Anything but Love

by Celya Bowers

  She looked through her desk for some aspirin just as Jami walked in unannounced, breaking Kendall’s cardinal rule. But one look at her new friend’s tear-stained face, and Kendall’s heart instantly softened. “What is it, Jami?” She rushed to meet her and guided the younger woman to the nearest chair.

  At first Jami was quiet and shook her head. Kendall knew the move well. Keeping everyone at a distance. She’d done it herself, countless times. That was why everyone feared her now. But it was time to change all that. She hugged Jami and offered words of comfort. “Jami, I know this looks bad now, but things will clear up, I promise. My offer still stands. Whenever you need me, I’ll be here.”

  Jami’s body started to shake and the tears began to fall. “I—I— don’t know what to do, Kendall. Karl tried to snatch Dylan from the daycare earlier today. Luckily they knew about the trouble I’ve been having with him and called me before they released Dylan to him. I can’t live like this. I can’t live every day wondering if this is the day Karl finally flips his lid. I have to do something.” She cried uncontrollably.

  Kendall was trying to let Jami make her own decision, but a much-needed push wouldn’t hurt. “You’re going to move into my house, that’s what you’re going to do,” Kendall said in a voice she hoped no one would argue with. “Tonight you can stay with me and move your things in tomorrow. I don’t want you going to your house alone.”

  “I’ll move in, but tonight I’m staying with Keerya. Her brothers are going to help me get my stuff out of the house, bright and early. I’ll be at your house in the morning. Is that okay?”

  Kendall nodded. “That’s fine, Jami. I’ll have your room ready. Are you putting your things in storage?”

  “Yes. Keerya’s brother owns a storage company, so we have free run of the place. He said I could use as much space as I need and he’s not going to charge me.”

  Kendall smiled. Her mother was right. Sometimes things may look their darkest, but there’s always some sunshine just around the corner.

  * * *

  Cole felt a little more at ease after he purchased the airline ticket for Taylor. Until then he’d felt like a spy making secret arrangements with his son to pick him up at the airport the next day.

  After he finished with the arrangements, he realized one little tiny inconsequential thing: He didn’t have any furniture in any of the other bedrooms. He would definitely need help. He dialed the number to the hospital.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Max,” Cole said. “What are you doing later?”

  Max grunted. “Not going home.”

  “Good. Want to go shopping for furniture?”

  Max laughed. “What?”

  Cole knew he had to explain the sudden change in his household. “My son will be coming to live with me. I need some furniture for his room.”

  “Have you told my boss that your son is coming to live with you and there will be no more sexual marathons?”

  “Hey, there’s always her place.”

  “I guess you haven’t heard the latest,” Max said quietly.

  Cole couldn’t begin to fathom what could possibly be worse timing than his son coming to live with him just as he finally got Kendall where he needed her. “Okay, I’ll bite, Max.”

  “I’ll tell you later. But I can tell you this. Kendall is going to have a houseguest for awhile.”

  Cole’s world tilted just a little off that perfect axis he’d worked so hard to achieve. “Is it her ex?”

  Max laughed. “I’ll let you figure that out for yourself, man.”

  Cole knew how determined exes could be. But he could be more determined. “Still want to go shopping?”

  “Of course. Actually I’m getting off in about another hour. Why don’t I meet you at your house?”

  “Sure.” This would make his plan work even better. If Max was getting off early, maybe Kendall was, too. But Max was always one step ahead of him when it came to Kendall.

  “Kendall’s got a meeting with the board this afternoon. She should be home around six.”

  Cole snickered. “You think you know me?”

  “I don’t know you, but I do know Kendall. And I like the smile you put on her face.” There was a slight hesitation in Max’s usually gentle voice. “She’s the most important person to me in this world. She’s like a sister and I don’t want to see her hurt, especially after what that ex-husband did to her. So if you cause her pain, you will answer to me.”

  “You’d have to get in line behind her brother Charlie,” Cole said. “He’s already given me the speech. So I already know the consequences of my actions.”

