by Hope Ramsay
The front door rattled, breaking the electric moment.
“I guess we have a patient,” he said, leaving the reception desk and heading to the door. He could use a few patients to keep his mind off his office manager.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a patient at the door.
Ethan stood out there carrying a couple of polystyrene take-out boxes that probably came from Annie’s Kitchen. Ethan’s appearance could only mean that the word was out about his decision to stay for the summer.
Noah opened the door. “Hey, Ethan.”
“What gives? I thought y’all were open for business.”
“Not quite. We’re trying to get the practice software up and running so we’ll be able to take appointments and track patient records. Until we have that working, it would be chaos to open our doors.”
“I brought you one of Annie’s pork chops.”
Ethan crossed the threshold just as Lia asked, “Do we have a patient?”
“No. It’s my brother Ethan.”
Lia popped her head up over the reception desk. “Oh, hello. I’m Lia. I’m helping out for a couple of weeks.” She inspected Ethan like a drill sergeant might. Noah wondered what she thought as her gaze wandered over his untucked uniform shirt, the sweat stains under his arms, and his less-than-spit-shined shoes. Ethan was a mess.
And Noah had the strange urge to throttle his younger brother when he ogled Lia and gave her a smile. Of course he couldn’t blame anyone for ogling Lia. Hadn’t he done the same damn thing yesterday in Momma’s back bathroom? She was ogle-worthy, even if that was no longer a politically correct thing for a man to do.
“Hey,” Ethan said. “Nice to meet you. I would have brought you a pork chop if I’d have known you were here.”
“No worries. I’m not a big pork chop fan, and Ashley Scott made me a sandwich, so I’m good,” Lia said with an adorable smile.
“You ain’t never eaten one of Annie’s chops then?”
“No, I’m afraid I haven’t.”
“Well, you should. You don’t know chops until you’ve had one of Annie’s.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lia said.
“So you got an office or someplace where we can sit down and eat?” Ethan asked.
“Sure.” Noah led his younger brother down the hall to the small office at the end.
“This is it?”
“’Fraid so. The clinic’s board devoted most of the space to the important things.” Noah sank into the chair behind the small desk. His brother pulled up the side chair, and they tucked into their chops. They ate without speaking for a long while.
But eventually Ethan pushed back from the desk. “You know, Daddy expects you to play on the softball team now that you’re staying for the summer.”
“I’m not doing it.”
Ethan blew out a big breath. “Look, I know he can be an asshole. But here’s the thing. Last night he found out that Abby is planning to represent Rafferty’s on the opposing team. He’s furious about it.”
“Since when does he give a flying fart about Abby? I drove up here from Charleston to watch her pitch in the regional championship game a few years ago. I don’t recall Daddy being there. I think he and Bud Joyner were out somewhere fishing.”
“I know. But he thinks she’s showing him up.”
“Then he’s a jerk. She works at Rafferty’s.”
“I know. But blood is thicker than water. If you would just agree to play on our team, it would go a long way to calming Daddy down. I mean, how hard is it? And besides, now that you’re working here at the vet clinic, you’re kind of a first responder, so it’s only natural that you play on our team. Come on. What do you say? For Abby’s sake.”
Boy, Ethan was pouring it on thick, and Noah was totally susceptible to the argument. But for Ethan’s sake he had to say no. Noah knew exactly what would happen if he agreed to play on Daddy’s team. He’d find himself back in the situation he’d endured as a kid. Watching Daddy run down his little brother. And Daddy always used Noah as some kind of whip to accomplish the task.
“I’m not playing on anyone’s team. Is that clear? I don’t play baseball anymore.”
“This is softball.”
“Same thing only with a bigger ball that’s easier to hit.”
“You’re as stubborn as Momma sometimes. You know that?”
“She says I’m exactly like Daddy. So go figure.” Noah opened the package of wet wipes Annie always put in her carryout bags. He wiped barbecue sauce from his hands and face.
