Baby, Drive South

by Stephanie Bond

  Nikki pulled on her helmet and started the engine. When she goosed the gas, the vehicle’s wheels spun, kicking up dirt and leaves. She eased off the throttle and glanced at the rear tires. A shiny object stood out among the debris. Remembering the pocket watch find, Nikki put on the brake and climbed off the vehicle for a look.

  It was a ring.

  The gold filigree band looked delicate against her palm, but in fact, was quite heavy and probably of considerable value. Was it another artifact carried here by the tornado a decade ago? Nikki was both saddened and filled with wonder—sad for the person who’d lost the ring and amazed that she’d found it by chance. Was the person still looking for it? There were no visible inscriptions in the gold, but the ring might reveal more secrets once it had been cleaned. She tucked it into her pocket, then mounted the four-wheeler and headed downhill, eager to see Porter to show him her find.

  And not for any other reason.

  Before, the ride down the mountain had always gone more quickly than the ride up, but Nikki drove slowly and it seemed a long time before she saw the roof of the boardinghouse through the trees. After pulling the four-wheeler to a stop where Porter usually parked it, she stashed her helmet and hurried into the building.

  Her first stop was by her office to make sure, as she expected, that no one was waiting to see her. She went inside to check on the two animals that had been moved to the bathroom. The deer lay in the bottom of the glass shower stall, still dozing from sedatives to keep it from standing on its cast leg for at least one more day. She watched as its ears flicked and its chest rose and fell rhythmically. The animal wasn’t out of the woods yet, but so far, so good.

  Outside the shower, Nigel was asleep in the dog bed that Rachel had furnished. He lay on his side, his stubby little legs bicycling occasionally. He was well enough to go back to Rachel’s room, but he seemed reluctant to leave the deer, whining and walking back to sniff the animal when Rachel tried to coax him away. For now, she agreed to leave him nearby.

  Nikki left her office to go next door to the empty bedroom where Porter was recuperating. She hesitated, wondering if Rachel was in there with him. Probably. She raised her hand and knocked. “Porter? It’s Nikki. Is this a bad time?”

  “Come on in,” he called.

  She turned the knob and pushed open the door. The bed where he’d been confined for the better part of two days was empty. Straight ahead, the bathroom door was open. Porter stood leaning against the sink, shirtless, shaving with a disposable razor. His hair and skin were damp. “I had Kendall bring me a change of clothes and some toiletries so I could at least take a sponge bath.”

  Her pulse jumped erratically at the sight of his wide shoulders and dark chest hair. “Your coloring is improved,” she said to cover the fact that she was staring. “But you still need to rest. Where’s Rachel?”

  “She left,” he said curtly, then picked up a towel to wipe his jaw. He turned to face her. “Listen, Nikki. I want to apologize for what happened the other day in your office.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “No need. I let things go too far.”

  He frowned. “I was apologizing for the interruption.”

  She swallowed hard, assailed by sensual memories. “Like I said—no need. Let’s just forget it happened.”

  “But—”

  “Porter,” she interrupted, anxious that her body was reacting to him even now. “Drop it, okay?”

  He averted his gaze. “Okay.” He draped the towel over the edge of the sink. “How was your outing?”

  “It was good,” she said breezily. “My former boss thinks she’s found a replacement for me, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist that my van be repaired as soon as possible.”

  His expression was unreadable. “I promise I’ll get right on it.”

  “You’ve said that before,” she added.

  He pursed his mouth, then nodded. “I mean it this time.” He retrieved a light-colored chambray shirt from a hanger, then shrugged into it, leaving the front hanging open to give her a glimpse of his planed stomach. He reached for his crutches, then made his way back to the bed, where he sat on the edge. “So when does your replacement arrive?”

  “I don’t know.” She pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and extended it to him. “I said I’d pass along his contact information to you and your brothers.”

  He took the paper. “Your replacement is a man?”

  She nodded. “It’s probably best for now, don’t you think?”

  He didn’t say anything, just tucked the piece of paper into his shirt pocket.

