by Debby Conrad
Of course, he’d never been outside the U. S. with the exception of two fishing trips to Canada. But the places Rusty had bragged about didn’t interest him in the least.
“Mr. Galloway,” she said impatiently, dragging him back to the game. She tapped her manicured fingernail on the table. “How many cards?”
Luke looked into his hand and tried not to show his disappointment. He felt his left eyebrow twitch and tried to hold it steady. “Two,” he said, tossing the rejects across the table. He’d wanted three, but there was no reason to tip his hand. He usually bluffed pretty well.
“Tyler, how about you?” she asked.
“Three for me.”
Luke watched as she dealt Richman three cards and set the deck aside. Sam was about to place his bet, but Luke raised a hand to stop him. Rusty had forgotten to take her cards. “Rusty, what about you? You need to take your cards before Sam places his bet.”
“I’ll just stick with these, but thanks for reminding me, Mr. Galloway.” She looked him in the eye, and he couldn’t keep his eyebrow from twitching again. It irked him that she called him Mr. Galloway, and yet all night she’d been calling Richman by his first name. But what irritated him more was that she hadn’t taken any cards. Was she bluffing? If she was, she was certainly good at hiding it. He’d looked her in the eye, but she gave nothing away. Well, he’d wear her down. And if he didn’t win a hand soon, he’d quit. Simple as that. There was no way in hell he’d let her clean him out. She wasn’t that good. He was having a bad night was all.
Sam placed his bet, and Luke raised it. Richman tossed his hand in. It was up to Rusty. “I’ll see your bet and raise it by …” She turned to Sam. “Is there a limit?”
“No, sweetheart. You go right ahead.” Apparently Sam didn’t mind losing to his daughter.
But Luke objected. “There has to be a limit, Sam. Christ, she’s liable to bet a million dollars, just to be funny.”
“All right,” Sam conceded. “Ten dollars.”
Rusty shot Luke a look, then studied her cards intently. “Okay, I’ll raise you ten.”
Luke didn’t have to look at his cards to decide if he wanted to stay or fold. He was staying. So what if he only had a pair of deuces. She was bluffing. He was sure of it. Damn sure.
Sam checked and tossed a ten dollar bill onto the pile. Luke did the same.
“Read ‘em and weep,” Rusty announced, copying Sam’s favorite phrase. She turned her cards over one at a time, revealing a straight, king high.
Shit! “That’s it for me,” Luke announced. So, she was lucky. What the hell did that prove? He got up and busied himself tidying up Sam’s room.
“I’ll see Tyler to the door,” Rusty said.
Luke’s head shot up. “Don’t bother, Rusty. Why don’t you get Sam some pajamas, and I’ll see Richman to the door.”
Rusty looked angry.
Richman looked disappointed.
Too bad.
“Well, goodnight, Sam,” Richman said. “Goodnight, Rusty. I had a wonderful evening and—”
“Let’s go, Richman. Don’t wear out your welcome.” Luke pushed him toward the bedroom door. The gibbering fool. He had no idea he was dangling from a hook and about to be reeled in.
“She’s really a nice lady,” he said to Luke’s back.
Luke ignored him as he headed toward the kitchen. He grabbed Richman’s coat from a chair and thrust it at him. “Well, see ya.”
“Luke, can I ask you something?”
“What?” Luke barked. He had a pretty good idea of what was coming.
“I really enjoyed Rusty’s company tonight. Do you think she’d go out with me?”
“What about Beth?”
Richman backed up a step, a startled look on his face. “She’s been dead for over two years. And in all that time I haven’t so much as looked at another woman.”
“My point exactly. It’s too soon.”
“How long do you think I should wait? I’m thirty seven years old, and I’m not getting any younger.”
Luke pretended to think it over. “I’m certainly no expert, Richman, but I think at least another two years would be respectful enough. And then you could gradually ease into a relationship without stirring up a lot of gossip. Beth might even approve then if you waited a while longer.”
Richman didn’t look pleased with Luke’s advice, but Luke didn’t care. He wanted the man out of his house and out of Rusty’s life, though he couldn’t say why.
