The Best Blind Date in Texas

by Victoria Chancellor

  “It didn’t seem real funny to us, either, when the alarm went off while we were opening presents.”

  “You had to undress to open your Christmas presents?”

  No, we had to undress to have wild, uninhibited sex. “Daddy, you don’t really want to know the details of last evening, do you? Because I’d like to remind you I’m a grown woman who has graduated from medical school and lived on my own in the big city.”

  “This isn’t some big city. It’s a small town, and it looks darn fishy when the town’s doctor is runnin’ around in her underpants in the middle of the night with some man who’s not her husband.”

  “Well, maybe he’s going to be my husband!”

  Her father’s scowl brightened. He sat up straighter in the chair. “What did you say?”

  She took a deep breath. Now that she’d blurted out the only thing that would silence his lecture, she wondered why she wasn’t panicking. Why she didn’t want to immediately call back the words. She’d practically admitted they were engaged and all she felt was relief that her father wasn’t treating her like a seventeen year old on prom night.

  “I said we might be getting engaged.”

  “Might be? Did he or did he not propose?”

  “He…proposed.” Proposed an engagement, that is.

  “So, what did you say?”

  “I said I was going to have a really busy day, and I’d have to get back to him.”

  “What!”

  Gladys stuck her head into the office. “First patients are coming in.”

  “What did I tell you, Daddy? We’ll have to talk about this later.”

  He drew his gray eyebrows together and scowled at her for a long moment. Finally, he pushed out of the chair and limped to the door. He turned back and said, “Are you talkin’ to him soon?”

  “I’m sure I will, Daddy.” If Gray proved true to form, he’d show up at the clinic before the day was finished, warm promises in his pewter eyes, coaxing words on his sculpted lips. Oh, yes. She’d be talking to him soon.

  Chapter Ten

  Gray briefly considered traveling to Dallas for another purchase at the prestigious jewelry store where he’d bought Amy’s Christmas present, but nixed the idea. He didn’t want to abandon her during the holiday period, especially when she’d be hearing all the gossip. Besides, since he was trying to impress the citizens of Ranger Springs with what a nice guy he was, he’d better give the local jeweler his business.

  There was no way this purchase would remain a secret for long.

  Like many of the businesses in town, the jewelry store’s door was equipped with a tinkling bell that announced customers. “Hello, Mr. Phillips,” the gray-haired man behind the counter greeted him. “What can we do for you today?”

  “I need a ring, Mr….”

  “Schuler. For yourself?”

  “No,” Gray said, wandering over to the bridal sets. “This one will be for a very special lady.”

  “Really!” Dollar signs seemed to dance in Mr. Schuler’s dark eyes. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.”

  Twenty minutes later, Gray exited the store after many smiles and much hand-pumping. The jeweler assured him that the ring would be ready by Friday.

  Amy hadn’t exactly given him an answer yet, but he was going to be prepared. Next time he asked to become engaged, he’d be better prepared. More romantic. She deserved that much from a fiancé, he believed, even one she might consider temporary.

  “AMY AND GRAY ARE GETTIN’ married,” Ambrose said as he sat down for lunch with Thelma and Joyce. Patients had been plentiful, but he’d convinced Amy they should take a break and not try to work in additional cases unless they were emergencies. She needed a nap, and he needed to break the news to his matchmaking cronies.

  Joyce beamed. “See, I told you our plan would work! We just had to keep pushing them together during the holidays.”

  “Well, I do believe they were about as together as a couple could get last night,” Thelma observed. She was probably still a bit peeved no one had gotten a photo of the emergency vehicles at Gray’s house for the paper. Ambrose was thankful no one had snapped a picture.

  “How do you know for sure?” Joyce asked, her manicured hand on his arm bringing him out of those dark thoughts. She sure wore pretty polish. Today it was a sparkling red to go with her Christmas outfits.

