That First Special Kiss

by Gina Wilkins

  “You dance very well,” Shane commented, smiling down at her in a way that would make her heart flutter, if she was susceptible to that sort of thing from him, she thought, ignoring the definite fluttering sensation in her chest.

  “For a gimp?” she asked lightly, trying to hide her self-consciousness behind self-deprecating humor.

  Shane didn’t find it amusing. He frowned. “For anyone,” he corrected. “You’re very graceful and light on your feet. There’s no reason you shouldn’t dance any time you want to.”

  No reason except the faint, nagging ache that was already making itself known in her right knee, she thought ruefully. While she had regained much of her former agility, too much unaccustomed activity usually left her sore and stiff. She didn’t complain, since she’d been lucky not to lose the leg entirely—the injuries had been almost that bad. But she couldn’t help thinking sometimes of how blithely she’d once taken her physical fitness for granted.

  Shane’s hand rested at the small of her back. His fingers flexed. The slight movement sent a shiver through her, and made her aware once again of how very close they were. Close enough for her to feel the heat of him. Close enough for her to feel his breath against her temple. Close enough that she found herself wanting to be even closer.

  She stumbled away from him just as the song ended. “Thank you for the dance,” she said. “But shouldn’t we eat our cake before it gets stale?”

  Shane frowned a moment, then shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sure, let’s have our cake,” he said, his voice revealing nothing of his thoughts. “And you’ve hardly touched your wine.”

  “Um—why don’t I make coffee to go with the cake?” she suggested quickly, glancing at the cheap wine with a not-so-subtle grimace.

  “Coffee sounds much better,” he agreed with a chuckle, and moved away from her to retrieve the pieces of cake.

  Kelly felt herself relax as the distance between them increased a bit. As fond as she was of Shane, there was something that made her distinctly uncomfortable about being in his arms.

  Chapter Three

  By the time Kelly returned with steaming cups of coffee, Shane had settled onto the couch, the two slices of birthday cake waiting on the coffee table. As she set the cups on the table, Kelly was amused to see a paper plate holding two very large, chocolate-dipped strawberries. “More goodies from your bag, I take it?”

  “Yeah. These were harder to smuggle out. Everyone got greedy with the strawberries. Strangely enough, no one complained when I took the bottle of wine.”

  “Imagine that.”

  Shane chuckled and picked up one of the strawberries. “These are great. Try one.” He held the fruit to her lips.

  Obligingly she opened her mouth to take a bite of the chocolate-dipped berry. And then she closed her eyes and moaned in appreciation of the mingled sweet and tart flavors. “Oh, that’s heavenly,” she murmured, then opened her eyes.

  She found Shane closer than she’d expected, bis face only inches from hers, his eyes focused on her mouth. He held the strawberry poised for her next bite. “More?” he asked, his voice a low rumble.

  “More,” she replied. But instead of letting him feed her another bite, she plucked the strawberry from his fingers and bit into it herself.

  Shane drew back and picked up his plastic fork. “The cake is pretty good,” he said after taking a bite.

  Finishing the strawberry, Kelly set the stem aside, but didn’t immediately reach for her cake or coffee. She wasn’t ready to lose the tastes of rich chocolate and sweet strawberry. “Why did you leave the party?”

  “Nancy overinvited—as usual—and I could hardly move at her place. Seemed like there was hardly enough air for everyone. I started thinking about how nice it would be to spend a quiet hour or so with you, so I took a chance you’d be finished with your studying, and here I am.”

  She twisted to face him, resting an elbow against the back of the couch and propping her cheek on her fist. “You usually like crowds.”

  “I guess I just wasn’t in the mood tonight.”

  She studied him closely, wondering if he was still trying to deal with his mother’s death. As if he’d read her thoughts, Shane smiled and patted her bent knee. “Stop fretting. I’m fine. Just a little tired. Dad’s trying to get ready for his vacation with Cassie, and he’s going to spend the next three weeks working like a demon—and working me right along with him. He hasn’t taken a vacation in so long, he acts as if the whole place is in danger of crumbling to dust while he’s gone.”

