Texas Heroes_ Volume 1(167)
She studied the man beside her, noting the broken nose, the ropy muscles of his arms. Remembering the strength of his grip and the concern in his eyes. “Yes, I’m game.” Politeness almost prevented her, but then she asked. “Is that what happened to your nose?”
Dev touched his nose lightly. “I wish. Brawling on a weekend pass, I’m afraid. Not too pretty, is it?”
“I like it,” she said. “Gives you character.”
He grinned. “I’m starting to get wrinkles, too. Think I should go see Blondie?”
Then he stopped suddenly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned him. I guess it went badly with your parents, huh?”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Never mind,” he offered.
Lacey remembered his tender care, how good she’d felt in his arms. The brushfire that had ignited.
“No, it’s all right. It—it wasn’t pretty.”
“You want to talk about it?”
It helped that those mesmerizing green eyes were looking at the road and only occasionally at her. She sighed. “They mean well, and I know they love me. They just…” She searched for a way to express the complicated relationship between herself and her parents.
“I’ve always felt as if there was something not quite right with me, like I can’t ever quite do everything properly, no matter how hard I try. I’ve been such a dutiful daughter, but all it’s done is to make them less tolerant of the ways I want to be different from them and their whole set.”
Dev glanced over at her. “What ways?”
For some reason, she felt as though she could confide in Dev a thought so secret that she’d never dared voice it, even to herself. “I want to adopt Christina.”
His head whipped around again. “The little girl you told me about?”
She nodded. “I know—it’s crazy, not to mention complicated. I’d have to resign as her advocate.”
“So what? If you want it, why can’t you do it? Will Daddy yank away your allowance?”
His words hurt so much that she fell silent.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that as badly as it sounded. It’s just that, as far as I know, you don’t have a paying job.”
“I know you think I’m unbearably spoiled and pampered.” She looked out the window, wondering why she’d ever agreed to come.
He pulled his car into a parking place in the museum district. Turning slightly, he placed on hand on hers. He wouldn’t let go when she tried to yank it away. “It was a low blow, Lacey. I guess I’ve still got some splinters buried in my skin. But you didn’t deserve that.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “I’m the rich girl. I should be used to it.”
He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “But you’re not, are you?” It was a revelation to him. Her life looked like she had it wired.
She turned to face him, finally. “No, I’m not. I’m really tired of being judged on where I live and what my last name is.”
A faint hope stirred in Dev. Maybe she wouldn’t hate the news he bore.
Lacey lifted her chin as though making an admission of darkest sin. “I know I’m very fortunate that I have a trust fund from my grandfather. It’s ample for my needs and I feel that my time is better spent giving it to those who have less instead of trying to earn more.” She was braced as though waiting for him to sneer.
He clasped her hand tightly and lifted it to his lips. “I think that’s admirable.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Not frivolous?”
“I’ll bet your friend at the plastic surgeon’s office doesn’t do anything nearly as tough as working with the advocate’s office.”
Lacey smiled. “You’re right. She works as a docent at a museum.”
Dev pressed his lips against her knuckles. “If you want to adopt that little girl, I say go for it. She’d be damn lucky to have you.”
Her eyes went dark and sad, and she pulled her hand away, gripping it with the other. “She had an aunt show up two days ago. The aunt wants Christina to come live with her.”
“Is that bad?”
Lacey’s head lifted from her perusal of her hands. “I think she only wants the money the state would pay her. Christina doesn’t like her.”
“So how do you deal with that?”
“I need to find some way to prove she’s not a good guardian for Christina.” Her eyes were fierce. “I’m going to figure out how to accomplish that.”
“Want some help?”
Lacey’s head whipped around. “You would do that? Is it difficult? I’m still pretty new at this.”