Adam glanced at the front window and the light inside. The view on his drive home, spectacular though it was, couldn’t fill the simmering sense of loneliness his landlady’s window generated in him as he passed by it every night. He knew she and her son were inside laughing, talking and being together. She’d smiled at him last night at the ice-cream parlor and seemed friendlier, but it could have been for the benefit of the mayor and her friend Maggie. It wasn’t necessarily a reaction he could afford to trust or test too far.
“I don’t know, champ. It’s probably not a good idea for me to come over without asking her. There might not be enough food. Maybe another time.”
“Nah. She always tells me I can have friends over anytime I want to. And we always have enough hot dogs.”
The light from the window outlined the eagerness in C.J.’s expression. This child had been rejected once today, and there was no way to prevent that, but a yes from him now would avoid two rejections in a row. Adam didn’t have the heart to disappoint him.
If she had a problem with him showing up, it would be her responsibility to explain to her son why. Would that put her on the spot? Heck yes. But maybe it was time to shake things up. Jill needed to get used to the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere.
C.J. tugged on his hand. “Please say yes, Dr. Adam.”
“Okay. You talked me into it. What time?”
“We eat at six.”
“I’ll be there.”
And that would give him just enough time to run an errand first.
* * *
Jill pulled the hot dogs topped with mashed potatoes out of the oven and set the cookie sheet holding them on top of the stove. Her mother had come up with this simple dinner after Jill’s father had left. Money was tight and it was especially sinful to throw food away.
Dottie had called the meals clean-out-the-refrigerator-for-two and sometimes they involved creative ways to use vegetables, potatoes and whatever leftover meat hadn’t entered an altered state that resembled a science experiment gone terribly wrong. Dinners weren’t always a culinary triumph, but hot dogs with mashed potatoes was one of Jill’s favorites and fortunately her son liked it, too.
There was a knock on the front door followed quickly by the galumphing sound of C.J.’s sneakers coming down the hallway from his bedroom. “I’ll get it,” he hollered.
“No!” She rushed out of the kitchen to beat him to the front door. It was unusual to get visitors out here by the lake, especially this time of the evening. “We don’t know who’s out there. I’m not expecting anyone.”
“I am.”
In front of the door she stared down at her little guy, an uneasy feeling knotting her insides. “Just who are you expecting?”
“Dr. Adam.”
Before she could quiz him further, there was another, more forceful knock. Jill peeked through the shutter and, sure enough, Adam was standing there on the porch.
“Open the door, Mom. Don’t make him stand out there all night.” C.J.’s tone sounded suspiciously like hers. “You’re being kind of rude.”
And so the child becomes the parent. Unfortunately he was right, and not just about this moment. At the very least, she’d been borderline rude since Adam expressed interest in renting her upstairs apartment. That’s not how she was raised.
“You’re right, C.J.” She opened the door and started to say hello, but the flowers and bottle of wine Adam was holding kept her speechless. The front porch was dark and unwelcoming, kind of like her, and when she peeked out, she hadn’t seen what he was holding.
“Hi.” Adam smiled down at C.J. “Hey, buddy.”
Jill finally found her voice. “This is a surprise.”
“I came for dinner.”
“I ’vited him,” her son added.
She looked down at him. “You should have asked me first. So I could be prepared. I’d have made more food.” And better food.
“If this isn’t a good time, I’ll take a rain check.” Adam held out the flowers, daisies mixed with baby’s breath, and the bottle of wine. Numbly she took them from him.
“It’s okay, Mom. Dr. Adam can have my hot dog. I’ll make myself a peanut butter and jelly.” Her son must have seen the protest forming because he added, “You always tell me we hafta help people who don’t have anything, and Dr. Adam doesn’t have any dinner. He told me he had to go find something.”
Jill had often said that herself, but C.J. was taking the statement literally. This wasn’t the time to explain, especially because she was actually pretty proud of him. All her preaching and lecturing had produced fruit, although it was probably the most inopportune time for the most inconvenient man.
“You’re welcome to stay.” She met Adam’s amused gaze. “It’s not fancy. An old family recipe.”
“C.J. told me what’s on the menu.”
She closed the door with her hip because her hands were full. “And you’re here in spite of full disclosure.”
“I keep telling you I don’t cut-and-run. Or scare easily.”
That made one of them because the smile he dropped on her was equal parts charm and sex appeal, which scared her a lot. It was unnerving how easily, how fast, the combination stole her breath away, but she was stuck now.
“I’ll set another place at the table and put a couple more hot dogs in the oven.”
“Come and see my room, Dr. Adam.” C.J. tugged on his hand.
“Lead the way, champ.”
Jill half expected him to brush off her son the way the last doctor had done. It still made her spitting mad that the jerk had broken C.J.’s heart even though he’d never gone out of his way to spend time with her son. The fallout could be worse if her boy formed a relationship with Adam. But she was borrowing trouble and it was becoming a habit.
