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It was a statement and not a question. There was no way she would tell him that he’d assumed wrong. Besides, after Dylan had touched her hand, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to touch any piano keys. She wasn’t sure she wanted anything to touch her hand again.
“Does your silence mean my assumption was wrong?”
There was no need to lie since he would know the truth when she sat down at the piano. “Yes, your assumption is wrong.”
Professor Jovanovich shook his head in the usual way he did when he was disgusted with her, probably wondering why her father paid so much for private lessons she obviously wasn’t interested in taking.
He then glanced over at Dylan. “Would you mind practicing Charm’s piece with her while I attend my meeting?”
Dylan smiled again, and this one made his dimples even more profound. “I will be glad to, Professor Jovanovich.”
“I thought you played the guitar,” she said, trying not to melt where she stood when he looked at her.
“I play several instruments including the piano, keyboard, violin, drums, harp and saxophone.”
“Wow.” She was impressed because she couldn’t even master beginning piano.
“Well, if the two of you will excuse me, I’ll be back in half an hour. That should give you enough time to practice your piece, Miss Outlaw.”
Then without saying anything else, Professor Jovanovich grabbed a packet off his desk and walked out.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Charm glanced back at Dylan. “I’m sorry you got stuck helping me do something I really should have done at home.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
She was about to say something not so nice, when she saw his lips tilt in a smile that made her breath catch. Charm couldn’t help but return his smile.
“I really shouldn’t say this to someone who has the ability to play so many instruments, but, as far as I’m concerned, music sucks.”
He threw his head back and laughed. Actually laughed. The sound was so rich, hearty and warm. It was the warmth she heard and felt more than anything. “Then I’m going to make sure that by the time I leave Alaska you think just the opposite. You’re going to like it, Charm Outlaw.”
She wasn’t so sure of that and refused to make him any promises. Instead, she took her music notebook out of her backpack and moved toward one of the pianos in the room. “I really don’t have any excuse for not practicing. My dad bought me a real nice piano a couple of Christmases ago.”
“But the desire to play has to be in here,” Dylan said, patting his chest right over his heart. “I take it that learning to play the piano wasn’t your idea.”
“Heck no. It was my brothers’. All five of them. Even my oldest who’s away in the military.”
“You have five brothers?”
“Yes, and they are all older. I think I get into their hair sometimes, and they put this idea in my father’s head that I should take music. He agreed since Regan was taking it and he’d heard her play a few times.”
“Who is Regan?”
“She’s my friend who’s three years older.”
He nodded. “And how old are you?”
“Sixteen.”
“So you’re not a student here at the university?”
“No.”
“You’re still in high school then?”
“No.”
He lifted a brow. “No?”
