by Mika Lane
On the ten-minute drive to the spa, Noelle decided to make a quick stop by the house to check on Mikey. He’d seemed quite somber that morning when he realized his buddies from the car accident were stuck in the hospital for several more days. Fingers crossed, she hoped against hope that he’d learned a hard lesson and that the accident had scared him straight. It wasn’t too much to hope for. Was it?
“Mikey,” she called, nearing the top of the ninety-nine steps.
“Mikey?” Entering the house, she wandered from room to room, finding the place empty. Her heart began to pound and she raised her voice. “Mikey!”
“Noelle! I’m out here.” His voice floated in from the back yard. She rushed to find him seated on the tiny deck that was dwarfed by soaring redwoods.
He was sprawled on one of the flimsy lawn chairs she’d snagged at a garage sale down the street. And he had visitor who was seated in the other chair.
Dalt. Dalt Ruffen.
He wore a huge smile, and the scruff of not having shaved for two or three days.
“Um. Hi?” Noelle stammered, looking from one guy to the other.
“Hey, Noelle. Why aren’t you at work?” Mikey waved at his big sister with his good arm. His other arm hung from a sling knotted behind his neck, and his new cast was peppered with doodles.
“I’m taking a break,” she said to her brother. She turned to Dalt.
She frowned as her words came faster than her thoughts. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Why did you cancel your appointment? And why didn’t you call me back?”
Dalt leaned back in his chair and winked at Mikey. “Dude, do you mind if Noelle and I speak in private for a bit?”
“No, man. Do what you need to do. I have another nap waiting for me, anyway. These pain pills are knocking me out.” With his good arm, he high-fived Dalt and disappeared into the house.
Noelle held her chin high. “What was that? How did you find my house? And why are you talking to my brother?” Hands on her hips and elbows wide, she assessed him, unsure if she should be relieved she’d found him or angry he’d invited himself into her home. Truth be told, she was both. “Would you mind telling me what is going on here?”
“Slow down, cowgirl.” Dalt left his chair to approach her. “First, Dakini told me where you lived when I stopped by the spa a little while ago. She said I’d just missed you, and that she thought you’d gone home for a break.”
He led her to the chair just vacated by Mikey. “When I got here, Mikey invited me in and told me about the accident that you’d mentioned in your text message. I told him that when his arm is better, I’d take him over to Maserati to meet my buddy.”
Dalt ran his hands through his hair. “Your brother’s a great kid. I’d really like to help him out. I wouldn’t be where I am today if someone hadn’t thought I deserved a break, too.”
“Okay, but why did you cancel your appointment with me? Was it because I missed our dinner? I’m sorry, but my brother had an accident. You can’t blame me for that.” She glared at him, her face red.
Dalt pulled a deep breath. “You think I cancelled my appointment because I was pissed at you?” He tossed his hands up. “Where did you get an idea like that? If I’m pissed at you, believe me, you’ll know.”
“I-I mean, I thought…well, yeah.” She scratched her forehead. “You weren’t mad?”
“I figured you didn’t show because you didn’t want to risk your job by dating a client. You have yourself and your brother to look after. I can respect that. I wasn’t happy about it but figured you were doing what you had to do.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Let me finish.” He stopped her by holding up his hand. “Noelle, I like you. I like that you have ambition and dreams, opinions and plans. You have a lot of responsibility with taking care of your brother and all.” He leaned closer to her, cupping her face with his hand. “And you’re drop-dead gorgeous. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Noelle cleared her throat as her ears felt impossibly hot.
“I…I don’t know what to say.” She looked up at him, struggling with her resolve to remain single. “Thank you. It means a lot that you think highly of me. But I…I am not in a position right now to date. I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
Dalt looked at the ground, shaking his head. He leaned back in his chair as his gaze traveled past her and up to the sky where the redwood canopy obscured all but a few patches of bright sunlight.
Looking back at her, he said, “Something doesn’t add up here. I don’t think you’re being honest with me, and if you are going to blow me off, I feel I deserve to know why. What in god’s name has made you so gun-shy?”
She looked down at her hands where a solitary tear bounced. Her lips moved but made no sound. If she could run off into the thick woods would she be able to escape him? And escape her story?
But there was no running away. Not literally, not figuratively. She took a deep breath.
“Dalt, I…um,” she stammered, and then pushed ahead with a trembling voice. “My father was a world-class asshole. He cheated on and humiliated my mother so many times that there was eventually nothing left of her. She lost all self-respect, her spirit was broken, and worse, she blamed herself for it. Instead of hating him, she detested herself. The more she unraveled, the more he preyed on her. Until she took a bottle of pills one day and never woke up.”
Her throat was thick. She looked up at him.
“Holy shit,” he said.
“I came home from school one day and found her. My dad didn’t care a wit and was remarried within the year. He and the stepmonster had so little interest in Mikey and me that as soon as I was eighteen, I moved both of us out of the house. Dad didn’t even bother coming after us. The only other person who knows this story in full is Dakini.”
“Jesus, Noelle.” He looked dazed. “I’m so sorry. I thought you said they died in a car wreck.”
“I did say that. I always say that. It cuts short the questions.” At least for a while.