  She smiled. “I know Cassie’s really looking forward to getting away for a few days. How’s Molly handling the thought of a whole ten days without her parents?”

  Shane’s answering smile was rueful. “Actually, she seems to think it’s going to be a blast. I think she’s planning to be totally spoiled and pampered during that week.”

  “And won’t she be?”

  He grinned. “No doubt about it.”

  “And you aren’t worried about being responsible for a twelve-year-old girl for that long?”

  “Why should I be? Molly and I are going to have a good time. She’ll be in school during the days, and we have all kinds of great plans for the evenings. It’ll be fun.”

  Shane’s unabashed devotion to his little sister was one of the many things Kelly admired about him. She wondered how many twenty-seven-year-old bachelors would be so eager to baby-sit an adolescent girl so his father and stepmother could take a much-needed vacation.

  Shane finished his cake and coffee, then glanced at his watch. “I’d better head for the ranch. You have your test tomorrow and you should get a good night’s sleep.” He broke into a smile. “See? I know just what to say to Molly during the time she stays with me.”

  Kelly nodded gravely. “You sounded very paternal.”

  “It’s going to be a snap,” he anticipated breezily.

  “I’m sure you’re right.” But she was aware she didn’t sound quite as confident as Shane. She knew a bit more than he did about the unpredictability of twelve-year-old girls.

  He reached for the dishes. “I’ll help you clean up before I go.”

  She put her hand over his, stopping him. “Leave it. It’ll only take me a few minutes to clear this away.”

  He nodded and stood. “Well...good luck with your test.”

  “Thank you. I need all the luck I can get.”

  Shane usually kissed her cheek when he left. It was a long-standing habit, and she had never attached too much meaning to it, since he tended to be very generous with his hugs and kisses. She held the door for him, mentally bracing herself for that casually affectionate brush of his lips. Shane paused at the doorway, leaned toward her—then hesitated, his gaze on her mouth.

  Her lips began to tingle as if she could already feel his mouth against hers. Odd, she thought with a swallow.

  Shane gave her a slightly crooked smile and stepped away without touching her. “Good night, Kelly. I hope you ace your test.”

  Why hadn’t he kissed her? Had he somehow sensed her mixed emotions about it? He wouldn’t have thought twice about kissing his cousins, or his aunts, or even his friends, Heather or Amber. What made Kelly different, all of a sudden? “Thanks again for the toothpick holder.”

  He sketched her a funny little salute in lieu of a reply and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

  Staring at that unrevealing panel of wood, Kelly slowly shook her head. Sometimes it seemed that the more time she spent with Shane Walker, the less she really knew him.

  “That dress looks fabulous on you, Kelly. You really should buy it.”

  Kelly looked away from the three-way mirror to smile at her longtime best friend, Brynn Larkin D’Alessandro. “You think so?”

  “Absolutely.” Brynn walked thoughtfully around her, studying the close-fitting red dress. “It’s perfect for you. And at sixty percent off, it’s a fantastic price. You shouldn’t pass it up.”

  Tempted, Kelly
looked into the dressing room mirror again. The dress did fit very well, falling in a graceful line from double spaghetti straps to the floating just-above-the-knee hem. The crimson color looked good with her blond hair, gold-dusted complexion and dark green eyes. She hadn’t come to the mall to buy a dress on this Saturday afternoon, but when she’d seen this one on a clearance rack, she’d been unable to resist trying it on.

  She twisted to look at the back of her right arm, which was bared by the sleeveless garment. “What about the scar on this arm? Is it too noticeable? The scars on my legs I can conceal with glittery hose or something, but this one...”

  “It’s only a scar,” Brynn said dismissively. “You look so pretty no one will notice that thin white line. I think you should get the dress.”