“Well, I’ll have to give it some more thought. Although, I still wouldn’t mind taking Rusty for a cup of coffee or something. You know, just as friends.”
Luke pushed him down the hall toward the front door. “She hates the stuff. You’d be wasting your time.”
“Well, maybe she’d enjoy a movie or a play?”
Was the man dense? Couldn’t he take no for an answer. “Actually, Rusty isn’t much fun to be around. She’s … well, she’s about as much fun as having a root canal, if you catch my drift.” He opened the front door, felt the cold, biting wind.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you didn’t want me to go out with her.”
Laughing, Luke said, “Now, what would make you think a thing like that? I’m just trying to keep you from wasting a perfectly good evening when you could be doing something more enjoyable, like watching T. V., or bathing your dog.”
“I don’t have a dog.”
“Too bad. Rusty loves animals. And the bigger the better. I’d get a dog if I were you. Maybe a Doberman. And besides, a dog would keep you company while you’re still in mourning.”
Richman blew out a frustrated breath. “Are you sure you’re not trying to keep her for yourself, Luke?”
Luke threw his head back and roared. “That’s a good one! You’ve certainly got a sense of humor, Richman. I never noticed that about you. Tell me, honestly now, does Rusty Paris look like my type?”
“No, not at all. She’s much too classy for you. Please don’t take offense, Luke. You’re a decent man, underneath. But Rusty’s special.”
Underneath? Underneath what? “Yeah, she sure is,” he said sarcastically.
“So, if you’re not interested, and please say so if you are—because I certainly don’t want to step on your toes—then I’m going to give Rusty a call in the morning.” He slipped his arms inside his coat sleeves and stepped out onto the porch.
Luke held the man’s gaze. “You do that,” he said, then shut the door in Richman’s face. “Two-timer,” he muttered.
Hell, Rusty had only been flirting with Richman to prove to Luke she could get a man to propose in two weeks or less. Luke had been trying to spare the man. But if the guy was too stupid to take a hint, then let him suffer. If he didn’t care that Rusty planned to use him to make her pregnant, then he deserved to be duped.
And if he laid one hand on her, Luke would kill him.
After Rusty went up to bed, Luke went in to check on Sam. “Need anything? Another beer? A cigar?”
“Nah. I’m going to watch a little television before bed.” Sam punched a feather pillow and placed it behind his neck, making himself comfortable.
“Okay,” Luke said. He rubbed at the knot in his own neck. The knot he blamed on Rusty. The woman was definitely a pain in his neck, among other places.
He started to leave the room, when Sam said, “She’s quite a poker player, isn’t she?”
Luke turned around. “Who?”
Sam gave him a look. “Rusty. Who the hell did you think I was talking about?”
Luke knew he’d meant Rusty, but it certainly wouldn’t do any good to let Sam know she was constantly on his mind. And that right now he was jealous as hell of Tyler Richman. So, he was immensely surprised to hear himself say, “Did you notice the way she was flirting with Richman all night? I think she’s planning on seducing him, which should be as easy as taking candy from a baby. Christ, the man is a saint. He hasn’t been with a woman since Beth died. Not even for a quicki
e.”
Sam ran a hand over his beard. “Is that right? He must have loved her a hell of a lot to stay loyal all this time. A guy like that would make a good husband for Rusty.”
“The man’s a fool.” Luke had known Beth since high school. If it had been Tyler who had died instead of her, she would have been dating within a month of his death.
“Well, it’s not your problem.” He picked up the remote and aimed it at the television.
“What I’m trying to say is that Rusty isn’t real particular about who fathers her kid. You know what I’m trying to say?”
Sam set the control aside. “No. What are you trying to say?”
Luke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t you get it? Richman is so goddamned horny, he’ll probably jump on Rusty the first chance he gets.”
“Give my daughter a little credit. Huh, Luke?”
Luke scowled at Sam. What the hell was wrong with him? “Can’t you see what you’ve done? She’s trying to find a husband—fast. She wants to give you a grandchild before you croak. And since Richman is available, it looks like he’s her man.”
