Clash of Hearts (Wild Hearts, Contemporary Romance Book 2)

by Nancy Adams

  Katie giggled, but admitted that Kylie's phone had some pretty good music on it, especially for a dancer with limited abilities. The dancing was good exercise, she knew, but it was also bringing her and Rob closer together. Both of them seemed to be enjoying it, so it wasn't a problem, but she still wondered if this was something that was supposed to happen, or merely her own imagination running wild.

  "So, I was wondering," Katie asked Rob, "what am I supposed to be wearing Saturday? I mean, is this a formal affair, casual or what?"

  "Well, the ticket says semiformal," he replied. "I'm thinking of wearing blue jeans, with a white shirt and tie. That would be a pretty fair definition of semiformal, wouldn't it?"

  "Um, I guess so," Katie said. "So I can get away with slacks, then? Maybe a pantsuit?"

  "Katie Lou, you wear whatever you want to wear. Anybody says anything, I'll punch 'em out. How's that?"

  Kylie shook her head. "You two crack me up," she said. "You act like a couple I knew back in seventh grade. Scott and Holly, that was their names, and you two remind me so much of them right now."

  "Well, I hope that's a good thing," Rob said, "because I seriously doubt you're going to get us to stop acting however it is we're acting. I'm not sure about Katie Lou, but I happen to be having a very good time acting like—what was his name? Scott?"

  Katie nodded. "I'm having a lot of fun as Holly, too," she said. "What was so special about those two kids?"

  "Special? The only thing special about Scott and Holly was that everyone in school thought they were crazy. They would act like you see in movies, where some guy and girl are so into each other that they can't think of anything else. That was Scott and Holly, and we all used to make fun of them. You guys are acting just like them, right now."

  Katie grinned. "Yeah, you're just jealous," she said.

  Kylie burst into raucous laughter, and doubled over, holding her belly. "Oh my gosh," she said, "oh my gosh! Katie Lou, trust me, Sis, I'm not jealous. I'll admit that I thought I was going to be, but I'm not, so there's no problem, there. In fact, I think the only thing I could be jealous about is that you're having all the fun, and I don't have anyone to dance with." She snapped her fingers. "Wait a minute, I'll be right back!" She hurried out the door.

  "What on earth was that all about?" Rob asked, but Katie only shook her head in confusion.

  "No idea," she said, "but I'm sure were going to know in a moment. Kylie can be a little, shall we say, theatrical at times, but I love her."

  Katie was on her feet, with Rob's arms around her as they swayed to the music that was playing from Kylie's phone. She'd noticed that he was holding her a little closer than he had the day before, and she admitted to herself that it felt good. Darren had never been much of a dancer, and when they did dance, it was usually something that didn't require holding each other close. Katie found that she preferred this style of dancing, where she could feel the man she was dancing with pressed up against her.

  The door opened, and Kylie came in with Anna in tow. "Okay, now we can really get this party started," she said. "We already ordered the pizza, and now I have a dance partner, too." She grabbed Anna's hand, and the two of them began dancing to the music, right along with Rob and Katie.

  Katie began laughing at her sister, so Kylie and Anna decided to put on an act. They began dancing wildly, not paying any attention to the actual beat of the music, but dancing much faster. Katie laughed even harder, and a moment later Rob was laughing with her.

  "Correct me if I'm wrong," he said, "but wasn't your sister making fun of us just a moment ago?"

  "You're not wrong," Katie Lou said, "she was indeed. And now look at her. If that isn't the silliest thing I ever saw…"

  "Hey, you were monopolizing the only eligible male dancer in the room," Kylie said. "I had to improvise. Don't make fun of my dance partner!"

  "I'm not making fun of your dance partner," Katie said, "I'm making fun of you. Besides, your dance partner has red hair, and we all know what that means in terms of temper. I'd rather pick on you, you little blonde. You're much more fun to pick on."

  "Oh, well, as long as you're having fun. I know I am."