  “It is a bargain,” Kelly admitted, glancing at the price tag again. “But I really don’t know if I need it. Where would I wear it?”

  “The holidays are coming up. Surely there will be a party or two you’ll want to attend.”

  Kelly turned slowly in front of the mirror again, picturing the dress with the glittering costume jewelry she’d bought last year. It would look good at a holiday party, she thought, weakening further. And at sixty percent off, she could almost justify the expense.

  But she really shouldn’t buy it. She was trying to save a little extra money for Christmas gifts.

  “Kelly! Hi, what’s up?”

  Kelly looked around to see Amber Wallace entering the dressing room area. carrying a sizable stack of clothes to try on. “Hi. Amber. I see you and I both read the same sales ads.”

  Amber grinned. “Yeah. I need some new clothes, and I’m short on cash, so I hope there will be something that fits from the clearance rack.”

  “You remember my friend Brynn?”

  “Of course.” Amber smiled at Brynn. “How are you?”

  “Fine, thank you,” Brynn answered with the slightly shy courtesy that was so characteristic of her.

  Amber looked back at Kelly, studying the red dress with obvious interest. “That’s a great dress. Are you buying it?”

  “I haven’t decided,” Kelly admitted. “I’m not sure I really need it...”

  “If you don’t want it, I’d like to try it on. You and I are about the same size. I think that dress would look good on me, don’t you?”

  Kelly was sure the red dress would look gorgeous on dark-haired, blue-eyed Amber. Maybe it would even look better on Amber than it did on Kelly herself. It was that somewhat-less-than-noble thought that made her clutch the dress more tightly around her and blurt out, “Sorry, but I think I will buy it. As Brynn just pointed out, I can wear it to holiday parties.”

  Amber looked disappointed, but resigned. “It does look good on you. Any particular guy you’re trying to impress?”

  “Of course not,” Kelly answered quickly. “I’m buying it for myself.”

  “Oh.” Amber cast one more rather wistful glance at the dress, then looked at the garments she held. “I just hope one of these looks as good on me. I am trying to impress someone in particular.”

  Kelly didn’t have to ask who. “How is Cameron?”

  Amber’s bright smile was dimmed only by the faint shadow in her eyes. “He’s wonderful, of course. I wish I could have spent today with him, but he and Shane had that fishing trip planned. I don’t know why they wouldn’t let me go along. I love to fish. And Cameron didn’t even want to do anything tonight. He said after getting up at dawn to go fishing, he’ll just want to go home alone and crash tonight.”

  Kelly and Brynn exchanged a quick, meaningful glance before Kelly looked back at Amber. “It’s probably good for you and Cameron to spend a day apart every once in a while. He can do guy things with Shane and you can do your shopping and whatever. Why don’t you come over to my place later? We can watch old movies and gossip about all our friends.”

  Amber smiled a little, but shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m knitting a sweater for Cameron for Christmas. It’s the hardest pattern I’ve ever tried and I’ve barely gotten started. I guess I’ll stay home and work on that tonight.”

  Kelly looked at Brynn again. Brynn shrugged slightly, as if to say Kelly had done all she could.

  “I’m going to try these on now,” Amber said, moving toward a dressing room. “Good to see you again, Brynn. I’ll call you, okay, Kelly?”

  “Sure. See ya, Amber.”

  Kelly stepped into her own little nook and changed quickly back into the sweater and jeans she’d worn on her shopping trip. She paid for the red dress and then she and Brynn left the store and walked through the mall to a coffee bar. Only when they were settled in a booth behind steaming cups of cappuccino did Kelly mention Amber. “I’m really afraid she’s going to be hurt.”

  Brynn nodded somberly. “She’s rather desperately infatuated with him, isn’t she?”

  “Desperate is the word,” Kelly agreed glumly. “She can’t think of anything but Cameron these days. She’s so obsessed with him that she practically has no other life—and she used to be so active and independent. I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen when it ends.”