  “Amy told me this morning. She said something about Gray was going to be her husband, and I asked her if that meant he’d proposed, and she said she told him she’d get back to him. But she wouldn’t have mentioned the husband part if she wasn’t going to say ‘yes’ when she gets back to him.”

  “Hmm,” Joyce said. “Were you two having an argument at the time?”

  “No! Well, sort of. Not really an argument, but a discussion of how it looked for the town doctor to be foolin’ around in the middle of the night out at Gray’s house.”

  “Maybe she just told you that to get you off her case,” Thelma offered.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “You certainly don’t want to think so, but it’s a possibility,” Joyce added.

  Ambrose shook his head. “My Amy’s gettin’ married, and that’s the end of it.”

  “I HEARD SOME INTERESTING news when I stopped by the Kash ’n’ Karry,” Helen Kaminsky said. She’d brought Matthew in for a checkup after his appendectomy. Apparently Helen was baby-sitting while his mother was working extra hours during the holidays.

  “Does that hurt?” Amy asked, pressing gently on the boy’s side.

  “No, ma’am.”

  “Good.”

  “Jimmy Mack Branson’s store is right across the square from Schuler’s Jewelry store, and he said Mr. Schuler had an interesting customer in first thing this morning.”

  “Really?” Amy feigned disinterest, but she couldn’t tell if she dreaded hearing this latest news, or if she welcomed the gossip that told her what Gray was up to.

  And she was certain Helen was talking about Gray. That’s all anyone had talked about all day. Between sneezes, sniffles and pulled backs, she’d given lots of updates on the state of his heating system.

  “That’s right. Gray drove up to the store in that luxury car of his and made a special purchase.”

  “How do you know what he bought?”

  “Because Jimmy Mack went over to see Mr. Schuler during lunch, and he said he had to get his diamond broker on the phone to find just the perfect stone.”

  Amy stared at the neat stitches in Matthew’s abdomen. The surgeon had done a good job. And what was she supposed to say about Gray’s diamond purchase? She didn’t even know how she felt about getting engaged!

  “Dr. Amy, did you hear me? Gray bought a diamond from Schuler’s Jewelry!”

  “Helen,” Amy said, placing her palm over the older lady’s hand, “I know this all seems so exciting, what with the scare we had over the carbon monoxide detector, and the fire department, and…everything, but believe me, wedding announcements are premature.”

  Helen sighed. “You and Gray make such a nice couple.”

  Amy smiled, turning her attention back to her patient. “Get dressed now, cowboy. You’re almost as good as new.”

  “Great!”

  Now if she could only fix all this gossip.

  The rest of the day went by quickly, with appointments until after five-thirty. Even Mr. Gresham came in—with his wife—for a blood pressure checkup. By the time Amy got home, she was bushed.

  Gray called that evening while she was curled up on her bed sorting towels from underwear after she’d done a load of laundry. “How was your day?”

  “Filled with questions. And yours?”

  “Filled with speculative looks.”

  She tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear and settled against the headboard. “Sounds like you got the better end of this deal.”

  “Hey, I’m the one with the defective furnace.”

  Amy smiled. “It’s fixed, and I don’t t
hink that’s what those looks were about.”

  She heard Gray chuckle. “I take it you weren’t quizzed on whether the volunteer fire department provides good emergency service.”

  “You’ve got that one right.”

  His chuckle faded away to silence before he said, “I missed you today.”

  “I thought about you, too.” She didn’t know what else to say.

  “I want to see you again.”

  She paused, torn between telling him how badly she wanted to drive to his house and how she needed time to decide her feelings about their changing relationship. “I’m going to be busy at the clinic. We always have a lot of kids in during the holiday breaks.”

  Silence stretched tight for a few moments, then he said, “Then have dinner with me on Friday.”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  “How about the German restaurant in Wimberley? Or would you like to go into the city? We could spend the weekend in San Antonio.”

