Nerds on Fire

by Grady, D. R.

  “Surely you have all the money you need.” She sounded hesitant now.

  “Of course I do. But I’m already helping with two older homes, and I don’t want a third.”

  Her mouth stretched into a discontented line. The air around her remained cold for the rest of the evening. The thought of marrying Chrissy ceased to be so compelling. Perhaps she was having a difficult week and that accounted for her poor attitude?

  He decided to give it a few days. Use the time to scrutinize his nuptials over the upcoming weekend, and determine if marriage was the right decision after all.

  Chapter 7

  When she awoke Monday morning, Trixi wondered why a sense of unease or restlessness or some emotion she couldn’t define, awoke with her. Maybe it had something to do with the odd behavior of her outside trash can. The heavy duty, wheeled green container seemed to have taken to moving itself. The wind was blowing hard these days so maybe it was responsible for the can’s sporadic locations.

  Her disquiet might also be due to a growing sense of discontent with singlehood. She considered the matter while staring at her ceiling. The blare of her alarm clock ended her thoughts, which was just as well, since she arrived at no answer.

  Somehow she managed to fritter away her time because by the time she entered the kitchen, she was running late. Grabbing coffee and breakfast shouldn’t have taken so long, but it did. Then after she packed her lunch, she hurried out the door and into her car. It wasn’t until after she got to work and reached for her lunch bag that she discovered she had left it at home on the counter.

  The only good thing to happen was she ran into Nina, a good friend from the surgical wing. She was a receptionist there and they took a moment to catch up before parting ways as they were both seriously late. When she stepped off the elevator and onto her floor, a brilliant idea struck. Tugging out her phone, Trixi quickly texted her scheme to Katy.

  Katy called a moment later.

  “Setting up Nina and Dad is a great idea, but how?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Trixi inched up her shoulder to hold her phone in place while she shrugged her jacket off. Then stowed her purse before she straightened her scrub shirt and retied her right sneaker.

  “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  “If we both think about it, we might have a chance to come up with something.”

  “Anything to get rid of the gold-digger.”

  “If we introduce Dad to a real woman, maybe he’ll see what Chrissy is,” Trixi said earnestly.

  “We hope.”

  “May I help you?”

  Her voice was professional, but melodious and there was a thread within it that made him long to hear more.

  Rylan blinked before he focused on the face that went with the voice. Every bit as pleasing, it was framed by dark hair, an oval shaped face, and intriguing blue eyes. A gentle smile teased her pretty lips.

  He judged the woman’s age to be near his own, maybe a few years younger. There were glorious laugh lines edging her eyes and lips. Her face didn’t hold a candle to Chrissy’s but there was something about it. This face enchanted him exactly as Chrissy’s had done.

  “I’m Trixi Duvall’s father and I’m aware I’m not in the right wing. She left her lunch on the counter this morning and I was passing by so I thought I’d drop it off for her. Except I have no idea where neonatal is.”

  A charming laugh rewarded him. “She mentioned she had forgotten it this morning. I’ll be happy to make certain she gets her lunch.” A well cared for, feminine hand reached for the bag.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’m sure she’ll be thankful you brought it.”

  Did he think enchanting? Her smile was nothing less than beguiling.

  There was a small pause, but it wasn’t the uncomfortable, awkward kind between strangers.

  Surreptitiously, he squinted at the name printed on the small plastic badge hanging around her neck. “Thank you, Nina.”

  Her smile blossomed again and it was one of the most real smiles he had ever seen. He blinked in the glory of it.

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Duvall.”

  “My name is Rylan.” He smiled at her and then reluctantly left, but he took the image of Nina with him. There was something very authentic about her. A quiet dignity that came from good breeding, yes, but also from riding out life’s experiences with patience.

  Nina had dressed to compliment her pretty figure, and glorious coloring, but not to stand out in a crowd. Although with her elegant manners, and lovely voice, she would anyway.

  Humming a quiet tune, he left the waiting room to return to his car. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late for his next meeting and since they were on shaky ground with this supplier, the meeting needed to go well. Being late would not help matters.

  He hurried.

  “Hi, Dad, how was your day?” Trixi asked from her spot at the island.

  He dropped his briefcase and meandered over to drop a kiss on top of her head. “It was fine.”

  “Thank you for bringing my lunch. I realized later I also forgot my wallet.” Trixi rolled her eyes at herself as she added several ingredients to the bowl in front of her.

  “Katy was there, right?”

  “Yes, she’d have gladly paid for my lunch, but it was nice to have what I packed.”

  There was an element in Trixi’s voice he couldn’t identify. Whatever it was eluded him.

  “Is Chrissy coming for supper?” She picked up a wooden spoon to stir the mixture.

  Trixi’s question surprised him. He hadn’t given Chrissy a thought. She had been away over the weekend. “I don’t know. I better go call her now.”

  With reluctance, he took out his phone and picked up the briefcase he set down to sort through the mail. He carried them into his study.

  Chrissy wasn’t at all happy to have not heard from him, and in punishment for his lack of attention, she had made plans with some friends of hers. She also made it clear he was not invited.