  "Yeah," Anna said, "me, too. Beats sitting up there in the lobby by myself all day!"

  The next song on Kylie's playlist began, a love song called "All Of Me" that had been popular a year or two before. It was an excellent song for slow dancing, and Rob and Katie flowed into it smoothly. The song was rather romantic, the words describing the feelings of a man for his wife, taking in stride all of the imperfections that they each had, and blending them into the almost perfect love they felt for one another. Katie loved the song, and without even thinking about what she was doing, she laid her head against Rob's chest and let him hold her tightly as they danced to it.

  Kylie glanced over to see Rob smiling as he looked down at her sister. Katie's five foot one fit nicely up against him, despite his six-foot frame, and he could tell that she felt the same way. There was something perfect about the way they fit together, and that was close to what the song was trying to say.

  Rob had never believed in things like love at first sight, and to be honest, he still didn't. Yes, he'd noticed Katie the moment she had come into his clinic; there had been something about her even in those first few moments. That wasn't love, though, that was simply a man noticing a woman. It was perfectly normal, he was sure, but it had been a matter of a few days before it began to dawn on him that he was truly attracted to her.

  It had probably been Anna who’d first made him understand that there was something special about Katie Lou. She’d been teasing him about the fact that he seemed to talk about her all the time, and though he’d tried to deny it, he’d begun catching himself bringing her up even at odd moments. He and Anna would be sitting in his living room, watching TV that had nothing to do with Katie or anyone like her, and suddenly she would be on his mind. Before he knew what he was doing, he would blurt out something about her or her name, and Anna would grab the opportunity to pick on him.

  Yes, there was something special about this girl, and he finally admitted it to himself. He tried very hard to resist the temptation to let her know how appealing she was, arguing that after what she'd been through, the last thing she needed was to get involved with another man. He insisted that he didn't want to deal with a girl who was on the rebound, and yet—and yet he looked forward to seeing her every minute, from the time she left each day until she got back the next morning.

  He knew that he wanted to know her better, and he knew that if he weren't careful, he'd be falling in love with her. That was among the last things he wanted to have happen, but it was beginning to seem like there wasn't much he could do about it. There was just something about her he couldn't resist, and he finally allowed himself to accept it.

  Of course, that didn't mean he was ready to talk about it. Some things you just kept to yourself for as long as you could, so that you didn't have to embarrass yourself. Rob was fairly sure that that's exactly what would happen if he allowed his mouth to open without first engaging his brain. He'd had experience with that in the past, and it wasn't the kind he wanted to repeat with Katie Lou.

  The song continued, and he kept dancing, holding her close against him. He'd never felt anything like the sensations that were going through him at that time, and he wasn't about to let go of them, not willingly. He knew that the song, and the dance, would end soon, but he wasn't going to rush it.

  He opened one eye and saw both Kylie and Anna grinning at him, and he grinned back without even thinking about it. He loved his little sister, even though she could be quite an annoying pain in the butt, and he was becoming very fond of Kylie, as well. He could easily envision a future in which the four of them could be very close, with Katie as his wife, and their sisters as two of their dearest friends. He was reaching the point where not much would surprise him, not when it came to Katie and Kylie Brennan.

  Katie was an amazing girl, he knew. Her deter
mination, her persistence, were things that he recognized from his own life. When he'd been in the wheelchair, it had been his determination to walk again that kept him going, even when doctors told him there was no hope, even when therapists told him they couldn't help, even when surgeons warned him that the operation they would perform might help him walk, but could instead leave him even more paralyzed, more crippled, than he already was.

  None of it slowed him down; none of it scared him off. His aunt used to say that if you wanted to accomplish the impossible, just challenge Rob to do it. Telling him that something couldn't be done was almost a guarantee that he would do it to spite you.

