Timothy

by Katie Dowe

  “Hi.” She smiled up at him and his day was suddenly brighter.

  “Hi yourself.” He reached out a hand to move the tendrils of hair from her cheek. “You look like you're only slightly older than Maddy.”

  She laughed as she looked at both girls. “I guess that’s why I was propositioned by a bunch of teenage boys a few minutes ago. Where are you off to now?’

  “I was just planning on taking the girls on the rollercoaster. Care to join us?”

  “I'm not sure I have the stomach for it,” she told him with a laugh. “But I'll stay and watch.”

  “We want you to come please Robyn,” Madison beseeched her.

  “Yes, please.” Holly said.

  “You're outnumbered,” Timothy told her with a twinkle in his eyes.

  ***

  “It appears I am,” she said, resigned. She handed Timothy her balloon and went to dump her candy apple in the nearby dumpster. “If I throw up as a result of the ride you cannot complain,” she warned him.

  “I'll try and keep my disgust at bay,” he told her with a grin. She shook her head at him and took Holly’s hand in hers as they walked over to get in line. He was known by everyone and highly respected, which Robyn supposed was natural because he'd made most of the positive things that happened in Fallen Oaks possible. She liked the attentive way he looked at his nieces and watched how gentle he was with them. He was also patient and listened to what they had to say. A man like him, in his position, had taken time out to take them to something and make sure that they had a good time and that, in Robyn’s estimation, was something to be lauded. That was before she felt the plunge of the rollercoaster and every logical thought flew from her mind as she screamed, her eyes closing as she gripped the side.

  “You are scaring the kids,” Timothy called out to her.

  “I am scared!” she shouted back. Holly reached out and took her hand in hers as if to reassure her and Robyn held on tight. The ride was finally over and Timothy had to come by and help her out, her legs were trembling so badly!

  “I don’t care how much you three gang up on me, that is never going to happen again!” she told him darkly.

  “All the kids are staring at you,” Timothy said with an unrepentant grin as he laced his fingers through hers and kept her by his side.

  “I held her hand, Uncle Tim,” Holly said solemnly.

  “And if that isn't humiliating, I really do not know what is! A three year old comforting me.”

  “They say the best way to get over your fear is to face it. How about we go a second round?” He started pulling her towards the line again and she dragged at his hand.

  “Not on your life!”

  “How about a sedate ride like that slow moving train?” he teased her.

  “That is entirely more my style,” she told him loftily.

  With a laugh he propelled her over to the line with the girls following.

  ***

  They had fun and the hours flew by so fast that they couldn't believe it! He treated them to lunch; hot dogs heaped with everything and tall cups of sodas which she told him were entirely bad for their health, but today she was willing to pretend not to be a doctor. But that sentiment flew out the window when she had to treat a choking victim and a child who'd started vomiting and had a high fever. He watched her take charge, immediately sending him to her car for her medical bag so she could do her healing. She was efficient and steady under pressure and very gentle when dealing with her patients. She accepted the grateful thanks of the parents and walked back over to them to continue the day’s activities. Malik and Hillary came to the fair in the late afternoon, looking like they had come to some sort of an agreement and Timothy was able to spend some time with Robyn, strolling along the park and stopping as she admired a particular piece of hand crafted jewelry or clothes on display. He wanted to buy her something but he had no idea if she would be offended or read anything into it. He could see people watching them curiously and realized that he wasn't one for socializing with a woman at his side for the entire day. He noticed that she stifled a yawn and asked her, “Tired?”

  “A little bit,” she admitted. “But I want to attend the concert tonight.”

  He glanced at his watch and realized to his surprise that it was almost four p.m.! “You could go home and get some rest, the concert starts at eight.”

  “Will you be there?”

  “If you assure me that you're coming then I will be,” he told her.

  “How about you pick me up later?”

  His heart quickened at that. “I would love to. Say a quarter to?”

  “Sounds fine.” She tucked her hand through his arm as they made their way to her car. “I had fun.”

  “It’s not over yet,” he told her quietly.

  ***

  Robyn stared at herself in the full length mirror in her bedroom. She had come home and slept for a full three hours and then had gotten up to take a shower and get dressed. She was wearing a dress and wondered if it was too short and if the time was a little too cool for the light blue cotton material that just went past her knees. The top left her arms and shoulders bare and it tied around her neck. She left her hair loose around her shoulders and added tiny knobs in her lobes. She'd put on coral colored lipstick and a touch of eye shadow and was wearing strappy sandals. She closed her eyes as she realized that she was looking forward to seeing Timothy. She enjoyed spending time with him and had no idea what that even meant. She also had no idea why he wanted to spend time with her when he could pretty much have any woman he wanted.

