The moment Will’s hand touched Serena’s shoulder, she let out a harsh sob and fell into his arms. “I th-thought you were going to l-leave me,” she cried.
Will hugged her trembling body, alarmed by the stark anguish in her voice. “Never, sweetheart,” he promised. “I’ll never leave you.”
“But you acted like you didn’t c-care when Dad said to go p-pack your th-things.”
Puzzled, Will asked, “How could have you heard that part but not what I told him afterwards?”
“I covered my ears,” she sniffed. “I didn’t want to hear anymore and didn’t think I could keep from falling apart if I had to hear the door close behind you.”
“Is that what you plan on doing whenever we have a disagreement, cover your ears?”
“Stop teasing me,” she admonished, though her tone had lost much of the heartbreaking sadness.
“I am sorry you overheard the argument with your father, but I wish you would have listened for a few minutes longer.”
Serena tilted her head back, the shimmer of tears on her cheeks visible even in the dim light. “I’m listening now, Will. Tell me…please.”
“I’ll tell you,” Tony said as he stepped into the hallway.
Will squinted against the harsh light when Tony flipped the switch. Judging by the grave look on his face, he wasn’t very pleased to find his daughter locked in an intimate embrace with the man he had accused of trying to seduce her. Tony’s gaze moved to Serena, his expression softening briefly before his focus shifted back to Will.
“I will not have my family torn apart over this,” Tony said. “Serena, are you aware of the animosity between Will and McKinley?”
“Yes, but…”
“And you heard what McKinley said about him trying to seduce her?”
“I heard. But Will would never…”
“Then you also heard me say McKinley is worried sick he will do the same thing to you.”
Serena drew away from Will, but not before he felt her back stiffen. He ground his teeth together to keep from shouting at her father to stop badgering her because, as much as he hated to admit it, this was a test of Serena’s faith in him, in their love for one another. Whether Tony meant it to be or not didn’t matter. Loyalty to family was important, and he didn’t discount how difficult it would be for her stand up to her father, but if she couldn’t do it here and now, she never would.
Some battles, he was forced to admit, had to be fought on your own. And this battle belonged to Serena and her father.
***
“Yes, I was listening,” Serena told her father.
She stopped and pressed her lips together, annoyed by the wobble in her voice. It made her sound uncertain and she couldn’t afford to have either man think she was unsure of her feelings. She took a step towards her father, purposely moving away from the security of Will’s arms so she could prove to herself, and them, that she was capable of making her own decisions. Inside, she was shaking like a straw house in a strong wind, but they didn’t need to know that.
“You’re worried about me and I can understand why. After the performance McKinley put on for you and Mom, I’m surprised you gave Will a chance to say anything at all.”
“What did you expect me to do,” Tony’s voice was gruff, “throw the boy out without giving him the opportunity to leave on his own? I’m not as unreasonable as you seem to think I am.”
Serena aimed a knowing smile in his direction. Great set up, she congratulated herself, and now for the spike. “No, you weren’t entirely unreasonable, but you would have been if you believed even half the things McKinley told you. You would have charged in here like a crazed bull and given Will the sharp end of your horns if you thought for a minute there was any truth to her story.”
“Okay, okay, I might have been a little suspicious…”
“A little?” Serena crossed her arms, determined to get a full confession from her father.
“Admit it. You came over here because McKinley worked Mom up into worry fit and the only way you could keep peace at your house was to come and raise hell at mine!”
“All right, you got me,” he folded. “I wasn’t convinced McKinley was telling the whole truth when I left the house, but on the drive over I wonder if I had brushed it off too easily. By the time I got here, I’d talked myself into believing I was too smart to be played by my own daughter, so it followed that her claims had to be legitimate.”
She understood only too well how easy it was to fall for McKinley’s lies; her sister was exceptionally skillful at her craft. But that didn’t mean Serena was going to let her father off the hook altogether.
“I guess I can’t beat you up too badly when I’m guilty of the same thing. I’m not even sure if McKinley knows the difference between the truth and her fabrications anymore. Regardless, I think you owe Will an apology. It’s bad enough that McKinley has been sharpening her claws on him since the day he moved in, but to have you accuse him of taking advantage of me is just horrible.”
“I was…out of line,” he conceded, though it was obvious he did so with reluctance. “I realize that now and hope you’ll both forgive me.”