  “And?”

  Cole didn’t want to say the words. He wasn’t sure of his emotional state at the moment. After all, it could just be really good sex and the fact that he finally found a woman that could keep up with him, for the most part, anyway.

  “Cole?” Max prodded. “What’s going on in that writer’s brain of yours?”

  He didn’t want to say it, especially to Max. “Just pondering.”

  “Yeah, I’ll bet,” Max chuckled. “Sure, I’ll go shopping with you. I love to watch people spend money.”

  Cole laughed, wondering when his life had gotten so strange. Never in a million years would he have imagined one of his closest friends would be a white physician assistant, not to mention that he’d fall in love with Kendall. Now how was he was supposed to manage that with his son underfoot?

  A few hours later, Cole and Max toured the furniture store looking for furniture for a teenager. Cole had expected Max to pounce on him the minute he saw Cole, but Max played it cool.

  Max gazed at the sea of beds. “So how tall is your son?”

  Cole shrugged. “I think he might be an inch or two shorter than me.” He looked at a king-sized bed. “You know, he’s not through growing yet. My dad was six-four.”

  Max nodded. “Yeah, go for the king-sized bed.” He waved for the salesperson. “So why is your tall teenaged son coming to live with you?”

  Cole had to admit Max had style. It had been almost an hour before he asked the first question. “It’s a long, horrid story involving my ex-wife and her selfish attitude.”

  “Been there, done that,” Max said dryly. “She’s been lying to him? Telling him you’re a horrible father?”

  Cole looked sideways at Max’s tanned face. “Man, were you in the room with her or what?” He noticed the salesman approaching them.

  “Yes, sir, how can I help you?”

  Cole pointed to the large four-poster bed. “I want this in king-size with pillow-top mattresses.”

  The salesman instantly smiled, most likely tallying up his commission on the sale. “Yes, sir. When would you like this delivered?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  The salesman swallowed and asked incredulously, “Tomorrow?”

  Cole knew it would be next to impossible for such a quick delivery, but he had to try. He didn’t want his son sleeping on the couch his first night home. “Yes, I need it delivered tomorrow. Is it doable?”

  “I’ll have to check. Where do you live?”

  “Biscayne Meadows.”

  The salesman’s eyes widened in surprise, but he rebounded quickly. With his calm, stoic face back in place, he said, “Oh, I’m sure something can be worked out. Pardon me,” the salesman said as he walked away.

  Max stepped closer to him. “He’s going to up the delivery charge for tomorrow. Just watch. He’s going to come back with a higher delivery charge for such a quick delivery time. We can do it ourselves. I can bring my truck and we can set it up tonight.”

  “You really think he’ll do that?”

  Max nodded. “Hell yeah. He’s probably worked a deal with the delivery guys and they’ll split the money. Just watch.”

  Sure enough the salesman returned with a saccharine smile on his face. “Well, sir, we can deliver it tomorrow, but there’s going to be an express fee of an additional one hundred dollars.”

  Co
le glanced at Max, then back at the salesman. “Okay.”

  The salesman beamed. “Okay. What time do you want it delivered?”

  Cole shook his head. “Oh no, I’m taking it today, without the delivery charge.”

  “Oh.” The salesman frowned.

  Cole laughed. “And I’m going to need a nightstand, a dresser and an armoire.”

  The smile was back. “Yes, sir.”

  Max and Cole laughed as the salesman took off. “I can’t believe he was going to rip me off like that.”

  Max shrugged. “Live and learn.”

  * * *

  Kendall rubbed her neck as she sat at her desk. The board meeting had taken longer than she expected. All she wanted to do was to help the less fortunate and add a cancer wing to the hospital, but all these people brought her were more problems. She reflected on the previous meeting.

  “Dr. Matthews, the nuclear machine is going to cost a million dollars itself. We’re really going to need more donations to get all the machinery that you want at the hospital and remain a charity hospital.”

