Harlequin Special Edition July 2013 - Bundle 2 of 2: The Widow of Conard CountyA Match for the Single DadThe Medic's Homecoming

by Rachel Lee

  He smiled. “You’re a good student.”

  “I bet you have some interesting stories to tell about some of the lessons you’ve given.”

  “I do, at that.”

  “How long have you wanted to fly?”

  “Since I could walk,” he replied simply. “Mom did her best to talk me out of it, but my dad flew in Vietnam and he let me take lessons when I was a teenager. He thought maybe I’d get tired of it. I never did.”

  “I remember your dad, a little. He checked my vision when I was in fifth grade. My best friend got glasses, and I wanted some, too, so I told my mom I couldn’t see the board at school. Dr. McHale tested my vision and assured me it was perfect. When I acted disappointed, he told me that not everyone could brag about having perfect vision. By the time I left, I was so proud of my perfect vision that I was no longer envious of my friend’s cute new glasses.”

  Garrett nodded. “That sounds like my dad. He went to optometry school on the G.I. Bill after Vietnam, and he practiced until he died in a car accident almost ten years ago.”

  “I remember that, too. I think my parents went to his funeral.”

  “A lot of people came. Mom was pleased that so many turned out to honor him.”

  He banked the plane into a turn and she was distracted for a moment by looking almost straight down through her side window.

  “Speaking of lessons, are you going to teach tennis at the club again?” Garrett asked once they were level again.

  Drawing her gaze back into the cockpit, she shook her head. “I was just filling in as a favor to Bill. I’m hardly an expert, but I was the closest he had available on short notice when his regular instructor had to take a few weeks off. I played on a mixed-doubles team in college, so he figured I was qualified.”

  “The girls thought you were a great teacher.”

  She smiled wryly. “We had a lot of fun, but I don’t plan to make a second career of it.”

  “See the landing strip ahead?”

  She leaned forward. “Yes, I see it.”

  “We’re starting our descent now.”

  A few minutes later they were on the ground. She watched as Garrett topped off the tank, then secured the plane onto the pad. He stretched a bit to secure one of the wing tie-downs, and muscles rippled beneath his cool clothes. A low sound of appreciation escaped her before she could swallow it.

  Garrett glanced over his shoulder. “Did you say something?”

  “Um, no. Just clearing my throat.” Turning quickly to hide her flushed cheeks, she focused intently on a small jet taking off from the runway.

  He chocked the wheels of the Cessna, then approached her again, brushing off his hands on his jeans. That motion almost drew her gaze back to his sturdy thighs, but she managed to keep her eyes on his face. Hardly a hardship.

  “Ready to go?

  “Yes.” On an impulse that overpowered her attempt at keeping a safe distance between them, she laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you so much for taking me up, Garrett. I had such a good time.”

  He hesitated only a moment, then covered her hand with his own before she could pull it away. His eyes locked with hers, and his voice was just a little husky when he said, “So did I.”

  She should have drawn back then, but she lingered, savoring the feel of his work-roughened hand on hers. Just for a few moments longer, she promised herself. “I probably shouldn’t have taken you away from your family vacation.”

  His mouth twisted. “To be honest, I enjoyed that part. I love my family and it’s great to have this time with them—but it’s kind of nice to have a little break from them, too.”

  She couldn’t help laughing, though a bit breathlessly. “I’m picturing myself spending a week in a cabin with my grandparents and parents. I’m crazy about all of them, but I think I’d have to make a break for it at some point.”

  He nodded. “Sounds like you do understand.”

  “Absolutely.”

  They stood there a moment, smiling at each other until their smiles suddenly faded and the sparks of awareness between them threatened to fully ignite. Maggie was pretty sure she wasn’t imagining the mutual heat. The possibility that Garrett could be as attracted to her as she was to him changed things considerably between them.

  She drew back her hand, shoved it into her pocket and told herself her palm wasn’t really still tingling from that all-too-brief contact.