  “That’s fine. I have some paperwork I need to catch up on.” The relief bubbling under the surface wasn’t something he wanted to make public knowledge.

  Instead, he played the part of the contrite fiancé. Eventually he mollified her. After saying goodbye and hanging up, Rylan hurried back to the kitchen.

  “Chrissy has other plans so it’s just you and me, kid.”

  Trixi poured the last of her mixture into a baking dish and then smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

  He answered her smile with one of his own. “I am, too.” A wave of love engulfed him, as it usually did whenever he gazed at his daughter. Rylan still wasn’t certain how he came to be blessed with Trixi, but he was grateful he won the kid lottery.

  Both Trixi and Reed were impressive kids, and now impressive adults. They carried responsible jobs, and responsible home lives. Although he did want to see Trixi married like Reed. She was a lot harder to crack though. As though a significant other was the very last thing she wanted to talk about.

  “Chrissy asked me if you have a boyfriend.” He leaned against the counter and observed as she tucked the dish into her range. Then she puttered around the kitchen.

  “I don’t.”

  Waiting for an explanation that never came, one of his eyebrows climbed. “Why not?”

  The look she sent him should have singed his hair. “Because men don’t find me attractive.”

  “What?”

  Trixi reluctantly faced him full on. It appeared to take everything she had to meet his eyes. She repeated the same nonsense about men not finding her attractive.

  “I don’t believe that at all. Warren from Wychert Pharmacy has chased you for years.”

  “Warren’s a dweeb.”

  “He’s a man and he finds you attractive.”

  She held up a hand. “Okay, let me clarify. Men I’m attracted to don’t find me attractive.”

  “Are you attracted to movie stars?” He frowned.

&nb
sp; “Of course not.” She scrubbed the island with more vigor than was necessary.

  “Who are you attracted to who isn’t attracted back?”

  “Every male at work.”

  “I’m sure someone like a neurosurgeon or some other impressive specialist might have cause to overlook you, but I can’t imagine the other men there would.”

  She winced at something he said. “Bert, one of the maintenance guys, always flirts with me.” A smile flitted around her lips.

  “There you go.” He started to smile, but something in her manner caused him to reconsider. “What’s wrong with Bert?”

  “Nothing, except he’s at least Gran’s age, probably a little older. So he’s not exactly my ideal husband.”

  Rylan agreed. “I think you need to cross him off your list.”

  “Then there’s Leo de Vosse.”

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  “Absolutely nothing. He’s about as perfect a man as you can get.” She smiled again, and he liked seeing her eyes gleam.

  “Is he gay?” Rylan ventured.

  “Nope, but I’m guessing he’s going to be married to Katy at some point in the future.”

  “Katy stole your man?” That didn’t sound like Katy at all. His second daughter would never...

  “No, Dad. First of all, she had no idea I was even attracted to Leo. I never said anything to her. I flirt with him, and enjoy every minute of it, but I’ve never felt the need to progress to the next stage.” She stopped wiping the finish off the island to stare into space.

  There must be more to this story.

  “Then I introduced them the other day.” Her smile was sweet and made him think of another smile he had enjoyed today. “Leo and Katy are best friends now.”

  “And this means what?”

  “Mark and I think they’re in love.”

  “Who’s Mark?”

  “He’s Leo’s brother and a neurosurgeon. Katy is working with him temporarily.”

  Hmm, this might explain a few things. “Oh, so you do interact with neurosurgeons.”

  “If one of my babies has a problem within his expertise, he’ll offer advice.”

  Based on the lilt in her voice, this sounded promising. “He’s a neurosurgeon?”

  “Yes, and probably at the top of his field.”

  “Oh, so he’s older?” Nothing like fishing in your daughter’s love life. This was the hardest baiting he’d ever done.

  “No. I’m guessing he’s in his mid-to-late thirties.”

  “Not a bad age difference between you. You’re going to be thirty soon.” A better age difference than what was between him and Chrissy. He suppressed a sigh.

  “Right. But like you said, he’s a neurosurgeon. I doubt he sees me as anything other than staff.”

  “You probably don’t have much cause to socialize with him.” Speaking of fishing, something smelled fishy here.

  Before he could further question her, her phone rang.

  “It’s Katy,” she announced.

  “Tell her I said ‘Hi’ and to come see us.” Rylan left to return to his study so he could actually get some work done.

  Except it wasn’t work he thought of when he sat down at his desk.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t his daughter’s love life, either. If his daughter had fished in his love life, she might have discovered a new dark secret. He wasn’t thinking of his beautiful fiancée at all.

  Instead, a lovely, gracious receptionist with the tinkling laugh and gentle smile stole his focus.

  Chapter 8

  “Hey, it’s me. Did Dad say anything about Nina?”

  “No,” Trixi nearly wailed. “They met and I was all ready to ask him about it, but you wouldn’t believe what he asked me about.” She moved quickly through the house to the small office she used. It had a pocket door she closed now and then plopped into the comfy chair by the desk.

  “Okay, I can’t guess, so tell me.”

  Despite her agitation, Trixi smiled. “You are so impatient.”

  “I know. Now talk.”

