Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Everyone at the table was watching them. The way Dylan looked at Clara-so warm, so gentle-made it impossible for some people to keep eating.

Simon slammed his chopsticks down. "This is a dining room, not your bedroom.”

Dylan paused, reaching for a napkin to wipe the corner of Clara's lips. He was about to say something when Clara looked right at him.

"Well, obviously it's not a bedroom. There's no bed," she said, completely matter- of-fact.

She was just telling the truth, but this really wasn't the moment for that kind of honesty.

The other people at the table all had expressions that were hard to describe.

Walter's face didn't give much away, but his hand tightened around his chopsticks. No one had ever been this bold in front of him before.

Mrs. Ferguson smacked the table. "Outrageous! Shameless! What kind of nonsense is that? How can a woman say things like that in front of her elders? And in public, no less? You-"

Clara blinked, genuinely confused. She didn't see what she'd done wrong—there really wasn't a bed here.

She leaned closer to Dylan, almost seeking shelter. "Honey."

Dylan's lips lifted in a calm, easy smile. "Mother, Clara's still young. She doesn't understand the rules yet."

Mrs. Ferguson's chest heaved with frustration. If this kept up, Clara was going to be the end of her.

How had this girl ended up in the Ferguson family?

A gentle hand started patting Mrs. Ferguson's back. Tara's soft voice floated over. "Mrs. Ferguson, don't let it get to you. Dylan's right-Clara's still young."

"Young? She's twenty-four, almost twenty-five. Don't tell me she still doesn't know any

wondered how to smooth things over, Walter put his chopsticks

if she jokes around at home, but there'll be a lot of people there. Don't let her act out in front of everyone. No one will put up with

right away. Instead, he looked at Clara, his voice soft. "Are you

"Should we go? Did I mess

shook his head. "No. You did

"Really?"

face, trying to find any hint he was annoyed, but he looked completely

still didn't know how a guy like him ended up being her

the galaxy in a past life, right? Otherwise, how could she have landed

Pushing his wheelchair, she couldn't

at the grass as they

in, she spotted a plant in the corner. It would

we take

she said "home" was

trying to remember when it

car, she was all smiles,

Clara, it was always so easy-she just knew how

liked

Mrs. Ferguson and

Ferguson, don't stress about Dylan. His career is taking off. When

then nodded,

that during

sure someone looked after the tree I planted. You never brag about what you do, you just

was the kind of