  “Oh, and I found this,” she said, pulling out the ring and holding it up for him to see.

  All of the “improved” coloring left Porter’s face. He took the ring and she noticed his hand was shaking slightly. “You found this at the water tower?”

  “Yes, not too far away from the spot where I found the pocket watch. Do you think it was carried up there by the tornado?”

  He nodded, turning the ring over and over. “I know it was.”

  “So you think Molly will be able to find the owner?”

  “She won’t have to,” he said, pinning her with those amazing blue eyes. “This is my mother’s wedding ring.”

  Nikki’s jaw dropped. “Are you kidding?”

  “No. She took it off just before the tornado hit, and it blew away with everything else we owned. She cried for days, then resigned herself to the fact that she’d never see it again.” He exhaled noisily, visibly moved. “Thank you.”

  Nikki was almost speechless with incredulity…and the emotional fallout of the find made her uncomfortable. She hugged herself. “You’re welcome. But I didn’t do anything—it was just there under the wheel of the ATV.”

  Porter closed his hand over the ring and suddenly a smile broke over his face. “Go to Atlanta with me.”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “Go to Atlanta with me. Someone has to get supplies for the clinic, and you’re the best person for the job.”

  Nikki pondered his offer. It would be a good chance to see the city. “Only if you get an appointment to see an orthopedist to make sure your leg is healing.”

  He hesitated, then nodded. “Agreed.”

  “And we get a fuel pump for my van.”

  Another hesitation, another nod. “Agreed. And on the way we’ll stop by Mother’s to give her her wedding ring.”

  Panic flooded her chest—she didn’t want to know more about this man or his family. “Stop by your mother’s?”

  “It’s on our way. Plus she’ll want to meet you to thank you in person for finding her ring.”

  Nikki bit her lip. How could she say no? Besides, when they returned with supplies for the clinic and the replacement part for her van, she’d be able to leave Sweetness for good. “I guess that would be okay.”

  He grinned. “Great. I’ll make our hotel reservation.”

  Her pulse jumped. “Hotel?”

  “With everything on our list, we’ll have to spend the night.”

  Nikki swallowed. “Separate rooms,” she said pointedly.

  “Separate rooms,” he agreed, his cobalt-colored eyes serious…and so, so sexy.

  “Definitely,” she said, nodding.

  “Absolutely,” he said, nodding back.

  24

  “I don’t like it,” Marcus said, then jabbed a finger at the computer monitor on his desk that displayed a profit-and-loss statement. “The last shopping trip to Atlanta almost bankrupted us!”

  “Marcus, be reasonable,” Porter cajoled. “We have a line of credit to use for planned expenses, and the clinic is useless without basic equipment.” He looked to Kendall for support, but Kendall was sitting in a chair chewing on a thumbnail, staring into space. “Kendall—a little help here?”

  Kendall jerked his head around. “Sorry, what?”

  Porter frowned at Kendall’s state of distraction that seemed to be getting worse every day. “I was telling Marcus how imp
ortant it is that Dr. Salinger and I make a trip to Atlanta to get supplies for the clinic.”

  Kendall scoffed and pushed to his feet. “If you want to be alone with Dr. Salinger, little brother, you don’t have to make up excuses.”

  Porter’s frown deepened. “I’m not making up excuses. I have to go to Atlanta anyway to see an orthopedist, and the sooner we have supplies for the clinic, the sooner we can apply for an inspection to qualify for Federal Rural Health Clinic status. And don’t you want Mother to have her wedding ring as soon as possible?”

  “Of course,” Kendall said, then gave Porter a mock salute. “Have fun.” Then he turned and left the office, allowing the door to bang shut behind him.

  “What’s eating him?” Porter muttered.

  “Damned if I know,” Marcus said. “Why don’t you ask the doc if she has something for a perpetual bad mood?”

  “For Kendall or for you?”

  “Funny. And Kendall’s right— I thought I told you to stay away from her.”

  Porter didn’t like the look his brother was giving him. “She’s already planning to leave, what more harm can I do?”

