Page 30 (1/2)

"You really think surprising her is such a great idea?" John asked skeptically

"Of course it is," Adam said Why wouldn’t it be?

Chapter Twenty-Four

"I a in front of the co her mother

Shana was disappointed, too, but she tried not to let it show She’d spent half her day on the Internet, searching for last-ain tickets to Honolulu Apparently there was no such thing It didn’tto pay There simply weren’t any seats available for the next few days The best rates were for the folloeek

"Waiting a on’t be so bad," Shana assured her niece

"We should let Uncle Ada"

That meant Shana would have to pick up the phone and call hied to do in h It probably wasn’t fair just to land on his doorstep and expect everything to fall neatly into place

The doorbell rang and Jaz to the front door Shana walked briskly behind her, unco open the door without first checking to see as there

Her worries were for nothing Jazh the tiny peephole She stared for the longest ed and she backed away "It’s for you," she said in a disappointed voice

Shana moved in front of her niece and opened the door She was in no mood to deal with a sales on the other side, she was stunned into speechlessness

"Adaood, no, better than good Great He was a thousand ti than she reht then and there If their disagreeiven him a minute’s concern, his face didn’t reveal it He seemed rested and relaxed

He smiled, and Shana’s knees started to shake It shouldn’t be like this, the rational part of her mind inserted She shouldn’t be this happy to see him or this excited But she was

"Can I come in?"

"Sure" Jazmine was the one who answered The nine-year-old slipped around Shana and held open the screen door Judging by the broad s in Santa Claus

Shana frowned "You knew about this?" she asked her niece

Jaze "But I fooled you, didn’t I? You didn’t guess it was Ada to see you, only we couldn’t get a flight for this weekend We have tickets for next week"

"You were flying to Hawaii to see me?" Adam’s eyes probed Shana’s

She nodded, and found the shock of seeing hi her hand on her chest, she felt her heart haht in front of her, she had a hard ti for Ada room "You can sit if you want"

Adam chose the sofa

"You, too, Aunt Shana," Jazures on a chessboard She took Shana’s hand next and led her to the overstuffed chair

"Okay," Jaz in the middle of the rooo to aze didn’t waver from Adam’s "Your room," she murmured, hardly able to catch her breath

"Your room," Adam echoed

"Really?" Jazmine’s frustration echoed in her voice

"Go" Shana pointed down the hall, although her eyes were still on Adaht disappear

Jazmine started to walk in the direction of her bedroo, I’ht back Okay?"

Adas of a smile "Okay"

After Jazmine left, there was a moment of aard silence--and then they both started to speak at once

"I’estured for her to go first

Shana ether "Oh, Adaht about it soyou"

"That won’t happen," she told him "Don’t you kno I feel about you?"

When he didn’t reply, she said, "I wasn’t planning to fall in love again, but--"

"You love me?" he interrupted

Shana hadn’t s so soon, and certainly not like this The way she’d envisioned the scene, it would be a rone, not in thein the bedroo to every word

"She does," Jazmine answered for Shana "She’s been impossible ever since you went to Hawaii"

"Jazirl muttered

"Maybe it’d be best if you closed your door," Adaested

Jazaze shot down the hallway, she noticed that her niece’s bedroo?" Adaet where I was"