by Holly Jacobs
“Well, maybe I have a few more surprises up my sleeve.”
“Come on, you can tell me, what have you done with the real Ian Thomas Ryan? You’re one of those pod people, right? You’ve taken over his body and have all his memories, but you’re not really him.”
“Allie,” Conner bellowed from the living room.
“Sorry,” she said. “I’d better go see if I can soothe the savage beast. He’s none too happy with me.”
“I am,” Ian said quietly.
“Am what?” she asked, turning at the door.
“Happy.”
A smile blossomed on her face, lighting her whole being. Ian wanted to spend the rest of his life basking in it.
“I’m glad,” she said and fled.
Happy.
Love.
Words that just a couple of days ago had been alien to him.
Words that had been just that—words.
Now they’d become flesh and blood. They were embodied in one small, dark-haired woman.
Ian started whistling. He had a few more surprises up his sleeve.
Well, almost up his sleeve. He had some shopping to do.
CHAPTER NINE
“What is this?” Allie said. Her theory on pod people was looking more and more believable.
Ian grinned and took off his helmet. It wasn’t a new, visored sort of helmet, but one of those bowl-shaped things that would be at home in a movie like Easy Rider. As a matter of fact, Ian looked like he was auditioning for a role, perched on the seat of a black Harley.
“This,” Ian said in his most lecturing mode, “is a Harley—a 1980 Harley Sportster. Even more specifically, it’s mine.”
“Yours?” Businessman Ian Thomas Ryan on a Harley? The picture didn’t bear consideration.
He grinned like a little boy with a new toy. “Mine. Want to go for a ride?”
Allie shook her head. “No.” Getting over her shock enough to remember her manners, she added, “Thanks, anyway.”
Ian’s face fell. “What do you mean, no?”
“I mean I hate motorcycles. Oh, I thought I could like them, but the bugs definitely made me realize I never would. The bugs and the accidents I witnessed. In nursing school, when I did my stint in the ER, my first trauma was a couple who’d been riding a motorcycle and had a run-in with a pickup truck.” She shuddered at the memory. “The truck won.”
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. Then, with a bit of accusation in his voice, he added, “You talked about that motorcyclist you’d dated.”
“Bull,” she supplied.
He shrugged. “Bull. And I figured you liked riding bikes, so I bought this one.”
“You bought it for me?”
Like a little boy deprived of a piece of candy, Ian nodded. Allie took a step and laid a huge kiss on his cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”
“It is?” he asked.
“It is.” She leaned close and whispered in his ear, “I don’t want to ride the bike, but I might consider going for a quick ride.”
Ian started to choke, and the choking led to a certain red stain on his cheeks. “What did you say?” he sputtered.
“Well, you said you wanted me in your bed every night and as often as possible during the day. Well, it’s day, and I haven’t been in your bed for ten whole hours.” Allie was flirting—shamelessly flirting—and a feeling of power flooded her being as she saw the desire in Ian’s eyes.
“What about dinner?” he asked hoarsely.
Allie laughed. “Another great thing about soup is that it will always keep an extra thirty minutes . . . or more.”
“Hm,” Ian said, moving from the motorcycle to her side. “How about an hour?” He was pulling her toward the apartment building.
“Oh, I think an hour will work.”
An hour and fifteen minutes later, they went down to Allie’s apartment and were met by Anne’s knowing smile and Conner’s glare. “See you’ve got a motorcycle,” Conner said, his voice a step up from a grunt.
Ian didn’t appear to take offence. “Yeah. I’m selling it tomorrow.”
“You are?” Allie asked, grinning broadly.
“You are?” Conner echoed.
Ian’s eye caught Allie’s and held it. For a moment it seemed they were the only two people in the room, and even though they’d just left his apartment, Allie found herself longing for privacy. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get enough of him.
He winked then, breaking the spell, and turned to Conner. “Yes, I am. Turns out Allie doesn’t like them.”
“What kind is it?” Some of Conner’s animosity seemed to fade. As the two men took their seats and talked about motorcycles and cylinders and such, Allie hurried out to the kitchen with Anne limping along behind her.
“I owe you an apology,” Allie said. “Ditching you with my brother wasn’t a very nice thing to do.”
“No problem. He’s pretty much kept to himself.”
That was Conner, self-sufficient to the very end. Allie worried about him. He’d assumed too much responsibility too young and didn’t seem to know what to do with himself now that they’d all grown up.
“I probably should warn you . . .” Anne started, then paused.
It didn’t sound like good news. “What?”
“I couldn’t help but overhear your brother on the phone this afternoon.” Anne’s smile told Allie that it wasn’t all that accidental.
A devious friend was sometimes the best kind—especially when dealing with brothers.
“And?” Allie asked.
“And it sounded to me like he was calling in reinforcements. He might not be saying much, but I don’t think he’s very pleased about you and Ian.”
“You’re the queen of understatements,” Allie muttered. Her brothers always did gang up on her. It was another one of the reasons she’d moved. “Did he sound like he got them?”