  He opened the passenger door of his SUV for her, waited until she’d climbed in, then closed the door and rounded the front. She watched him, admiring the way he moved. The way he looked. Everything about him, darn it.

  She could be in a little trouble here.

  * * *

  “Are you in a rush to get back?” Garrett asked as he drove out of the airport.

  She probably should be, she thought—but she was in no hurry at all to end this outing. “No, why?”

  “Would you mind if we stop by my house on the way? I’d like to collect the mail and check on things.”

  “I wouldn’t mind at all.”

  “Thanks. It won’t take long.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t have any reason to hurry home.”

  Her plans for the evening involved nothing more than laundry and maybe some sewing. No reason to rush back for either.

  Garrett and his daughters lived in a tidy redbrick ranch-style house on a quiet street. He pointed to a house across the street, explaining that his mother and grandmother had resided there for many years. The one he was in now had just happened to become available a few weeks before he’d moved back with the girls, so he’d bought it after only a cursory consideration.

  “Would you like to come in?” he offered as he parked in the driveway. “I have some sodas if you’d like a cold drink. Or I’ll be only a few minutes if you’d rather wait out here.”

  “Actually, a glass of cold water sounds good.”

  “I can provide that, too.” He opened his door and she did the same.

  It was no surprise to Maggie that the house was immaculate and efficiently organized. Garrett’s military background showed here as well as in his posture. She might have predicted a neutral, almost sterile decorating style, but instead found that he’d selected warm, comfortable furnishings in rich colors. The kitchen was fitted with top-of-the-line stainless-steel appliances. “Do you cook?” she asked him after accepting a glass of iced water.

  Glancing through a stack of mail, he nodded absently. “With two growing girls in the house, I pretty much have to. Basics, mostly. Broiled or grilled meats and fish, roasted or steamed vegetables, lots of salads. I don’t like to fry and I’m not very good at baking, but we get by. Mom still likes to cook, so we have dinner together fairly often. Occasionally the girls nag me into ordering pizza, but I’m not a fan of most takeout foods.”

  She leaned an elbow against a spotless white-tile counter and asked, “So how is a kitten going to fit into your tidy household?”

  He chuckled and tossed the mail into a basket on a built-in kitchen desk. “I’m assuming it will be an interesting experience. I’m going to ask the shelter worker to recommend a quiet, well-behaved young cat and hope Kix falls in love with it.”

  Maggie shook her head. “You just know she’ll choose a hyper, curious and mischievous kitten.”

  “I’d better pick up a large bottle of aspirin on our way to the shelter,” Garrett muttered, looking like he was only half joking.

  She laughed. “Might not be a bad idea.”

  He shifted his weight and her amusement faded. She hadn’t realized quite how near he’d stood to her. Or had he just moved closer? By accident or intentionally?

  He shifted again and suddenly there was more room between them. His jaw was tight now, his eyes dark. “We should go.”

  She set her empty water glass on the counter. “Yes.”

  She hadn’t expected her voice to emerge so regretful that even she could hear the reluctance.

  Garrett went still, his gaze locke
d with hers. “Maggie—”

  She cleared her throat, wondering why it felt suddenly dry despite the water she’d just swallowed. “Yes?”

  “We should go.”

  “You just said that.”

  But neither of them moved.

  She jumped a good inch when his cell phone buzzed suddenly. He must have been startled, too—a muttered curse escaped him before he glanced at the screen, then answered the call. “Mom? Is something wrong?...Oh. Yeah, sure....No, go ahead. I’ll see you in a while.”

  “Is everything okay?” Maggie asked when he slipped the phone back into his pocket.

  “Yeah. The girls are hungry so they’re eating dinner early. Mom said she’d save me a plate, or she suggested I might want to eat out with you if we’re in no hurry to get back to the resort.”

  “Oh.”

  “So. We should go back.”

