by Dorie Graham
He gripped his glass, stilling the urge to slam it into the wall. His parents had never accepted her. They’d upset her, driven her away that night.
“You look like you’re ready to break something. Don’t tell me you’re unhappy about Evelyn.”
“It’s not Evelyn. I don’t know. Seeing the two of them mooning at each other…”
Steven’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Sometimes it’s tough to take.”
The fax machine in the corner rang, then kicked on. Dylan sat brooding while several pages printed. He pushed his chair back, then reached for what appeared to be a contract. Gritting his teeth, he scanned the pages.
“She’s met my asking price.” He glared at the contract and took a long swallow of Scotch whiskey, welcoming the numbness the liquor instilled.
Steven refilled his own glass. “You’ve got an offer?”
Dylan nodded. “This woman came by the other day. Said she was ready to make an offer. When I didn’t hear back, I thought she’d changed her mind.”
“Even at your asking price, she’s still getting a deal. It’s worth every penny.” He leaned forward, his cropped red hair spiking upward, his gaze intent on Dylan. “It’s not too late. You can back out of this. I know I’ve been pushing for you to get back into the swing of things, but I wasn’t suggesting such a drastic change.”
Dylan hesitated for a moment. Was he making a mistake? Why was it so hard to let go? His gaze scanned the paneled walls. “No, there’s no going back. This is the only room I spend any time in.”
“But, Dylan, this house…it means so much to you. I know that better than anyone. Imagine what you could do if you dedicated yourself. You’re a natural. It’s a masterpiece, a sign of real creative genius. To just let it go…”
Dylan waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m an attorney, haven’t you heard? We don’t create. We tear things down, argument by argument. Besides, I’ve finally earned the old man’s grudging respect.”
A scowl marred Steven’s otherwise pleasant features. “It would do the old bastard good to have his plans go awry.”
“He’s my father. I’m the only one who can call him a bastard.”
“Ha! They were calling him that way before you were born.”
“Either way.” Dylan gestured at the room. “This house was a phase. I only managed it with your help. You’re the real architect. Besides, I’m good at what I do now.”
“But are you happy?”
“I buried all my happiness two years ago.”
Steven smacked his glass down on the desk. “Yes, it’s been two years. When are you going to snap out of it?”
Dylan narrowed his eyes on his friend. He picked up the contract. With a furious scrawl he signed his name across the bottom. “There. I’ve sold the damn house. How’s that for snapping out of it?”
Silence hung over the room.
Steven slumped back in his chair. “I do want to see you moving on. I just hate to see you sell this place.”
“It’s done. She wants to set the closing in a month’s time. So be it.”
“Not even a counteroffer? You should have asked for more.”
He shrugged. “I’ll pay closing. Let the witch have the place.”
“Witch?”
An image of Nikki McClellan floated in Dylan’s mind. “She must be one. That or…something.”
“By ‘witch’ do you mean ‘bitch’?”
“No, not that.”
Steven sat forward. “I get it. So your buyer’s a babe?”
Guilt still plagued Dylan, but the liquor had loosened his resolve. “When we were in the gardens, all I could think about was getting her into the hammock.”
“Excellent.” Steven nodded in approval. “This is definitely progress.”
“I feel like I’m being…unfaithful.”
“No! You’re not. Kathy would want you to be happy. This is a good thing. You should act on those impulses. God, it’s about time. Ask this witch out.”
“I don’t know what it is about her….”
“I think she’s just what the doctor ordered.”
“I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Make it a no-strings affair.”
Dylan stared at his empty glass. “I can’t believe a woman like her would go for that.”
“It’s a new millennium. Women like their independence. You won’t know unless you ask. This is huge. Do you realize you’ve been like a dead man walking around here? You’ve been working way too hard. When was the last time you even thought about a woman? I’d about given up on you. I can’t wait to tell Rebecca. She’s been living for this day.”
“Whoa. I said that I find this woman attractive, but I didn’t say I was going to do anything about it. This is a big step.”
“But you’re giving it serious consideration. I can tell. You’ve got that spark back in your eye.”
Slowly Dylan nodded. Maybe Steven was right. Anything was better than the agonizing tedium his life had become. “We’ll see.”
“THERE HE IS, ALL FIXED UP.” Nikki handed the kitten to its young owner. “Told you we’d make him feel better.”
“He’s a big boy. He didn’t even cry. Just like me. I didn’t cry when I got my shots to go to kindergarten, right Mommy?” The six-year-old owner of the kitten beamed at her mother.
“That’s right, sweetie.”
“Well, Oliver’s all set.” Nikki scratched the cat behind his ear. A wave of calm flowed from the little guy as he gave a contented purr. “You ready to take him home?”
The child radiated with excitement. “Can we find him a special treat?”
“You got it, sweetie. Thank you, Dr. McClellan.”
Nikki bade mother, child and kitten goodbye as she walked them out of the examination room into the waiting area. Several people sat in the chairs against one wall while Janet, her receptionist, talked quietly on the phone.