“I think I heard him say something about tomorrow.”
Allie groaned. One brother was bad, but all three would be intolerable. “What am I going to do?”
“What are we going to do?” Anne countered.
“We?”
When Allie looked surprised, Anne grinned. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Right.” Allie reached over and gave Anne’s hand a little squeeze.
“So, what do you suggest?” Anne asked. “I’ve only ever had to deal with one brother. I can’t imagine dealing with three.”
“Let me tell you, it wasn’t a cake walk, by any stretch of the imagination.” Allie sighed. “But they love me.” It was the only thing that had saved them on more than one occasion. Allie knew every annoying thing they did was prompted by love.
Anne nodded, obviously acquainted with the feeling. “Yeah, that’s the thing about brothers—just when you think they can’t annoy you any more, they turn around an do something wonderful.”
“I don’t think they’re planning anything wonderful tomorrow.” Allie had visions of shackles, or worse yet, her brothers might have no plans for her, they might be saving their plans for Ian. Allie grinned and added, “But then again, neither am I.”
Anne started to chuckle. “I think I like the sound of that.”
“I don’t think they’re going to like the sound of it,” Allie said. If the boys had been present, they’d have known they were in trouble, but they weren’t, and ideas whirled about in her brain as she served the soup. Anne might be getting around better, but she wasn’t up to serving just yet.
“Well, I’ve sold the bike,” Ian said as he walked into the room.
“Already?” He’d bought it for her, then sold it for her. It might not be bonbons and roses, but it touched something in the very center of Allie’s heart.
“Your brother bought it,” I
an said.
“Conner?” She turned to her brother, grinning like a big buffoon. “How are you going to get it home?”
“I’ll just ride it home and then take a taxi back here to pick up my car.”
“That would be all day traveling,” Allie said. And she didn’t want to think about how much a taxi would cost.
“No,” Conner said, “only a few minutes. My apartment’s about half a mile away.”
Allie stopped midspoonful, all thoughts of her vegetable soup momentarily forgotten. “What apartment?”
“The one I rented. I can move in anytime tomorrow.”
“You’re moving to Erie and commuting three hours to work every day?” Allie asked, though she knew it was a stupid question.
“Nope, the commute will only be about ten minutes, near as I can figure it,” Conner said. His voice was bland, though his eyes said he knew his announcement was big.
“Conner?”
He grinned. “I got reassigned. That’s what I planned to tell you, but I got sidetracked.” He looked meaningfully at Ian, the source of his sidetracking.
“What do you mean, reassigned?”
Conner turned to the silent Anne and Ian. “She’s generally quicker than this.” To Allie he said, “I requested a transfer and it came through. I’m stationed at the Lawrence Park barracks. And by the look of things, the transfer came through just in time.”
Allie jumped to her feet. “Damn it, Conner, I don’t need a sitter.”
“Sure you do. I come here and find you’re at it again—a house full of strays.”
“Don’t talk about my friends as if they were headed to the pound,” she hollered.
“I have to confess, I like this bunch.” He grinned at Ian and Anne. “But you can’t be trusted. Left to your own devices, you’d adopt the entire city.”
“What, are you jealous? I’ve made a life for myself without the great Conner McGraw’s input. I’ve got a job I love and friends, and I didn’t need you to help me with any of them.”
“You’re also sleeping with a virtual stranger.” Trust Conner to cut straight to the chase.
“Ian’s not a stranger, he’s the man I love. And I’ll sleep with him if I want.” Allie could feel her face flame as she realized what she’d said.
Her stomach heaved.
She hadn’t planned on telling Ian she loved him just yet.
She had wanted to ease him into the idea, not blurt it out over soup.
“Go find somewhere else to spend the night, Conner. I might have to share a city with you, but I don’t have to share an apartment. I’ll meet you upstairs later, Ian. Excuse me,” she said and fled.
Running from the apartment was cowardly, and she acknowledged the character defect as she grabbed her purse and bolted out the door. She didn’t care, though. She needed to think and she needed to breathe, neither of which she could do in her apartment.
The three other diners just watched as Allie bolted in stunned dismay.
“I’m not a stranger,” Ian said, his voice low and challenging.
Anne stood. “No, you’re a fool, and so are you, Conner McGraw. Neither of you deserve having someone like Allie in your lives.” She grabbed her crutches and hobbled from the table and into her room. She slammed the door, which must have startled the baby because they heard a tiny cry, followed by silence.
Conner’s eyes drifted from the bedroom door back to Ian. “That went well.”
Ian grinned and said, “I told you, if you objected, she’d fight for me. You heard her, she loves me.”
“So, why can’t I tell her I like you again?” Conner asked.
“She likes a fight, likes to feel adventurous. Did she ever date anyone you liked?” Ian asked.
Conner shook his head.
Ian said, “Well, I can’t see her marrying one you like either.”
Conner’s spoon paused midair. “Marriage?”
“I told you I was serious.” Ian sat back down and took a bite of his soup.
“You’re a devious man, Ian.”
