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“That’s not exactly big news.” He looped an arm around her shoulders, and, to her shock, planted a kiss square on her mouth. She was so surprised she was speechless.
“That,” he grinned, “is going to drive Bobby Tom Denton right over the edge.”
Firmly taking command, he drew her onto the dance floor. The band was playing a ballad, and he pulled her close to his chest, where she felt so comfortable she wanted to close her eyes and rest her head.
“You’re a nice man,” she said. “I knew it all along.”
“Even before I made the announcement about Rosatech?”
“I never for a minute thought you’d close it. All anyone had to do was look at you and they could have figured that out.”
His chest rumbled with a low chuckle. They danced for a while in silence, and then she felt an almost imperceptible tensing of his muscles. She followed the direction of his gaze and saw Suzy pass by, dancing with Buddy Baines. She gazed up at him and saw how sad he looked.
“Bobby Tom’s not being deliberately cruel, you know,” she said softly. “He’s very protective of her. Sooner or later he’s going to come to his senses.”
“You do have an optimistic view of human nature.” He steered them to another part of the dance floor, changing the subject at the same time. “People are going to be sorry to see you leave. You’ve done more good in this town in a short time than most of them have done in their lives.”
She was genuinely astonished. “I haven’t done anything.”
“Is that so? Let me see if I’ve got this right. You’ve formed a volunteer organization to improve the facilities at Arbor Hill as well as set up a recreational program there. It was your idea to establish a senior citizens center. I also hear that you’ve spent a lot of time at Arbor Hills just visiting with some lonely people. I guess, in my mind, that counts for a lot more than somebody who hasn’t done any more with his life than win football games.”
She started to protest. Bobby Tom gave to others in countless ways, both money and his time. But then she stopped herself. Mr. Sawyer wasn’t talking about Bobby Tom; he was talking about her. And he was right.
When had she gotten into the habit of viewing her own accomplishments as being so much less important than anyone else’s? Was seeing to the comfort of the elderly of less value than being blessed with good looks and natural charm? She felt oddly disoriented. It was as if a door she hadn’t even known existed had swung open, giving her a fresh look at herself, a look that was suddenly uncluttered by the emotional baggage she’d carried around all her life. She had friends, people who cared about her, and she did her best to live her life by the Golden Rule.
But she had grown so used to being satisfied with very little. From the day she’d met Bobby Tom, she’d felt lucky to receive whatever small crumbs of affection he’d deigned to toss her way. But that wasn’t how it should be. She was worthy of something more than another person’s emotional leftovers.
The dance came to an end, and a terrible sadness swept over her. There was nothing wrong with her at all. She was the best person she knew how to be, and she was more than worthy of Bobby Tom Denton’s love. But he would never understand that, just as he would never understand the value of what he was throwing away.
Bobby Tom palmed the sex trophies off on a couple of the Phoenix Suns so he could talk to his mother. “I believe you’ve been saving this dance for me.”
“I’m sure I have it somewhere on my dance card.” Suzy smiled as he took her hand, and they walked out onto the wooden floor together.
They were both good dancers—he’d learned how from her—and for a while they moved without talking in the rhythm of the two-step, but he didn’t enjoy it as he normally would have. Gracie hadn’t stopped dancing with one man or another since Way Sawyer had kissed her. His jaw clenched at the memory.
Although it was difficult, he forced himself to set aside his own unhappiness for the moment and do what he should have done as soon as he got back from San Antone, what he’d secretly known he had to do last night when he’d seen how his mom and Sawyer had looked at each other at the country club.
“Mom, we’ve got to talk about what’s happening with you, and this time I’m not going to let you put me off with gardening tips and cruise brochures.”
Her spine stiffened under his hand. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“You know, don’t you, that I miss him, too.”
“I know. He loved you so much.”
“He was a great father.”
She lifted one eyebrow as she looked up at him. “Do you realize by the time he was your age, he already had a fourteen-year-old son?”
“Uhmm.”
Her forehead creased in a frown. “What happene
d with you and Gracie? And why did you bring those dreadful women tonight?”
“Nothing happened. You know all that engagement stuff was phony, so don’t act as if the fact that we’re splitting up is some big tragedy.”
“I got used to thinking of the two of you as a couple. I guess I’d started to believe you really were getting married.”
