Evening Stars

by Susan Mallery

  She parted for him, welcoming him as he deepened the kiss. Nina put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in. She half expected him to start to feel her up. After all, her breasts were right there, practically begging to be touched. But he didn’t. Talk about disappointing.

  He drew back and sighed. “I’ll call as soon as I’m back in town.”

  He opened the door and got out of the car.

  Nina wasn’t about to spoil the moment by struggling to her feet. She kicked off her heels, then stepped out in stocking feet. They walked to the front door. From the other side, she heard a faint whining.

  “The mystery dog,” he said.

  “She probably needs to go out.”

  “Four days,” Kyle told her. “Then I’ll be back.” He kissed her one last time before turning and jogging back to his car.

  Nina let herself inside. She petted Penny, then led her to the back door. The dog trotted out into the yard and took care of business. When she returned, Nina gave her another small meal before heading to her bedroom.

  She leaned against the door frame and smiled as she thought about the handsome fighter pilot who very much wanted to sleep with her. It had been, she thought happily, a very good night. Kyle had impressed her—something that didn’t happen very often. He’d made his goal extremely clear. After tonight, she was ready to admit that as far as making his dreams come true—she was all in.

  Chapter Eight

  THREE DAYS AFTER arriving back home, Averil opened her eyes and knew she was ready to face the world. She’d done little but sleep for the past three days. She’d grabbed a couple of snacks, made sure Penny was fed. They’d taken daily walks. Then Averil had returned to bed. She now found herself completely rested and totally starving.

  She sat up and glanced at the clock. It was a little after seven in the morning. At the foot of the bed, Penny raised her head and looked inquiringly.

  Averil laughed. “Yes, to answer your question. I am getting up. How are you? Good?”

  Penny’s tail wagged. She jumped off the bed and walked to the door. Averil stood and stretched, then walked with her to the kitchen. She opened the back door and let out the dog.

  A few feet away, a coffeepot sat on the counter. A cup was missing from the carafe. No doubt Nina had taken it for herself before stepping into the shower. Averil was sure her sister would pour in grounds and water the night before, then set the timer. Nina was nothing if not organized.

  After filling a mug, Averil added a little milk, then let Penny back into the house. She paused to study the backyard. There was a patch of grass beyond the deck and a tidy bed of plants that had to be Bertie’s doing. None of the Wentworth women had a green thumb.

  “Breakfast,” she said firmly, closing the door.

  She fed Penny, then opened the refrigerator to figure out what she wanted for herself. There were eggs and a few leftovers. She pulled out a plastic container with what looked like mac and cheese and dumped the contents into a bowl. After sticking it in the microwave and setting the timer, she grabbed a pad of paper from by the phone. She had articles due in a couple of days and needed to be thinking about them.

  She scribbled out a few sentences. Maybe she could write something about relatives visiting and the stress that caused teenagers.

  “So you’re up,” her sister said as she walked into the kitchen.

  Averil ignored the accusing tone. She was happy, and she wasn’t going to start her day with a fight.

  “Good morning,” she said brightly. “It’s not raining. That’s nice.”

  Nina didn’t bother glancing out the window. “It’s been three days. You’ve been in bed for three days.”

  “I was tired.”

  “You walked into this house and dumped everything on me.” Like you always do. Nina didn’t say that part, but she didn’t have to. It was implied.

  “What responsibilities?” Averil demanded. “My God, when did you get so dramatic? My sleeping doesn’t impact you at all.”

  “No, but your dog does.”

  “I let her out,” Averil said, glancing at Penny. “I’ve been feeding her three times a day. Starting today, I’m cutting back to twice a day. That’s what the vet told me.”

  Nina pressed her lips together. “You’ve been feeding her that much?”

  “And walking her. What did you think? That I went to bed and completely forgot about her?”

  Nina’s tight expression said that was exactly what she had thought.