  Marcus arched his eyebrow. “Call me old-fashioned, but since we’ve been keeping the good doctor here under false pretenses, I feel responsible for her.”

  Porter glared. “Have you contacted the physician who’s offering to replace her?”

  Marcus held up the piece of paper Porter had given him. “It’s on my list today. Along with a thousand other things.”

  “Why don’t you hold off for now?”

  “You’re going to try to convince her to stay? You’ve got something up your sleeve?” He frowned. “Or elsewhere?”

  “No. I mean, yes, I’m going to try to convince her to stay…by talking up our plans for the town and her place in it.”

  Marcus looked dubious. “Okay…go for it.”

  “So, I’m cleared to get the clinic supplies?”

  Marcus scanned the spreadsheet that Porter had given him and sighed. “Only the items marked essential. I’m trusting you not to go crazy.”

  “Got it,” Porter said, relieved. Nikki would never agree to go to Atlanta if they weren’t going for business. And despite his assertion to the contrary, he desperately wanted to be alone with her. Kendall, darn him, could read him like a book.

  So why couldn’t he figure out what was bothering Kendall?

  “When are you going?” Marcus asked, breaking into his thoughts.

  “Nikki got me an appointment with an orthopedist tomorrow afternoon,” Porter said. “I thought we’d head down in the morning and stop to see Mother, then drive into the city for my appointment and spend the night. I’ll hire a truck and buy supplies the next day before coming back.”

  Marcus pursed his mouth. “I can’t remember you ever introducing a woman to Mother before.”

  “I figured Mother will want to meet Nikki because she found her ring, that’s all.”

  “Uh-huh. If I didn’t know better, little brother, I’d say you were falling for this woman.”

  Porter balked, but decided nonchalance was the best way to go. “But you know better.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you took that tumble off the water tower? You’ve gone soft—first over the doctor and now you’re nursing a deer back to health.”

  “The doe is improving,” Porter insisted, skipping over the reference to Nikki. “It’s on its feet and walking around with the cast. I had a couple of the guys build a pen for it.”

  Marcus looked murderous. “Right…because there’s nothing else to do around here!” He stood and gestured wildly. “You’re out for the whole damned summer, Kendall has fallen into some kind of funk and I’m left to deal with the workers and all those women!”

  “Wait a minute. I supervised the clinic on one good leg, and Kendall has been overseeing the media room installation. We’ve been working, too.”

  “On things that don’t produce revenue!” Marcus boomed. “We’re behind on the mulch production line because the men keep getting pulled away for fool things like faking illnesses to see the doctor, or working on a clinic we don’t have personnel for or building a pen for Bambi!”

  Porter remembered their previous conversation when Marcus revealed how worried he was about meeting their goal. The two-year calendar that papered the office walls with a big circle around their deadline served as a constant reminder, and Marcus was feeling the pressure.

  Porter held up his hands, stop-sign fashion. “I know everything seems disjointed at the moment, but it’s all going to come together. The men and the women seem to be getting along better—”

  Marcus snorted.

  “—than before,” Porter finished. “And the food in the dining room is improving—”

  Another snort sounded.

  “—some,” Porter finished. “And we’re getting our communication lines up and going.” He winced, waiting for Marcus to react.

  Marcus worked his mouth from side to side. “I guess that’s not such a bad thing.”

  “The garden is growing every day,” Porter added. “And the clinic will be ready for business soon. We’re making huge strides, Marcus. And we’re going to meet that deadline, you’ll see.”

  Marcus pulled his hand down his face, then smirked. “Just come back from Atlanta with a note from that specialist saying how quickly you can get back to work.”

  Porter grimaced. “I’m more worried about what Mother is going to say when she sees this cast.”

  Marcus came around the desk and slapped him on the back. “My guess is Mother will be too busy sizing up Dr. Salinger to notice that cast of yours. Is Nikki ready?”

  “Ready for what?”

  “For Emily Armstrong’s sweet-little-old-lady method of interrogation. The CIA could take tips from her.”

