Starlight in Her Eyes (10 page)

Serena's eyes widened and Colin could see her swallow, but she didn't turn away. Perhaps it was a good thing her daughter was present, or he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation to lean close and touch his lips to hers.

Lord, please guide my actions. I'll love her as a friend, if it's Your will.
The Lord knew his heart and how he hoped for more. He needed to be patient. Serena needed to be cultivated and nurtured.

She rose to her feet. “Lily, honey, it's time for bed.”

Colin thought Lily would protest not sharing dessert with them, but she seemed to be winding down and rubbed her eyes. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised to find how fast the time had passed. Much too fast for his liking. As it was, Lily must be up later than her usual bedtime.

“Thanks for helping with our tree, Mr. Colin.” Coming over to him, Lily rested her head on his chest. With that gesture, she stole more of his heart. A big chunk, actually.

“It was my pleasure.” He smoothed one hand over her hair. “I can't imagine a better way to spend my evening than here with you and your mum.” Stealing a glance at Serena, his gaze locked with hers again.

Eyes bright, she gave him a slight nod.

“Good night,” Lily called to him as Serena escorted her up the stairs, telling him she'd return shortly.

“Good night, Lily-Love.”

While he waited, Colin found the supplies for coffee and began the brewing process. Then he opened the cherry cheesecake he'd bought from one of Philadelphia's best bakeries, or so he'd been told on one of his latest adventures downtown. After locating dishes in a cupboard, he portioned generous slices on two plates and then stored the remainder in the refrigerator. Not intending to snoop, he couldn't help but notice Serena's healthy food choices—low-fat milk, juice, and lots of fresh vegetables. Several baskets full of fresh fruit sat on the counter.

“The coffee smells heavenly.” Serena smiled as she came into the kitchen a few minutes later. “You're very efficient in my kitchen, Mr. Young.”

“I hope you don't mind, love.”

“Of course not, but I didn't expect you to do all this. It was enough that you helped with the Christmas tree and brought the dessert.” Her eyes widened as she glanced at the table. “Are you trying to fatten me up?”

He laughed. “Have a seat.” Colin poured two cups of the steaming brew for them. “I don't have the opportunity to be domestic often. Much to my dismay, I find that I enjoy it.” He waited until she met his gaze once more. “Especially with you.”

8

Serena had enjoyed watching the fun exchanges between Colin and her daughter earlier in the evening.

Although Lily got along well with most adults, she didn't always immediately gravitate to them the way she had with Colin.

He'd treated her as a person with valued thoughts and opinions and not only as a child.

Serena hoped she hadn't been completely transparent in admiring Colin. For the first time since Graham's death, she wondered what it would be like to be held by a man. Kissed by a man. When she'd married, she'd never pondered the remote possibility that Graham wouldn't be there for the rest of her life. Since his betrayal and death, she'd pushed aside the possibility of another man entering her life.

Colin was certainly one of the most masculine men she'd ever known. He'd removed the bungee cords from her car and then carried the Christmas tree into the living room. He'd helped to position it in the stand and made sure it was steady before relinquishing his hold. Kneeling on the floor to hand them ornaments for the tree, he'd rolled the sleeves of his shirt to reveal strong forearms.

She'd briefly felt the firmness of his broad chest beneath her hand when she'd smoothed his tie at the station. At least twice a week, she'd noticed him dart out of the station with a gym bag in his hand. Not only was he physically attractive, but Colin's intellect and sense of humor appealed to her.

As they sipped coffee and enjoyed the delicious dessert, Serena encouraged him to share more about his childhood.

His mother had battled an ongoing drinking problem. His boyhood had been far from idyllic, but he also had many good memories, especially of his Grandmother Nell. Colin was blessed with the ability to uncover the good from among the ashes, and he'd triumphed over adversity and emerged stronger.

Serena enjoyed his reminiscing, and she'd laughed as he relayed amusing stories of being a constant prankster.

“My teachers considered me bright, but I never settled down long enough to become the student I could have been,” he said with a hint of sadness.

