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so he wouldn’t have to bear the agony any longer. One eye had been so severely bruised it had swollen shut. The side of his face was badly scraped, and the ache in his jaw wouldn’t go away. Two days later, the doctor discovered that it, too, had been broken in the fall.
    When Thorne was a child, his father was away much of the time, traveling for business, but he’d come to see his son the afternoon of the accident. Thorne had looked up at him, grateful he was there. Tears had welled in Thorne’s eyes, but instead of offering comfort, his father had spoken of what it meant to be a man and how a true man never revealed his emotions and certainly never cried.
    â€œThorne?” Cindy prompted.
    â€œMy father forced me out of bed and back into the saddle.” He’d never told anyone about that incident. It made his father sound heartless and cruel. Thorndike Sr.was neither—only proud and stubborn like his son. And a man whose beliefs had been formed by an uncompromising father of his own. Thorne paused, his eyes narrowed. “Why am I telling you this?”
    â€œYou needed to,” she answered simply.
    Thorne felt startled. She was right. He had needed to tell someone about it, but he hadn’t recognized that himself. Until tonight with Cindy.
    â€œLet’s walk,” he said, getting to his feet.
    Cindy joined him and he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. “This really is an enchanted evening, isn’t it?”
    â€œMagical,” she returned, her eyes smiling softly into his.
    They strolled along the walkway around the pond. Thorne felt like singing, which of course was ridiculous. He didn’t sing. Ever. Not even in the shower. “Do you have any deep, dark secrets?”
    â€œPlenty,” she answered, swallowing a laugh.
    â€œTell me just one so I won’t feel like such a fool.”
    â€œOkay.” She felt an overwhelming urge to throw back her head and laugh. “No one knows this.”
    â€œGood.”
    She hesitated. “You’ll probably find this silly….”
    â€œI won’t laugh,” he promised.
    She regarded him steadily, unsure she could trust him. “I still have my blankie.”
    â€œDo you sleep with it?”
    â€œOf course not!” She was a little offended when she realized he was amused by her admission. She bit back an annoyed response. He’d shared something profound with her, while her threadbare blankie was a minor thing. “It’s hidden in a bottom drawer.”
    His eyes sparkled.
    â€œThorndike Prince, you’re laughing at me!”
    â€œI swear I’m not.” He gave her a look of innocence. “Tell me something else.”
    â€œNo way,” she vowed, a chuckle punctuating her words.
    Thorne slung his arm over her shoulder. He lifted his eyes to the clear night sky. Stars filled the heavens, glimmering, glinting, glistening above the skyscrapers. “It’s a beautiful night.”
    Cindy’s gaze followed his. “Shall we make a wish?”
    He turned to face her. “A wish?”
    â€œUpon a star.” She moved to stand directly in front of him. “You haven’t done this in a long time, have you?”
    â€œNo.” He’d seldom played childish games. In some ways, Thorne had never been allowed to be a boy. Responsibilities had come to him early; he was the only son, and great things were expected of him.
    â€œThen do it now,” she urged, throwing back her head to stare up at the heavens. She picked the brightest star, closed her eyes and wished with all her heart that this night would never end. “Okay,” she whispered. “It’s your turn.”
    He looked at her blankly. “You’re sure you want me to do this?”
    â€œYes,” she said.
    Like Cindy, he raised his head and studied the heavens. “You don’t honestly believe in this, do you?”
    â€œYou’re asking