his fingers gripped like steel bands. “One turn on the terrace.”
“It’s cold.” She couldn’t object without causing a scene at her mother’s party. Since she’d come to avoid drama, it was best to accede. “I’ll get my coat first and meet you outside.” While she was at it, she’d also get her car keys.
Ben gazed down at her as if weighing her words. “Promise?”
Stifling a sigh, she nodded and wove through the crowd. A few people stopped her on the way out. Neva made conversation politely for a moment or two, answering questions about people’s pets. Unlike her mother, most of the guests appeared to find her work charming. They probably wouldn’t if they saw the reality of it.
Ten minutes later, she slipped around the front of the house, heels tapping on the flagstone. She found Ben waiting as promised. No surprises there. He needed her family connections to further his own career and would take her to get them, however little he wanted her.
“Here I am.” She stopped a few yards away from him and gazed up at the stars. It was a chill, clear night.
“I want you to know I mean it when I say I miss you,” he began. “I know you don’t believe that, and I know I can be overbearing. I took control because it’s the way I know how to help. I’m not very good at knowing what to say, so I do instead.”
That was not true, Neva thought. He always knew exactly what to say, which was why he wanted her father’s help to get into politics. It was also why he wanted to marry old money, if only she’d stop cutting up sick animals and get her hair done and buy some pretty shoes. And it was why they’d never fit together in a million years.
“I’m glad you make life easier for my parents,” she answered. “But I prefer to captain my own ship.”
He offered a wry smile. “You made that very clear.”
Her cheeks heated. During their last fight, she’d screamed something to that effect at him, but with less grace and more profanity. But Ben never lost his temper. That wasn’t natural, or at least, it didn’t work for her. She didn’t want everything to be explained and rationalized away. Sometimes you just knew what you knew in your gut and there was no reason why. That was why she couldn’t accept Luke was dead, though he’d been missing for almost two months.
I’d know. Though people said twins could sometimes sense each other’s thoughts and feelings, they’d never had that. But they had been close. Surely she would feel his loss . . . or maybe she just wanted to believe that because it was easier than the alternative. From his expression, Ben knew what she was thinking, but he had the sense this time not to lecture her about the stages of grief and how she was stuck in denial. Before, she’d almost punched him.
The heels hurt her feet. Neva shifted and rested an arm on the balustrade. Ornate carvings etched the stone, creating a frame for the terrace. She gazed out over the dead garden. In summer, there would be roses, camellias, wisteria, daisies, asters, foxglove, and bleeding hearts. Her mother took special pride in the grounds, kept the gardeners tending the plants until all hours. When Neva was a kid, Lillian had worked out there herself, at least until Grandmother Harper told her it was unseemly.
“Let’s cut to the chase, Ben. I’m never coming to my senses. I like my life the way it is, and I don’t ever want to be a politician’s wife.”
“We could go all the way to the state capital,” he said softly. “We’d make a good team if you could just be a little less hands-on with your causes. Maybe you could take up fund-raising instead?”
She laughed, tickled at his persistence. If he channeled that into his work, he would certainly go far. “Ben, I don’t want to be a ‘good team’ with the man I marry. It calls to mind towel slaps on the ass and sweaty shorts.”
“I didn’t mean like that,” he said, obviously stung.
“We’re done. Tell my mama I had
“It’s cold.” She couldn’t object without causing a scene at her mother’s party. Since she’d come to avoid drama, it was best to accede. “I’ll get my coat first and meet you outside.” While she was at it, she’d also get her car keys.
Ben gazed down at her as if weighing her words. “Promise?”
Stifling a sigh, she nodded and wove through the crowd. A few people stopped her on the way out. Neva made conversation politely for a moment or two, answering questions about people’s pets. Unlike her mother, most of the guests appeared to find her work charming. They probably wouldn’t if they saw the reality of it.
Ten minutes later, she slipped around the front of the house, heels tapping on the flagstone. She found Ben waiting as promised. No surprises there. He needed her family connections to further his own career and would take her to get them, however little he wanted her.
“Here I am.” She stopped a few yards away from him and gazed up at the stars. It was a chill, clear night.
“I want you to know I mean it when I say I miss you,” he began. “I know you don’t believe that, and I know I can be overbearing. I took control because it’s the way I know how to help. I’m not very good at knowing what to say, so I do instead.”
That was not true, Neva thought. He always knew exactly what to say, which was why he wanted her father’s help to get into politics. It was also why he wanted to marry old money, if only she’d stop cutting up sick animals and get her hair done and buy some pretty shoes. And it was why they’d never fit together in a million years.
“I’m glad you make life easier for my parents,” she answered. “But I prefer to captain my own ship.”
He offered a wry smile. “You made that very clear.”
Her cheeks heated. During their last fight, she’d screamed something to that effect at him, but with less grace and more profanity. But Ben never lost his temper. That wasn’t natural, or at least, it didn’t work for her. She didn’t want everything to be explained and rationalized away. Sometimes you just knew what you knew in your gut and there was no reason why. That was why she couldn’t accept Luke was dead, though he’d been missing for almost two months.
I’d know. Though people said twins could sometimes sense each other’s thoughts and feelings, they’d never had that. But they had been close. Surely she would feel his loss . . . or maybe she just wanted to believe that because it was easier than the alternative. From his expression, Ben knew what she was thinking, but he had the sense this time not to lecture her about the stages of grief and how she was stuck in denial. Before, she’d almost punched him.
The heels hurt her feet. Neva shifted and rested an arm on the balustrade. Ornate carvings etched the stone, creating a frame for the terrace. She gazed out over the dead garden. In summer, there would be roses, camellias, wisteria, daisies, asters, foxglove, and bleeding hearts. Her mother took special pride in the grounds, kept the gardeners tending the plants until all hours. When Neva was a kid, Lillian had worked out there herself, at least until Grandmother Harper told her it was unseemly.
“Let’s cut to the chase, Ben. I’m never coming to my senses. I like my life the way it is, and I don’t ever want to be a politician’s wife.”
“We could go all the way to the state capital,” he said softly. “We’d make a good team if you could just be a little less hands-on with your causes. Maybe you could take up fund-raising instead?”
She laughed, tickled at his persistence. If he channeled that into his work, he would certainly go far. “Ben, I don’t want to be a ‘good team’ with the man I marry. It calls to mind towel slaps on the ass and sweaty shorts.”
“I didn’t mean like that,” he said, obviously stung.
“We’re done. Tell my mama I had
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