Shaking his head, Dalt took her hand. “How much does Mikey know?”
“He knows very little. He was too young to remember my mom. He thinks she died of cancer. It’s been just Mikey and me for five years. I heard my dad died a couple years ago.”
“Shit, Noelle. What a story. And I thought you didn’t want to get involved because of work. That’s why I stopped by the spa earlier.”
She frowned. “What do you mean? What does that have to do with stopping by the spa?”
“I spoke to Devi about spending time with you. She had no issue with it. Of course, now I know she never had an issue with it.” He cocked his head at her.
“Wait a minute. You spoke to my boss about me? What the hell? Don’t you think that was a bit presumptuous, talking to my boss about me? What if you’d cost me my job?”
“Look, Noelle, you know we were going to explore this thing between us…”
“We had no such agreement. You talk to my boss, come over my house, and befriend my little brother. I’m sorry, but I’m not okay with all this. You might get what you want everywhere else, but not here.”
“Oh bullshit. Get over—”
“No. I think you need to get over yourself.” She tensed with fury. “And I think you’d better leave. Right now.” She’d been on the right track before she’d started to go soft on him. What the hell had she been thinking just now, sharing her story like that?
Stepping toward the door, she attempted to usher him out.
But he didn’t budge. “I’m sorry I upset you. I’m not leaving until we talk about this.” At least he had the decency to look bereft. If he’d continued with that smug look on his face, she might have had to slap it right off him.
“Look. I’ve been taking care of myself and my little brother for a while now. I don’t need anyone interfering with our cozy life.” She looked at her watch. “And I need to get back to work.”
She grabbed her purse and took one last
look at Dalt. “You and I will finish this conversation later.”
She turned on her heel, leaving him behind, and descended the ninety-nine steps so fast she stumbled twice, barely avoiding a major face-plant. On the verge of being late, as usual, she sped back to Devi’s Bliss in the little VW.
Chapter 5
Breathless, Noelle flew through the door of the spa, her forceful entrance startling Devi. Her boss glanced at the wall clock. “You have a client in five minutes. Are you going to be ready?”
“Yes, Devi. It’ll just take me a sec to get ready.” She raced for the staff room. As she reached the door, her coworkers, Isabella, Gaia, and Jewel, were on their way out.
“Sweetie, it’s five minutes to the hour. You’d better get a move on,” Gaia told her.
“I know, I know, I’m moving as fast as I can.” She rushed past them in a blur.
“Is that girl ever on time?” She heard someone say as the door closed behind them.
Noelle yanked open her locker to find it full of someone else’s things. Realizing she was in the wrong place, she swung the door shut, catching her little finger in the process.
Dammit!
Shifting to the right, she located her own locker, stripped, and changed into her robe. Dragging a brush through her hair, the day’s events played through her mind on fast forward, leaving her dizzy. She’d chased the guy down, found him buddying up to her brother, spilled a story she rarely told anyone, and then discovered what an entitled ass he was. If the whole thing wasn’t kind of funny, it would be tragic. She pressed her lips together as she slammed her locker door so hard the wall shook. She needed to hang on to this anger so she didn’t end up in this situation again. If only her mother had had the wherewithal to experience anger…
And now she was rushing to a client. Wishing she just could catch a break.
Arriving at the Crown Chakra room, she leaned against the wall and paused for a deep breath. Then she opened the door and got down to her last massage of the day.
Sixty minutes later, Noelle cleaned up her treatment room, relieved her client had booked only a short session. She gathered the linens from the massage table, threw them in the laundry, and went looking for her boss.
She found her in the staff room, “I understand someone came by to see you today to talk about me.”
The room’s door flew open again. Dakini took one look at Noelle’s expression and backed up out of the room without a word.
Devi turned to Noelle when they were finally alone. “Yes, Dalt Ruffen came by to speak with me.”
“Devi, I am so sorry.” Noelle’s words gushed at full speed. “I had no idea he was going to do that, and I’m really angry about it. I found him at my house charming my brother, and then he told me about his visit to you. I’m seriously pissed at him. Actually, I’m mortified. The nerve.” Noelle shook her head.
Devi studied her for a moment. “Noelle, listen to me. I understand why you’re upset. And no matter what the circumstances, I know you’ve been through some shit, and that you’ve turned out well in spite of it.
“However, I just wanted to say that this could be an opportunity for growth, and a chance to leave some of that past behind. If you have any feelings for this guy at all, I’m not sure I would walk away. Sometimes in life, you meet someone you can’t just discard.” She took Noelle’s hand in hers.
“But Devi, I think—”
“Don’t think.” Devi cut her off. “Dalt Ruffen is a decent man who obviously cares for you. You might not like the approach he took with me, but I think if you walk away, you may end up regretting it for a long, long time.”
Noelle looked at Devi, speechless.
“You know I think the world of you, kid, both Ruth and I do. We want what’s best for you. I’ve seen a lot of massage therapists cycle through here over the years, and I haven’t met many with your integrity or drive.” Devi’s voice cracked, but only for a moment. “I know you have long-term dreams, and I’ll support you whatever you decide to do. But you could be on the verge of a mistake here, and I felt I had to say my piece.” She sniffed and cleared her throat.
