Taming His Montana Heart(42)

He smiled, actually smiled. She felt young and carefree just seeing the gesture. “Alexa is into frogs. She’d love seeing the progression from tadpole to maturity.”

“Then you’ve seen—”

“Some of the collection, yes. That’s it, what I want to give my family in addition to the donation.”

“Hey.” She presented him with her best interpretation of disapproval. “You’re stealing my idea.”

He brushed the side of her neck. “Because it’s a great one.”

Between his smile, lighthearted tone, and warm fingers on her flesh, she unraveled a little. She was making things so complex between them when why couldn’t it be simple? Focused on the physical.

“I’ll ask Kolina to email the file to me,” he said with his hand now resting on her shoulder. “It’ll be interesting to see whether we choose the same shots.”

“Maybe we will.” And if we do, does that mean something? “I’m sorry I didn’t think of this earlier.”

“Work got in the way.”

And the distraction of you. “It takes a lot of time, but Mick means so much to me. I should have made that a priority.”

“Tell me about him.”

Shaw wanted them to get closer, for him to learn more about her. Over the years she’d perfected her ability to keep herself at arm’s length but that skill wasn’t helping tonight. Besides, maybe he would open up himself.

“He’s always been my hero, the big brother I admired. When he dropped me off or picked me up after school, I’d make him drive around so my classmates could see. One year there was this event where fathers could have lunch with their children. My father—he couldn’t make it but Mick did. He sat in my desk and looked through my papers, praised my grades.” She paused to compose herself which wasn’t easy with Shaw’s hand still on her shoulder. “When he was getting ready to leave, he lifted me and twirled me around the room.”

“Were you embarrassed?”

“Oh no. I thought it was wonderful. A few years later he promised that if no boy invited me to the prom he’d take me.” If she kept this up, she risked getting into closed off territory, but she couldn’t stop sharing what had been good about her childhood. “I hoped he’d invite me to his prom, but he asked someone his age.”

“You probably wouldn’t have enjoyed yourself.”

She gave him a rueful smile. “I realize that now, but I didn’t then. Mick bought two corsages, one for his date, one for me. I wore it until the petals fell off.”

Shaw patted her shoulder then let her go. Torn between needing back the contact and relief since she couldn’t think straight when he was touching her, she again searched for something else to say. Nothing came.

“Boone and I are two years apart in age,” he said. “He’s older. It bothered the heck out of me that he could do things I couldn’t. He was good at shifting blame onto me.”

She chuckled. “My nieces are fourteen and nearly sixteen. They’ve always competed with each other. Mick hopes their competitive natures will hold them in good stead as adults. He’d hate to have years of trying to keep them from killing each other go for nothing.”

“I get where he’s coming from. My nephew just turned three but he’s always getting into Alexa’s stuff. It drives her crazy. She retaliates by pulling his hair and pinching him. Of course, he cries.”

“We should get our brothers together. Mick might be able to give Boone some tips on how to survive the early years.”

“Maybe we should.”

Despite his words she wasn’t sure he meant them. A moment ago their conversation had been lighthearted. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem capable of sustaining the mood. Maybe they should return to the tree decorating. Later she’d get a neighbor to run her to her place on his snowmobile. Shaw would go up to his apartment and shut the door on the voices and music below. They’d sleep alone.

If she could sleep for the sexual energy flowing throughout her and making her a little crazy.

“One way or another I’m going to get my parents out here this spring,” he said. If he sensed what she was thinking, he gave no indication. “Dad has been having problems with his heart. Hopefully his doctors have things stabilized. Even if there are still issues, spending time here would be good for them.”

“If his traveling is restricted maybe you can get away.”

“I will if I have to.”

Have to? Maybe he was hinting at strained family relationships. She wouldn’t probe, but maybe he simply needed to talk. If that was the case, she’d somehow wrestle her awareness of his body into submission. Not take a chance on touching him or standing too close.

“How about your mother?” she asked. “Her health’s all right?”

“Mom will outlive Boone and me. She has incredible energy.”

Good. Something else to talk about. “That sounds like my sister-in-law. I get tired just thinking about everything Carol does.” She considered stopping with that, but if she did the conversation might again run down. There’d be nothing to keep her here and no waiting to see if he’d smile again. “Her job isn’t particularly fulfilling and her daughters won’t always need her. My brother’s concerned she doesn’t know how to stop and smell the roses.”