In the kitchen, Jill put the already-cooked hot dogs in foil and set them on a warming tray. She made more of her specialty, then set out another plate and eating utensils on the round oak table. The flowers went into the crystal vase that had been her mother’s and she set them in the center of the place settings. Part of her was hoping to hide behind the arrangement.
Looking at the label on the wine, she wondered if cabernet sauvignon paired well with hot dogs. Smiling, she opened the bottle and poured the deep red liquid into the two glasses she’d bought for a dollar apiece at the thrift store on Main Street.
After fixing a salad, she was just about to call out that dinner was ready when C.J. tugged the affable doctor into the room and announced, “Me and Dr. Adam are hungry, Mom.”
“Then it’s a good thing dinner is ready.” She looked at Adam. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You’re gonna like it, Dr. Adam. This is my favorite food.”
“I thought ice cream was number one.” Jill watched her son plop his tush on a chair where the place setting had a glass of wine.
“Ice cream is my favorite dessert. And I’m sittin’ here tonight.”
“Okay.” Jill switched the wine with his tumbler of milk. “But that doesn’t mean you get a pass on drinking this.”
“But, Mom—”
“No buts, Christopher John. It has calcium and that’s good for your bones and teeth.”
“Then how come my teeth still fall out?” he grumbled.
“Not all of them.” Jill glanced at Adam, who was biting his lip to keep from laughing. That made it harder for her to keep her serious mom-face in place. “Your baby teeth came out to make room for the permanent ones. All the more reason to take care of them because that’s all you’re going to get. So, drink up or no dessert.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He took a token sip that left a white mustache.
Jill watched Adam’s face as he cut off a bite of hot dog and potato. She’d added slices of cheese to spruce things up a li
ttle, but it was still a hot dog.
After swallowing he said, “Not bad.”
“Told you,” C.J. said, stuffing a too-big piece in his own mouth.
“Chew that carefully,” Jill warned. “You’re going to choke.” When he mumbled something unintelligible she added, “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
She took a sip of wine and nodded at their guest who had brought it. “This is really good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He pushed the vase of flowers aside to the empty place at the table. “I was surprised to find it at the store in town. It’s a label my parents like.”
“They have good taste.”
“Of course. They’re practically perfect. It’s not easy being the flawed offspring of such gifted and talented people.”
“They must be pretty busy with their demanding careers.”
“Mom is starting to cut back some.”
“What about your dad?”
“When he isn’t winning Nobel Prizes for economics, he teaches college classes on the subject.”
“Wow.” Feeling like a particularly dim country bumpkin, she took another sip of wine. “How do they feel about you moving to Blackwater Lake?”
He’d already polished off one of his hot dogs and a good portion of salad. “How can I put this delicately?”
“Careful.” She glanced at her son, who was soaking up every word. “There’s a minor present.”
“Understood. I’ll say it this way. My mother isn’t subtle. She never misses an opportunity to ask if I’m bored yet with my Daniel Boone imitation and ready to move back to Dallas.”
“You’re leaving?” C.J.’s voice rose an octave, a big clue that he wouldn’t be happy about that.
“No, champ. I’m staying put. I like it here.”
He was looking at Jill when he said it, and there was mischief in his eyes. A wicked expression that made her want to get into trouble with him. Even if he invited her, she didn’t have to say yes. For tonight she could just enjoy conversation with an adult male and not be in danger of making a mistake. No matter how often he swore that sticking around was the plan, she knew better than to picture him in her tomorrow, let alone forever. One night didn’t have to cost her.
“C.J. tells me you were doing homework.” There was a question in Adam’s voice.
“When did he say that?”
C.J. put his milk glass back on the table. “Dr. Adam played catch with me.”
“I hope he didn’t bother you,” she said quickly.
“It was fun.” Adam smiled at the boy. “He’s got a lot of potential.”
“Yes, he does.”
The wickedness faded from Adam’s eyes and she had a feeling that her son had confided in him earlier. Now wasn’t the time to ask what was said.
“I was doing an assignment. I’m taking online classes for a bachelor’s degree in business. Better late than never.” She shrugged. “I was in junior college intending to transfer, but then C.J. was born. My mom got sick. And I had to put school on hold for a while.”
Adam put his knife and fork on the empty plate. “I can’t think of a better way to show your son how much value you put on education and a work ethic.”
“I never thought about it like that.” His words started a glow inside her. “Honestly, I just got thrown into the deep end of the pool and continued to run the marina like my mother did. The classes are to make sure I’m doing it right.”
“Doing what right, Mom?” C.J. couldn’t hold back a big yawn.
“Making sure you get enough sleep, big guy. Time for your shower.”
“But Dr. Adam’s here. And I didn’t have my dessert yet. I ate all my dinner, too. See?” He held up the empty plate for inspection. “And I’m havin’ so much fun. It’s almost as good as goin’ out to dinner.” He looked at Adam. “We never get to except for special stuff ’cuz it’s awful expensive.”