  But Kendall knew that. She had already run the numbers through her computer, and she needed at least four million dollars to keep the charity hospital charitable. She was going to have to go public. “Yes, I’ve been in touch with Holly Banton of CNT and she wants to do a phone interview first.”

  “She’s still going to do it, right?” Marty Kleinman, director of cardiology, asked. “We really need the press.”

  “So you do want me to mention Briarwood?”

  Marty nodded. “It would certainly be a win-win. You can get more donations, and we can get some free advertising for the wonderful work that’s being done at the hospital. We also want you to mention your track record.”

  She hated tooting her own horn. Hated it with a heartfelt passion. It reminded her of that dreadful day Cole landed in the emergency room, spouting those horrid words, ‘Don’t you know who I am?’

  “How about one of you guys listing my accolades? It sounds less cheesy that way. Holly wants to do a character study of me. She wants people who aren’t camera shy and can give me glowing recommendations. I hope you guys don’t mind, but I told her she could talk to you all.”

  Marty spoke for the other four men. “Sure, Kendall. What’s good for you is good for Briarwood.”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t do anything to harm Briarwood’s name.”

  And she meant that. She would do anything within the law, as long as it was morally sound, to keep the name of the hospital as prestigious as it already was.

  She rubbed her neck again. She could really use a massage right now. Where was Cole when she needed him? She didn’t have the time to take that lusty thought back when the phone rang. It was after five, so Jami wasn’t at her desk to screen Kendall’s calls.

  She reached for the phone. “Dr. Matthews.”

  “Hello, Dr. Matthews,” Cole drawled. “How are you feeling today?”

  “Fine.” She wasn’t giving in to temptation this time.

  “Hungry?”

  “No.” Every time she had dinner with this man, they ended up in bed.

  “Can you speak in more than one-word answers? I know I’m not a pregnant woman, but I think I deserve your complete attention.”

  Kendall wanted to say something cutting to him, but her tongue wasn’t working and her heart was remembering the last time she was in his arms.

  Cole took advantage and pressed on. “I was thinking you could come over for dinner. We need to talk.”

  Oh, that didn’t bode well. “Just say it now.”

  “I don’t want to do this over the phone. I’ll even make you a simulated burger while I’m grilling my T-bone steak.”

  “Cole, I’d rather you just tell me now what’s so all-fired important.”

  “Tonight,” he promised and ended the call.

  CHAPTER 11

  A few hours later, and after much debating, Kendall finally arrived at Cole’s. She’d decided to dress casual since this was probably the good-bye dinner and all. She wore a snug-fitting tank top, cotton shorts, and her favorite sandals. Might as well be comfortable when Cole handed her her walking papers.

  She rang the doorbell and waited. Cole answered the door looking like a cover model for a fashion magazine. He was dressed in a silk shirt and shorts, showing off those sexy legs. It was so not fair, she thought. She glanced down and noticed he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Even his long feet looked sexy. Life was really not fair.

  “Kendall,” he said, leaning forward for a kiss and making contact.

  She was getting lost in the soft kiss when she remembered the reason for this meal. He was going to dump her. She freed herself from his arms. “You said you wanted to talk,” she said as sternly as she could muster.

  He looked down at her. “Yes, I did, and we will. Later.” He motioned for her to enter the house. “First, we’re going to sit down and eat my wonderful dinner.”

  Once she was inside, she smelled the aroma of meat. The steak smelled wonderful and, for the first time in ten years, she wanted to eat a piece of beef. “What exactly did you fix?” She followed him into the kitchen.

  He stopped walking. “You’re not allowed in my kitchen. Sit.” He pointed at the dining table that had been elaborately set with candles, linen napkins, and gold trimmed plates. If her mother had taught her one thing, it was china. She could usually determine the brand of china by the weight of the plate. Most likely Wedgwood, she guessed, and there was only one way to find out for sure. She took a seat and waited for Cole to retreat to the kitchen.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said as if on cue and left the room.