  “I…I’d better not be gone on Saturday. We’re going to have the clinic open a half day.” She also wasn’t sure how she felt about spending the night with him. Would that mean they were having an affair? A real affair? Or would he expect to make love because he assumed they were getting engaged?

  “I’ll be at your place Friday around seven o’clock then,” Gray said, his voice growing softer, sexier, as he spoke. “I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

  “Me, too,” Amy said with a sigh. “Good night.”

  She’d thought this relationship was going to be easy, but it wasn’t. She had a feeling it would get more confusing before she figured out whether she was going to say yes or no—and to what question.

  IF SHE DIDN’T KNOW BETTER, she’d swear someone was using Gray’s listening devices to bug her phone. There seemed to be too many Ranger Springs residents at the restaurant to be coincidence. As she and Gray walked to their table in the back of the room, she passed Ralph Biggerstaff and his wife, who greeted them with smiles. A few tables away, Ethan Parker and his wife, Robin, were enjoying salads. Ethan stood up, shook Gray’s hand, and nodded to Amy. Robin said hello to them both before their attention was captured by another couple. Ambrose Wheatley and Joyce sat near the fireplace, already well into their meal.

  “Daddy, you didn’t mention you were coming here tonight.” She smiled at his dinner companion. “Good evening, Joyce.”

  “Hello, Amy. Hi, Gray.”

  “Neither did you,” Ambrose said. He nodded at Gray. “How are things going, son?”

  Amy closed her eyes. Son. Why didn’t he just announce his preferences to the world? Her father rarely called anyone over the age of ten “son.” She wanted to look around and see if her neighbors were watching or listening, but that would be too obvious.

  “I’m fine, Dr. Wheatley. And yourself?”

  “Gettin’ along better now that the leg’s almost well.”

  “We’d better get to our table, Daddy,” Amy said, interrupting the male bonding.

  “You two have a nice dinner now,” her father said.

  “See you soon,” Joyce added.

  Finally, they were seated at a table in an alcove by a leaded glass window. The night sky reflected the warm colors and candlelight inside the restaurant.

  They ordered a favorite Riesling wine, but declined an appetizer. Amy doubted that she’d be able to swallow any solid food, even though the tantalizing smells wafting through the darkened room were some of her favorites. She felt the eyes of the world on her, despite the private table and quiet conversations going on around them.

  “You’re awfully quiet tonight,” Gray commented.

  “This is a little uncomfortable.” She looked around the room. “I feel like everyone is watching and listening, even though this table is fairly private and I can see others talking.” She shrugged, the feeling still with her. “I suppose I’m a little paranoid, hmm?”

  “Are you sure it’s not me that you’re uncomfortable with?”

  “No!” she said quickly.

  “Because you’ve barely looked at me all evening.”

  “Sure I have.” She picked up her wineglass and twirled the pale liquid, watching the candlelight play off the ripples.

  “What am I wearing?”

  Her head raised and she looked at him.

  “No cheating. Just tell me what you remember.”

  Amy closed her eyes, trying to bring up the image of Gray. Intense silver eyes, lean sculpted cheeks, sensuous lips. And his body, as golden as his eyes were silver, so hard and lean and warm that her insides clenched and shivered. She wanted to know more about him, what he liked and disliked, where he was most sensitive, and how she could drive him wild. Yes, driving Gray wild had definite appeal. She’d never felt such strong desire before.

  “Amy,” he chided, “I don’t think you’re paying attention.”

  She opened her eyes, suddenly realizing she was breathing fast and her face was flushed. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I wasn’t exactly thinking about what you’re wearing tonight.”

  He leaned closer, his voice barely a whisper. “Were you thinking about Tuesday night?”

  She swallowed. “Yes.”

  “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to carry you off without any dinner.”

  “As a doctor, I’d advise against taking a rash action. For one thing, you need to keep your strength up. For another, this restaurant is full of people who’d love something new to talk about.”

  “Are they already bored with Tuesday night’s activities?”