  She'd seen the longing looks as he walked next to her and the envious ones that had been cast her way. She wasn't exactly over her own situation and couldn't offer a man anything right now and she was sure that Timothy McLaughlin had more than his fair share of beautiful women to want to be with her that way. He was just being friendly and fostering good relations with the only doctor in town, it was good for his image. She shook her head at how absurd that sounded and closed her eyes as she heard the knock on the door. He was certainly on time, she thought as she grabbed a jacket and headed for the door.

  “Hi.” He stared down at her from his lofty height, a smile on his lips. She felt her heart skip a beat as she stared up at him. He'd showered and changed into slate grey dress pants and a thin grey cashmere sweater that molded itself to his muscled chest and powerful arms. He looked like the epitome of success and wealth and confidence all rolled into one. “Shall we?”

  She nodded and grabbing her keys she followed him outside. This time the car was a low slung BMW convertible with sleek silver lines and chrome rims. The night he took her to dinner he'd been driving a black Corvette and when he came by for his physical it had been a plain SUV. “Do you collect vehicles?” she asked as he held the door open for her to get in.

  “Something like that.”

  She waited until he'd slid into the soft leather bucket seat and buckled his seatbelt before she continued the conversation. “How many vehicles do you actually own?”

  He glanced over at her before he pulled away from the curb. “I never counted them. I like cars, fast ones and complicated ones as well. I also have a Porsche that I take out for a run along the stretch of road that leads into Fallen Oaks. I'm a typical male who loves the feel of a powerful engine beneath him. I also tinker with engines myself when I have the time.”

  “What other fast things do you like?” she found herself asking him.

  He spared her an amused glance. “I like fast horses and I've invested in a few. Was that the extent of your question?”

  “Of course it was!” she said jauntily as she looked at him sideways.

  She lifted her eyes as she heard the whirring sound and felt the breeze tugging her hair as he let the top up.

  Robyn laughed at the sheer joy of feeling the breeze on her skin and tugging her strands as he accelerated and increased the pace.

  ***

  The park where the concert was being held was on
ly a short distance away but he wanted to give her a tiny bit of the feeling he was talking about. He smiled at her exuberance and regretted that they didn't have further to go as he turned into the parking lot. He switched off the engine and turned towards her, watching as she tried to make some semblance of order out of her tangled hair. To him she'd never looked more beautiful. The concert had already started and he could hear the sounds of merriment and singing going on but he just wanted to be with this petite beauty and wished he could turn the car around and take her to his place or hers. “Ready?”

  “That was exhilarating! I've never done anything like that before,” she admitted.

  “Remind me to take you for a much longer ride.” He got out and came around to open her door, taking her hand to help her out. He didn't bother locking the car and Robyn looked at him enquiringly. “I know that Fallen Oaks is a pretty safe place but aren’t you taking a big risk leaving the car open?”

  “Fallen Oaks is a pretty safe place but my cars are equipped with kill switches that would never allow anyone to go very far.”

  “And here I thought it was your supreme confidence in the people in your town,” she teased him.

  “That too,” he said with a grin as he took her hand and led her over to where a crowd was already gathered and an impromptu stage was shrouded in several lights set around the stage area. Local talents were being showcased and a few well known artists were scheduled to be performing later that night. He led her over to an area where he found a couple of seats, not too near to the stage and not so far that they couldn't see anything. She enjoyed the show and was so absorbed in the performances that she didn't notice that he was watching her most of the time.

  It was during a lull in the show that he got to his feet, causing her to turn to look at him. “How about something to drink?”

  She nodded. “Want me to come with you?”

  “Sit here and keep our seats,” He suggested.

  But he was frustratingly delayed by the Mayor and several business men who wanted his input on something or the other so it took several minutes for him to get back to her and when he did he didn't like what he saw happening. His pace quickened as he noticed the man’s hands on her arms and her struggling to get away from him. He dumped the cups in the nearby trash bin, his steps purposeful and his stance rigid. “Get the hell away from her!” His voice exploded above the noise around them and several people turned to look at him. The man with his hands on Robyn’s arms was either too stupid or too drunk to heed the warning until it was too late. Timothy pulled him away by the scruff of his neck and shoved him backwards into the brush, going after him as he lurched forward.

  “Timothy!” He heard her voice out of the haze of anger inside him and managed to lower his raised fist. “He's drunk.” She was holding his arm and looking up at him beseechingly.

  “That’s no excuse,” he said tightly, his gaze swiveling towards the man standing there with a look of fright on his face. “You owe her an apology.”

  “I'm very sorry!” he mumbled.

  “I don’t think she heard you.”

  “I'm so sorry!” he said, louder.

  “Now get the hell out of here!”

  The man lumbered off, his gait unsteady as he put distance between them. Timothy turned and gripped her arms as he turned her to face him. “Are you okay?”

  She was trembling slightly but she managed to nod. “Mostly adrenalin from the fear of wondering if you were going to beat him up,” she admitted.

  “You were in fear for him?” Timothy asked her with narrowed eyes.

  “I was in fear wondering if I was going to have to try and resuscitate the very man who was manhandling me minutes before and tending to your bruised knuckles,” she said airily, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You make quite an awesome knight in shining armor.”

