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“Born and raised there,” Quint confirmed with a nod “How about you? Are you a native Texan?”

“Of course” There was an iuess where I was born?”

Quint laughed softly in response “Soht be Dallas”

“It’s a little obvious, isn’t it?” she agreed

“I’d say you were lucky the hospital wasn’t in Fort Worth”

“True Although one to Fort Worth to deliver, she would have naht it would be inal to name me after the city of my birth Of course, you have to understand, she had an absolute aversion to commonplace names Her oas Mary Alice, and she hated it”

Made sensitive by the recent loss of his father, Quint was quick to note her use of the past tense in referring to her one?”

“It was seven years ago this past spring”

“It’s hard losing a parent,” he said, speaking as much for himself as for her

“Yes” But she seemed a little surprised that he understood that After an instant’s hesitation, Dallas glanced down at his untouched salad “You’d better dig in,” she told him “Your steak will be up soon”

Left alone again, Quint picked up his fork and started on the salad with a renewed appetite, only distantly aware that his conversation with her, brief as it had been, had stier as well

During the course of his es longer than others On a subconscious level, Quint kneas all part of an age-old dance between a o become familiar with the steps to it, the advance and retreat, and the waiting and watching for that signal fro her interest, or lack thereof

With the only other reister, Quint let his attention focus on Dallas, recalling the sht and the thousands s like whether her hair felt as sht brown eyes when passion glazed them

There was a natural grace to the relaxed, yet erect, posture of her body, long and slim and unmistakably feminine in its well-proportioned curves

His bill paid, the ed from behind the counter and looked directly at Quint, her eyes bright and alive to him