“Sometimes it's not all about making the best grades.”

She finished her coffee, and Colin asked if she wanted more. When she waved her hand, he poured another cup for himself and encouraged her to continue.

“I made terrific grades and was a model student,” she said. “I didn't have a lot of friends, but the ones I had were loyal.”

“Loyalty is what's most important, in my opinion. I, on the other hand, had many friends, but I'm not quite sure how loyal they were.” Colin added cream to his coffee and then took another bite of his cheesecake. “Enough about me, love. Let me guess. You were a beautiful, bookwormish sort of girl. You wore your hair in a bun, had glasses, and your nose was always stuck in a book. How am I doing so far?”

“I'm not sure bookwormish is a real word.”

“Of course it is. I looked it up in the dictionary and there you were.”

Her lips upturned. “Surely not, unless it was in the dictionary of fabricated words.”

Leaning his elbow on the table, Colin grinned. His expressive brown eyes—the color of rich cognac and every bit as intoxicating—met hers. “You realize what you're doing, don't you? The bookworm is flirting with the perennial jokester. What an odd couple we make.” Colin put his fork on his empty plate then wiped his mouth with his napkin. “We might as well discuss the Liberty Bell Ball.”

No, let's not.

Serena had tried not to show her displeasure. The night had grown into something special, and she hated to spoil it. Hearing Colin wax poetic about another woman wasn't something she wanted to hear. Her ego was fragile enough as it was. Silently, she pleaded with him to allow her the sweet memory of this evening untainted by reality.

“Not tonight,” she said. “We can talk about the ball at the office tomorrow.”

“I beg to differ. I think we should talk about it now.” His tone was unusually insistent.

“All right. Hold on a moment. Let me grab a piece of paper so I can write down her name. I might not remember it come tomorrow.” That probably wasn't true, but she needed to do something or her aggravation might spill over.

As Serena started to rise from her chair, Colin reached out a hand to stop her. “You won't need to write down her name.”

Lowering her gaze, Serena returned to her seat and cleared her throat. “Why is that?”

He waited until she looked at him before speaking. “Serena Monroe, will you do me the honor of attending the Liberty Bell Ball with me?” Colin squeezed her hand, and his eyes softened. “Please say you'll come.”

Even as her heart took flight, Serena couldn't be sure she'd heard him correctly. Why would Colin ask her to be his date when he could have his pick of any available woman in Philadelphia? A fan club had already been started, and several women routinely called the station each morning to see when the handsome morning co-host might be visiting another landmark.

“I'm very flattered, but—”

“Shh.” He put one finger over her lips. “Listen for a moment. I'm not asking you because you're my proverbial right hand at the studio. Or because you're my friend. While you're both of those things, I'm asking because I admire and like you. Very much.” His smile was gentle. “In case you haven't noticed, I find you to be an incredibly beautiful woman, and I'm very attracted to you.”

Serena blinked away her tears and swallowed hard. “Oh, Colin, that's not wise. I haven't been on a date in so many years that I've lost count.” She fingered her napkin on the tabletop. “I'm not sure I even remember how.” When she tried to wriggle her hand away from his, he increased his hold.

“Have you had time to grieve, Serena? Time to truly mourn Graham's passing?”

She'd never discussed Graham with Colin, but she was relieved he apparently knew she was his predecessor's widow. Looking at Colin now, Serena knew she could trust this man with the truth.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Once I got over the anger. In itself, that took a while.” She could see her words made him curious and felt the nudge to tell him. “Graham wasn't faithful to me in the last few years of our marriage. We married when we were kids, really, almost immediately after his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania. I still had another year to go, but he insisted on getting married and made sure I got on at the television station. If I could do things differently today, I would, but I was incredibly naïve. I was also very much in love. On paper we were married just shy of ten years, but in truth, the marriage—as best as I can estimate—ended somewhere around the seven-year mark.”

Serena wiped away a tear. “The night he died, Graham had been drinking. He took the sharp turn closest to our house too fast and plowed headfirst into a tree. He, um”—she looked away a moment—“was coming home after being with his mistress.”