  “You’re so sure it will end?”

  She sighed. “I wish I could say I thought there was a chance that they will be married and live happily ever after, but I really can’t see it. Cameron just doesn’t seem as committed to this relationship as Amber is.”

  “That’s going to be awkward in your group of friends, isn’t it? If Amber and Cameron have an unpleasant breakup, it’s going to be difficult for them to continue seeing each other at your monthly get-togethers.”

  Kelly stared glumly into her cup. “It’s going to be awful. Heather and I have been very close to Amber during the past year. And Shane, Scott and Cameron have been best friends for almost as long as any of them can remember. The divided loyalties alone will probably make our gatherings impossible.”

  “That would be such a shame. I hate to see anyone get hurt.” Brynn glanced down at the rings on her left hand. “I would love to see everyone as happy as Joe and I have been.”

  If Kelly were the jealous type, she would certainly find it hard not to envy Brynn’s good fortune during the past year and a half. Brynn had fallen in love with and married a gorgeous surgeon who simply adored her in return, and she had been immediately accepted into her husband’s large, close-knit family. Finding her own family of aunts, uncles and cousins had been another stroke of luck, guaranteeing that Brynn would never be truly alone again, as she had been so often during her difficult childhood.

  But Kelly loved Brynn too much to be anything but delighted for her recent blessings. And, besides, she reminded herself, she’d had a pretty good year as well. She had almost fully recovered from the devastating injuries of an auto accident that could have been totally debilitating, if not fatal. She was only months away from earning her master’s degree. She had been instantly adopted into Brynn’s family—both families, actually—and into Shane’s group of friends. There was still plenty of time after she established her career to start her own family, something she wanted very badly. Assuming, of course, she was lucky enough to fall in love with someone as special as Brynn’s Joe.

  Brynn glanced at her watch, then chuckled. “We’ve been at the mall for nearly two hours and I still haven’t bought the first Christmas present.”

  “Oops. My fault. I spent a long time trying to decide whether to buy the red dress.”

  Brynn shrugged. “I guess I’m just not really in the mood to Christmas shop today. I still have six weeks for that.”

  “We should at least buy one gift today,” Kelly said firmly, picking up her coffee cup. “Then we can say we accomplished something.”

  Brynn smiled across the narrow table. “Just having a couple of hours together makes the day worthwhile. We’re both so busy lately, it’s rare for us to have time like this.”

  Kelly returned the smile. “Yes, and I’ve enjoyed every minute.”

  “Maybe we’ll have t
ime to shop a little more, though. Joe asked if I would mind buying both our draw gifts for my family. And I have no idea what to get for either of the people we drew.”

  Because the Walker family was so large and their income levels somewhat disparate, they had a long-standing tradition of drawing names for gift giving. The draw was held at the end of October, leaving everyone plenty of time to shop. Last year, newlywed Brynn had been included for the first time. And everyone had insisted that Kelly join in, to her surprise and delight. They had contended that she was an honorary member of the family, and she had come to feel that she truly belonged with them.

  “Joe drew Taylor’s name,” Brynn confided. “I’ve got Shane. Do you have any clever ideas for either of them?”

  Oddly enough, Kelly’s pulse fluttered when Brynn mentioned Shane’s name. Ignoring the reaction, she tried to reply casually. “I can see why you worry about finding the right gifts. Taylor has such impeccable taste, and Shane...well, he’s Shane,” she finished wryly.

  Brynn laughed. “Strangely enough, I know exactly what you mean. Do me a favor, will you? You’ll be seeing Shane several times between now and Christmas. You and he are such good friends. Try to get some suggestions from him about gift ideas—only, be subtle about it.”

  Kelly made a face. “Oh, sure. Piece of cake.”

  Still smiling, Brynn set her empty cappuccino cup aside. “I have every faith in you. Maybe I can get Taylor’s partners at her advertising agency to give me some ideas for her. That would certainly make my shopping easier.”