Jill figured that after six years she should be used to her son sharing embarrassing aspects of their life, but she wasn’t. She didn’t want to be pitied, especially by Adam Stone.
She ignored the statement. “You can have some ice cream after you get ready for bed, C.J.”
“I’ll be here when you’re finished,” Adam promised.
C.J. looked at her, gauging his response. “Is this one of those times that no means no ’cuz you’re the mom?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. But—” He pointed at Adam. “Don’t go. I’ll hurry.”
“Be sure to wash your feet,” she called after him.
When they were alone, she looked at Adam and saw that his shoulders were shaking. She burst out laughing, too.
“He’s something else.” Adam chuckled. “Really a bright kid.”
“Tell me about it. Makes mothering a challenge.” She stood and started stacking plates.
“I’ll give you a hand.” He carried his own plate to the sink.
Jill followed and stood beside him, looking up. “Did he tell you about not getting picked for a team at recess?”
“He said you didn’t know about that.”
“His teacher called to clue me in, just in case he was upset.”
“He was,” Adam confirmed.
“And so am I. I’d like to throttle the little stinkers, but it’s not in anyone’s best interest.”
“I have to agree with you there.”
“Part of being a mother is stepping aside to let your child fight his own battles. Or fall on his face. To handle it in his own way.” She met his gaze. “I’m a little concerned that he’s more upset than he let on because of talking to you about what happened.”
“It was a guy thing.” Adam rested a hip against the counter and studied her. “That was him trying to protect you. He said it makes you sad.”
“Of course it does. No one wants to see their child left out—” Emotion choked off her words, and tears burned her eyes.
“Jill—”
He touched her shoulder and something that felt a lot like an electric current arced between them. The sadness vanished, replaced by a hot, spicy sizzle. She didn’t know which one of them moved first, but all of a sudden his arms were around her and their lips were a whisper apart.
Chapter Five
Before Jill could even whisper “no,” Adam’s mouth was on hers. His lips were soft and he smelled so good—manly and spicy and sexy. In a heartbeat the contact grew more intense and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her body to his, her breasts flat against his hard chest. Her breathing was shallow, fast and mingled with his as the harsh sound of it filled her small kitchen.
Her pulse was throbbing and the blood pounded in her ears as he kissed the living daylights out of her. Liquid heat poured through her and settled in places that proved her feminine parts still worked.
When he traced her top lip with his tongue, she opened eagerly, letting him explore and take what he wanted. Happily, willingly she went along for the ride. She slid her palms up and over his chest, soaking up that exquisitely muscular masculine contour. He kissed her over and over, then let his mouth wander to the corner of hers before sliding to her cheek and that take-me-now spot just by her ear. If there was a God, this moment would go on forever.
Adam Stone was rocking her world.
Until he wasn’t.
She didn’t know which of them had moved first and started it, but there was no doubt who was responsible for ending it. He went still, as if some sound, some thought, breached the sensual haze, bringing the equivalent of a glass of cold water to the face with it.
He took her hands, squeezed tight, then lowered them from his chest. “I’m sorry.”
A nanosecond ago she wasn’t sorry, but that was beginning to change. From the moment they’d met,
her defenses had been in place, with a firm negative repeating over and over in her head. Who knew hot dogs, mashed potatoes and wine were such a powerful aphrodisiac that one touch of his mouth made her his for the taking? It was kind of humiliating.
Jill shook her head, as much to clear it as a disapproving reaction to his words. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I shouldn’t have done that. It’s all my fault.” He stood with his back to her sink and dragged his fingers through his hair.
Part of her wanted him to define it, but she didn’t ask, probably because she didn’t want to hear the answer. Taking two steps away from him, she said, “Wow. Words every girl is just dying to hear...being someone’s fault.”
All hint of charm disappeared from his face, leaving behind an intense expression that looked a lot like self-recrimination. “This isn’t a good idea. You. Me.” He moved his hand, indicating both of them. “I’m not good at relationships.”
“Neither am I.” She knew what was coming and couldn’t believe he was gallant enough to say what she was thinking.
“I want to be the best family practice doctor possible,” he explained. “To do that I can’t be an outsider. This community needs to accept me as one of its own. So far that’s not going as well as it could.”
“On account of me,” she said.
“Not your fault I’m paying the price for another guy’s mistake. I can get past that as long as I don’t screw up, too.”
“Right.” Jill forced a sunny smile that threatened to crack her face. Please let this conversation be over. “I see what you mean.”
He didn’t look convinced. “I think we can be good friends, but anything else has the potential to go badly based on my history. That could get awkward, complicated and counterproductive to what I’m trying to accomplish.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Her tone had more enthusiasm than sincerity. “You may be bad at relationships, but I’ll go you one better. I’ve already lived this one. I can give you a blow-by-blow of how this will play out. Spoiler alert—it’s not pretty.”
For some reason her agreement intensified his frown. “So we’re on the same page. Best to sidestep this land mine.”
The Doctor and the Single Mom Page 6