Nikki paused, absently nodding at something Oliver’s owner said. A tall blond man stood with his back to them, bent over the sign-in sheet at the reception counter. Her pulse quickened. A familiar melancholy drifted to her, but it seemed different today than when last she’d experienced it—tamer somehow.
The man straightened, turning toward her, and she smiled, unexpected delight filling her. “Dylan, I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”
He nodded toward her groomer, Sarah Hendricks, who stood behind the counter, her gaze fixed admiringly on him. Sebastian made a feeble protest from her arms. “I decided to follow your advice and bring him in for grooming and nail clipping.”
“Oh.”
The man was a mystery. Had she imagined that heated look in his garden? He certainly hadn’t acted on it. In fact, when he’d come upstairs during her tour of his house, she’d gotten the distinct feeling he’d been angry with her. Thank God he’d accepted her offer on the house.
“He seems happy enough here.” He nodded toward Sebastian.
“He’s in the right hands. Sarah will take good care of him.”
Talking soothingly to the cat, the young woman finally tore her gaze away to head toward the grooming area. Nikki drank in the sight of Dylan. He wore a charcoal suit with a blue shirt that brightened the color of his eyes. His shoulders appeared broader, and he seemed to take up more space in her waiting area than he had in the expanse of his house.
His pleasure at seeing her swept over her, stealing her breath and warming her cheeks. She had never experienced this kind of intensity from anyone before. It was a desire so pure, her throat tightened with the beauty of it. It called to something deep within her, and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch his arm. Even through his clothes she felt the connection.
“Thanks for bringing him in,” she managed at last before dropping her hand.
“It was the least I could do.” He traced his finger along her collarbone, sending a ripple of pleasure up her spine. “How’s the scratch?”
“Healing. I’ve ha
d worse, rest assured.”
He nodded slowly. “This is a nice place you have here. Did I understand correctly that you own it?”
“That’s right. I had a little help from my great-aunt Emma. She died last year and left an inheritance to my sisters and me. I could never have established my own clinic so quickly without her.”
“It seems to be prospering.”
“I’m doing okay.”
“Okay enough to buy a house.”
“Yes.” She experienced again that giddy feeling that had hit her when she’d heard he’d accepted her offer. “I’m really excited about that. It’s my first.”
The muscles in his jaw bunched, then relaxed. “Seems we both have something to celebrate.”
She nodded.
He hesitated a moment, then said, “Perhaps we could toast our good fortune over dinner sometime?”
“Dinner?”
He was asking her out. The hungry glint in his eyes as they had stood in the garden flashed through her mind. So he had been interested. What would it be like to spend an evening with him? “I suppose that would be nice.”
“Great. I…” A short laugh escaped him. “I have to check my schedule. I have to be in court quite a bit this week. In fact, I need to run now. My assistant will pick up Sebastian later, but could I call you?”
“I look forward to it.”
“Wonderful.” A smile lit his face.
“Nikki?” Janet walked over and handed her a clipboard. “Boxer and Mrs. Sneldon are ready for you.”
“Thanks, I’ll be right there.” She turned to Dylan. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Right. Me, too. So…I guess your number is on the contract?”
She laughed and it came out higher pitched than she’d intended. “That’s right.”
“We’ll talk soon then.”
She nodded, and he favored her with another smile before turning to leave. She headed back to the examination room with a sigh. She needed to focus on her work before she succumbed to the worst case of infatuation in the history of womankind. Somehow she had to find a way to shield herself from this man.
3
“THE MELONS ARE FRESH TODAY. Would you like a squeeze?” The young man’s eyes gleamed the following Sunday as he offered the fruit to Nikki.
His gaze dropped to her breasts. She shivered and pulled close the blouse she’d worn over her sundress. She’d seen that expression too often. She smiled politely and moved on, knowing she’d have to circle back for her bananas. Her best strategy was to put distance between her and this Casanova.
Sighing, she turned her cart down the juice aisle. Attracting men had never been a problem. If only she could figure out how to keep one.
As they had for most of the past week, thoughts of Dylan Cain swirled through her mind. She’d missed his call earlier. They’d been playing phone tag since his visit to the clinic, so she’d left her cell phone number on his voice mail when she’d last called him back. She placed a bottle of juice in her basket. Like the house, something about that man called to her.
Her cell phone rang and her heart quickened as she pulled it from her purse. “Hello?”
“Nikki, how’s my girl?” Thomas Scott’s voice crackled across the line. He was the one man who’d remained a lifelong friend of her mother’s without ever having slept with her. Nikki loved him like a father.
“Hi, Thomas. Just grocery shopping.”
“I hate to bother you on a Sunday….”
“No bother. What’s up?”
“It’s my sister’s dog. He’s got something weird going on. His whole face is swollen. He was fine one minute, then he just started puffing up like a balloon.”
She frowned. “Poor Buck. Why don’t you tell Lola that I’ve got to drop these groceries off, then I’ll meet her at the clinic?”
“He’s over here with me. I’m watching him while she’s out of town.”
“Oh, then I’ll just stop by your place. You’re closer than the clinic.” And he wasn’t far from Dylan’s house. Maybe she could drive by afterward and get another peek.