Sam nodded. Finally, he was getting through to the man, Luke thought.
“I suppose she could do worse,” Sam said. “Richman’s a decent man. And besides, now maybe we’ll get a discount on our dentist bills.”
It was like talking to a brick wall. “Jesus, you are one sick son- of-a-bitch. You’d actually let your daughter marry that guy just because you want a grandkid and a discount on your dental bills? Couldn’t you buy dental insurance? And maybe you could invite a couple of kids from the orphanage for Christmas?”
“What do you know?” Sam scoffed. “Wait until you get to be my age. I don’t mean to be so stubborn, but I took a good look at my life after Natalie died. I kept thinking she’d come to her senses and come back to me. I finally realized what I’d missed out on all those years, waiting for something to happen that was never going to be. Now, I don’t want to waste another minute.”
“Speaking of which, have you called Becky yet?”
Sam’s hands grew fidgety. “No, not yet.”
“Why not? You chicken?”
“Maybe I am. At least I admit it.” He glared at Luke. “But I’m going to call her, as soon as I figure out what to say.”
Luke shook his head and stomped toward the door. “Your daughter is just like you. Stubborn and foolish.”
“You’re wrong, Luke. Rusty has a good head on her shoulders, and she’ll do the right thing.”
“Yeah,” Luke mumbled as he left the room. He slammed the door behind him.
“And so will you,” Sam said to the closed door, “when the time comes.” He smiled satisfactorily and hit the button on the remote. He pretended to be interested in the movie he’d found, but he was really thinking about Luke and Rusty. And about Becky. Luke was right—Sam was chicken. But then, so was Luke.
CHAPTER TEN
RUSTY PULLED THE SHEETS from Sam’s bed, wadded them into a ball and tossed them in the corner of the room. “I should wash this blanket.” She went to the closet and grabbed a clean set of sheets.
“It’s nice of you to change my bed, but I told you Luke and I have a woman who comes in every Thursday. Mrs. Rogers. She’s a real nice lady. You’d like her. Anything you need done, just ask, she’ll be glad to do it.” Sam sat in an overstuffed chair shuffling a deck of cards while Rusty put the fresh sheets on the bed.
“I told you I like to keep busy. I don’t mind helping out. In fact, I always give Zuri—my housekeeper—the weekends off. Weekends are my favorite time. I fend for myself and clean up after myself. Catch up on my reading. Although I have to admit, it gets kind of lonely sometimes being in that big house with no one to talk to.” She laughed softly. “By Monday, I can’t wait to hear voices again.”
“You don’t have to be alone, sweetheart. Never again. This is your home. You can stay right here with me. And Luke.” He reached down and pet the dog at his feet. “And Jack, too, of course.”
Rusty smiled. She hadn’t thought about where she’d live once she got married. She and her new husband couldn’t live here, not with Luke Galloway lurking around every corner. And not with the way he looked at her. Most times he acted like some kind of sex fiend. Then again, he probably was. And here she’d been afraid of his dog, when all this time it was the master she needed to be careful of.
But she didn’t want to move out. She needed to be close to Sam. He needed her, too. She supposed she’d worry about that when the time came. Right now, she had some questions for Sam. Questions she’d been avoiding. “You’re looking stronger every day,” she started. “What does your doctor have to say? Has he called?”
He looked out the window. “Nah, Bill’s a busy guy. He knows I’ll call if I need him.”
“Are you comfortable?”
“Sure, as long as you’re around.” He glanced her way and smiled. “But you know how it is with sick people. I could have a relapse at any time.”
Rusty shuddered at the thought of Sam suffering. After finishing with the bed, she sat on the edge and looked at his bandaged feet resting on the hardwood floor. “I don’t even know what’s wrong with you. I mean, maybe we should talk about it. Just in case you have a relapse, so I’ll know what to do.”
“I thought Luke already told you.”