  She couldn’t help laughing again, though somewhat breathlessly this time. “I’m getting that idea.”

  He grimaced wryly. “Maybe I’ve said it before.”

  “Once or twice.”

  A faint sigh escaped him. “It’s just that—well, you’ve probably figured out that I find you very attractive.”

  She shouldn’t have been particularly surprised by his candor, considering what she knew of him. Still, she couldn’t help being caught unaware by his words. She felt her pulse rate speed up in response to his unexpected admission. “You do? I mean, I wondered—”

  He took another half step backward, putting just a little more safe distance between them. “I’m trying to tell you that you don’t have to worry about me getting out of line. I don’t want to cause any discomfort between us.”

  For some reason the more self-conscious the usually composed Garrett became, the more at ease Maggie felt. And the more attractive she found him, which was hard to imagine, considering how strongly she was drawn to him. “I appreciate your chivalry.”

  He frowned. “You’re laughing at me.”

  “I’m laughing at both of us,” she admitted. “I’ve wondered if you could see how attracted I am to you.”

  He looked at her for a moment, then said very distinctly, “Well, damn.”

  A soft, husky chuckle escaped her. “I’m not sure how to interpret that.”

  “You and me—not a good idea, Maggie. Even if there weren’t any other issues between us, the timing is all wrong for me to even consider getting involved. With anyone.”

  She shrugged, both amused and flattered by his uncharacteristic awkwardness. She couldn’t help but be curious about those other “issues,” but she wasn’t going to argue with him. Not when there were so many other things she would rather do with him. “I’m not looking to get seriously involved, either. That isn’t why I let the girls talk me into this outing with you.”

  “Then why did you?”

  “Because I wanted to see the resort from a small plane,” she answered lightly. “And because I thought we could both use a couple hours of relaxation without our families around.”

  And because the thought of being alone with him in an enclosed space had been incredibly appealing, she could have added.

  He pushed a hand through his short, crisp hair and gave a little huff of a laugh. “You got that right.”

  A quick rush of sympathy drew her thoughts momentarily away from her physical responses to him. “Do you ever get time away from work or your family?”

  “Not very often. When I’m not working, it seems like the girls always have something going. School activities or dance or music lessons or dentist appointments or birthday parties they have to be chauffeured to. Or Mom’s car has a flat or one of her appliances won’t work or she needs lightbulbs changed that she can’t reach or one of her faucets is dripping or...”

  He stopped with a grimace and a shake of his head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to go on a self-pity rant. I love my family and I take care of them because I choose to.”

  “I understand. You’re talking to someone who lives within a stone’s throw of most of my extended family,” she reminded him. “Sometimes I just need to escape for some me time. Sounds like you could use some more of that yourself.”

  “I run almost every day for an hour or so early in the mornings before I get the girls up for breakfast. Sometimes Jay and I play golf or watch a ball game when the girls have other plans. But you’re probably right. I do need to get out more.”

  A runner. She should have known he did something strenuous to stay in such great shape. Which brought her attention right back around to how appealing he was to her, and to his confession that he felt the same way about her. She moved a step closer to him, speaking in a low voice. “You should definitely make time for yourself. Just for fun.”

  He leaned against the bar, looking somewhat more relaxed again. “Fun, huh?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, holding his gaze. “No responsibilities, no taking care of anyone else, no watching what you say or do. Just totally selfish fun, for at least a few hours at a time. When’s the last time you did that?”

  He made a face. “It’s been a while.”

  At least a year, she’d bet. Since he’d become fully accountable for two young girls. “When’s the last time you acted purely on impulse?”

  “Probably even longer.”

  “That’s what I thought.” On an impish whim, she stepped even closer and took his face in her hands. And then planted a smacking kiss right on his nicely shaped mouth. Just because she wanted to.

  Garrett looked startled but not displeased by her move. One side of his mouth kicked up into a slight smile when she drew back an inch. “I never thought you were the type to play with fire, Maggie.”

