“That’s what I was referring to,” his friend said, a wide grin spreading across his soot-covered face.
Cole chuckled. He should have known. “That good, huh?”
“Better.” Joe leaned against the doorframe, towel slung over his shoulder, clean change of clothes in hand. “So did anyone call you last night?”
“Anyone?” Cole repeated with a grin. “You wouldn’t by any chance be referring to Kelsie, would you?”
His friend nodded. “Nanci said Kelsie was going to call you last night, but she wasn’t sure if she’d remember seeing as how she downed three of Friday’s Ultimate Coladas.”
“Three?” Cole said in surprise as he kicked off his shoes. “No wonder she was talking the way she was last night.”
“So she did call.”
He chuckled. “Yeah. You could say that.”
“Did you guys get things worked out?”
“Not exactly. She wasn’t coherent enough to have a rational discussion. However, I did learn that I’m hot in the sack, a nice guy, she thinks about me all the time and…” he said, his words trailing off.
“And what?”
Joe was going to eat this up since he’d suggested the same thing and Cole had shot the idea down. “Kelsie says she’s willing to have sex with me if I promise not to let myself get emotionally involved with her.”
“Damn. You’ve found the perfect woman.”
Kelsie was far from perfect and that’s what he loved about her, all those little idiosyncrasies that made her adorable and vulnerable and sexy all at the same time.
“Perfection has nothing to do with it. She was drunk. She didn’t know what she was saying. Oh, and did I mention that she thinks men should have to wear bras to really appreciate them?”
“Wanna run that by me again?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure where she was going with that one. Kelsie said a lot of crazy things last night.”
His friend chuckled. “Guess it’s safe to assume you didn’t take her up on her offer for emotionless sex.”
“No. Not that the sex part wasn’t tempting,” he added with a grin. “But I want more where Kelsie and I are concerned. A lot more.”
“You’re a better man than me,” Joe admitted with a shake of his head.
“So how was your date with Nanci last night? Besides being hot.”
His friend’s smile widened. “I plan on asking her out a lot more if that tells you anything.”
It said a lot seeing as how his best friend liked to play the field. Very few repeaters when it came to his past dates. “That good, huh?”
“She’s something else. Says whatever’s on her mind. And, man, can that woman kiss.”
“First base. Way to go, Joe.”
“First base, hell. When ol’ Joe here is up to bat, I go for the home run.”
Tossing his soiled uniform into the wash pile, Cole grabbed a clean pair of briefs and a towel from his dresser drawer. “Spare me the details.”
“Who said I was going to give you any?”
“You usually do.” But this was the first time the thought of hearing the details of Joe’s date didn’t sit right with him. Nanci was Kelsie’s best friend. Somehow discussing his best friend having sex with her best friend just seemed like an inappropriate thing to do.
“A gentleman never tells.”
That summoned a raised brow from Cole. “I’m impressed.” Joe liked to brag about his sexual conquests.
“Hey, did I mention that Nanci said your little ‘Cupcake’ talks about you all the time?”
“Yeah, well I wish Kelsie would talk to me instead. And last night’s call doesn’t count. It did, however, let me know that I’m not grasping at straws where my feelings for her are concerned.”
Joe ran a hand back through his sweat-dampened hair. “So what are you going to do now? I mean since Kelsie refuses to go out with you again unless you do it on her terms.”
“I don’t know.” He sighed in frustration. “I haven’t quite figured that part out yet.”
“Why don’t you take the ‘cake lady’ up on her offer to help you out?”
“Who?” Then it dawned on him who Joe was referring to. “Kelsie’s mother?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “Why not? She gave you her card, didn’t she?”
“Yeah.”
“And said for you to give her a call if she could help you in any way, right? Well…?”
He considered Joe’s suggestion for a moment then shook his head. “I don’t think even her mother’s blessing will help get me a date with Kelsie. She’s too damn stubborn. I just have to find a way around that stubborn streak of hers.”
“Then don’t ask her out.”
“What?” How could Joe even suggest he just give up on the first woman to really turn his head in…forever? Not to mention the first woman he’d ever dated who had no hang up whatsoever about his chosen profession.
“Kelsie’s mother is queen of the blind date fix-ups. So it’s simple. Have her mother fix the two of you up on one of those blind dates she’s so fond of setting up.”
Joe came up with some off the wall schemes at times, but this was actually a great idea. It was the perfect plan. “Joe, I could kiss you.”
His friend threw up a hand and took a step back into the hall. “Save it for your blind date. I don’t kiss men. Especially ugly ones like you.”
“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t waste one on you anyhow,” Cole assured him, his laughter filling the room.
Joe blew out an exaggerated breath and returned to leaning against the doorframe. “Phew… Had me worried there for a moment.”
The more Joe’s suggestion sank in, the more excited Cole was to set the plan in motion. Kelsie would rather suffer through one of her mother’s blind date fix-ups, at least until she came up with another clever escape plan, than tell her mother no. And he would use that small kink in her relationship-avoidance armor in his favor.
