Just The Way You Are(44)

Jimmy dropped back next to Alli as Sam and Tessa spoke with Timothy O'Meara about going out in one of his boats.

"So, Alli," Jimmy said.

"What?"

"You and Tessa don't like each other?"

"Very good, Sherlock."

He tipped his head. "I'm intuitive. It's a gift."

"One of your many, no doubt."

"Why is it you MacGuire girls seem to be immune to my charm?"

"You mean Tessa isn't falling at your feet?"

"Does it look like she is?"

Alli glanced over at Sam and Tessa in deep conversation with Timothy, an old friend of her grandmother's. "They fell in love with each other when they were twelve, you know."#p#分页标题#e#

"Then how did you end up married to him?"

"I'm sure Tessa will tell you."

"Actually, she's not one for details. Why don't you tell me?"

"I could tell you it's none of your business."

Jimmy put a hand to his heart. "That would really hurt. I thought we were friends."

She shook her head in amusement. "Friends? I don't even remember your last name."

"Duggan. Jimmy Duggan."

"Fine, I know your name, but I don't know you well enough to share my private life with you." Jimmy nodded. "All right. Maybe tomorrow." He stared at her so long she grew uncomfortable, since for the second time in less than an hour a man couldn't take his eyes off her. Was there something stuck in her teeth? She ran her tongue around the edge of her teeth in search of anything offensive. Finally, she gave up and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Your face. You have incredible bones."

"Uh, thanks, I think."

"I'd love to photograph you."

"Oh, please, there's charm, and then there's stupidity. I'm not a model."

Jimmy rubbed his chin. "You don't like what you see in the mirror?"

"No, I don't. Especially since I grew up looking across the room at someone else."

Jimmy put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. "I know how it feels."

"How could you possibly?"

"My brother is a state senator in Virginia. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale and made a fortune in business before he went into politics. He has the perfect wife, three incredible children, and a house with a foundation that goes back to the eighteen hundreds."

"Wow. What happened to you?"

He stuck out his tongue at her. "My parents ask themselves the same question. I think they sometimes wonder if they brought the wrong baby home from the hospital."

"I'm sure they love you anyway."

"What's not to love? But respect, that's a different animal."

"Yes, it is." They exchanged a look of complete and utter understanding. "You still try, don't you?" she asked.

"I shouldn't."

"Me either."

"They don't deserve us."

"No, they don't." She laughed and so did he. "You know, I'm glad you're here."

"I don't think I'll ask why."

"Jimmy," Tessa called impatiently. "Are you ready?"

"You bet." He looked over at Alli. "How about you?"

"I want to get this over with as fast as possible."

"Worried we won't be able to find a pearl?"

"No, I'm worried that with the four of us in one small boat, we may not all come back alive."

"Who do you think is the most likely candidate to go overboard?"

"You never know."

"Ooh, you are bad. I think I'm sitting next to Tessa."

"Big mistake," she said, laughing at his outrageous expression.

"Maybe I'll just stay close to you," Jimmy said hastily. "Somehow I think you may be more prone to violence than your older sister."

* * *

Traitor, Tessa thought, fuming to herself as Jimmy took a seat in the small aluminum boat next to Alli, sitting so close he was practically on her little sister's lap. And Alli was lapping it up like a cat with a bowl of cream.
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"What's bugging you?" Sam asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"This whole pearl thing is crazy. It could take us days to find one—if we do at all." She looked away from Jimmy and Alli and concentrated on the water. Princeton Bay was beautiful, the water as still as glass with only a light breeze to ruffle its smooth surface. "I don't understand why Grams suddenly decided she needed the pearl now."

"Does it matter? You're still going to find it for her."

"I'll try, because Grams was always there for me, and I want to be there for her, even if it means spending the afternoon with Alli. She hasn't changed a bit."

"How would you know? Have you talked to her since you've been back?"