could just catch a glimpse of blue sky and part of a palm tree. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine the sound of the surf. She knew if she asked, Francesca would take her to the beach later. That they would talk and have fun. That Francesca would never say anything more about Kelly apologizing to her father, even though Kelly knew she wanted her to.
Kelly knew it was the right thing to do, too, but it was hard to say the words. Hard and scary. Because what if he was still mad? What if saying she was sorry wasn’t enough? What if she didn’t matter?
“And turn,” Miss Angelina called.
The instruction caught Kelly off-guard. She began to rotate, then something happened and she was falling. Her ankle twisted painfully as she slammed into the ground.
“Kelly!”
She glanced up and saw Francesca rushing forward. Her notes for her paper lay scattered on the floor. Miss Angelina crouched by Kelly.
“Where does it hurt?” the instructor asked, reaching for her ankle. “Not broken, I think. Just a slight strain.”
Pain shot through her, but that wasn’t why Kelly started to cry. Instead the tears formed because she was tired and because she desperately needed her dad to be proud of her and to maybe even love her, but what if he didn’t?
It was too much. All of it. What she wanted was to go home. So when Miss Angelina made her stand and put her weight on her sore ankle, it was so much easier to simply fall into the pain, let her eyes roll back, and faint.
Sam hurried into the house. “Is she all right?” he asked when he saw Francesca coming down the stairs.
“She’s fine. The doctor says it’s a strain, not even a sprain, and she’ll be dancing her heart out by Monday.”
“I don’t think I can take any more,” he muttered as he set his briefcase on the floor and loosened his tie. “This has been the week from hell.”
“Tell me about it,” Francesca murmured.
“At least tomorrow’s Friday.”
“Oh, goodie.”
He glanced at her. “You don’t sound happy the week is almost over.”
She shrugged. “Like you say, it’s been one thing after another.”
He pulled off his tie, then shrugged out of his jacket. “We’ll make sure we have a quiet weekend together. Just the three of us. How does that sound?”
“Good.”
Francesca smiled, but he could see there was something bothering her. Before he could ask what, she stepped back and pointed upstairs. “Why don’t you go check on our patient.”
“Sure.” He gave her a light kiss, then started up the stairs.
Kelly lay on top of her bed, her right foot propped on two pillows. Sam crossed the room and sat on the edge of the mattress.
“A sports injury, huh? Are you scarred for life?”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. It was just a silly twist. I don’t know why I wasn’t paying attention more.”
“Francesca said you fainted, too. It must have hurt pretty bad.”
She shrugged.
“Tough, huh?”
“Maybe.”
He brushed her curls off her forehead. “Are you supposed to ice your ankle?”
“For the first twenty-four hours. We’re taking a break.” She stared at him. “Are you mad?”
He frowned. “Why would I be?”
“You had to leave work early and stuff. I thought…”
Kelly didn’t want to say what she was thinking. That she hadn’t wanted Francesca to call Sam because if he