Overwhelmed by her boss’s compassion, Noelle stared at her for a moment then threw her arms around her. “Oh, Devi,” she said, eyes brimming with tears. “What would I do without you?”
“Now, now, no need to get crazy. Let’s just get back to work. Clients are waiting, and there’s money to be made.” Looking at her watch, Devi gave her a reassuring smile and left to get back to work.
Alone in the staff room, Noelle sank to the floor with her back against her locker. With her head in her hands, she tried to beat back the panic dancing around her. Devi’s bluntness was to be expected, but she’d never been quite so personal before. Noelle deliberated the decisions that lay before her as Devi’s words replayed. Accept help for herself and her brother, or just keep going the way she had been, and probably would continue to, for a long, long time. This business of having options was new, and turning out to be pretty uncomfortable.
Dakini came back to the staff room and took a spot on the floor next to her. She threw an arm around Noelle’s shoulder and she let her head drop.
“You okay?” Dakini asked.
“I suppose so.” She flicked the ends of her braid, as usual. “What a day. While I was running around looking for Dalt, he was here having a talk with Devi about dating me. He thought I wasn’t allowed to see him because of work.”
“What? He didn’t. Where did he get a stupid idea like that?”
“Um…well…from me.” Noelle fidgeted with the edge of her robe.
“What!”
“To get him to back off, I sort of made up that we weren’t allowed to see clients outside work. He believed me. But then took it upon himself to talk to Devi. I was caught in a lie.”
Dakini’s eyes popped wide open. “Oh god. I have to say, that’s awfully sweet. But how did Devi take it? Did she tell him to piss up a rope? You know how she hates drama. Are you in trouble? Is that why you were sitting here on the floor?”
“Actually,” Noelle said, shaking her head in disbelief, “she told me not to let him go.”
Dakini grabbed Noelle’s arm in a death grip. “Are you kidding? I didn’t know she gave advice. That’s some serious shit.”
“I know. I’m still in shock that she said anything, and that she thought I should give Dalt a chance.” Noelle lifted her head from Dakini’s shoulder and threw her hands in the air. “I don’t what I’m going to do yet, but I can tell you, I’m worn out. Between Mikey’s accident and now this, I’m just exhausted. I think I need to go home and sleep for a week.”
Dakini stood and pulled Noelle to her feet. “You know what? You should go home. Draw a nice hot bath, light some candles, pour yourself a glass of wine. Shake off some of this stress.”
Noelle pressed her fingers to her growing smile at the sound of a night of relaxation. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” She finished changing, gave her best friend a peck on the cheek, and headed for the door.
“Love you, girl.”
“Love you more.” Dakini laughed.
In the hallway, Noelle ran into Jewel, coming from her last client.
“Hey, sweetie, you doing okay? You didn’t look so happy earlier.”
“Thank you for asking. I think I’m going to be fine,” Noelle said with a smile. “Really fine.”
As she headed to the door, she gave Devi a peck on the cheek, calling good night over her shoulder.
The early evening air was clean and clear, perfumed with the scent of wild rosemary so prevalent in Marin County. She gulped at the herbal perfume as she thought ahead to the bubble bath she’d be soaking in when she got home. But as she crossed the parking lot, there was a figure leaning against her VW. Unable to identify who in the waning light, she slowed as she got closer.
Dalt.
There he stood in his masculine glory, ass pressed against her little car, arms crossed over his chest, legs at t
he ankles. Damn him and his mind-blowing presence.
In spite of the throbbing that had begun in her sex, she summoned her irritation of earlier—it was a more familiar place to be shooting from. She crossed her arms for the showdown.
“You still mad at me?” he asked.
“Why are you here?” She stopped several feet before him.
“I wanted to take you to see something.”
“What?” she snapped with a sharp tone.
“Get in my car, and I’ll take you there.”
“No, I’m going home. I’m utterly exhausted and going to bed.” But he was blocking her access to the car. Asshole.
“Noelle. Please. This is important to me and I know will be important to you, too.”
Oh, for Christ’s sake.
She stood looking at him with narrowed eyes. Was she actually considering the invitation? Hell no. She really wanted to get home, take a hot bath, and burrow into her down comforter.
But…she also felt a lick of temptation. In spite of herself, curiosity was chipping away at her resolve to remain pissed, to remain independent, to remain unfettered by a man. Ugh.
What could he possibly think was so damn important?
She looked down at her feet for a moment, shaking her head. Oh, what the hell. See what the jerk wants and then home to bed.
She nodded slowly. “How long is this going to take?”
“As long as you want it to.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” But she didn’t for his answer. Shrugging, she crossed the parking lot to his silver-white Tesla.
If he wants to go on a field trip, he can damn well drive.
The door clicked open and she climbed in. Fastening her seat belt, she stared out the window, not about to give him the satisfaction of her attention.
“Where are we going?” They drove toward the coast as the bucolic Marin scenery zipped by in the waning light—rolling hills, dairy cows, eucalyptus, and giant redwood trees. As irritated as she was, the landscaped still charmed her.
