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Whitney’s father was ho well He’d only visited with hiave Tanner a report each evening of his progress When was the last time he had spoken to his father? Five years? Even his mother he only talked to a couple of ti, he saw in Whitney’s fan concept for him

All the attributes he appreciated most in Whitney he could see in some form in her parents It made him uneasy on a level he didn’t understand Would Whitney continue to be happy with hi him as his mother had his father?

Mr Wilcox had been discharged the day after Mr Tho well A friend had come to pick him up and had promised to see that he made it to his appointments

“That young lady of ours ca” Mr Wilcox climbed into the wheelchair the orderly held for him

Of course Whitney had

Even with her father sick she wouldn’t forget about someone else

“She’s a keeper She has a big heart To be loved by so I know I had it and miss it every day”

“Whitney is special” Tanner meant that The more he ith her the more he found another facet of her personality he liked It disturbed hi He didn’t want to think about that E that he’d never wanted or planned to have

They had been together alht, “We’ve been invited to a cocktail party on Friday evening at Malcolm and Marie’s”

“We have?” Whitney sounded unsure

“Will you go?”

“Do you really need me to?”

Hadn’t she gotten past her fear of social situations after their weekend in Napa? “There’ll be questions if you don’t”

“Those events are just not ”

“But you were great in Napa You don’t give yourself enough credit What’s the problem?”

She left the table and walked to the kitchen sink, then confronted him “The problem is that for over half ht I wasn’t invited to or included in parties Now I just plain don’t care to be around those kinds of people Up until a few years ago no one in that group would have given me the time of day”

“Why, Whitney Thomason, I had no idea you were such a snob”

“I am not! What I don’t do is put myself in situations where I know I’ll be made to feel inadequate”

Tanner turned in his chair to face her “Did Malcolm and Marie make you feel that way in Napa?”

“Well, no” She crossed her arms over her chest

“Do I make you feel that way?”

She backed up to the counter “No-o-o But not all the people are like you and the Jarvises”

“So you’re going to let others control what you do in life?” Whitney winced Tanner could tell that shot had hit its mark

“No, but I don’t have to be around them”

“I’ll be there with you Don’t you trust me to support you?”

She came toward him “I do, but I just think you’d be better off at those events without some insecure woman to worry about”

He faced her “Has it occurred to you that I ht need your support at the party? That social situations ’ either?”

“Why would you need eous and intelligent—ouldn’t enjoy your company?”

“Apparently you” Tanner sounded hurt, which he was “I’ s for me as well”

Whitney studied him for a minute “I had no idea you felt that way You seeo”

“Now you know another one of my secrets”