  Averil glared at her. “She’s a living creature. How irresponsible do you think I am? You just assumed the worst about me.” She glanced at Penny, whose tail was wagging as she glanced between them. “So, you took care of things, like you always do. Sorry, my dog friend, those six meals you’ve been getting are ending starting now.”

  Nina glared at her. “I took care of things because there was no way to know what you were doing. All you had was a bag of dry food. What about the canned food that miraculously appeared? Or the extra bag of dry food? And that bowl she’s using for her water. Where did you think all that came from?”

  The microwave beeped. Averil ignored it as she realized Kevin was right. Being with Nina was always such a great idea...at a distance. But in close proximity, they didn’t do so well.

  “Thank you for buying her food and a bowl,” she said through gritted teeth. “But it wasn’t necessary. I’m dealing with her.”

  “So you say.”

  The unfairness was like a slap. “Jeez, Nina, angry much? Maybe if you’d gotten your ass off this island, you wouldn’t be so mad all the time.”

  “Maybe if you’d stop running away from your life, you’d finally grow up. Why are you here? And where is your husband?”

  Questions she couldn’t answer. “Go to hell,” she snapped and stomped out of the kitchen. Penny followed her.

  When Averil reached her room, she waited for the dog to enter before closing the door behind her. She sank onto her bed and realized she’d left her breakfast in the microwave. Dammit. She was hungry, and she couldn’t go back out there until Nina left for work. At least that would be relatively soon.

  “Your Aunt Nina is not a nice person,” Averil told the dog. Penny jumped up and sat next to her. “You know I’ve been taking care of you, right?”

  Penny wagged her tail in agreement.

  She hugged the dog, then opened her laptop and logged on to the internet. There was nothing captivating in her email so she typed out a quick note to Kevin.

  Hey, it’s me. I’m doing okay. I slept for about three days, which I guess I needed. Now I’m going to do some work and get going on my novel. The novel she really had to start before she could get going on it, she thought.

  Nina is her usual domineering self. She’s upset I brought a rescue dog with me. I found her at a rest stop, where she’d been abandoned. She was in pretty bad shape. I took her to a local vet and just couldn’t give her up. Penny’s so sweet—I know you’ll love her.

  She paused, then decided she didn’t want to admit he’d been right about her sister. Again.

  I hope you’re doing okay. How’s work? I miss you.

  She sent the email, then heard the front door close.

  “She’s gone,” Averil told Penny and hurried back to the kitchen. Her mac and cheese was on the counter. She took a bite, then another.

  After finishing her pasta and eating a banana, Averil wandered back into the bedroom. She saw she had mail waiting and clicked on the icon. Kevin had written her back.

  I’m fine. Work is busy. I’ve been staying later than usual and getting caught up. As for Nina and the dog, I’m not surprised she’s upset. Unless you asked her if it was okay if you brought a dog into the house, she has every right to be annoyed. It’s not like you asked me if I wanted one. Instead you announced you’d found one and were keeping it.

  Averil glared at the screen. “That’s not fair,” she mumbled. “What was I supposed to do? Leave her in the parking lot?”

&n
bsp; But she knew that wasn’t what Kevin meant. Averil could have called and asked him if he agreed with her decision. Or she could have taken Penny to a shelter.

  You do that, his letter continued. You make decisions that affect other people without talking to them first. Without talking to me. You’re the first one to blame others for what goes wrong in your life, but you don’t want to think about anyone else when you make a decision. Like changing your mind about wanting a baby.

  There was more, but she didn’t want to read it. She slammed her laptop shut and crossed her arms over her chest. First, Nina and now, Kevin.

  “I hate my family,” she said aloud. Penny looked at her. “Not you,” she told the dog.

  Penny returned her head to her paws, but Averil would swear she saw something in the animal’s eyes. As if her new pet was asking how long it would be until Averil blamed her for what was wrong in her life.