“Apology accepted,” Will said from behind her.
Serena held out her arms, so relieved she could have cried. “I suppose if Will can forgive you, I can too.” Being hugged by her father made her feel like a little girl again and she welcomed the precious moment of closeness. “I love you, Daddy,” she smiled up at him, “even if you are a bear sometimes.”
“I love you too, little girl. I…uh…do have one question before I go.”
“What is it?”
“Will tells me he’s in love with you. He also seems pretty confident you feel the same way about him.”
Serena’s heart lodged in her throat. Was that the part she missed when she covered her ears? She turned back towards Will, a radiant smile on her face. How could she do anything but smile when she was practically bursting with happiness?
“Will’s confidence is justified,” she said softly. “I love him with all my heart.”
She had no recollection of stepping away from her father or moving towards Will, but she must have because suddenly she was back in his arms. The rasp of stubble from his evening beard against her cheek sent a shiver racing up her spine. Memories of how tenderly he’d made love to her earlier came flooding back in a heated rush. She had an uncontrollable desire to shoo her Dad off so she could crawl back into bed with Will and prayed it didn’t show on her face when the embrace ended and she turned back around.
“Would you tell Mom not to worry, that I’m fine? More than fine.”
“I will,” her Dad promised. “And McKinley? What do you want me to tell her?”
“Tell her…” Serena paused.
What message do you send to someone who has done everything in her power to sabotage your relationship with the man you love? McKinley wanted everyone to believe that her poor, blind sister was weak and vulnerable, that she was a mental cripple who was incapable of making sound decisions on her own. Her reasons for doing it didn’t even matter anymore. McKinley had finally gone too far and would have to answer to their parents for the stunt she’d pulled tonight. Their father firmly believed there was no excuse for dishonesty, and though he seemed calm now, he wasn’t about to let it slide. Not that McKinley would apologize for her behavior, but at least she would know her attempt to cause trouble for Will had failed.
“It’s up to you, Dad. But I think once you tell McKinley how Will and I feel about each other, she won’t hear anything else you have to say.”
“Oh, she’ll hear every word, I guarantee it,” Tony said in that same stern tone she’d heard him take with her brothers when they had over stepped the line.
Will slipped his arm around Serena’s waist. “We’ll walk you to the door.”
Considering the abominable treatment Will had received from her father, it amazed Serena that he could sound completely at ease, as if they had
spent the last half hour in pleasant conversation. When they reached the foyer, her father dropped a kiss on her cheek. She felt Will lean forward and the ripple of movement as the two men shook hands.
“I misjudged you, Will,” Tony said. “But I’ve got to tell you, this is one time I’m happy to admit I was wrong.”
“No hard feelings, Mr. Cross. You know, it might make Serena’s mother feel better if she got the chance to know me. If you’re both free next Saturday evening, would you like to join us for dinner?”
“That’s very considerate of you, Will. I’m sure it will put Leslie’s mind at ease if she can see for herself how much you care for Serena. We’ll see you next Saturday.”
Serena was a bit dazed by everything that had transpired. As soon as Will closed the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. “How did a situation that started out with you and Dad butting heads end up with a handshake and dinner date with my parents?”
Will drew her into his arms, hugging her to him as if he would never let go. “It’s late. Why don’t we dissect it tomorrow?”
There was a strangeness to his voice Serena couldn’t quite define. “Will, are you okay? You sound…funny.”
“I’m fine, sweetheart. I’m just glad everything worked out.”
“You weren’t worried I would believe the things McKinley told Dad, were you?”
“Let’s not talk about it anymore tonight. All I want to do right now is take you back to bed and hold you.”
Will kissed her then, but it was different than any kiss he’d given her before. There was such an urgency to it, an almost desperate quality that tugged at her heart. Until that moment, when she felt the possessiveness in his arms as he crushed her to his chest and the tremor in his lips, it hadn’t occurred to Serena that this big, strong man needed the assurance of her love. That he was just as scared of losing her as she was of losing him seemed impossible, yet she knew with undying certainty it was true.
When he finally let her up for air, Serena framed his face with her hands. “I’m madly in love with you, Will Duncan, and I want you to know there isn’t anything McKinley can do or say that will ever make me doubt you.”
“She won’t stop trying,” he said with a ruefulness she couldn’t miss. “The talk your Dad intends to have with her may slow McKinley down for a while but we both know she’ll be scheming again in no time.”