  “Dad asked me about my love life.”

  Silence greeted her, then lengthened. She peeked at her phone to make certain it hadn’t died. The call was still active, so they hadn’t lost the connection.

  “Hello?”

  “I’m still here. I’m just thinking.”

  “I’d love to hear your thoughts,” Trixi said dryly.

  “I’m not certain I can express them.”

  “Okay...”

  “What prompted him to ask you?” Katy finally asked.

  “Chrissy wanted to know if I have a boyfriend.” Her tone nudged bitter.

  “Of course she did. If he’s better than Dad, then she’ll upgrade.”

  “Ugh. You’re so close to the truth it’s scary.”

  “It’s what gold diggers do.” Katy sounded very sure.

  “We are never introducing her to any of our friends or colleagues.”

  “Agreed. Now, back to our problem.”

  “Which one?”

  “The Chrissy one.”

  “What about her?” Trixi tapped the chair arm.

  “Now that Dad has met Nina, we have to figure out more ways for them to interact. We couldn’t have planned their first meeting better if we had tried.”

  “Right, at least some good came out of my rough morning. He and Nina met. She’s beautiful, gracious, kind, and the exact opposite of a gold digger.”

  Katy’s voice sounded far away for a moment. “Yes, and I’ve always thought I wouldn’t mind having her as a stepmother.”

  “I know, whenever I think of a new wife for Dad, since meeting Nina, a woman like her comes to mind.”

  “She is perfect for him.” In the background, Trixi heard kitchen sounds. “Are you eating alone?”

  “Yeah, Leo and Mark had something going on tonight. So I’m on my own.”

  “The casserole is in the oven, and I’ve got fresh bread due to come out soon. Get your butt over here.”

  The sounds abruptly stopped. “Fresh bread?”

  “Yes.”

  “Leo is going to be so jealous.”

  “I know. But that’s life for you.”

  “He said they had something Morrison family related tonight and wanted me to come along, but I didn’t want to intrude.”

  A smile creased Trixi’s face. Katy’s relationship with Leo was amusing because neither noticed they were dating. In the back of her mind, Trixi wished she could have something like Katy and Leo had. Their relationship was effortless.

  It was also brand new. This might play into the effortless part, but then, it could be Katy. Her own relationship with the woman was also uncomplicated. It was just plain easy to be Katy’s friend.

  Just because she and Leo were best friends already didn’t mean they could transition into spouses though. Maybe they would be content with the status quo and weren’t interested in changing it.

  “Okay, I’ve put everything away and am getting into my car now. Need me to stop for anything?”

  “No, everything is here.”

  “Great. I’ll be there soon. Oh, and I think we need to steer the conversation, subtly, to Nina tonight.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Trixi agreed with enthusiasm.

  “Every once in a while I like to surprise people.”

  “You’re funny.”

  “I know. Everyone tells me so.” Laughter infused Katy’s voice.

  “I’m tempted to dump supper on your head.”

  “A terrible waste of food. Besides we’ve got work to do.”

  “Right, saving Dad from the gold digger is very important.”

  “Project Anti-Gold-Digger is now underway,” Katy intoned in her best radio announcer’s voice.

  Trixi giggled, and it felt good. They hadn’t had these types of happy moments since Katy bought her own house. “I really miss you.”

  “I miss living with you too. But it was time for me to become an adul
t.”

  “Yes. We can’t go back now.”

  “Right. It’s sad, but true.”

  They rang off a few moments later, since Katy would arrive soon. Trixi shoved to her feet to return to the kitchen. She added another plate, this one with glee and happiness instead of the cloud of gloom whenever Chrissy stayed.

  When he entered the kitchen, her dad stopped to stare questioningly at the extra place setting. Before he could comment, Katy whisked through the door.

  Their dad squeezed her until she squeaked. It didn’t take the three of them long to put the food on the table. Katy fit in well in this household. She knew where everything was and understood their routine. It was wonderful to have her here again.

  “I wish you hadn’t bought your own house,” Rylan mentioned a few minutes into the meal.

  Katy licked the butter off her finger after she finished smearing it across a slice of bread.

  “Like I told Trixi, it was time I grew up.”

  “Of course, but since I’m getting married and will be moving out soon, Trix will be on her own.”

  Both of them stopped eating to examine her. Trixi sighed. “You know, I am an adult and perfectly capable of living on my own.”

  They were tough words and a little untruthful, if she was willing to admit it, even to herself. She dreaded the thought of rambling around this big old house by herself. It was meant to be a family home but somehow she couldn’t imagine a man living in it with her.

  “I have confidence this is all going to work out,” Katy stated and helped herself to another helping of the casserole. “Trix, you are by far the best cook known to man.”

  “I agree.” Her father held his plate out for another helping. Katy promptly dished it up for him.

  Due to her lonely thoughts, Trixi wasn’t hungry, so didn’t ask for another serving.

  “Hey, Trix, did you hear whether Nina’s son is back yet?” Katy subtly introduced the topic of the night.

  Trixi groaned. “Oh no, I meant to ask her and I completely forgot.” She wasn’t acting, because she had meant to ask and then didn’t.