Another tear escaped and dropped onto the table. “When I went to identify his body, Graham had the scent of her on his skin, in his clothing. That was one of the hardest things to accept and to forgive. The station's lawyers managed to hush it up and keep the ugliness out of the press. For that, I'll be forever grateful.” Serena returned her gaze to Colin's. “At the time, my heart ripped in two, and I felt so damaged I thought I'd never recover.”

Colin pushed back his chair and came around the table. He pulled her up from the chair and drew her into his arms.

Serena closed her eyes, accepting his compassion and his warmth. His strength. She'd missed being held by a man but never had that truth hit her as hard and fast as it did now that she rested in Colin's arms. Only Colin could give her the comfort she needed. How was it possible he'd become so important to her in such a short period of time?

He held her, absorbing her shudders.

Surrendering to her quiet sobs, Serena leaned into him and inched her hands around his waist.

“Cry, sweet Serena. I'm here.”

Colin continued to hold her until her flow of tears ebbed. How much time passed, she had no idea, nor did she care. Her only concern was that Lily might hear. The sound of Colin's steady heartbeat gave her reassurance.

Pressing a soft kiss to her hair, he whispered for her to wrap her hands around his neck. In one swift movement, he swept her into his arms and carried her into the living room. Carefully lowering her onto the sofa, he settled beside her.

Tucking her legs beneath her, Serena rested her head on his chest as he gently stroked his hand over her hair.

The time for embarrassment had passed as she laid bare her soul. Everything tumbled out, even the things she'd never told another person. The horrible, spiteful, hateful feelings she'd kept hidden inside. Shameful things.

Through it all, Colin kept his arms around her, holding her close.

Finally spent, she heaved a huge sigh. “And there you have it,” she said. “You must think I'm a bundle of twisted nerves, insecurities, and faults.”

Colin leaned back so he could look at her and placed two gentle fingers beneath her chin. “Nothing could be further from the truth. If it's possible, I have more respect for you than before.”

“I can't believe I said all those things. I thought I'd confessed everything to the Lord, but it seems I still have some lingering, unresolved issues.” She sniffled and gave him a small smile. “God's working on me.”

“He's working on all of us. None of us are immune from pain. You've suffered a terrible loss, and from what you've shared with me about the state of your marriage when Graham died, I'm sure it made the grief process that much more difficult. I'm so very sorry, my love.”

Serena snapped up her head at Colin's unexpected endearment. “Please don't misunderstand. Our marriage was quite good for a number of years. For someone whose dad was in the limelight, Graham was remarkably levelheaded. But then, as his own fame grew, he seemed to grow more distant. It's as though he outgrew me. I wasn't exciting enough for him. When I was pregnant with Lily, I'll admit I wasn't the best wife. I was an irritable, miserable, exhausted, huge mess.”

Colin grunted. “Don't think for one moment that gave him a reason to stray. If anything, the fact that you were carrying his child should have made him more committed to the marriage. I don't want to hear you belittle yourself to excuse Graham's shortcomings as a husband.” He shifted on the sofa. “I need to ask you something, but feel free not to answer.”

Serena's heart beat faster. Usually when someone said such a thing, it was followed by a hard-hitting and potentially hurtful question. What more could Colin want to know? He cared for her and he'd listened patiently as she'd poured out her heart. And he was still sitting beside her.

She looked him in the eye. “Ask away.”

9

“Was Graham involved with Paulina?” Colin's gaze was sympathetic and at least he didn't appear to pity her.

“Not to my knowledge,” she said. “To be honest, I don't know the identity of the woman he'd been to see the night of his accident. I know that might sound unbelievable, but I suspect she was the last in a string of at least two or three other women. I don't have proof of that, but he stayed in town overnight many times in the last few years. If there were more women, for Lily's sake—and perhaps my own—I don't ever want to know.” Wiping the back of her hand over her eyes, Serena shuddered. “What good would it do to know her identity? I can only assume she was among the hundreds of mourners at his funeral service.”