His words startled her. He smiled, but she didn’t buy the act. Orphaned wasn’t the same as abandoned. She wondered if he recognized the distinction.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Pete never told you?”
She shook her head. “Not in detail.” And she hadn’t pushed. So why force Mike to talk now?
He exhaled a sigh. “My aunt and uncle weren’t the best parents. Very little love and even less laughter.” He spoke without rancor, but as he looked over the park, he clenched his jaw and donned a closed expression. The carefree man of earlier in the afternoon had disappeared.
Obviously he hadn’t come to terms with his past as completely as he’d have her believe. That was something she could relate to. “So that’s why you two are so close, even when you’re not on the same continent,” she said.
“Yeah. We didn’t choose the same paths, but we’re close.”
“Looks like the Novack brothers made good.”
He shrugged. “One brother never stays in one place and the other looks for the easy way. I’m not sure I’d call that making good.”
“Law school isn’t taking the easy way,” she reminded him. Neither was traveling the globe to the world’s hot spots.
“No, but in Pete’s mind, success in law school guaranteed money. Another thing in short supply growing up.”
The sudden insight into her fiancé astounded her... not just because she had thought she understood Peter and didn’t, but because her information came from Mike and not the man she was about to marry.
Mike glanced at her, a serious expression clouding his handsome features. “Pete’s willing to sacrifice an awful lot to achieve his goals.”
She pondered his words. “Life’s full of sacrifices.”
“Do you want to be one of them?” He waved away his words with a jerk of his hand. “What I meant was, sacrifice is fine as long as you don’t give up what counts.”
What counts for you, Mike? Though she wanted to know, she was more afraid of hearing his response.
So the question remained unasked—and unanswered.
“Hey. You up for one last ride before we go home?” He pointed toward the large Ferris wheel and all other thoughts fled.
“You bet.” She turned and ran toward the ride. The fact that she was also running from her thoughts didn’t escape her notice.
* * *
Mike followed a short distance behind Carly, admiring the sexy sway of her hips as she sprinted ahead. Until today, when he’d seen her in those brief cutoff shorts, he hadn’t realized how long her legs actually were. Long enough for a good many things, he realized, halting his thoughts before he embarrassed himself in a public place.
She stopped at the entrance to the ride and swung around. “Hey, are you coming or am I riding this thing alone?”
He grinned and caught up with her. All afternoon her enthusiasm had been contagious, making him glad he’d stopped by Pete’s apartment to retrieve his camera. Though he’d been unwilling to look at the damn thing up until now, an afternoon in the sunshine with Carly provided a not-to-be missed opportunity. He’d enjoyed today more than any other in recent memory. And he knew... the shots he’d taken today would have to last him a lifetime.
The day had been full of revelations, though. If he’d had an inkling before, he now realized how mismatched Carly and his brother actually were. Although he had no right to judge, no right to come between them, the idea of letting them end up together, making each other miserable, ate at his gut. So did the never-ending sense of guilt. Technically he’d done nothing wrong, yet he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was betraying his brother.
Stepping back, he allowed her to precede him onto the ride. He handed the operator the tickets and a tip, pointing to the top of the Ferris wheel. The teenager, obviously used to such requests, slapped Mike on the back and winked.
After taking his place next to Carly, Mike nudged her in the ribs. “Drop the loot. We’ll scoop up the animals when the ride’s over.”
“Do I have to?” She looked like a child ordered to retire her favorite toy.
He nodded. “If I can drop the camera, you can drop the winnings.”
“I get attached quickly,” she said, obviously embarrassed. But she scattered them around the small area at their feet.
He wished she’d get attached to him that fast and immediately banished the thought.
“So what are your plans?” Carly asked on their third trip around.
“I got a temporary job working for a city paper.”
“How temporary?”
He wondered that himself. A light breeze surrounded them, causing tendrils of hair to caress her face. The sounds of the park and the realities of life seemed far away. When the huge wheel stranded them at the summit, Carly hung her head over the side in an attempt to discern the problem.
With a gentle tug he pulled her back into the car. “Relax, it’ll get started again soon.”
She sat back in her seat and spoke so quietly he had to strain to hear. “You didn’t answer me. How long before you’re off and running to the next trouble spot in the world?” she asked, looking off into the clear blue sky.
“No specific date.” And right now, leaving was the furthest thing from his mind. With Carly sitting beside him, nothing else seemed to matter. Not a good sign, he thought. “But when the call comes, I’ll be ready.”
He cleared his throat “Why didn’t you tell Pete about the book?” he asked, changing the subject.
She remained silent, refusing to acknowledge his question.
“What about the rings?”
“What about them?” she asked.
“You loved those other rings.”
She didn’t refute his statement and Mike wondered. If he kept pushing, would she realize that she and his brother were mismatched opposites? Would she call things off before two people got hurt? Did he want her to?
Hell, he didn’t need that responsibility. He could walk her through this now, but he wouldn’t be there for her in the long run. His lifestyle wasn’t suited to the white picket fence and security she so obviously sought.
If he pushed, he could end up hurting her as badly as his brother could. Helluva pair he and Pete made. He shook his head. “You really love him, don’t you?” Mike asked.
“Who?”
He stared. “Peter. Who else?” He held his breath waiting for her answer. An answer that shouldn’t matter to him, but dammit, it did.