Part 184 (1/2)

and not see you?” She spun around, pressed her palms against the rail.

The sun glinted off a lens in the garden below. She didn't give a d.a.m.n.

Let them take their pictures.

”Oh, it's happened before. Yes, it has. Emma, how about dinner

Friday-and by the way, can you get my cousin tickets and a backstage

pa.s.s to your father's concert in Chicago?”

”Emma, I'm sorry.” He reached out, but she jerked away.

”What for? You really can't help it, can you? And I learned to live

with that, even to be amused by it. But this, this time I've found

someone who cares about me, who's interested in my feelings and my

thoughts. Who hasn't asked me for anything but to be with him, and you

want to spoil it.”

”I don't want to spoil it. I don't want to see you hurt.”

”You've already hurt me.” Her eyes were dry when she looked at him.

”Leave me alone, Dad. And leave Drew alone. If you interfere with

this, I'll never forgive you. I swear it.”

”I'm not going to interfere. I only want to help you. I don't want to

see you make a mistake.”

”It'll be my mistake. You've made your own, G.o.d knows. For years I've

watched you do whatever you wanted, with whomever you wanted. You ran

away from your happiness, Dad. I won't run away from mine.”

”You know how to twist the knife,” he said quietly. ”I hadn't

realized.” He walked out of the sunlight and left her alone.

DREW SLIPPED AN ARM over Emma's shoulders. They were standing on

another terrace, in another city. The old-world graciousness of the

Ritz Madrid was lost on Emma. She could hear the tinkle of the