That First Special Kiss

“It’s an unbirthday present,” he informed her. “Go ahead. Open it.”

Shaking her head in amused exasperation at his unpredictability, Kelly tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box inside. And then smiled in delight. “A toothpick holder. Shane, it’s lovely.”

The delicate cut-glass cylinder narrowed from a wide, fluted opening to a small, flat bottom. It was a perfect specimen, without a chip or scratch that she could see at first glance. It would make a very nice addition to the small collection of antique toothpick holders she’d whimsically begun a few years earlier. “Where did you find it?”

“Cassie and Molly found a dresser for Molly’s bedroom at an antique store in Fort Worth. I took them in my truck to pick it up yesterday, and I spotted this while Cassie was paying for the dresser. I thought you might like to add it to your collection. The salesclerk said it’s a nice example from the early 1940s.”

“I love it. Thank you.” She carried the little container to the glass-fronted cabinet in which she kept her few dishes and the six other toothpick holders that made up her entire collection. She set it beside her most valuable piece, a delicate urn-shaped holder rimmed with fourteen-karat gold, a gift from Brynn last Christmas. This little gift from Shane was as precious to her as anything she owned.

Closing the cabinet door, she tilted her head to admire her newly expanded collection, then nearly choked when the elastic band beneath her chin tightened. She pulled the hat off as she turned, smiling at Shane. “Have I ever mentioned that you can be very sweet?”

He looked quickly around in exaggerated concern. “Hey, quiet! Someone might hear you. I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”

“Too late,” she said, unable to resist reaching out to pinch his dimpled cheek. “Everyone already knows what a sweetie you are.”

And he looked so darned cute in that green-and-gold party hat, she couldn’t help thinking as she laughed and pinched his cheek again.

Grinning, Shane caught her hand in his and pulled it away. “Stop. You’re embarrassing me.”

“All kidding aside, it really was sweet of you to buy a toothpick holder for my collection. And to bring the unbirthday party to me. Thank you.”

He leaned over to brush a quick kiss against her cheek. “You’re welcome.” And

then he straightened and motioned to the very small expanse of wooden floor between her dining and living areas. “Speaking of our unbirthday party, we’ve just gotten started. Dance with me.”

A popular slow ballad had just begun to play on the radio as he extended his hand to her. Kelly hesitated before placing her hand into his. There had been a time when she had loved to dance. But that was before the near-tragic car accident had damaged her legs and left her with an awkward limp. “I—uh—”

“We can’t have a party without dancing.” Shane tugged her gently into his arms. “Just one dance.”

Giving in to his encouragement and her own temptation, she placed her right hand in his left and rested her other hand on his shoulder. “Just one dance,” she agreed.

She had never danced with Shane before, she realized suddenly, vividly aware of how closely his cowboy-tough body moved against hers—pretty much a necessity since their dancing space was so limited. She hadn’t danced since her accident, actually. Trust Shane to be the one to give her courage to try again.

Shane had been one of her most encouraging supporters ever since he’d met her while she was still lying in the hospital only days after her accident. He and his father, Jared, and Jared’s extended family of siblings and in-laws had taken Kelly and Brynn under their wing after hearing about the accident they’d had the very day they’d moved to Dallas, leaving them without a place to stay or anyone to turn to during the early days of Kelly’s recovery. It hadn’t mattered that Brynn and Kelly were strangers to them then. They had been alone and in need, and the Walkers and D’Alessandros hadn’t hesitated to come to their aid.

And then they had discovered by a stunning accident that Brynn was the daughter of one of the long-lost Walker brothers, who had died barely seven months before Brynn was born. He had left his unmarried and emotionally unstable young girlfriend to try to raise her child alone, unaware of the network of support she could have received had she known about Miles Walker’s siblings. That Brynn had been brought back into the family years later was a miracle they all still marveled at, and which eldest sister, Layla Walker Samples, maintained was divine intervention rather than bizarre coincidence. After seeing how happy Brynn had been since finding her family and marrying Joe D’Alessandro, the handsome young doctor who had operated on Kelly’s legs, Kelly had privately agreed with Layla. It must have taken more than happenstance to bring her and Brynn to this place at that particular time.

“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