  “We won’t be staying that long,” Porter assured him. “We have a lot to take care of in the city.”

  “Right,” Marcus said drily. “Just be careful, okay?”

  Porter gave a dismissive wave. “I know my way around Atlanta.”

  “I mean with our doctor.” Marcus gave him a pointed look. “Dr. Salinger isn’t one of your silly little-girl barflies. While you’re trying to convince her to stay, don’t do anything to make things worse.”

  Porter rubbed at the sudden dull pain behind his breastbone. “I won’t.”

  “Are you planning to leave Sweetness?” Rachel asked.

  Surprised, Nikki looked up from where she was examining a happy, roly-poly Nigel. “Why do you ask?”

  Rachel shrugged. “You’re so standoffish around the other women. It’s as if you don’t want to put down roots here.”

  Nikki looked back to her furry patient. “To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it. I’m just not as committed to this cause as you and the other women are.”

  “The girls will miss you.”

  “Don’t worry—my former boss thinks she’s found a replacement physician for me.”

  “I mean they’ll miss you, Nikki.”

  Nikki blinked. “Why? Like you said, I haven’t exactly integrated myself into the house.”

  “Everyone admires you, and they want to get to know you. But I guess that’s not going to happen now.”

  Nikki continued the examination, her pulse clicking. Rachel’s words left her feeling defensive, as if she was letting everyone down. And that was exactly why she hadn’t gone out of her way to get to know the women in the first place.

  “If you don’t mind, please don’t say anything yet about me leaving,” she murmured, pressing her stethoscope to Nigel’s chest.

  “Okay. Are you going back to Broadway?”

  “I haven’t decided.”

  “What about Porter?”

  Nikki froze. “What about him?”

  “I hear you two are going to Atlanta tomorrow.”

  Was that a jealous note in Rachel’s voice? Nikki removed the stethoscope from her ears and looked up—she’d
never experienced jealousy from another woman. Although it probably had more to do with going to the city than with the fact that she’d be spending time with Porter.

  “That’s right,” Nikki said, keeping her tone light. “He has an appointment with a specialist to have his leg examined, and I’m going to choose equipment for the clinic.”

  “If you have a thing for Porter, it’s okay.”

  Nikki stumbled over her words. “I…I don’t have a thing for Porter—”

  “He has a thing for you, too.”

  Nikki gave a little laugh. “No…you’re mistaken.”

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “Girl, I was giving out signals a blind man would have picked up on at our picnic the other day. But his mind was miles away—back here with you, I’d venture.”

  “More likely with the deer,” Nikki said wryly. She gave Nigel’s head a rub before handing him to Rachel. “He looks fine, just keep an eye on him. If he eats grass again, it might mean his stomach is bothering him.”

  “Thank you.” Rachel shifted to cradle Nigel in her arms. “You know, you shouldn’t let that creep of a fiancé keep you from falling in love again.”

  Feeling exposed, she hugged herself. “That’s easier said than done.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Rachel said in a sympathetic tone.

  “You?” Nikki asked, scanning the gorgeous woman’s face and figure. “I can’t imagine that you…I mean…you…” She tripped over the words even as Rachel smiled.

  “Have been dumped and cheated on more times than I can count,” the woman finished. “I’ve been engaged five times and never once made it to the altar. No one is immune to having their heart broken.”

  Nikki felt foolish and judgmental for assuming the beauty had fewer problems than the average woman. “I suppose you’re right.” She pushed a limp hank of hair behind her ear. “It’s just that some of us have fewer opportunities to attract the opposite sex.”

  Rachel angled her head. “Nikki, you have amazing bone structure, you just need to play it up.”

  Nikki’s cheeks warmed. “I’m afraid I’m not very good with makeup and hair.”

  Rachel reached forward to touch Nikki’s chin. “A few highlights and maybe some bangs would bring out your eyes— Delia would know, the woman’s a hair genius. And Traci could define your eyebrows. Monica used to sell makeup in a department store, she knows all the tricks.”