OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE

by Lindsey Brookes

  “Wait here,” he said as they pulled up to the emergency room curb. “I’ll go in and get a wheelchair.”

  The second he disappeared through the emergency room doors, She snatched her cell phone out of her purse and dialed Nanci.

  “Hello?”

  “My mother is soooo dead.”

  “Kelsie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where are you?”

  She glanced toward the emergency room’s entrance with a frown. “I’m at Riverside Methodist.”

  Her friend gasped. “As in hospital?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh my God, you really did break a leg!”

  “No. I pretended to sprain my ankle to end the date early. Only Cornelius insisted on bringing me here instead. Now what do I do?”

  “Looks like the only thing you can do is keep on pretending.”

  “Damn, here he comes with a wheelchair. I’ve got to go.”

  “Good luck!” her friend called out as Kelsie snapped the phone shut and shoved it back into her purse.

  A second later, the passenger door opened and her date popped his head inside. “Need help getting out?”

  “No, I think I can manage.”

  She slung her purse over her shoulder and then scooted onto the wheelchair with a frown. Here she was, queen of date escapes, and she couldn’t think of any way to get out of this mess she’d gotten herself into. Other than the truth, which she wasn’t about to use and hurt Cornelius’ feelings.

  Thankfully the waiting room was packed, guaranteeing them a very long stay. Maybe, just maybe, her date would decide the wait wasn’t worth it and take her home like she’d asked.

  He didn’t.

  An hour later, she found herself thinking the truth might not be such a bad thing after all. They hadn’t known each other long enough to develop any real feelings for each other. How hard could he take it?

  “I have to tell you,” her date said, turning to face her. “I had my doubts, this being a blind date and all, but despite this little mishap I’ve really had a great time this evening. You’re everything your mother said you were.”

  Had her mother included liar in her list of qualities?

  This whole situation was her mother’s fault.

  “Kelsie?”

  She looked up, following the sound of that deep, husky, all too familiar voice. Sure enough, Nanci’s ‘calendar hunk’ from Casey’s Bar and Grill was making his way across the waiting room toward her. Only this time he was in full uniform and looking incredibly hot.

  “Cole?”

  She remembered his name. That kicked Cole’s pulse up a notch and he might very well have grinned with pleasure were he not concerned about why she was sitting in the emergency room in a wheelchair.

  “What happened?” he asked with a worried frown.

  The man seated next to her jumped into the conversation. “She twisted her ankle while we were rollerblading.”

  Cole looked to her questioningly. “Rollerblading?

  She turned to the man beside her. “Cole’s a fire fighter with the Worthington Fire Department. He knows how dangerous in-line skating can be.”

  She was right. He’d seen firsthand the injuries caused by in-line skating accidents.

  “I stopped rollerblading when Cole and I were dating,” she continued with a glance in his direction.

  He looked down at her, his brows drawing together in confusion. “What?”

  She pushed out of the wheelchair and rose up, balancing on one foot as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  He glanced past the woman who had besieged his thoughts all day to the man who had accompanied her there. “Did she hit her head when she fell?”

  “No. Most of the falls she took were on her a-. Uh, I mean her backside.”

  “Play along,” she whispered in his ear, the feel of which wreaked havoc on Cole’s senses. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said much louder, following that up with a sniffle.

  He was a trained professional. He’d be willing to bet money there wasn’t a damn thing wrong with her ankle. Not after he’d seen the way she’d shot up out of the wheelchair to greet him.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” he replied with a grin, wrapping his arms possessively about her tiny waist. He had no idea what was going on there, but he wasn’t going to refuse the chance to hold her after fantasizing about it all night long.

  “Cole Maxwell,” he said, letting one hand leave Kelsie long enough to reach down and shake the other man’s hand.

  “Cornelius Benson.”

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she clung to him.

  “I suffered some smoke inhalation during a run today and had to be checked out.”

  “Are you alright?” she asked, her expression one of genuine concern.

  “I’ll live.” He ran a splayed hand up and down her back and smiled. “And holding you in my arms makes me feel a whole lot better.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. Then she raised her voice again with dramatic flair. “It feels so good to be in them again. Better than I remember. I know what I said before about the two of us, but I was wrong.”

  “You were?” He had no idea what kind of game she was playing, but he was off-duty now. Might as well play along and see what the little spitfire was up to.

  She loosened her hold on him and leaned back, looking up at him with those beautiful green eyes. “Yes. Seeing you again made me realize how much I need to be with you, to share your life, to have your children.”

  Have his children?

  He fought the urge to grin. This woman was either certifiably nuts or on a mission.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” She fluttered her cinnamon lashes, a hint of mischief twinkling in those green orbs. “Oh, never mind. There’s no need for words.” She kissed him instead.

  The unexpected kiss had Cole rocking back on his heels. Damn.

  “Uh, Kelsie…” her spectacled companion muttered, clearing his throat.

  She ended the kiss and turned to him with a gasp. “Oh, Cornelius. I’m so sorry. I…that is, we…”

  “It’s all right,” the other man said with a sigh. “I understand.”