  She nodded and quickly picked up the plate to cure her curiosity. She was right. Wedgwood. High-end Wedgwood. Was this a remnant of his marriage?

  “My mom bought me those as a housewarming gift,” he said as he brought in a large bowl of salad. “She claims they are the best money can buy. I guess I should ask you if they are, since you’re checking out the label.” He placed the bowl on the table.

  Kendall’s mind stumbled over a logical explanation and couldn’t think of one, so she decided to go with the truth.

  “I was curious.”

  He chuckled as he took a seat. “You’re not even going to try to say that you weren’t looking? I’m shocked.” He handed her a salad plate.

  She scooped up some of the rabbit food, as he called it, and shrugged. “You caught me. I admit it. I’m surprised you have fine china.”

  “Do you have fine china?”

  “Yes. It was a gift from my mother.”

  He lifted his fork to her. “To our mothers.”

  She hated when he was smug. “What did you want to talk about?”

  He shook his head. “After dinner.” He took another bite of salad. After he chewed the correct amount of times, he said, “And before we make love.”

  Kendall choked on the romaine lettuce. “Oh, no. That ship has sailed. You can’t call me over to break up with me and then still expect me to sleep with you.”

  It was Cole’s turn to choke on his salad. “What are you yammering about?”

  “The reason you wanted to have dinner in the first place.” She vowed not to give into tears, but she was losing the battle fiercely.

  Cole slowly understood. “Oh, you think I called you over here, set a romantic table, and cooked you dinner to kick you to the curb. Woman, have you totally lost it? Besides, I didn’t think you wanted a relationship, being one of those independent women and all.”

  “Cole, I’m confused. Why did you invite me over?”

  “Kendall, I invited you here to dinner because I like your company. Yes, we had some amazing sex, but that’s not the only reason I invited you over. I do have something to discuss with you, but I think we need to discuss what I am to you first.”

  Now she’d gone and done it. She’d hurt his feelings. “Cole, I don’t know the answer to that question.”

  He wadded up h
is napkin and threw it on the table, shoving his chair back. He rose and reached for her hand. “Okay, dinner is postponed until we figure out what’s going on.”

  He took her hand and led her to the living room. They sat on the couch. “Okay, Kendall, tell me what I am to you. Am I just your handy man, only good for sex and little else?”

  She heard the angry undertones in his voice and didn’t want to provide any more fuel. “No, Cole.”

  “Then what? I’m getting mixed signals here. You’re telling me that I’m not your boy toy, but that’s exactly how you’re treating me. You never tell me what’s going on with you. If Max wasn’t so loose-lipped when he drank, I’d never know anything.”

  “Cole, you’re asking me to give you something I can’t. I can’t be that open with anyone. I think of you as more than a human sex toy.”

  His hazel eyes glared at her. “No. Max told me what he had to do to get you to open up to him. Whose sin am I paying for?”

  She couldn’t admit it. It would sound childish and petty. She ducked her head. “No one.”

  In a very unCole-like manner, he grabbed her by her shoulder and turned her toward him. “Look, I think I’ve been pretty patient here, but I need some answers.”

  Kendall’s teary eyes tried to focus on Cole, but it was useless. He kept going in and out of focus. “After my divorce, I channeled all my energy into work. There I have maintained certain distance from everyone. Now I realize I was wrong and can still have friends at the hospital and my integrity not be challenged. It’s hard breaking down a wall I’ve tried so hard to build.” She realized how incredibly selfish that sounded. “I’ll try to do better.” She wiped her eyes.

  Cole nodded. “That’s all I ask. Now that we have all that taken care of, I’ll tell you why I invited you to dinner.”

  She wiped her eyes. “I’m listening.”

  “My son, Taylor, is arriving tomorrow. He’s moving here.”

  She wasn’t expecting that. “Why couldn’t you just tell me that on the phone? I was worried for nothing. How old is your son?”

  “He’s sixteen. He wants to visit, but I know his mother. She’s not going to let him back in the house once she finds out he’s been here.”