  She chuckled softly, her heart racing now in response to that all-too-brief kiss. “I’ve been known to scorch my fingertips a few times.”

  His hands settled at her hips before she could move away. “My fingers are still feeling a little cold.”

  What the hell. She wrapped her arms around his neck, momentarily abandoning caution. “Then maybe we should heat them up.”

  “Maybe we should.” He settled his mouth against hers, their smiles meeting then melding into a kiss hot enough to scorch much more than her fingertips. She felt the heat surging all the way through her, simmering deep inside her. This buttoned-down, ex-military single dad definitely knew how to kiss.

  Finally releasing her mouth, he drew his head back just far enough so he could look into her eyes. He didn’t release her, nor did she remove her arms from around his neck. It felt so good right where she was, pressed again his lean, muscled form, wrapped in the warmth that radiated from him.

  “You’ve managed to surprise me,” he said, his voice just a little rough-edged now. “That doesn’t happen very often.”

  Lacing her fingers behind his head, she lifted an eyebrow. “What surprises you? That I’m attracted to you? Or that I admitted it? I’m not really a game player when it comes to this sort of thing. I would have kept my interest to myself if you hadn’t said something, but since we’ve both made it clear that we’re not looking to complicate our lives any more than they already are, there’s no reason we can’t be honest.”

  “I’m a fan of honesty.”

  She laughed softly. “So am I.”

  “Even when it stings,” he added with a grimace that made her suspect he associated a bad memory with brutal honesty. Something told her it had to do with his ex-wife, but that wasn’t something she particularly wanted to get into.

  Though she’d avoided the complications of marriage and children to this point, she’d had her share of romantic disappointments. She had seen her sister survive a bad marriage and move on to a much happier life. The past was past, in her opinion. No need to dwell on it.

  “Even then.” She took a quick nip of his lower lip, then dropped her arms with a slight sigh and stepped back. “So what’s on the agenda now?”

  “I should probably get back to the family,” he said, tugging at the open
collar of his shirt as if it had suddenly tried to close on him.

  Maggie shook her head in exasperation. This man really needed to learn how to take a few hours for himself. His family had even called him to encourage him to do so.

  “Okay, here’s the deal,” she said brusquely. “I’m buying you dinner. It’s the least I can do after you took me for that lovely flight. It’s still early, so you’ll be back in plenty of time to spend a little while with your family before bedtime.”

  His left eyebrow shot upward. “Doesn’t sound like I have much choice.”

  “You have no choice at all,” she assured him. “I’m totally kidnapping you. That way you don’t have to feel guilty.”

  “I don’t feel guilty for having dinner away from the kids every once in a while,” he said, an edge of defensiveness to his voice.

  She merely looked at him.

  He sighed. “Well, I try not to, anyway.”

  She caught his wrist and gave a tug. “Okay, consider yourself my prisoner. I’ll release you only after you’ve eaten a leisurely meal accompanied by adult conversation, a glass of wine and servers dressed in anything other than clown costumes.”

  The expression that briefly crossed his face almost made her grin. She might have described it as wistful. “Sounds pretty nice,” he conceded.

  “Let’s go, McHale.”

  “Since you’re giving me no other choice...” Chuckling, he followed her out of his house, locking the doors behind them.

  * * *

  Maggie looked even prettier than usual in the flickering glow of candlelight. It brought out the streaks of honey in her wavy brown hair and made her hazel eyes glow. Her sun-kissed fair skin looked flawless and invitingly soft. Having so recently held her in his arms, Garrett knew that to be a fair assessment.

  “Tell me about your work,” he encouraged her over appetizers in the little lakeside Italian restaurant she’d chosen. “Did you choose to toil in the family business or did you feel pressured into it?”

  As soon as the question left his lips, he wondered if he’d worded it a bit too bluntly, but she didn’t seem to mind his curiosity. She cut into a stuffed mushroom with her fork as she answered.