  * * *

  Nina typed quickly on the keyboard, blocking time on the future schedule. As Andi’s pregnancy progressed, she would need time to rest during the day. It made sense to get the blocks in place now, before appointments were made, rather than trying to fit them in later. She’d already checked the supply order that was going out and rescheduled a rep visit. A busy morning, she thought. Just like all the others.

  Their afternoon was light—which was unexpected. She and Andi were going to discuss temporary replacements for the few weeks Andi wanted to take off for maternity leave.

  The phone buzzed.

  Nina reached for it. “Hello?”

  “You have a visitor.” Holly, their receptionist, sighed. “A very handsome visitor. Tall, blond. Great blue eyes. If you don’t want him, can I have him?”

  Nina grinned. “You’re married.”

  “I know, but as I was pretty sure you were going to say no, I figured it was safe to ask.”

  “Unusual strategy. I’ll be right there.”

  Nina hung up and saved her work. She sat for another couple of seconds, telling herself the sudden fluttering in her stomach wasn’t excitement or even nerves. She hadn’t eaten lunch yet. She was hungry, nothing more. The fact that Kyle had stopped by didn’t mean anything.

  As he’d warned her, he’d been gone for four days. She hadn’t heard from him. She’d thought she might get a call or a text later in the day, but she hadn’t expected him to stop by. Yet here he was.

  She stood and smoothed the front of her scrubs. She had gone for angels in pastel colors that day, with dark green pants. Not exactly a sexy look. Her work clothes were supposed to be functional, and until today, she hadn’t cared one way or the other. How just like a man to make her worry about her appearance, she thought, fluffing her bangs before walking down the hallway.

  Andi stuck her head out of her office. “A man? Can I meet him?”

  “Not yet.”

  She opened the door to the waiting room and saw Deanna Phillips with her two youngest. The twins were watching Kyle as he waved his hands over their heads, then pulled a quarter out of Sydney’s ear.

  “Look!” Savannah said, clapping her hands. “Can we learn magic, Mommy?”

  Deanna saw Nina and grinned. “I’m sure there’s a class. I’ll check with the summer camp. Learning new tricks is always fun, isn’t it, Nina?”

  Nina rolled her eyes. “Hello, Kyle. I see you’ve met Deanna and her daughters.”

  “I have.” He handed the quarter to Sydney. “They’re as beautiful as their mom.”

  A loud sigh came from the reception area. This was getting out of hand.

  She walked over to him. “We should take this outside so we don’t disrupt everyone’s day.”

  “Don’t leave on my account,” Holly called.

  “Uh-huh.” Nina held open the front door. “I’m taking lunch.”

  Kyle followed her onto the porch. “Sorry I didn’t call before stopping by, but I wanted to see you.”

  Once again, she didn’t care if it was a line—it totally worked for her.

  “How was your trip?”

  “Busy. Good.”

  “A lot of flying?” she asked as they went down the stairs.

  He grinned. “Yes, I flew a lot.”

  “Is there a better way to ask the question? Am I showing my ignorance?”

  They’d reached his car. The ridiculously small two-seater. He took both her hands in his and drew her close. “You’re showing how charming you are. I like the angels on your shirt.”

  Before she could respond, he pulled her against him and kissed her.

  His lips were warm against hers. She instinctively tilted her head and wrapped her arms around him, even as she parted her lips. He brushed her tongue with his. Her eyes sank closed, and she gave herself up to the seduction that he offered.

  The deep kisses made her weak with longing. She honest-to-God couldn’t remember the last time she’d had sex with someone other than herself, let alone a man-induced orgasm. Kyle moved his hands up and down her back, touching her with a confidence that made her wonder if the front seat of his silly car really was too small.

  He drew back and rested his forehead on hers. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured. “I thought about you while I was gone.”

  “I missed you, too,” she admitted. “Even if you are too young and completely inappropriate.”

  He grinned. “Think of me as a temptation.”

  “Sure. That’s easy.”

  He straightened. “I brought lunch.”

  She stared at him. “Excuse me?”

  “Lunch. It’s noon. I brought a picnic.”