  “Do I?” He couldn't help but grin down at her. He'd seen the man’s arms on her and he had wanted to beat the living daylights out of him. He'd never felt such powerful emotions before and that was all he felt when he was around her. “I'm afraid that I dumped our drinks in the trash when I saw him touching you.”

  She splayed her fingers over his chest. “I like that you feel the need to take care of me,” she said softly.

  Chapter 8

  The moment was now! He had to make his move now before the emotions surrounding them had passed. He couldn't afford to delay any longer. He lifted his hands and placed them over hers, pressing down lightly. “I want to be more than that.” His expression made it very clear what he wanted to be, his dark blue eyes intense as he stared down at her. The noise volume had been turned up all around them and the intermission was over. On the stage a local talent was singing of finding love in strange places but the couple facing each other was caught up in their own magic.

  “Timothy—”

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said huskily. He didn't want her voicing objections and telling him that she was still in love with the ex-fiancé. He wanted to exorcise the man from her mind and show her that she deserved a man like him.

  She hesitated a fraction and nodded, even allowing him to take her hand on the way back to the car. He waved to a few people who called out to him and even stopped to chat a little bit before they reached the car but he didn't say anything else to her. He opened the door for her and then went around to the driver’s side and got in, touching the button to put the top up as it had gotten chilly. They made the journey back to her place without saying anything to each other, both lost in their own thoughts.

  ***

  Robyn kept looking at his handsome profile and wondered if she'd misread the vibe back at the concert but the sexual tension had been unmistakable. He wanted to take her to bed and she had no idea how she felt about that. She was still lost and angry over the betrayal of the two people who'd meant so much to her but somehow he'd found a way to lessen the pain and for that she was grateful. But was she grateful enough to go to bed with him? She hardly knew anything about him except that he was this totally hot and handsome billionaire who somehow took it upon himself to be her champion, to protect her from what he thought she needed protecting from. He availed himself to her without question and she hadn't thought anything about it until now. He pulled up outside her place and killed the engine. He sat there with both hands on the wheel staring in front of him before he unhooked his seatbelt and turned to her. Robyn took her seatbelt off and turned slightly in the bucket seat, her eyes going to his. “You have questions,” he said quietly.

  “And you have the answers?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “I suppose I do. You're wondering if what you thought you felt at the concert was just my idea of what the friendship is supposed to be. I don’t want to be your friend; at least not just your friend.”

  “Timothy—”

  “I can't allow you to say what I think you're going to say.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “You're going to tell me that you're still hurting from what that bastard did to you and that you're not ready for anything remotely resembling a relationship. And I'm going to tell you that I can make you forget him and everything that was done to you. I want to make it my duty, and of course my extreme pleasure, to make you forget him. I want to replace the image you have of him with one of me and that image is of me making love to you until we're both exhausted and wrung dry.” He lifted one of her hands and kissed the palm, sending awareness shooting up her spine and widening her eyes. “I've been dying to take you to bed since the first time I saw you, Robyn, and it has been almost impossible to stay away from you each time I see you.”

  “That’s not possible,” she whispered dazedly.

  “It actually is,” he said with a crooked smile. “I'm going to walk with you to the door and will take it as an invitation for me to come in if you allow me inside. If we get to the door and you say goodnight to me and close it after you get in, then I will stand out there for a minute or two in case you change your mind and then I w
ill leave. If that happens, I won't call you again Robyn; I'll let you do the calling because I don't want to pressure you. But I'm letting you know my intentions. Is that clear?’

  She nodded, unable to speak.

  “Good.” He let go of her hand and got out of the car, coming around to open her door for her to get out. She did so slowly, wrapping the jacket around her as if the cool air was seeping through. She avoided any contact with him and he stepped aside for her to pass by him, following behind her as she made her way up the steps.

  ***

  She hesitated before opening the door and he found his heart hammering inside his chest. Maybe he'd been too hasty, maybe he should have waited a little longer, but his body had refused that reasoning, screaming from the desire that had been building up ever since he first met her. Ever since she mowed him down that fateful morning and caused him to bang up his knee. She finally opened the door and pushed it wide, standing inside the doorway for a moment with him behind her. Then she stepped into the hallway and Timothy felt relief pouring through him as she left the door open, silently indicating that he should follow. He came inside and closed the door behind him, his hands trembling slightly. She turned to look at him and he just stood there staring at her. “I'm not over it,” she whispered.

  “I know.”

  “I don’t know if I ever will be.”

  “You will be,” he assured her. “You know better than that, Robyn.”

  “I'm scared.”

  “You have nothing to be scared of when it comes to me. You'll never have to fear that I'm going to hurt you the way he did.” He approached her slowly and she stood there waiting for him to come to her.

  “What do you want?”

  “You,” he told her bluntly. He took her hands. “I want you, Robyn, and I've wanted you from the moment I saw you.”