  “Not quite.” I certainly wasn’t bored. I’m not bored now, she wanted to say. Making love with Gray had been so special, so intense, that she didn’t have words to express her feelings. The experience transcended her previous encounters.

  The waiter came and took their order. When he left, Gray leaned forward again, his eyes sparkling. “When you said I needed to keep my strength up, were you talking about later?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m as confused as most of the people who keep asking me about…us.”

  Amy barely remembered what they ate. Her mind kept wandering to dessert. Gray, stretched on the soft cotton sheets of his king-size bed. Or reclining on the lacy pillows against her headboard. All delicious options, and all nonfattening.

  “Let’s have some coffee,” he said. She wondered why he was dawdling when all she wanted to do was drag him home. Either house would be fine. Heck, the Lexus was pretty spacious.

  She closed her eyes, reminding herself that she was a grown woman, a professional, and had to act the part. She could be patient. “Okay.”

  The waiter cleared the table quickly and efficiently, then set two cups of coffee on the table. She thought of the rumors she’d heard. Maybe Gray had bought a ring. Amy stirred cream into the cup. Maybe he was going to ask her to pretend to be engaged to him at the New Year’s Eve party they were attending on Sunday.

  She looked up to see a ring box from Schuler’s Jewelry on the table in front of Gray.

  She swallowed. Maybe he was going to ask her tonight.

  “Amy,” he said, reaching for her hand. Her heart raced so fast she imagined he’d be able to see the rapid thump-thump-thump through the chenille sweater she wore. “I know I asked you this question the other night, but I’d like to do it more…well, just better this time.”

  He swallowed, looking a little nervous himself, which was ridiculous, because this was only a pretend engagement. The ring might be real, but the engagement would be a deception. He opened the box, lifting a large emerald-cut diamond ring in white gold out of the velvet box.

  “Would you do me the honor of accepting this ring?”

  He hadn’t asked her to be his wife, only to accept this ring. She supposed she could do that. After all, the whole town was expecting the engagement. He’d already bought the diamond from Mr. Schuler.

  “This is a beautiful ring,” she said, then realized the inanity of the comm
ent. Where were the warm feelings of love and commitment? How could she wear this gorgeous ring for months and not get attached to both it and the man who gave it to her? Temporarily, she reminded herself.

  Her heart rate slowed as reality sank in. She wasn’t really going to marry Gray. She was just going to be his fiancée for a while. Until they grew tired of each other, or found someone else, or the town grew bored with gossip about them.

  She inched her hand across the table, her fingers trembling. She shouldn’t be trembling. She should be steady and sure because this action was necessary. At least, Gray believed it was necessary.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I’ll accept your ring.” For now.

  He looked into her eyes, his own troubled.

  “It’s okay,” she assured him. “This is the right thing to do.”

  “This feels very right to me.”

  “This is like a fairy tale,” she said softly, breaking eye contact. It wasn’t any more real than the stories her mother had read to her when she was a child.

  He slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Mr. Schuler must have kept her size on file from when her father bought her a pearl ring for college graduation, she thought vaguely. Why was Gray doing this? Why tonight, why here?

  Tears came to her eyes as she looked at her hand, the diamond sparkling wildly in the candlelight. So beautiful, so permanent in appearances. Gray cradled her hand, holding her firmly. She felt like crying.

  When she looked up again, she saw his face like the facets of the diamond, distorted by her tears. And then the faces of the other diners, including her father and Joyce, Ralph and his wife and the rest of the Ranger Springs crowd who were here tonight. First one, then more, began to stand and clap until all of the restaurant shared in the moment.

  She truly felt like crying.

  Gray reached across the table and dabbed her tears away with his cloth napkin. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.”

  “I can’t help it.”

  “Tell me why.”

  She shook her head, attempting a smile. “Maybe sometime.”

  The clapping faded as she faced the restaurant. Gray took her hand in his, linked their fingers, and smiled for the crowd. “She said yes.”