  He saw that same determination in Katie Lou, and he was certain that it was one of the things that drew him to her. Knowing that she had the same grit within her that he had, watching her refuse to give in, seeing her overcome so many obstacles, so quickly, he simply felt a connection to her that he couldn't explain away as compassion. There was something more, and for once in his life, Rob Christopher wanted to know what it was.

  The song entered its last chorus, and Rob caught himself singing along. For a split second, he was afraid Katie would run like a scared rabbit, as she tensed against him, but then he heard her voice joining his in singing along with the beautiful melody.

  There they were, two people who were trying to figure out just what their attraction for each other meant, and suddenly, they were singing a love song together. Rob looked down at Katie as the song ended, and saw her peeking back up at him.

  "Okay, I think that if you and I end up together, that would be our song. Don't you agree?"

  Katie burst out laughing, but she nodded. "Oh, yes," she said, "it fits. Especially the part that says, 'you're crazy and I'm out of my mind,' that part fits perfectly. I'm beginning to think we're a couple of nut cases, aren't you?"

  Rob grinned. "Maybe," he said, "but if I'm going crazy, then I'm going to enjoy the trip. Especially if I'm taking it with you."

  Suddenly, he realized that Katie was breathing heavily as she looked up at him, and he felt her trembling against him. It was one of those moments when a man knows that an advance might be welcomed, and he completely forgot that Kylie and Anna were in the room. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he leaned his face down, watching as Katie closed her eyes and tilted her own head back to receive the kiss he was offering.

  "Okay," Anna called out, "get a room! None of that in front of the children!"

  "Hey!" Kylie said. "Who are you calling children?"

  Anna grinned at her. "Us, silly, we're the children. Didn't you know? That's why they call us kid sisters."

  Rob and Katie pulled back quickly from each other, both of them looking embarrassed.

  "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry," Rob said, but Katie shook her head at him.

  "It wasn't just you, it was both of us, so don't be sorry. It's just"—she looked away for a moment—"it's just a little soon, for me. Forgive me?"

  "There is nothing to forgive," Rob said, smiling at her. "I don't know what came over me, it was just—I don't know, suddenly I wanted—I mean, I just…"

  "I know," Katie said. "I wanted it to, like I said, it wasn't just you. I just—need to go a little slower. Is that okay?"

  Rob smiled. "Of course it's okay," he said, and then he winked at her. He leaned close and whispered. "That was an awfully nice kiss, though," he said softly, and was rewarded when she blushed prettily.

  They heard a voice calling to them from out in the lobby, and Anna jumped, her eyes wide. "Oh! The pizza!" She ran out of the room and came back two minutes later carrying two large pizzas. "Lunch time!" she called. The other three gathered round, and soon they were all sitting and eating pizza together.

  When lunch was over, Katie and Kylie decided it was time for them to go, and headed out the door. Rob and Anna walked them out, since the afternoon’s first appointment hadn't arrived yet, and both of them made it clear that they thought her car was beautiful. Rob stood back and watched as Katie put Willie the walker into the trunk all on her own, and then used only one hand against the car to balance herself as she made it to the driver’s door.

  "Katie Lou, I've got to say that I am absolutely blown away at how well you're doing. I've never seen anyone make so much progress so quickly."

  "Well, I guess it just means that I didn't have as much damage as some other people had. Wouldn't you say?"

  "No," he said. "I saw Dr. Capshaw's reports. You suffered some pretty serious nerve damage, as much as many people who remain paralyzed for the rest of their lives. The thing is that we just never know how well someone will heal from it. Some people come back, some don't. At this point, medical science still doesn't know how to predict which way it will be for which people. That's why we just do all we can for each one; the rest is up to them and God."

  Katie smiled at him. "Well, I'm glad I had the best physical therapist around, and that God took a special interest in me, which he obviously did, or I wouldn't even be here. I don't think I had anything to do with it at all, though."