  “When I agreed to go out with you, I thought I was over Cole. But now, after seeing him again, I know I’m not. Please tell me you understand.”

  Her date shrugged with a forced smile. “Hey, you can’t win ‘em all.”

  Cole watched the scene with interest. She was good. He’d give her that. But women like her were dangerous to a man’s heart. The kind he was determined to steer clear of.

  “I appreciate your bringing me here,” she said with a warm smile. “But there’s no need for you to wait around. Cole can take me home.”

  He could?

  He wondered if the ‘home’ she was referring to was her place or his, because after the kiss she’d just laid on him he was thinking she’d look pretty damn good draped across his bed.

  So much for steering clear.

  Her date rose from the waiting room chair. “If you’re sure.”

  “I am,” she told him, her flushed cheeks making Cole wonder if it was from the kiss they’d shared or from her lying.

  Or both.

  Her date straightened and met Cole’s gaze. “She’s all yours.”

  I wish.

  That thought struck him like a bag of bricks. No woman had ever gotten to him this bad. What was he thinking? He didn’t wish for that. Hell, he had enough trouble with normal women. And this one was crazy with a capital ‘C’.

  He released the little China doll so fast she stumbled back several steps. “You’d best stop putting pressure on that ankle until they’ve had a chance to x-ray it.”

  Her green eyes looked up at him in confusion. “What?”

  He nodded in the direction of her dainty feet.

  “Oh,” she said with a gasp, immediately shifting into w
hat looked to be a rather awkward stork stance. Fighting to keep her balance, she finally gave in and dropped back down into the wheelchair.

  Her poor befuddled date groaned. “I really hope your ankle’s alright.”

  Cole placed his hand on the back of her wheelchair. “Something tells me she’s going to be just fine. My little Cupcake here is pretty resilient.”

  She looked up at him with what he knew to be a forced smile. “You know me so well, Stud Muffin.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched. Stud Muffin, huh?

  Her date pulled his keys from the waistband of his spandex pants. “Well, I can see you’re in good hands. Thanks again for a fun evening.”

  “Sorry it had to end this way,” she replied. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

  “It’s the least I could do.” He paused as he walked by Cole. “You’re a lucky man.”

  Cole shook his head as the spandex-clad man walked away. Spandex? Really? He stepped around the wheelchair and stood, arms folded, looking down at Kelsie. “Stud muffin?”

  She looked up at him, her dainty chin thrust defiantly up in the air. “Little Cupcake?”

  He caught her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. “Come on.”

  “W…what are you doing?” she stammered as she grabbed for her purse.

  “I’m returning this wheelchair to the desk for patients who really need it.” He pushed it one handed through the waiting area, hauling her along behind him as he went. After that was taken care of, he led her toward the front doors.

  The automatic hospital doors parted as her hunky firefighter rescuer towed her outside behind him.

  “Where are we going?” Kelsie demanded, a part of her hoping he would say was he was taking her back to his place to play hide the fire truck.

  “I’m taking you home.”

  Okay, that worked too.

  “I’m keeping my word,” he added, pulling her from her fireman fantasy.

  “Your word?”

  He slowed his step to bring her up alongside of him. “That’s right. I told your date I would make sure you got home alright. We wouldn’t want you to twist that ankle again hobbling home on your own.” Amusement lit his dark brown eyes.

  “Stop looking at me that way,” she said with a frown. “I’ll have you know I did fall. Several times as a matter of fact. I really could have broken something.”

  “Your butt from the sound of things.”

  Her cheeks heated up with embarrassment as they crossed the nearly full parking lot. “So I can’t roller blade. Sue me. This whole thing is my mother’s fault anyway.”

  He stopped beside a shiny black Ford pickup and fished his keys out of his pants pocket. “Are you sure you didn’t land on your head one of those times you fell? Because, if not, I’m wondering if you aren’t a little off your rocker.”

  “I’m not crazy.” Although her mother was driving her in that direction at high rates of speed. “For your information my mother told Cornelius I could in-line skate when she asked him to go out with me.”

  He opened the passenger door. “And you can’t?”

  She rubbed the backside of her jeans. “My butt says not.”

  “Need me to go in and borrow a hospital pillow for the ride home?”

  “Not necessary,” she assured him with a smile. “I think I can make it home without one.” She stepped up onto the shiny chrome running board. “Nice truck.”

  “Thanks.” He helped her up onto the passenger seat and then lounged against the open door, watching as she fastened her seatbelt. “So does your mother set up all your dates?”

  She studied his chiseled face, searching for something that would give way to imperfection, but damn it, she couldn’t come up with one thing. “She tries to.”

  “Hold that thought.” He straightened and stepped away. Closing the door, he rounded the truck to the driver’s side.

  God help her he even walked sexy. All six foot whatever of lean, mean, firefighting machine. She averted her gaze as he slid behind the wheel and started the engine. The less she looked at Mr. Perfect the better.

