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“I didn’t think so. No stretch marks.” Before she could prepare herself for it, he ran his finger over the taut skin of her lower abdomen. “Naturally I’d have to see your breasts to be positive.”
Sunny retreated beyond his reach. “I’ve never had a baby,” she ground out.
He poked the air with his index finger. “Now that was everyone’s second theory. You were supposed to have a baby, but you didn’t.”
“An abortion?” Sunny, horrified by the thought, could barely breathe the word. “Everybody figured that I ran off to New Orleans to get an abortion?” She covered her face with her hands. “No wonder my parents had to leave.” After a moment, she flung her head back and glared up at Ty. “Tell me the rest of it. What else do they say?”
“It gets real nasty from here.”
“I want to know. Fran never would tell me what everybody said about me after I left. Tell me.” He seemed reluctant. “Tell me,” she repeated stubbornly.
He drew a deep breath. “Some thought you might have been on drugs.”
“Ridiculous. What else?”
“VD was a consideration, but thought highly unlikely. Some thought you might like girls better than boys.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I’m only repeating what George said, you understand. The most popular theory, second to the baby one, was that you...uh...never mind.”
“Come on, give.”
“Nope, I gotta be going.”
He made as if to rise. Sunny caught his arm. “Tell me, damn you. You brought this up.”
His gaze moved slowly over her troubled face, taking in the messy ponytail on the top of her head and the curling tendrils that sweat had glued to her neck. It finally settled on her mouth. “Are you frigid, Sunny?”
Her hand fell from his arm. She stared up at him in mute incredulity. “Just because I wouldn’t marry Don, they think I’m frigid?”
He frowned and gave a dismissive shrug. “People talk. They make up things and twist them until the wild stories fit their own purposes.” He peered at her closely. “Of course, there’s usually some basis for speculation.”
“There’s absolutely no basis for this speculation.”
“George says you went through boyfriends like Kleenex.”
“George is prone to exaggerate.”
“Didn’t you have a string of broken hearts to your credit?”
“I had my fair share of dates.”
“Boys talk.”
“Meaning?”
“According to George, no one ever claimed to... you know. You never...”
Sunny was fuming. “Went all the way?”
He flashed a fleeting, though dazzling, smile. “Quaint phrase, but that about sums it up, yes. From what I hear, you left the boys of Latham Green hot and bothered. You’d only go so far, then zip.” He laughed at his own play on words. “I didn’t mean that literally.”
“Disgusting.” Despite the heat, she shivered.
“Some unflattering names are pinned on girls who tease.” His blue gaze moved over her. “Personally I don’t believe it about you. But you’ve got to admit they have a good case. You’re still single. You don’t have any boyfriends.”
“I have boyfriends!”
