saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. He wasnât about to be fooled again.
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A FTER DINNER , Mark led Dani into his study. She went willingly. While sheâd enjoyed the meal and the lively conversation, it had been impossible for her to keep the children straight. Sheâd also been aware of Alexâs unfriendly attention and Katherineâs subtle study. She was emotionally exhausted by the energy of the family and doing her best not to screw up.
âWhat did you think?â Mark asked, after he settled into a black leather chair she suspected was his favorite, and sheâd picked a place on the sofa opposite.
âYou have a wonderful family.â
âTheyâre loud,â he said cheerfully. âKatherine is brilliant with them. Adopting was her idea, you know. I wouldnât have thought of it. At first I wasnât sure. I didnât think I could love someone elseâs child as much as I could love my own. But I was wrong. Theyâre all special to me.â
âI could tell.â Heâd interacted with all the children. They obviously adored him.
âKatherine insists on being involved in every aspect of their lives. We have Yvette, who helps out, but thatâs only so Katherine can pursue her charity work. If she didnât have that, she would be handling everything on her own. I travel a lot, back and forth to D.C. Sheâs practically a single parent, but she never complains. Itâs just who she is.â
As Dani had been impressed by Katherine, she agreed with the praise. But despite the words, she couldnât figure out what Mark really thought about anything.
She was being crazy, she told herself. Obviously Mark adored his wife and family. Who wouldnât? Yet she had no sense of emotion coming from him.
She reminded herself she didnât know the man. That until that morning, theyâd never met. Maybe she could give him a break.
âI, ah, took the DNA test,â she said. âThe results should only take a couple of days.â
âGood. I already know the outcome, but being sure is a good idea.â
She nodded, feeling awkward. How could he be sure? And if he was, shouldnât the moment be moreâ¦something? She told herself not every situation could be scripted, like a TV sitcom, yet something felt missing.
âI want us to get to know each other,â Mark said. âWhy donât you come by the office for lunch? It will be more quiet than here.â
âIâd like that,â Dani said.
He probably felt as weird about all this as she did. Lunch was a great idea. After a few low-key meetings, she was sure they would start to connect. All this strangeness would fade and they would understand each other. They would be family.
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A LEX PICKED UP his car keys. Dani had left a few minutes ago, so he could go home now. Heâd been unwilling to leave before her, as if without him watching over her something bad would happen.
âYouâre frowning,â Ian said as he rolled up. âYou were frowning all during dinner.â
âIâm cautious.â
âI like her. She thinks Iâm funny.â
âShe was being polite.â
Ian grinned. Most people wouldnât know what the twisted expression meant, but Alex saw the humor Ianâs uncooperative muscles tried to hide.
âYou donât want anyone to know, but I think you like her, too,â Ian said.
âI donât have any feelings about her.â Which was almost true.
âSheâs pretty.â
Alex shook his head. âYouâre seventeen. You think every female is pretty.â
âTheyâre my hormones and I can use them if I want to.â His grin faded. âSeriously. You should lay off her. She was cool.â
Dani had reacted well to Ian, Alex thought. He would guess her past was the reason.
An afternoon on the Internet had turned up a lot of information on
George Simpson, Neal Burger