“Seriously, Joe, your idea of enlisting Kelsie’s mother to help me out is a brilliant one. I just need to come up with the perfect blind date.”
“The station’s annual picnic is coming up. Maybe you could have your blind date meet you there. Nanci will be there with me.”
The station’s picnic was held every summer. All the men on their crew and their families were invited. This year Lieutenant Calhoun was hosting the get together at his place.
Cole thought that one over. It made sense. And he’d have a whole lot of backup on his side. “Nanci’s being there might help things once Kelsie finds out her mother and I tricked her into coming there.”
“You better hope so, because something tells me she’s not going to be too happy about being set up. Even if it is for her own good.”
“She can’t know that I have anything to do with this date until she shows up for it.” He looked to his friend. “Are you going to tell Nanci about it?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
Cole hesitated, mulling it over. “I suppose the more help I have in pulling this off, the better. Do you think Nanci will keep it under wraps?”
“Are you kidding me? She wants to see you and Kelsie together almost as much as the ‘cake lady’ does. She won’t say anything.”
Cole crossed the room and retrieved the business card Melinda Collins had given him from the top drawer of his desk. “I’ll give Kelsie’s mother a call as soon as I grab a shower.”
“That’s where I’m heading now. Then I’m going to raid the kitchen. A man’s got to keep up his strength with a woman like Nanci in his life.” Joe turned and set off down the hall toward the showers, whistling as he went.
Joe never whistled. Was it possible the revolving door of his friend’s love life had finally stopped spinning? Between the two of them and the crazy females they were trying to win over, this was going to be a very interesting picnic.
*
Kelsie walked her patient to the reception area desk and handed Heather who ran the fro
nt office her patient’s chart. “We’ll see Mrs. Pierce in six months. Is my next patient here?”
Heather shook her head.
Kelsie glanced toward the clock on the wall. A no-show. Just what she didn’t need today. She needed to keep busy. Needed to forget about Cole and her phone call with him the night before. She vaguely remembered breaking up with him. Or had she only dreamt that? And some of the things she’d said…
Turning, she walked back to her room to be alone with her troubled thoughts. She could only imagine what Cole must think of her now.
She crossed the room to prepare it for her next patient, wishing she hadn’t let her stubbornness push her into out-drinking Nanci for a change. The throbbing in her head was a constant reminder of her stupidity.
“So did you do it?”
Kelsie jumped, startled from her thoughts. She turned to find Nanci standing in the open doorway, holding her ‘I HATE MONDAYS’ Garfield coffee mug. “Maybe I should be asking you that question. You’re the one who’s nearly an hour late for work this morning.”
“Hey, I called Dr. Andy to let him know I was running late. Since his first patient cancelled, he said he’d cover for me with Mrs. Wilhelm.”
Kelsie gathered up the cleaning instruments she’d used on her last patient and carried them out to the sink to clean them before placing them in the sterilizer. “Late night, huh?”
“Stop trying to change the subject,” Nanci scolded. “Did you call Cole last night, or not?”
“I said I would.”
“But did you?”
She flashed her friend an irritated frown. “I did.”
“Good,” she said as she sipped at her coffee.
“I think,” she added with a sigh as she washed her hands.
“You think?”
Grabbing a paper towel, she turned from the sink. “I’m hoping my call to Cole didn’t really happen. That it was some alcohol induced imagining.”
“Why?” her friend asked, her eyes alight with curiosity. “What happened?”
“I think I offered him my body.”
Nanci choked on the swallow of coffee she’d just taken. She lowered her cup, her eyes wide. “You what?”
“I only remember bits and pieces of the conversation I had with him, but I remember suggesting to Cole that we have a sex only relationship.”
“Oh my God,” her friend gasped as she moved further into the room, lowering her voice. “That is so not like you.”
“Tell me about it.”
“How did Cole respond?”
“He turned me down. At least I think he did.”
“There goes that word again! What do you mean you think?”
“Last night’s a bit vague to me.”
“Gee, I wonder why?” her friend murmured with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “At least, you still made it to work today. That’s dedication.”
“That’s stupidity,” Kelsie said with a sigh as she sank down onto her chair. “I woke up this morning with the cordless wedged between my face and pillow.” She lifted her hair and turned to show Nanci the still fading imprint the phone had left on her cheek. “That should have been a sign to stay home.”
Nanci’s hand flew to her mouth as she fought to muffle her laughter. “That’s too funny.”
“Doctor Andy thought so, too.” Releasing the handful of hair she’d lifted away from her face, she worked to hide the fading mark. “A real ha ha moment.”
“I hate to say I told you so, but─”
“You warned me,” Kelsie finished for her.
“Tried to at least,” her friend said with a smile. “Something tells me you’ll be sticking to light beer or wine coolers from now on.”
Kelsie nodded. “You’ve got that right.”
Heather popped her head into the room. “Sorry to interrupt, but Kelsie’s mom is on line one.”
“Is something wrong?” Kelsie asked worriedly.
“No. She just said she needed to ask you something if you weren’t busy.”
