Page 105 of A Whim and a Prayer

“Sure,” she said abruptly, thoughts of Cari Lee Barton dampening her mood.

He pulled back to study her. “You don’t sound sure. Everything okay?”

Looking up, she exhaled loudly. “Yes, just a brief thought about something else.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. “But I’ve put it out of my mind and am ready to focus on you and your favorite song.”

He frowned. “Anything you want to talk about? Get off your chest?”

“Absolutely not,” she said with a toss of her curls, enjoying the music as he did a slow turn. “I don’t want to ruin what I do believe is one of the best weeks of our friendship ever.”

His smile was tender. “I couldn’t agree more, Pooh. Having time off from studying over the holidays to spend every night with you and your cousins has been a whale of a good time. I sure hate for it to end.”

She peered up, eyes in a squint. “Who says it has to?”

He cocked a thick blond brow. “Uh, school? You and your cousins head back to college and secretarial school next week, Win, and I’m starting my first semester of night school. Not to mention that your Uncle Luke warned me that law school is no picnic, especially the first year.”

He issued a grunt as he delivered another easy whirl. “As I recall, you groused about me studying a few nights a week in preparation for law school. Can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when I’m working all day at The Herald and going to Northeastern’s School of Law three nights a week and studying pretty much the rest of the time.”

“What?” She came to an abrupt halt, eyes wide in disbelief. “You can’t study all the time, Campbell! When on earth do you plan to have fun?”

He grinned as he swayed her back into the dance. “You mean when on earth do I plan to see you, right?”

She tipped her head, a smile twitching at the edge of her feigned scowl. “Exactly.”

He laughed and gave her waist a pinch. “Come on, kiddo, you were the one who talked me into law school, remember? Asking your Uncle Luke to encourage me that way?”

“Well, sure,” Winnie said with a teasing pout that was more real than Beck knew. “But that was when I thought you were going to be a priest.”

“Well, see then? You still come out ahead, Dennehy, because at a seminary, there’s almost no free time for a priest to fraternize with the enemy—”

“Wait …” Her jaw dropped. “Enemy?”

“Sure.” He gave her nose a playful tap. “When it comes to becoming a priest, pretty girls are always the enemy.”

“Gee, thanks for the backhanded compliment.” Winnie’s good mood faded along with the music as the song came to an end.

“But now,” he continued as he proceeded to usher her back to the table, “I’ll still be just right down the street. So … although I’ll be attending law school on Monday, Wednesday, and early Friday nights, then studying on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday nights, that still leaves either later Friday nights or Saturday nights and all of Sunday after church for you.”

She squealed to a stop in the middle of the crowd, brows shooting high. “Late Friday or Saturday nights?”

He gave an awkward shrug, clearly not comfortable with the direction of this conversation. “Well, sure, Win. After all, I’ll need one night a week for Cari Lee, right?”

Winnie blinked, mouth agape before she clamped it shut again. Sweet mother of Job—bit in the behind by my own design.

He tugged on one of her curls, ducking to meet her eye-to-eye with that blasted parental look of sympathy he always delivered when he knew he had her. “Right?”

“I guess.” She turned on her heel to walk back to the table ahead of him with head high, lobbing her usual teasing banter over her shoulder. “But I don’t have to like it.”

He laughed. “Neither do I, Dennehy.” He caught up to slow her with a grip of her arm, that patient smile getting on her last nerve. “But keep in mind that dating was your idea, not mine, kiddo, along with law school, so if you’re miffed, all you have to do is look in the mirror.”

She seared him with a look that made him grin.

“Well, look at it this way,” he said as he followed behind with a chuckle, obviously hoping to get a rise out of her, “at least our friendship is still intact.”

She tossed a glare over her shoulder before she forced it into a smirk. “For now.”

Chapter Seventy-Two

Beck watched as Winnie broke through the crowd ahead of him, conscious of the fact that she hadn’t been thrilled about their conversation on the floor. He expelled a quiet breath as he followed her to the table where the whole gang were laughing and chatting it up during the band break.