“Speaking of Abby,” Ethan said.
“Yes.” Noah leaned forward.
“Kate Joyner saw her kissing Grant Ackerman on the boardwalk. Right there in front of everyone.”
“What?”
“Ackerman. That’s the guy I told you about. The old guy who’s sniffing after Abby.”
“The CPA?”
“Yeah. You have to wonder what she sees in a boring dude like that. Although I understand that he’s also a volunteer firefighter with the MHFD.”
“Really?”
“He might be on the softball team too.”
Ethan was pulling out every stop, wasn’t he? But Noah was adamant about this. He wasn’t going to play baseball or softball for his father ever again.
“Look, I had a long talk with Momma about Abby, and she says we shouldn’t meddle in her private life, okay?”
“No. Are you comfortable about this Grant dude?” Ethan asked.
“Not entirely. But I don’t know the man. And besides, Momma promised to talk to Abby about him, okay? So let’s just let Momma do her thing.”
“And you think that’s enough?”
“It’s what Momma wants us to do. And I think—”
Ethan stood up. “Yeah, that’s you, Noah. Always thinking. And you know what? Sometimes all that thinking makes things harder than they need to be. We need to tell Grant to back off.”
“No.”
“Well, that’s what Daddy thinks.”
“Daddy is a jerk. Threatening this guy could make things worse. Daddy ought to know that. He’s—”
“My father. Maybe you forgot that. He’s your father too.” Ethan stood, hitching up his utility belt like a man who was trying to make himself a little taller. Then he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room and ran right into Lia, who was either listening at the door or heading down the hallway; Noah wasn’t sure which.
Ethan put his hands on her shoulders and left them there a fraction longer than Noah felt necessary. A red-hot wave of some toxic emotion spilled through him. Was this jealousy? Wow, where had that come from? But he sure wanted Ethan’s hands off Lia.
Which she accomplished with a neat shrug of her shoulders. “See you around, Lia,” Ethan said with one of his goofy smiles as he continued down the hall.
Lia turned toward Noah, her dark eyes wide with something—concern? “You guys sounded like you were arguing,” she said.
His words were curt. “Daddy’s being his usual self.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’ve got the software up and loaded, and I added a record for Prince. So I guess we’re open for business.”
“Yeah, now we just need patients.”
“And maybe a little patience,” she said, leaning in the doorway. She wore a white T-shirt, a navy blue cardigan, a pair of tan pants that came to her mid-calf, and a pair of flats. Nothing about the outfit was overtly sexy but that didn’t seem to matter. She was cute and competent and smart and compassionate. And he was in lust with her.
“It’s hard to be patient with my brother.”
“Um, I’m sorry. I came back to tell you about the computer, and I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. Would it be so bad if you played softball for charity? I mean, wouldn’t that make Abby’s life a little easier? And maybe even Ethan’s too?”
What was it about this woman? She seemed to think she could prod and poke him about the most personal of issues. “I won’t play for
my father.”
“Okay. I get it. But…”
“What? Spit it out.”
“Well the thing is, I have a brother too. Justin is his name. And we’ve had a rocky relationship over the years. There was a time when we were kids—a whole year—when he didn’t speak to me.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “It was another one of those situations where I did something stupid and it resulted in Mom pulling up stakes and moving. And the thing is, it was hard moving that time, but it was even worse because Justin didn’t talk to me. I mean he’s my only brother, you know? And I’ve been kind of missing him lately. He’s with USFK these days so I haven’t seen him in a couple of years. He sent me a Christmas card last year, but now he doesn’t even know my address. So think about it. You’re lucky to have your brother and sister. Hell, you’re lucky to have your mother and father, even if they’re divorced. I really don’t know where Mom is these days, and I never knew my father.”
She gave him a little smile that pricked his heart and his conscience. And then she turned around and headed back toward the reception area before he could even ask her what the hell USFK meant.
