You Send Me by Toni Blake

Author:Toni Blake [Blake, Toni]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061856334
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2009-10-13T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

T he following afternoon, Betsy worked a crossword puzzle on one of the beds in their room while Millie sat looking at herself in the mirror. Their parents were gone to lunch at the Allens’ house, and all Millie had managed to do today was sulk and stare at herself. Was she really pretty? Or had Johnny just said that to take advantage of her? What must he think of her now? And oh—what if he told anyone and it got back to her parents? She’d never been more mortified at her own behavior—but at the time it had just felt so wonderful, and he’d been so amazing that she’d been unable to resist.

When a knock came on the door, she and Bet exchanged glances, then she reasoned, “Maybe Dad forgot his key,” and rose to answer.

On the other side stood Johnny, handsome and muscular, holding a bouquet of freshly picked daisies. She gasped.

“These are for you.”

She swallowed nervously, taking the flowers from his hand. Then she glanced over her shoulder to Bet—who was staring but jerked her gaze back to her crossword—and hoped Johnny realized they weren’t alone.

He lowered his voice accordingly. “Why did you run away?”

She spoke quietly, too. “I told you—I’m not that kind of girl.”

“There’s nothing wrong with what we did last night,” he said, looking irritated. “I like you.”

She shook her head, incredulous. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know you enough. Enough to see how nice you are. Deep-down nice. You’re special, Millie, I can tell.”

Despite not wanting to fall for smooth talk, that part caught her attention, burrowing down inside her as she stood gazing into his emerald green eyes.

“Come back tonight,” he whispered, leaning closer. “Let me show you how special you are.”

She was trying to catch her breath and decide how to answer—when her father appeared behind Johnny in the doorway. “Daddy,” she said, stunned. She hardly ever called him that anymore, and what a rotten time to act—and feel—like a little girl. “This is, um, Johnny. He works at the canoe rental.”

Her father cast Johnny a dubious glare, then his gaze dropped to the flowers in Millie’s fist. “I think it’s time for you to go,” he said rudely to Johnny.

Johnny’s eyes darkened, but after a glance at Millie, he finally said, “You have a fine daughter, sir,” then turned and walked away.

Once they were inside with the door shut, her father scowled. “Flowers?”

“I…suppose he took a liking to me when we met yesterday. And they’re only flowers.” Actually, she loved the flowers, and loved even more knowing that he’d gathered them himself. It made her heart do flip-flops in her chest.

“Carl Allen told me about him. He’s older than you—twenty-six—and he went to Korea, saw a lot of battle. Since then, he’s done nothing with himself—and only just recently started helping his father with the canoe business. He’s a rough character, Millie, not someone you should be associating with. Understand?”

What choice did she have? “Yes, Father,” she heard herself say.

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