  "You'd be surprised. It takes a certain amount of determination, a willingness to keep going no matter how it hurts, no matter how tired you are. We've seen that a lot, that if the patient isn't putting the effort in, there's nothing that medical science can do. One of the first things I saw in you is that you have that drive, that determination, the same way I did when I was hurt. That's made a lot of the difference in your case, trust me." He stood close and looked into her eyes for just a moment, and then reached up and patted her shoulder. "Okay, I've got more patients coming, and you’ve got things to do too, I'm sure. I'll see you tomorrow, but the same time, right?"

  Katie Lou smiled. "I'll be here, Doc, don't worry." She looked up at him for another moment, and then suddenly reached up and put her hand on his neck, pulling him down and kissing him quickly on the lips. His eyes got wide, and he realized that hers were just as wide as she spun and opened the car door. He instinctively held onto her arm as she got into the car, and that got him one more smile before she closed the door and the engine started.

  Anna stood there and stared at him as Katie Lou and Kylie drove away. "Holy cow," she said, "it's really happening, isn't it?"

  He turned and looked at her. "What?" he asked.

  "Yep," she said. "You're doing it. You're falling in love." She turned around before he could respond and walked back into the building, leaving Rob standing there sputtering, trying to think of something to say.

  9

  Kylie looked at her sister as they drove away from the clinic. "So, Anna and I were talking. We were wondering which one of you is likely to be first to panic."

  Katie glanced at Kylie, then turned her eyes back to the road. "Panic? Why would we panic?"

  "Because it's perfectly obvious to us that you two are falling for each other, and we're just wondering which one of you is going to realize it first and try to run away."

  Katie grinned. "What makes you think we haven't realized it already? And what makes you think either of us would try to run away?"

  Kylie's eyes got a little wider. "Are you kidding? You're both scared to death of your own feelings, that's obvious. We're just wondering which one of you is going to admit that first.”

  “Hmm,” Katie said. “Have you put any money on it? Made a bet?”

  Kylie looked shocked. “What? No, of course not! Why would we? We don't want to see either of you get hurt. We're just wondering, because we want to know which way to jump when the fur starts flying."

  Katie laughed. "Too bad," she said. "If you'd bet on me, and there was enough money involved, I could make sure you win. But don't worry, I don't think either one of us is going to panic and run. I get the feeling we're both a little more mature than that."

  Kylie rolled her eyes. "You think so? I wish you could see things the way I see them, because you two aren't acting all that mature from my point of view. Like I said, you remind me of Scott and Holly in seventh grade. Teenagers! Pu
ppy love! That's how you're acting!"

  Katie turned and looked at her sister, and suddenly stuck her tongue out at her. "You mean like that?"

  Kylie rolled her eyes again, then put her face in her hands as if weeping. Katie wasn't fooled though, because she could hear how hard Kylie was trying to keep the snickers from getting out. Her sister was laughing at her, and a moment later they were both laughing and thoroughly enjoying it.

  It wasn't long before they got home. They didn't have anything to do for the afternoon, so they wandered into the living room and watched a movie on television, and when that was over, they began talking about what Katie should wear for her date on Saturday night. One of the outfits she had bought on her shopping spree would do nicely, they decided, so they turned their attention to hair and makeup.

  Kylie simplified matters by picking up the phone and calling her mother. Since Judy ran her own beauty shop, hair and makeup just weren't that big an issue. They made Katie Lou an appointment for Friday afternoon, so that she'd be all set for Saturday.

  * * * * *

  Rob Christopher didn't have it quite that easy. The only one he had to turn to for advice was his sister, Anna, and he was fairly sure that would be like asking Jack the Ripper to recommend a razor. He actually thought that dealing with Jack might be preferable to dealing with Anna, so that night, he dug into his closet all on his own.

  A half hour later, he gave in and asked Anna to help them decide what to wear to the dance. She had him show her the things that he had in mind, rejecting one after another, often with a shudder or a grimace. She finally chose a light summer suit with a white shirt and a red tie.

  Then she looked him in the eye and asked, "So, what are you going to do with your hair?"