* * *
Abby checked herself in the bathroom mirror one last time, just as someone knocked on the front door. A flight of butterflies took off in her stomach. This was it. She was going to ask Grant Ackerman to teach her all the stuff she needed to know.
She left the bathroom and rushed down the stairs, hoping to reach the door before Momma. But Momma was still pretty spry, no matter what Noah thought. She got there first and opened it. God, what would Momma think about his gray hair?
Nothing good, probably.
Grant’s deep baritone reached Abby as she made the turn on the landing. “Miz Cuthbert?” he said.
“And you must be Grant.”
Whoa, wait a sec. How did Momma know about Grant, because Abby hadn’t said one word about him? Dang. Someone must have seen them kissing on the boardwalk. Probably Kate Joyner, who kind of knew all about Abby’s crush on this older man. And since Kate and Momma had known each other since high school…
Well, there was nothing Momma could do about it. Abby had made up her mind. She needed a man to teach her what sex was all about because the boys she’d encountered in the last few years were all novices. Either that or someone was telling a big lie about it all.
She rounded the stairway and made a beeline for the door. “Here I am,” Abby said, slightly breathless as she got her first glimpse of Grant Ackerman dressed for a date.
Wow. He looked grown-up and kind of dull dressed in khakis, a Ralph Lauren golf shirt, and a Navy blazer. What the heck? Was he planning to take her to dinner at the yacht club?
That wasn’t going to work. She’d opted for a black bodycon dress with a deep V-neck that exposed a lot of cleavage. If he took her up to the yacht club, the white-bread snores up there would wake up, and the gossip mill would start grinding big-time.
What had she been thinking?
Simple. She’d wanted him to know, without any doubt, exactly what she wanted from him. But she hadn’t exactly thought her plan all the way through. Going out with him, dressed like this, was going to cost her something. There would be talk no matter where they went.
She captured his gaze, and the flittering sensation in her midsection intensified, especially when his blue eyes widened and darkened just a little. He hadn’t expected her to show up dressed for action, had he?
And Momma, bless her heart, was giving Abby a look that said she planned to have a mother-daughter talk just as soon as Abby got home. On the other hand, Momma seemed kind of impressed by the fact that Grant had shown up wearing a navy blazer. Momma always said every man needed a navy blazer.
Of course, Momma was probably not all that happy about the way the guy in the blazer was inspecting Abby’s cleavage. Plus the fact that he might even be approaching forty.
But this wasn’t a forever thing. And besides, forty or fifty, it didn’t matter. Grant filled out that navy blue jacket really nice. And there was something distinguished about him. Distinguished and hot.
“Don’t wait up for me,” Abby said to Momma, and the moment those words left her mouth, she regretted them a little bit. A date like this had been kind of impossible the last few years because Abby always had to help Momma get ready for bed around nine or ten o’clock. But Noah was here now. He would help Momma tonight. It was kind of scary and exciting that she was actually free to stay out late—or maybe not come home at all.
Momma’s mouth thinned, but maybe not because she was worried about who would help her at bedtime. It was more of a concerned look. Like she’d joined ranks with Ethan and Daddy, who seemed to think Abby was still too young to go out with anyone, much less someone who might be twice her age. But who cared what Momma, Daddy, and Ethan thought about her actions? They weren’t here every day taking care of Momma. And besides, Noah didn’t share their view that she was just a baby. Noah had always understood her better than anyone.
She gave Momma a brittle smile, took Grant’s arm, and made a hasty escape down the front walk to the candy-apple-red Mustang convertible parked at the curb. She loved his car. It made him seem a little cooler somehow, despite the blue blazer.
“Hop in,” he said, opening the car door. The interior of the car was a beautiful tan leather. She slipped into the low-slung passenger’s seat and rested her head on the headrest. This was nice. A girl could get used to this.
He closed the door and strode around the front of the car, giving her a view of him in motion. He was really handsome.
