That First Special Kiss

Kelly had to think about that for a minute. “Well, no, actually, I haven’t,” she finally admitted. There had been times when she’d thought Shane was a bit annoyed with someone, but she’d never seen him really angry.

“Neither have I,” Dawne responded. “And I’ve known him since he was fourteen.”

Kelly looked assessingly at Shane, wondering if he truly was that easygoing or if his temper, like his emotions, remained hidden behind his lazy, unrevealing smiles.

He glanced her way, their gazes meeting. “What are you two talking about so seriously?”

“You,” Kelly answered equably.

“Good. I like it when you talk about me.”

“You just like being the center of everyone’s attention,” Dawne accused him affectionately.

“Exactly.”

An outburst from the kids’ table, around which ten children under the age of twelve were gathered, claime

d everyone’s attention then. While parents rushed to deal with the situation, everyone else continued their meals and their spirited conversations.

Watching as Shane turned back to chat with Emilio, it occurred to Kelly that Dawne was right. Shane was a very special guy. And if she ever met anyone, she, too, wouldn’t mind if he was a lot like Shane.

The “outsider attack” came completely without warning, catching Kelly totally unprepared. One minute she was contently mingling with the thirty or so members of the extended Walker clan, and the next minute she was on the outside of the family circle, gazing wistfully in.

It was only in her own mind, of course. Everyone treated her as warmly and graciously as they ever did. But suddenly she found herself fighting those old childhood demons—fear of rejection, of humiliation, of not fitting in.

Annoyed with herself for giving in to such groundless neuroses, she drifted toward the barn, thinking maybe a visit with the horses would give her time to bolster her self-confidence. She apparently wasn’t the only one who’d had the idea. “Emilio,” she said to the slender young man gazing into one of the stalls. “Do you like horses?”

The boy jumped and whirled to face her. “I didn’t touch anything. I was only looking at the horses.”

She smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay. Jared and Shane don’t mind you looking. In fact, they would probably take you for a ride if you want.”

“I’ve never ridden a horse before.”

“No?” Moving slowly to allow him to recover from the start she’d given him, she leaned against the stall railing beside him. “What have you ridden?”

“Dirt bikes. I used to race them. My dad...” The boy choked.

“Your father helped you race?” Kelly supplied gently, her heart twisting in compassion.

Emilio nodded. “He died two years ago. My mother died when I was a baby. I lived with my grandmother for a year, but she was old and sick.”

“I’m sorry, Emilio. You’ve had a very difficult time, haven’t you?”

He shrugged and looked at the dozing horse again.

“Do you like living with Lindsay and Nick?”

“They’re nice,” he conceded hesitantly. “Dr. Nick used to race bikes, and he said he’ll help me get started again in the spring—if I’m still with them then. They treat me good. Better than the last place.”

“They’re nice people. And their children are so sweet.”

“They’re okay,” the teenager conceded about the eight-year-old daughter and six-year-old son of his foster parents. “They sure have a lot of family,” he added. “At least, Lindsay does.”

Kelly chuckled softly. “Yes, Lindsay has two complete families. This one—her biological siblings—and the parents and two brothers who adopted her as a baby. Not to mention all the foster sons her adoptive parents took in over the years. She considers them all family, and she loves them all.”

“She has a big heart.”

“Yes,” Kelly agreed with a smile, thinking that Emilio had fallen quickly for his foster mother. “She does.”