  “That’s so sweet. I would have been happy with the kissing.”

  He chuckled. “Good to know.”

  He popped the trunk and pulled out several bags of food, along with a thick blanket. The day was clear and the temperature in the high sixties. Not exactly beach weather, but it was warm enough for an alfresco meal.

  Nina led the way to the side yard, away from most of the windows and whoever might be watching. They spread out the blanket, then settled on it. Kyle passed out sandwiches and cans of soda.

  “I brought one of each,” he said, showing her both regular and diet soda.

  “I’m a girl,” she said, reaching for the can of diet.

  “I noticed. It’s one of my favorite things about you.”

  “Me being a girl?”

  His blue eyes crinkled at the corner. “Uh-huh. It makes for intriguing possibilities.” He glanced around, then lowered his voice. “There are anatomical differences between us.”

  She did her best to keep from smiling. “Are there?”

  “Several.”

  “Does it make things confusing?”

  “It can, so let me know if you need me to explain them to you.”

  She took the sandwich he offered. “I’d like that. Or you could show me.”

  The teasing was fun, and as with the sex issue, she was woefully out of flirting practice. She was about to joke about diagrams when she noticed Kyle staring at her with an intensity that made her want to squirm. Gone were the humor and the playful grin. Instead he looked at her the way a man looked at... Well, a woman.

  A second later, the passion was gone, and the Kyle she knew returned. But the moment reminded her he wasn’t the kid she barely remembered. He was a soldier and very much an adult. Despite the four years between them, if anyone was going to be playing catch-up, it was her.

  “I can’t see you for a few days,” he said, unwrapping his sandwich. “That’s the other reason I stopped by. There’s a drill, and I’m going to be on base.”

  “Military life is complicated.”

  “It can be.”

  She took a bite of her sandwich and chewed. “I looked up the Blue Angels online. You have to have 1250 tactical jet flight-hours. They keep track of how many hours you fly?”

  “Uh-huh, along with the number of carrier landings. Bigger is better.”

  “You’re such a guy.”

  “We already di
scussed that anatomy thing.”

  “Yes, we did and we’re not going back to it. The average age of a pilot on the team is thirty-three. So you still have a ways to go.”

  “I’ll get there by thirty,” he said, sounding confident. “I’m always ready to take a flight. I work hard.”

  “It’s a different world than the one I’m used to,” she admitted. “You’re dedicated.”

  “I know what I want and I go after it.” One corner of his mouth turned up. “In every aspect of my life.”

  She admired his focus as much as she worried about not living up to his vision of her. “So, once you’ve had me, you’ll move on?”

  “Not even close.”

  “Maybe you will. Maybe it’s a one-time thing.”

  “I’m going to enjoy having my fantasy fulfilled for more than a little while. I mean that figuratively and literally. Like I said—I’m in Everett for a few months. Why not spend them with you?”

  In bed. He didn’t say that part, but she hoped he was thinking it. Because she was.

  “The Mariners are having a good season,” she said, thinking baseball had to be a safer topic. “They’re in second place in their division.”

  “Can’t take the heat?” he asked.

  “I’m making a strategic retreat.”

  “Don’t know the meaning of the word. I gotta keep moving forward.”

  “So you’re relentless.”

  “I’m determined.”

  He overwhelmed her, she thought, wondering if she was getting aroused or having her very first-ever hot flash. With Kyle there was no maybe. No almost. After years of being the one who decided, it might be nice to put her fate in someone else’s hands...so to speak.

  “When are you back?” she asked.

  The slow, sexy grin returned. “Early next week. I’ll call the second I’m free.”

  “You do that.”

  * * *

  Averil got over her annoyance with the world in time to bang out an article. It was about surviving a bossy older sibling, complete with breathing exercises and escape plans. She would edit it later and then send it in. As long as she stayed on her writing schedule, she would keep her manager happy. Right now Maya seemed to be the only person still on Averil’s side. Best to keep things that way. Besides, steady freelance work paid.