Eye of the Tiger Read Free

about.”
    He looked as if he might blow up any minute, a redheaded stick of dynamite looking for a match. Even his freckles seemed to expand.
    “Eleanor…!”
    She knew the tone, but it didn’t intimidate her anymore. “Now, don’t get all worked up,” she advised, smiling. “We don’t want your blood pressure shooting up, do we, you poor old thing?”
    “I am not old,” he replied through clenched teeth. “I’m barely thirty-five!”
    “Oh, but you’re thirteen years older than I am,” she reminded him. “Definitely a different generation,” she added on a sigh, studying him. “Too bad I was too smitten with you four years ago to notice. But I’m all better now. You’ll be relieved to know that I don’t have any inclination to chase after you these days. Doesn’t that make you feel better?”
    He didn’t look confident, or enthusiastic orparticularly happy. He stared at her for a long time. Then, “Wade is two years older than I am,” he pointed out in a strained tone of voice.
    She shrugged. “Yes, but he has a young mind.” She grinned. “And not a bad body, to boot.” She pursed her lips thoughtfully. “A Romeo, you said? How fascinating. I can’t wait to see how good he is….”
    He whirled on his heel and stormed out the door without another word. Eleanor had to smother a giggle. Well, so much for his overbearing arrogance, she thought with a trace of cold pride. At least she could handle herself now; she could protect herself. And she might need that ability, because he had a slightly possessive attitude toward her. She didn’t want that; she didn’t want the risk of running headlong into him again. Part of her remembered too well the vulnerability of loving him. She wouldn’t be that stupid again. And why should he be worried about Wade? It probably irritated him that she might wind up in bed with someone else.
    Good, she thought as she went to her room to change. Let him worry. It would be small compensation for the anguish he’d caused her with his manipulations!
    She got ready for dinner, dressing in a pair of lavender slacks, a striped crinkle-cloth blouse and sandals. She peeked in the living room on her way to the kitchen.
    “Wade’s coming to supper,” she announced, grinning.
    “Is he?” her father asked mildly, studying her. He grinned back. “So I finally get to meet him, do I?”
    “He won’t take no for an answer.” She laughed. “I gave up.”
    “Just as well, the flowers were taking over the house.” He frowned, looking so much like a mirror image of Eleanor except for his silver hair and wrinkles that she smiled. “Did you and Keegan have words?”
    Her eyebrows arched. “Why do you ask?”
    “He came out looking like a thunderhead, muttered something about a meeting and dashed out. It’s our chess night, you know.”
    “Oh, I forgot,” she replied honestly. “I didn’t remember.”
    “You don’t pay a lot of attention to him these days, do you? Used to be wild about him, too. I remember how you cried when he got engaged. You went rushing off to nurse’s training in Louisville that same week.” He started to fill his pipe, aware of her sudden color. “I don’t think it’s just to see me that he’s starting hanging around here so much, Eleanor.”
    “Well, don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s mad about me,” she replied. “I know better.”
    He met her gaze. “He’s been hanging around here longer than you realize,” he replied. “You haven’t noticed.”
    “I don’t want to notice. Please don’t play Cupid, darling. Keegan doesn’t interest me that way. Not anymore. Now, Wade,” she murmured dryly, “is another matter.”
    “Do you think he’ll keep coming when he sees where we live?” he asked bluntly.
    “Of course,” she said with a grin. “He’s no snob.”
    He shifted in his rocking chair and set it into motionas he lit his pipe. “I’ll wait and find out for myself, if you don’t mind.”
    “If you think