At the house or the man?
“That’d be great. You think he’s okay?”
“I have to see him first to know for sure. Was he outside when it happened?”
“We were out back. Why?”
“The last time I saw a dog do that, he’d just snapped up a bee.”
“You think it’s an allergic reaction?”
“Maybe. I’ll know better when I get there.”
“You are an angel, Nikki. I knew I could count on you to take care of this.”
She said goodbye, then hurried to the checkout.
She made the short trip home in record time. With grocery bags weighing down her arms, she fumbled with the lock. The door swung open before she could turn the key.
Her youngest sister—green-eyed, blond-haired Erin—frowned at her as she grabbed several bags. “Why did you carry all this by yourself? I would have come down and helped—or at least sent one of the minions.”
She nodded toward the back of the apartment, where a steady banging sounded. Tess’s ex-lovers tended to hang around long after the loving. “Brandon or Brendon or whatever his name from the catering company is back there fixing her closet organizer.”
Waving aside Erin’s concern, Nikki pushed into the cozy living room and continued on to the kitchen. “I’m fine. Did anyone call for me?”
“Not that I know of.” Erin followed Nikki into the kitchen.
“Is Tess here?”
“Her latest stud picked her up hours ago.” Disdain laced her sister’s voice.
Nikki flinched. She’d been a little down on Tess for following in their mother’s footsteps, but in light of her talk with Sophie, maybe they should cut their sister a little slack. “You know, Erin, I think I understand her a little better now. I have to run help Thomas, but maybe when I get back we can talk about it.”
An indifferent shrug was her only answer.
Sighing, Nikki set her load on the kitchen counter, then ditched her blouse. “You sure no one called? There weren’t any messages on the answering machine?”
“I’m sure. No one called. What’s up?” Erin asked as she dropped a head of lettuce into the vegetable bin in the refrigerator.
Nikki bit her bottom lip. Not wanting to get their hopes up needlessly, she hadn’t mentioned her house hunting to her sisters in case the deal fell through. If she told her sister about Dylan, she’d want to know where Nikki had met him. “Nothing, really.”
Erin eyed her for a minute, then shook her head and tossed an empty grocery bag into the recycling. She looked as though she might argue but continued putting away groceries, slamming cabinets harder than normal. Nikki would soothe Erin’s rumpled feathers after the house was theirs. Her sister had been so moody lately, but Nikki would have to deal with her another time. If Buck really was having an allergic reaction, it could be life threatening.
Nikki hurried to Thomas’s house. He was sitting on his front stoop with his sister’s dog when she pulled up.
“What are you doing baking yourselves out here?” she asked as she climbed the front steps, medical bag in hand.
“Once I told him you were coming, he insisted.” Thomas nodded his gray-streaked head toward the dog. “He seems to feel okay.”
Poor Buck. His face was swollen and wrinkled like a shar-pei’s. Nikki knelt before the beast. The old Irish setter thumped his tail. “That’s my boy. Did you snap up a wasp? Can I take a look?”
He whined softly as she pried open his mouth. “There’s the stinger.” Grabbing an instrument, she pulled the offender from his mouth, then patted him reassuringly. “Just a couple of shots and you’ll be right as rain.”
Worry lines crossed Thomas’s forehead. “Will he be okay by the time my sister gets back tomorrow?”
“Let’s take him inside and I’ll get the injections ready. Give him about an hour and he’ll be fine.”
&nbs
p; “Sure looks awful.”
“Untreated, it could constrict his trachea or make his tongue swell so much it could cut off his breathing.”
“So let’s get on with those shots. That sister of mine will skin me if I return him damaged.”
“Come on, boy.” She urged Buck into the house after her.
A short while later, she found Thomas tinkering in the small workshop he kept at the back of his garage. A box fan stirred the thick air around him. He turned as she approached.
“Hey, there, pull up a chair.” He patted the stool beside him. “How’s the old boy?”
“Took his shots like a trooper.”
“Thanks for the house call, pumpkin. Tell me, what do I owe you?”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “The way I see it, I owe you. I wouldn’t even have the clinic if you hadn’t talked me into going to work for Doc Emerson way back when. And I might not have stuck it out if you weren’t constantly encouraging me and sending me business.”
“Doc knew his practice would be in good hands when he sold it to you.”
“It’s certainly made life easier, stepping into an established practice. I’d be lucky to break even if I were starting from scratch.”
“You’ve worked your ass off for it and you earned every penny. You helped build that business. Now, you send me a bill. Nobody makes house calls these days.”
“This really is closer than the clinic. Besides, this way I can drive by the house I’m buying.”
“You found a house?”
“It’s in Coral Gables. The closing is scheduled for the end of July.”
“That’s wonderful! My Nikki is going to have her own home at last.” His eyes misted. “I’m proud of you, girl. No one’s worked as hard as you have. I’ve never known a more deserving soul.”
Happiness filled her. “I’ve wanted this my whole life, Thomas. You can’t know what it means to me. After this move, I’m never going to move again.”
