Cross My Heart (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

lame. I mean, I bet you hear that all the time.”
    Michael stepped back and gestured for Jenna to come in.
    “It’s not lame at all, it’s flattering,” Jenna said as she crossed the threshold. “Wow, this place is beautiful,” she said, looking around her as Michael led the way into the living room.
    “Can I offer you something to drink? Some, uh, wine?” He tried to remember what kind of wine he had. He hardly ever drank himself but he had several bottles in the house, given to him by friends and colleagues over the years.
    “That sounds great,” she said, smiling at him, and he hoped to God his expression wasn’t quite as goofy as his daughter’s.
    He went to the kitchen, and by the time he opened a bottle of Chardonnay and came back to the living room, Claire seemed to have gotten over her initial awkwardness and was sitting on the couch with her feet tucked under her, talking with Jenna about music. He knew he wouldn’t have much to contribute to the conversation, so he handed a glass of wine to Jenna and sat down on a chair to listen.
    For the first minute, he didn’t take in much of what they were saying. He was too distracted by the curve of Jenna’s breasts under that soft tee shirt, a curve that seemed geometrically perfect to him—as if breasts were meant to be that shape and that shape only, and any variation would make them inferior.
    Her entire body was perfect. There was a subtle grace in the way she held herself, in her movements and in her stillness. Her arms and legs were slender and toned, the muscles perfectly defined. He studied the V shaped insertion point of her deltoid on her humerus. Something about that dip from muscle to bone was incredibly appealing. He had a sudden urge to kiss her there, to press his lips to that exact spot.
    Jenna glanced over at him, and he realized he had no idea what she’d just asked him.
    “What?”
    “I was asking if you’d ever seen a show at the Odeon.”
    “Oh. No, I haven’t.”
    Time to start paying attention to the conversation.
    Apparently the Red Mollies were, in fact, doing a reunion tour at the end of August, beginning with a show at the Odeon in Des Moines. The tour wasn’t a big deal, according to Jenna—just a few cities in the Midwest. If they were well-received, they might consider hitting other parts of the country next summer.
    “You guys are getting back together.”
    “Definitely not,” Jenna said firmly. “We’re only touring for a couple of months.” She grinned at Claire. “Would you like to see us at the Odeon? It’s an all-ages show. I can get tickets for you and a few friends, if you’d like. And your dad, of course,” she added, giving him a quick smile.
    “I won’t be here,” Claire said, looking stricken. Then she looked at him. “Unless you want me to stay longer?” she asked hopefully. “I know Nana won’t mind. I could stay until school starts in September.”
    Michael stared at her. “You want to stay longer ?”
    Claire usually started talking about leaving Iowa thirty seconds after her plane touched down. Was she serious, or would she change her mind in five minutes? And if she was serious, how could he make it work? After two weeks, his grueling hospital schedule would start up again. How would he—
    “Or what about this?” Jenna put in quickly, as if she sensed his confusion at Claire’s sudden request. “The band is coming here next week for a practice session. Would you like to see us rehearse?”
    Claire’s mouth fell open. “I…that would be…”
    “I think that’s a yes,” Michael said after a moment, seeing his daughter reduced to speechlessness for the second time that night. The oven timer went off in the kitchen and he rose to his feet. “I’ll have dinner on the table in a few minutes. Claire, would you—”
    “I want to get a CD for Jenna to sign. And I have to go text some friends. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared in a rush, and Michael decided not to stop her. He’d been going to ask her to help get the food on the table, but what the hell. She looked so happy…and he didn’t want to mess it up.
    Jenna went with him to the kitchen.
    “I’m sorry for putting you on the spot about the concert,” she said contritely. “I should have checked with you before I suggested something like that.”
    He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he took the salmon out of the oven. “I was just a little thrown. Claire talks nonstop about