  “Okay, where to?”

  “Pardon me?”

  “I need your address to take you home.”

  “Oh.” She hesitated only a moment before giving it to him.

  He nodded. “I know the place.” Throwing the truck into reverse, he backed out of the parking space. “Now where were we?” he said as they pulled out onto Olentangy River Road. “I think it was something about your mother being your social planner.”

  She gave in to the urge to look in the direction of the man who had come to her rescue. “That is definitely an understatement. Ever since my divorce two years ago, my mother’s been determined to help me find that special someone to share my life with.”

  “And the spandex king back there was supposed to be that guy?”

  “I think she’s given up being choosey. It seems to have moved to the level of desperation on her part. Not that he wasn’t a nice guy,” she quickly added. “He just wasn’t for me.”

  “Not into guys in leotards?”

  “Those were athletic pants,” she corrected, not that she hadn’t found Cornelius’ wearing them to their date a bit odd.

  He shook his head with a chuckle. “To each their own I guess.” He turned to look at her, that teasing grin still intact. “So that’s what your little theatrical performance was about back there. You were trying to shirk your blind date obligation.”

  He made her sound so awful. Although it was true she had caused her date to rush her to the emergency room for an ankle injury that didn’t exist.

  “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him the date was a flop.”

  “I see,” he said, turning his attention back to the road. “I’ll be sure to store that one away in my mental files for my next bad date. Got any more creative escape ideas?”

  He had no idea. It suddenly dawned on her what he’d just said. “You date?”

  “I’m not a monk,” he said with a husky chuckle.

  That wasn’t what she had meant at all. “It’s just that guys like you are usually taken,” she felt the need to explain.

  “Guys like me?”

  She squirmed in her seat and fidgeted with her seatbelt, resisting the urge to blurt out what she really thought. That tall, dark, incredibly hot men in uniform like him were never left on the open market. Women snatched them up like after Christmas clearance items at the mall.

  “Men in uniform,” she explained. “Most of them your age are already taken.”

  That had his head snapping her direction. “My age?”

  She nodded. “Older.”

  “I’m thirty-four. And, for your information, a lot of guys my age are still out there sowing their wild oats.”

  “Are you?” Shoot! How had that gotten past her lips?

  His agitation turned to amusement. “Not at the moment.”

  Smart ass.

  He arched a brow, making her wonder if she had voiced her thoughts aloud.

  She looked away. “Forget I asked.”

  He chuckled. “I’m not seeing anyone. And not planning on doing so anytime soon if that’s what you’re asking.”

  Of all the arrogant… Kelsie twisted beneath the binding restraint of the seat belt to face him. “For your information I wasn’t implying that I’m interested. In fact, I’d never ever date a guy like you.”

  The humor retreated from his eyes. “What is it with you women?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “A guy could die being a garbage man, too.”

  Dying a garbage man? Where in the world had that come from?

  “I’ll have you know that I’m a damn good firefighter,” he continued, not giving her the chance to reply. “I’m well aware of the risks that come with my profession, but I have no intention of giving it up for you or any other woman.”

  Okay, now who was the crazy one?

  “I don’t recall asking you to gi
ve anything up for me. I think it’s great that there are men and women like you who are willing to risk their lives for others. I was merely pointing out that you are too perfect to ever consider dating. But after that last outburst…”

  “Too perfect?” he muttered, clearly dumbfounded by her reply.

  She nodded. “Your face, your body, the fact that you’re a caring person. Everything I’m determined to avoid.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “And your comment about dying a garbage man does?”

  “It does when almost every relationship I’ve had in my past ended because the women couldn’t deal with my being a firefighter.”

  “Then you were dating the wrong women.”

  He studied her for a long moment. “And dating men who are far from perfect isn’t doing the same thing?”

  “I risked my heart once on a man I thought was perfect and that relationship failed miserably. Dating men with flaws keeps me from making that same mistake ever again.”

  “So if I confess to leaving the lid off the toothpaste on occasion does that put me back into your acceptable dating pool?”

  She laughed softly. “Sorry, not a big enough flaw to qualify for my ‘safe to date’ list.”

  “Damn.”

  He had no idea how tempted she was to bend her dating rules. Kelsie bit at her bottom lip to keep from saying something she would undoubtedly regret. Like YES! Turning, she fixed her gaze on the town passing by outside the passenger window and sat in silence the remainder of the way home.

  “I’ll see you to your door,” her rescuer said when they pulled up in front of her apartment building.

  “No,” she blurted out, knowing she would be too tempted to drag him inside with her. And that would be a bad thing. “There’s no need. Thanks for everything.” She threw open the door, needing to get away from the temptation.

  “Kelsie…”

  Run! her panicked mind cried out. But she didn’t heed the warning. Instead, she turned in her seat to face the owner of that sexy voice. Mr. Perfect.

  Cole reached out to cup her chin and lifted her face to his, saying nothing. He didn’t have to. The heat in his eyes said it all as he lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was slow. Passionate. Dangerously seductive.