“I’ve learned that life doesn’t just hand you what you want—you have to work for it. I want Allie and I’m ready to fight for her.”
Conner chuckled. “She’s going to be tough to catch.”
“I know. She said she wasn’t ready to marry, but one way or another, she’s going to marry me. Despite the fact she says we’re all wrong for each other. I’ve already got her in my apartment. And, since she’s just bellowed out that she loves me, I guess I’ve got her heart as well. Now all I have to do is get that ring on her finger.”
“I’m going to enjoy watching the show. I can talk Zac and Zeb into hating you too, if you think it would help.”
Ian grinned. “I’m sure it can’t hurt.”
Allie sat on the edge of the dock, watching a sailboat drift by. Moving to Erie had been great—its proximity to Lake Erie was its biggest bonus. She’d learned to love the dock. The colored sails, the boats, the water. She could see the peninsula across the bay, arching gracefully to create the sheltered area.
If only she could find some protection from her brothers. She couldn’t believe Conner had requested a transfer. She was almost thirty and didn’t need her big brother breathing down her neck. Why couldn’t he see that?
She almost groaned out loud when she remembered her outburst at the table. Maybe she didn’t need a brother to watch out for her, but she could certainly use a zipper for her lips. How could she have just blurted out those words?
She loved Ian, but she didn’t think he was ready to hear it. He wasn’t used to the idea of the two of them being together—she wasn’t even used to it. They were all wrong for each other, but for some strange reason, he was the only man she’d ever felt this way about.
The words had been said, and there was no going back. She’d planned to ease him into it, but that was no longer an option. Well, big old independent Ian Thomas Ryan would just have to live with the fact she loved him, and she planned to see to it he loved her someday as well.
She grinned. She was used to getting around big, overbearing men. Convincing Ian he loved her might be a bit tougher than her normal task, but she was up for it.
He’d never know what hit him.
Speaking of hitting, she thought of Conner, and it made her palm itch. If she weren’t a confirmed pacifist, she’d clobber him.
Let him move to Erie. He’d just have to get used to the fact that his little sister wasn’t so little anymore.
Feeling better, Allie gathered up her purse, took one last look at the waves and seagulls, and walked back to her car.
She might have moved her timetable up a bit, but she wasn’t about to admit defeat.
She loved Ian Ryan, and sooner or later, he’d realize he loved her as well.
“There you are,” Ian said. “Feel better?”
He was sitting on the couch with a book in hand. He seemed so casual. Maybe he hadn’t heard what she’d said?
“I’ll feel better when I’ve got my overbearing brother off my back.” She flopped next to him on the couch. “What did he say when I left?”
“Not much. Anne told him off.” He nonchalantly laid his arm over her shoulders.
Allie snuggled close and any residual anger faded with his touch. “Good for Anne. Not that it will do any good. Conner’s of the opinion that if he didn’t spin it, the world wouldn’t turn.”
Her head rested against Ian’s chest and she felt more than heard his low chuckle. “Well, I think he got the idea you weren’t pleased with his transfer.”
“It’s not that I want three hours separating us. It’s just that I want some breathing room. And it sounds like he has Zac and Zeb on their way to town to help.”
“Help what?” Ian asked.
She shifted even closer. “Browbeat me into s
ubmission.”
“Have they ever managed it?” Ian asked.
She looked up and grinned. “No, but that doesn’t stop them from trying.”
“About what you said . . .”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She didn’t want to hear him say he enjoyed her company but he didn’t love her.
“We need to talk about it,” he insisted.
“Not now.” She wanted to hold on to her illusion for just a little while longer. Visions of white picket fences and Ian darted across her mind’s eye. She couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t loved him, couldn’t even remember a time he wasn’t part of her life. She was afraid if she said as much, she’d scare him off.
“We do need to talk. If not now, when?” he persisted.
She didn’t want to talk, just dream. In her dreams their story ended with a happily ever after, but Allie wasn’t sure that was the ending Ian had in mind. “Later,” she said, buying some time. “Right now, I just want you to hold me.”
“Honey, that’s an offer I’ll never refuse.”
She felt safe in his arms. It felt right.
Now, if only she could get him to agree.
CHAPTER TEN
“Anne, are they there?” Allie whispered into the phone, though there was no logical reason to. She wasn’t feeling very logical.
She was nervous about her upcoming talk with Ian. He’d let her put it off last night, but she knew that couldn’t last. The irrational part of her mind blamed her brothers for pushing her into it so soon. Too soon.
“They just came in. Boy, are they a big bunch. What do you have in mind?” Anne whispered.
Allie laughed. “I’ve decided to torment them.” It was only fair. They’d been tormenting her for years.
“Allie, they’re all out there whispering and I truly don’t think they’re in the mood to be tormented.”
“That’s when it’s the most fun.”
She hung up and smiled.
What she was about to do wasn’t very mature, but then she wasn’t feeling very mature. She was furious with her brothers and nervous about Ian—it was an emotional combination guaranteed to make her behave in an immature fashion.