“I don’t understand her,” Serena said. “She could have any man she wanted, why does she keep trying to put a wedge between us so she steal you away from me?”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with wanting me for herself. There’s more to it.”
“You seem pretty sure of that.”
“I am. I don’t have anything to go on except my gut feeling, but I know I’m right.” Will covered her hands with his, pressing a kiss into each palm before urging her towards the bedroom. “No more talk about McKinley. We’ll figure it out sooner or later, but not tonight.”
She heard Rufus trailing behind them and wondered if the poor dog was still upset, but once they got to the bedroom he settled down at the foot of the bed as usual. As soon as Will slipped into bed beside her, Serena forgot about Rufus and McKinley and pretty much everything else except the joy she found in being close to him. Snuggling into his warmth, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, a smile of contentment on her lips and in her heart.
***
Will made a grab for the bowl as it skittered across the counter, rescuing their dinner salad from certain disaster just as it teetered on the edge. Serena mumbled an apology when he set the bowl next to the chopping board but she was so distracted, he knew it was only a matter of time before she sent the bowl flying again. Will watched her brandish the knife with mounting anxiety; certain the attack on the helpless vegetables would result in the loss of a finger or two. He kept silent for as long as he could and finally decided saving Serena’s fingers from peril would also put a halt to his own heart palpitations and Rufus’ restless pacing. Leaning forward, he gripped her wrist without warning and used his free hand to pluck the knife away.
“Stop playing around and give me the knife,” Serena demanded irritably.
“So you can hack off your hand? No, I have a better idea. I’ll finish making the salad while you relax by taking a nice long soak in the tub.”
“I’m perfectly capable of cutting up a few vegetables,” she said with an indignant huff.
Will’s lips twitched in amusement. She’d been pretty prickly all day, but in the past few hours it had grown progressively difficult to carry on a conversation with her. If he asked a question, her answers were short and clipped. And apparently, offering to help make dinner was a greater sin than trying to talk to her. I’m not completely inept, you know, she’d informed him in a tone as crisp and frosty as a winter morning.
For the most part, he and Rufus had stayed out of her way, but he refused to stand idly by while she endangered herself because she was too stressed out to remain focused. Placing the knife on the counter well out of her reach, Will told her to turn around. With an impatient sigh, Serena complied, although it was obvious by her tightly drawn lips that she was annoyed with him. Well, he would just have to do something about that too, wouldn’t he? Trapped as she was between the counter and his body, it didn’t take more than a few seconds for her to sense the sizzle of physical awareness that seemed to have dominated their lives in the past week since they had become lovers.
Will felt it too. Being this close to her made his whole body tingle, as if the undercurrent of a live wire pulsed through his veins. He knew what would happen when they touched, and Serena knew it too. One kiss. That’s all it would take to subdue her and vanquish the surly mood she was in. Very unsporting of him perhaps, but if that’s what it took to exorcize the tyrant out of her, it was a sacrifice he would just have to make.
“I am going to finish making the salad,” his tone broached no argument. “But first, you are going to tell me why you’re so wound up. You’re an excellent cook and it’s not as if you’ve never made dinner for your parents before, so what is it?”
Serena’s lip quivered. “I’ve been so horrible to you today, and I…I really didn’t mean to be. It’s just that…you don’t know how direct my mother can be. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she came right out and asked if you were sleeping with me. She’ll drill you about everything; your family, your past, your plans for the future.”
“I don’t understand why that would upset you. Isn’t that what this evening is all about, giving your parents the chance to know me better?”
“I know, but you have no idea how uncomfortable it will be for all of us. I love my Mom to death, but she could have been a professional interrogator.”
Will smothered the laugh tickling the back of his throat. “She can’t be that bad, honey. You don’t think you might be exaggerating just a wee bit?”
“No, I’m not,” she insisted. “And heaven help you if she thinks you’re hiding something. She will keep at you, chipping away until you start spewing out secrets you have never divulged to anyone because she makes you feel as if somehow she knows.”
“Ah, I get it now. You’re afraid I’ll confess about kiss-and-tell-Mel, aren’t you?”
Serena stuck her lip out in a pretty pout. “It’s not funny, Will. I never even tried to lie because I’d seen how she dragged the truth out of my brothers and knew if they couldn’t hold out, I didn’t stand a chance.”
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