Declan stood for a few seconds in the middle of the dance floor, stunned. Nobody had ever walked out on him before. It wasn’t the humiliation and embarrassment that bothered him though. It was the expression in her eyes. He had hurt her. How, he wasn’t sure, but the look of pain in her face wasn’t an act. He moved quickly through the throng of dancers, but he was too late. She had disappeared into thin air.

He couldn’t believe it. He was used to women throwing themselves at him and he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t taken advantage of his fame in the early years. But not recently. The gossip columns would say differently, since his management company liked to hype up his image as a bad boy, claiming that it helped ratings. But he preferred to believe it was his talent.

“You look like you lost a thousand dollars and found a dime.”

The old woman’s voice intruded on his thoughts.

“Sorry ma’am. I didn’t see you there.”

“I noticed. Now why don’t you ask me to dance and you can tell me why you look so forlorn?”

Declan couldn’t believe the woman wanted to dance with him. Normally he would have, but he had to find the girl he’d been dancing with. “I’m sorry, I have to find someone. But thank you.”

“Come on, young man. It’s rude to say no to your elders. Didn’t your mother ever teach you respect?”

Despite himself Declan laughed. “You can only be Mrs. Williams, Emily’s gran.”

The old lady’s blue eyes twinkled and for a second he could see the beauty she’d been when she was as young as Emily.

“I am, but it’s Mrs. Johnston now. I got married a few months ago.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. Conor mentioned that.” At least he thought he had. Where could the girl have gone? Zoe. He wasn’t sure if that was even her name.

“Come on dance with me. What’s the worst that could happen? Your toes are safe I promise.”

He didn’t want to be rude. Declan took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. Well, to be more precise, she led him but who cared. She danced like a dream.

“You’re a very good dancer, Mrs. Johnston.”

“Gertie, dear. I took lessons when I was younger.”

“You could have been in the movies.” He wasn’t flirting with her. He could see her in a role Ginger Rogers used to play.

“Yes, I guess I could have, but breaking up with Osborne kind of ruined that option.”

“John Osborne?” he said, stunned. The film star was one of his idols.

“The one and only. Now young man, tell me why you looked so lost.”

“I don't think I can.” He was being honest. He didn’t understand why a woman he had only met had him so fascinated. It wasn’t just a physical attraction, he had enjoyed laughing with her. She’d been funny and entertaining and, unlike the women who hung around Hollywood, she didn’t seem to take herself too seriously.

“Why? I’m a good listener and I won’t tell anyone. Is it about the girl you were dancing with?”

“You saw?”

“Half the room saw, ducky. You don’t get left standing in the middle of a crowded dance floor and not get noticed.”

Inside he groaned. So much for trying to keep a low profile. “I guess that’s true.”

“What did you do to upset her?”

“Who says I did anything?” he protested.

“Well, you are a man and she is a woman. She walked off, so chances are you messed up.”

He stopped dancing to look at her before he burst out into laughter, although part of him felt he should be insulted. “Gertie are you always this direct?”

“I reckon they will put that on my gravestone. Here lies the one who was always direct.”

He laughed again, despite his bad mood. “Conor was right, you are a tonic.”

“So what did you do?”

“It’s like you said, I messed up.” He smiled at her nod. “I didn’t mean to insult anyone, but I guess, well, they say the Irish are too direct.”

“Stop yakking and tell me what you said.”

He didn’t want to say what he had done out loud. At the time he hadn’t thought anything of it, but after seeing how she reacted, he knew he had behaved badly.

“I asked her if she had a date and she said no. So I asked if I could take her home.”

Gertie gave him a look similar to the one his ma had given him when she caught him lying or doing something wrong.

“You got off lightly, young man.”

“What?”

“In my day that would have earned you a slapped face. You were lucky.”

“But I didn’t mean it like that,” he protested. Yet he could understand why Zoe had gotten that impression.

“Pull the other one, it’s got bells on it.”

“No, Gertie, I swear. I mean she was gorgeous and I wouldn’t have said no, but I only wanted to offer her a lift home. I hoped she might give me her number, let me get to know her better.”

“Then why didn’t you go after her? Explain to her.”

“Well I tried, but she just vanished.”

“Next thing you’ll tell me you found a glass slipper.”

“This isn’t funny, Gertie. I liked her.” She had made him laugh and, for the time he was with her, he forgot about everything else.

“You don’t know her. From what you said you just had one dance.”

“I know enough to know I want to get to know her better. She had this look on her face, it wasn’t just anger but, oh blast it, I don’t know. I think I hurt her.”

Gertie eyed him, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“You hurt her just by asking her to go home with you?”