Yes, he’d told her, but he hadn’t given her any details. Sam looked so brave, she thought, as she swiped at a tear on her cheek. She refused to cry in front of him. It would only upset him, and he had enough to worry about. “I heard Becky Meyers mention that you had heel spurs removed. Is that when they found the …”
He squinted his eyes, then opened them wide as if he finally understood her meaning. “Yeah, yeah, that’s when they found it all right. Nasty disease. Nasty,” he said shaking his head. “It only strikes one out of every billion.” He didn’t meet her eyes.
Rusty stared at him as if he were crazy. Cancer was a deadly disease and had claimed so many lives, young and old. “The odds are much, much higher than that, Sam.”
“Really? You know some Californians with Rekop?”
Rekop? “I beg your pardon?”
“It’s a rare disease. You’ve probably never heard of it. Becky’s a veterinarian, and she’s never heard of it. It’s sort of like a heel spur, starts in the foot and works its way up through your entire body. I have it in both feet.” He raised his feet off the floor for effect.
Sam was right. She’d never heard of Rekop. But if it was that rare, surely they’d need an expert. “Is your doctor familiar with this disease? Because we could call in a specialist. You know I can afford the best.”
“No, Bill’s fine. He’s done a lot of research. And besides, it comes and goes, you know? I’m sort of in remission right now.”
“But—”
“You know, there’s been some studies done—way over in Egypt or somewhere. You ever been to Egypt?”
She shook her head.
“I didn’t think so. I didn’t hear you mention it last night when we were playing cards. Anyway, these studies showed that a person with Rekop could live a long time if they don’t get depressed about stuff. You know?”
Alarm bells went off inside Rusty’s head. All his longings for a grandchild could be making him depressed. Rusty shuddered at the thought. She’d been about to ask more questions about this rare disease, but changed her mind. Something didn’t make sense. She’d donated millions of dollars to several different charities to help in the fight against deadly diseases, and yet she’d never heard of anything called Rekop. And since she considered herself a fairly intelligent person, surely she would have heard of it.
But if there was no such thing as Rekop, why would Sam make up such a lie? She shook her head while deep in thought. She was being ridiculous. Sam would have no reason to lie about something like that. Maybe he was confused, maybe the disease was something else altogether. And she needed to find out exactly what it was and ho
w she could help him fight it.
“Are you expecting a call, Mr. Galloway?” Rusty asked on her way to the laundry room.
Luke kept the newspaper in front of his face, leaned his hip against the counter and grunted a response. “Uh, uh.”
“Then why are you standing by the phone? And why, when the phone rang a few minutes ago, did you lunge for it?”
He looked up from the paper. “Did I?”
Folding her arms, she said, “Yes, you did.”
He shrugged and buried his face in the paper again. Rusty rolled her eyes and left the kitchen. She’d washed the blanket from Sam’s bed and knew it must be dry by now. She’d just opened the clothes dryer when she heard the phone ring. Luke must have picked it up. Reaching inside the dryer, she pulled out the blanket, draped it over her arm and shut the door.
On her way back to the kitchen, she heard Luke say, “I’m not sure when Rusty’ll be back, Richman, but I’ll tell her you called.”
Oh, for heaven’s sake! Why was he lying to Tyler? To get Luke’s attention, she cleared her throat. “Is the phone for me?”
Slowly he turned around. “Oh, wait a minute,” he said into the receiver. “She just walked in.” He handed the phone to her and shrugged his shoulder. “I thought you left.”
Rusty clucked her tongue and took the phone. “Hi, Tyler.” From the corner of her eye she caught the scowl on Luke’s face. She deliberately turned her back on him to avoid his prying eyes and ears. “I enjoyed last night, too … Yes, I’d love to … Seven o’clock is fine … I’ll see you then.”
She smiled to herself as she hung up the phone. Tyler seemed like such a nice man. The total opposite of Luke Galloway. Tyler had manners. And he was very nice looking. Not that Luke wasn’t attractive in his own way. She just didn’t find him very appealing, that’s all. Although she had to admit he filled out a pair of blue jeans nicely.
“So, you’re going to go out with him tonight?”
