the one I had in mind."
Before she could say anything, he pulled her back into his arms, slanted his mouth across hers and spent the next sixty seconds indulging another one of those dangerous whims of his. They were both breathless and a little stunned when he finally broke it off.
"That ought to do it," he murmured.
Penny nodded sagely. "It sure should. Now grandfather won't let up until he has us married."
With a wink, she turned and walked into the house, leaving him to wonder if he'd recognized those very probable consequences when he'd hauled her into his arms.
"What the devil's the matter with you, boy?" Brandon asked Sam on Saturday afternoon. The sun was blazing and everyone was on the beach enjoying a picnic. Sam had remained on the back deck, alone with his beer and his muddled thoughts.
"You've been jumpy all day," Brandon observed. "Looks to me like you didn't sleep a wink all night, either. Something on your mind?"
Sam scowled at him. "What could be on my mind?" he inquired testily. He knew exactly where they were heading with this conversation. He'd been expecting it all morning long. The fact that it had taken Brandon until well past lunchtime to get him alone had left him feeling more jittery than a teenager facing an indignant father after a first date.
"Thought maybe you were thinking about Penny," Brandon said.
He affected a look of supreme innocence that made Sam want to grind his teeth. "Why would you think that?"
"You two seem to be getting...closer."
"So?"
"Don't make me spell it out for you, son."
Sam glared at him. "Now what is that supposed to mean?"
"If you hurt her, I'll never forgive you."
"Then why the hell did you insist on throwing us together in the first place?"
"Because it seemed to me you'd make a good match."
"But if we don't, it's going to be my fault?"
"Hell, son, if you can't see what's right in front of your eyes, then yes, it's your own damned fault," he snapped impatiently.
"Isn't there one other single person in the world whose life you can meddle in?"
Brandon didn't seem to be the least bit upset by the pointed question. "I suppose I could find somebody, but there's no one I care about more than the two of you."
"I'm all wrong for her," Sam retorted. "Why can't you see that?"
"If you're so wrong for her, then you had no business kissing her."
"And you had no business spying on us."
"Hell, boy, you were standing right at the back door in the pouring rain. Who could miss it? That's not the point, anyway."
"What is the point?"
"You've been selling yourself short. Always have. You've got a good head and, more important, a good heart. All you need is the right woman."
"And you think your granddaughter is that woman," he said, his voice flat.
Brandon grinned at him. "Doesn't matter a hill of beans what I think. My gut tells me you know she's the right woman. Don't wait too long to admit it to yourself and to her."
"How can you say that? She drives me crazy. I make her crazy."
Brandon chuckled. "I know. Ain't love grand?"
Sam was avoiding her. Penny had expected it, but that didn't stop it from hurting. Obviously he was regretting the kisses, regretting the fragile intimacy that had sprung up between them on the beach the night before.
Well, no matter what happened, she wasn't going to waste time on regrets. Those kisses had been the most magical, eye-popping, wicked events in her entire life and she intended to treasure them. She knew their importance, even if Sam refused to acknowledge it. Unlike that bittersweet kiss years ago, these had been filled with tenderness and real emotion.
"Don't let him get to you," Dana advised, joining her on the beach.
"Who?"
"My brother."
At that moment, Sam, Jason, Kevin and even Brandon had joined in a noisy game of inept volleyball with Dana's kids. Penny's gaze seemed to be riveted to Sam's sleekly muscled body as he held two-year-old Jason Junior in the air to smack a ball over the net. Penny sighed.
"You've
Before she could say anything, he pulled her back into his arms, slanted his mouth across hers and spent the next sixty seconds indulging another one of those dangerous whims of his. They were both breathless and a little stunned when he finally broke it off.
"That ought to do it," he murmured.
Penny nodded sagely. "It sure should. Now grandfather won't let up until he has us married."
With a wink, she turned and walked into the house, leaving him to wonder if he'd recognized those very probable consequences when he'd hauled her into his arms.
"What the devil's the matter with you, boy?" Brandon asked Sam on Saturday afternoon. The sun was blazing and everyone was on the beach enjoying a picnic. Sam had remained on the back deck, alone with his beer and his muddled thoughts.
"You've been jumpy all day," Brandon observed. "Looks to me like you didn't sleep a wink all night, either. Something on your mind?"
Sam scowled at him. "What could be on my mind?" he inquired testily. He knew exactly where they were heading with this conversation. He'd been expecting it all morning long. The fact that it had taken Brandon until well past lunchtime to get him alone had left him feeling more jittery than a teenager facing an indignant father after a first date.
"Thought maybe you were thinking about Penny," Brandon said.
He affected a look of supreme innocence that made Sam want to grind his teeth. "Why would you think that?"
"You two seem to be getting...closer."
"So?"
"Don't make me spell it out for you, son."
Sam glared at him. "Now what is that supposed to mean?"
"If you hurt her, I'll never forgive you."
"Then why the hell did you insist on throwing us together in the first place?"
"Because it seemed to me you'd make a good match."
"But if we don't, it's going to be my fault?"
"Hell, son, if you can't see what's right in front of your eyes, then yes, it's your own damned fault," he snapped impatiently.
"Isn't there one other single person in the world whose life you can meddle in?"
Brandon didn't seem to be the least bit upset by the pointed question. "I suppose I could find somebody, but there's no one I care about more than the two of you."
"I'm all wrong for her," Sam retorted. "Why can't you see that?"
"If you're so wrong for her, then you had no business kissing her."
"And you had no business spying on us."
"Hell, boy, you were standing right at the back door in the pouring rain. Who could miss it? That's not the point, anyway."
"What is the point?"
"You've been selling yourself short. Always have. You've got a good head and, more important, a good heart. All you need is the right woman."
"And you think your granddaughter is that woman," he said, his voice flat.
Brandon grinned at him. "Doesn't matter a hill of beans what I think. My gut tells me you know she's the right woman. Don't wait too long to admit it to yourself and to her."
"How can you say that? She drives me crazy. I make her crazy."
Brandon chuckled. "I know. Ain't love grand?"
Sam was avoiding her. Penny had expected it, but that didn't stop it from hurting. Obviously he was regretting the kisses, regretting the fragile intimacy that had sprung up between them on the beach the night before.
Well, no matter what happened, she wasn't going to waste time on regrets. Those kisses had been the most magical, eye-popping, wicked events in her entire life and she intended to treasure them. She knew their importance, even if Sam refused to acknowledge it. Unlike that bittersweet kiss years ago, these had been filled with tenderness and real emotion.
"Don't let him get to you," Dana advised, joining her on the beach.
"Who?"
"My brother."
At that moment, Sam, Jason, Kevin and even Brandon had joined in a noisy game of inept volleyball with Dana's kids. Penny's gaze seemed to be riveted to Sam's sleekly muscled body as he held two-year-old Jason Junior in the air to smack a ball over the net. Penny sighed.
"You've
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