He slid into the driver’s seat. “So,” he said on a little breath of air, “I had intended to take you to the yacht club.”
“I could tell,” she responded, giving him a smile that she hoped was seductive. She really didn’t know much about how to seduce a man, but she was here to learn. “I’m sorry. I think the yacht club is kind of boring.”
He chuckled. “It is boring, but I figured it would be safe.”
“Safe?”
“Yeah.” He rested his hands on the steering wheel. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
Damn. What was wrong with him? Weren’t older guys supposed to jump at the chance to spend time with twenty-somethings? Not that she was actually twenty yet. She had exactly two weeks to go. “Why not?”
“Come on, Abby. I’m a lot older than you are, and I didn’t get warm, fuzzy feelings from your mother.”
She wanted to scream but she managed to keep her cool. “I’m twenty years old, okay? Maybe not old enough to drink, but old enough to have a steady job and vote. I’m an adult, and to be honest, it’s your gray hair that attracts me most. That and the way you kiss.” There; she’d broached the subject.
One of his eyebrows arched. “You like my gray hair?”
“I do. It’s distinguished. Your age is part of the attraction. And I don’t want to go someplace safe. I want to go somewhere fun, where the food doesn’t taste like cardboard.”
“Okay. How ’bout Annie’s Kitchen?”
Well, it was still in town, and she was still probably going to be the subject of gossip tomorrow morning, but at least Annie’s had good food.
She smiled. “Now you’re talking. I am particularly fond of her gumbo.”
Fifteen minutes later, they walked into Annie’s Kitchen, a small restaurant just off Harbor Drive and a little off the well-beaten tourist track. The aroma of fried food and smoked meat permeated the air as they entered the restaurant. The place wasn’t fancy, but it probably had the best food on the island. It was a Wednesday evening so the dining room wasn’t all that crowded, which might be a good thing given the way her bodycon dress was slit kind of high on one side. She was going to do her best to seduce Grant tonight.
She swept the dining room with her gaze. The only person she recognized was Lia DiPalma, who appeared to be almost finished with her dinner.
As a newcomer to town, Lia wasn’t a problem.
She wasn’t yet plugged in to the local grapevine. In fact, the grapevine was so consumed gossiping about her that maybe the old biddies wouldn’t have much time to gossip about Abby.
So that was good.
They took a seat in one of the booths, and Annie herself came over with menus, but neither of them needed one. Grant ordered the pork chops, and Abby ordered the gumbo. But when Annie left them, the conversation stalled. How the hell was she supposed to seduce Grant? How did one go about doing a thing like that?
Maybe she should just say it out loud. Grant, I’d like to go to bed with you directly after dinner. She opened her mouth but clutched. “So, tell me about yourself.” Oh my God, had she just said that? It was totally cringe-worthy.
But it got him talking. He summarized his life like he was ticking off items on a list. He’d married his high school sweetheart and divorced her some time later. He’d left Columbia, where his ex lived, and come down to Jonquil Island a couple of years ago because of the sailing. He loved living here.
The food came, and he seemed to relax. That’s when she discovered that they both liked the same kind of music— R&B. They talked for a whole hour on that subject and agreed that nobody was as good as Usher.
And then, suddenly, dinner was over, and he was paying the bill. It was now or never.
“Take me home with you,” she said.
He looked up from the credit card receipt, his eyes wide and dark. “I…”
“You want to.”
He stared at her a long moment while her insides melted. “I do,” he said. “But I don’t want to hate myself in the morning.”
“What?”
“Abby. I don’t understand what you see in me.”
Dang. How could she tell him she wanted a teacher or a mentor or whatever? It was a little embarrassing. So instead she said, “I have a thing for older guys. And really, you don’t have to worry about me being clingy. I mean, I’m going up to USC in August. So, you know, we could just have fun for the summer.”
He looked down at the credit card as if considering his options. The silence weighed Abby down until he looked up at her. “I need to think about this,” he said.