“Oh, damn.” That meant her mother was up to her favorite past time - matchmaking. “Tell her I’m with a patient.”
“Too late,” the receptionist said with a frown. “She already asked and I told her your patient had just left and your next was a no-show.”
Kelsie looked to Nanci for help.
“Don’t look at me. She’s your mother. Thank goodness for that. If I were you I’d take the call in Andy’s office.”
With a groan, she headed back to his office to see what her mother wanted. Settling into the oversized leather desk chair, she reached for the phone.
“Hi, Mom. What’s up?”
“Hi, honey. I had to leave early this morning so I didn’t have a chance to call and see how your night out with Nanci went. Make any new friends?”
“We didn’t pick up any men if that’s what you’re asking. We had appetizers and a few drinks and then went home.” Make that a few too many drinks.
“I had hoped you might have met someone last night,” her mother said with a disappointed sigh. “You didn’t wear that high-neck blouse you always like to wear. The color doesn’t—”
“Mom, I have to get back to work,” Kelsie muttered, in no mood to hear about her clearly unsexy fashion choices.
“Alright. We’ll talk more tonight. Maybe over dinner.”
“Can’t.” Thank goodness. “I have patients scheduled until eight.”
“You work too hard. How are you ever going to find Mr. Right working some of the hours you do?”
“Bye, Mom.”
“Bye, honey.”
She hung up with a groan.
“What’s wrong?” Doctor Andy asked as he stepped into his office.
“What else?” she replied. “My mother. She’s pushing me past my mental limits.”
“It’s their job,” he told her with a grin. “My mother used to make unannounced visits to my apartment when I was in dental school to do my laundry, dishes, whatever needed cleaning. She’s a clean freak.”
Was he for real? “How can you compare that to what my mother does?”
“You seemed to be missing the key word in my story – unannounced. One day she walked in on me and a girl I was dating at the time.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“We were in bed.”
“No,” she gasped.
“Yes,” he said with a chuckle. He walked over to stand at the window. “I don’t know who was more shocked. Her or us.”
“Oh my God, how embarrassing,” she groaned. “What did your mother do?”
He turned, leaning back against the windowsill, arms crossed. “She grabbed my dirty clothes basket and announced she would be doing my laundry back at her house. She told me I could pick it up there whenever I had time. It was the last time she ever did one of her impromptu housecleaning runs to my place. You should try it.”
She snorted. “Are you serious? Have my mother find me in bed with a guy?”
“Okay, maybe not the best way to get her to back off.”
Kelsie shook her head. “Not at all. My mother would be ready to marry me off to the guy.” Sighing softly, she stood and rounded his desk, pausing at the door. “If you don’t mind my asking, whatever happened to the girl your mom walked in on you with?”
“I married her.”
“Your mom walked in on you and Lisa?” Okay, so maybe she wasn’t the only person in the world who had to deal with awkward situations brought on by a parent.
“Kelsie,” Nanci said, joining them in the doorway, “Mrs. Jenkins is here.”
She glanced down at her watch and then back at her friend. “She’s early.”
Nanci nodded.
“Well, back to work.” She turned to Andy who was settling in behind his desk. “Thanks for the talk.”
“Any time.”
“You okay?” Nanci asked as she walked with her down the hallway toward the waiting room door.
“I’ve had better days.”
Take away her mother’s endless prodding to find a man, her Ultimate Colada hangover, and Cole’s ability to make her do something so foolish as to risk her heart again, and her life would be unbelievably perfect.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cole tapped his fingers nervously on the menu in front of him, glancing at the clock on his cell phone for the fifth time. She should be there any minute.
The thought had barely formed in his mind when the bell over the diner door jingled, drawing his gaze that direction.
She’d come.
He stood up from the chair he’d been seated in and extended his hand. “I appreciate your taking the time to meet with me.”
Melinda Collins smiled, slipping her hand into his. “I’m so glad you called.”
“I wasn’t sure where else to turn,” he answered honestly, the frustration clear in his voice.
“Well, I’m glad you turned my way,” she said as he helped her into the chair across from his. “You said on the phone you wanted to talk to me about my daughter.”
When he’d first dialed Melinda’s number, he had to admit he’d had second thoughts. But his determination to win Kelsie over overrode any of the doubts plaguing him. “She doesn’t know I called you,” he admitted as he returned to his seat. “I think you should know that up front.”
“Honesty,” she murmured. “A good trait in a man. Now what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“I want to take your daughter out on a date again.”
“Shouldn’t you be asking her instead?”
“I would, but you and I both know how Kelsie feels about having a man in her life.”
Her smile sagged. “I keep hoping she’ll get past that.”
“You and me both.”
“I’m glad you’re not giving up on her,” she said, looking up at him with eyes the same shade of green as Kelsie’s. “She really likes you.”
“I like her, too. A lot. That’s why I need your help.”
“You want me to ask her for you?”
“Sort of,” he admitted. “But she can’t know it’s me who’s wanting to take her out.”
She arched a neatly plucked brow. “You want me to lie to her?”
OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE Page 19
