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Then it hit her, so hard it wiped everything else from her mind “DeMarco,” she said

He nodded, giving her a softer s she’d seen on film “I’m Francis’s brother”

For a second she couldn’t breathe right “They never told me”

Soh his eyes at that, a darkness that made her think she’d hurt him

“I never read that you were froht I read somewhere that you were from the Midwest”

A smile crooked one corner of his mouth “Tactical maneuvers to rown up Sorry” He caait of all post-op patients Instinctively she reached out for him, and he took both of her hands in his

Lina looked up into his legendary green eyes, and for a heartbeat, she couldn’t catch her breath He had Francis’s eyes—even though they were green instead of blue, they were Francis’s beautiful eyes And he had Francis’s way of looking at you, really looking the way so few people did

“You’re ined,” he said in a husky voice, his eyes filled with the same wonder she felt

Tears stung her eyes and she didn’t care “Thank you”

“I … I don’t know anything about being a father, you know”

“That’s okay”

“Maybe we could start slow, just start out being friends”

Friends The words caused a dizzying rush of excitement It hat she’d alanted—a father as her best friend She bit down on her lip to keep fro she ever wanted in a dad; she could tell He was going to take all the pain and grief and fear in her life and o away From now on, she’d always have a safe place to be

He let go of her hand and touched her face, gazing deeply into her eyes “Don’t look at elina”

She drew in a sudden, surprised breath For a disorienting second, she’d thought he was going to call her Angelina-ballerina But he hadn’t, of course he hadn’t