Kitabı oku: «The Morning After», sayfa 2

2

SUNLIGHT STREAKED THROUGH the stained glass in a last burst of fiery intensity before the sun set that evening. Dylan clenched his fist, unable to tear his gaze from the fading light. Kathy had loved the window he’d had designed for her twenty-fifth birthday.

That last fateful night they had been leaving for a party his parents had thrown to celebrate his passing the bar. Kathy had stopped to watch the sun give up its last rays. “Oh, look. The sun’s saying good-night.”

She had refused to leave until the final bit of color had faded, her sweet eyes growing sadder with each passing minute. Then she had turned to him with a shrug. “It just isn’t the same without the light shining through.”

He’d swept his arms around her and kissed her. “Then I’ll be your light until morning.”

Her arms had tightened around him, her breath warm against his cheek. “You’re always my light, Dylan.”

God, he missed her.

He swallowed past a sharp ache in his throat, gritting his teeth against the loneliness that always overwhelmed him at sunset. How wrong they’d both been.

She’d been the light.

He closed his eyes. To his consternation, a vision of Nikki McClellan flashed through his mind. Her dark eyes beckoned him, filled with a promise he refused to acknowledge. He pushed the image away.

“No.”

No one would ever replace Kathy. He had no intention of pursuing any kind of relationship with Nikki. He had nothing to offer her.

The doorbell rang. He straightened in the dark, hesitating before rising. His family never visited, and hadn’t most of his friends gotten the hint and given up stopping by long ago? It was probably Steven. His old boarding school roommate was a diehard.

Steven had gotten married a little over a year ago. It seemed settling down into his own happiness made him more determined to drag Dylan back into the world of the living. The more Dylan resisted, the harder Steven tried. Guess that’s what best friends were for.

Dylan yanked open the door just as the bell sounded again. Evelyn Rogers, a paralegal at his office and the woman his parents had always favored over Kathy, stood on his doorstep. A tall man beside her met Dylan’s steady gaze while a streetlight cast long shadows across the porch.

“Why, Dylan, I was beginning to wonder if you were home.” Evelyn looped her arm through her companion’s. His dark hair played opposite to the platinum strands framing her heart-shaped face. “This is Nick Vancouver. I don’t believe you two have met.”

Dylan hesitated a long moment, then shook the man’s hand. “Dylan Cain.”

“I’ve long been an admirer of your father’s.”

Dylan’s gut tightened. Too bad he couldn’t say the same. His father was hell in a courtroom, but Dylan had seen too much of the man’s private affairs to hold any kind of respect, let alone admiration, for him.

Evelyn peered past him into the darkened house. “Has your power gone out?”

Dylan flipped on the foyer light, then stepped back wordlessly. As much as it would have pleased his mother, Evelyn had never been anything to him. Why then did it aggravate him to see this man by her side?

“I just wanted to drop off these summaries you requested.” She pulled a file from the briefcase slung over her shoulder.

“Thanks.” He took it from her. “I would have had a courier pick them up.”

She shrugged, her glance swinging to Nick, then back. “I wanted to stop by. No one’s seen much of you lately. You burrow into your office at work, then you hole up here the rest of the time. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Irritation grated through Dylan. “I’m fine. You needn’t have troubled yourself.”

“Well…” She shifted and tried an uneasy smile. “We won’t keep you. We have to run anyway. We’re meeting Nick’s parents for dinner.”

She twisted a large diamond on her ring finger. Inexplicably the knot in Dylan’s stomach tightened at the sight of the ring. Evelyn laughed a nervous little laugh, holding up her hand. “Isn’t it beautiful? Nick surprised me with it last week.”

Dylan nodded, unable to utter anything intelligible. He should wish them well, but the words stuck in his throat. He’d never cared for Evelyn in that way, so why was her good fortune so hard to swallow?

Beaming, Nick pulled her to his side. “I’m pushing for a September wedding.”

Pink tinged Evelyn’s cheeks. “He’s so impatient, but we’re going to try.”

“Ah, well…” Dylan let the words trail off. What was he supposed to say— That he wished them all the happiness he’d lost the night Kathy had slammed her car into that power pole?

Nick released his fiancée. “We’re going to be late. It was nice meeting you, Dylan.”

“Good luck,” was the best Dylan could offer as he again shook the man’s hand.

“Take care of yourself. I worry about you.” Rising on her tiptoes, Evelyn placed a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t be such a stranger, okay. You’ll come to the wedding?”

He shrugged. “I’m not much for ceremonies.”

Disappointment flickered in her blue eyes. “Well…let me know if you need anything else.”

He nodded, then shut the door firmly behind them. What he needed was peace and quiet. What he needed was not to be reminded of all the happiness he had no hope of ever retrieving.

“SO, EVELYN HAS HOOKED HERSELF a husband.” Steven Benson’s green eyes glowed in the dim light of Dylan’s study late that Saturday evening. “That throws a monkey wrench in your parents’ plan. I’m surprised your mother hasn’t called to agonize over it.”

Dylan grimaced. His mother never missed a chance to play the drama queen. He lifted a bottle and two glasses from a nearby shelf. He wasn’t a regular drinker, but tonight seemed to call for it.

He handed Steven one of the filled glasses. “She’s storing it up, waiting for the perfect opportunity to let loose. The more people to witness how I’ve failed her and take pity on her, the better.”

“What made them think you’d ever go for Evelyn?” Steven shrugged. “She’s all right, just not right for you. She’s more like them. Surface.”

Surface. The word described Dylan’s parents to a T. Appearances were all they cared about. Image was everything. With her highbrow bloodline and Ivy League education, Evelyn would indeed add luster to the family reputation. Unlike Kathy, who’d made it to Harvard not through her family connections or bank balance but on the full scholarship she’d worked so hard to earn.

He gripped his glass, stilling the urge to slam it into the wall. His parents had never accepted her. They’d upset her, driven her away that night.

“You look like you’re ready to break something. Don’t tell me you’re unhappy about Evelyn.”

“It’s not Evelyn. I don’t know. Seeing the two of them mooning at each other…”

Steven’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Sometimes it’s tough to take.”

The fax machine in the corner rang, then kicked on. Dylan sat brooding while several pages printed. He pushed his chair back, then reached for what appeared to be a contract. Gritting his teeth, he scanned the pages.

“She’s met my asking price.” He glared at the contract and took a long swallow of Scotch whiskey, welcoming the numbness the liquor instilled.

Steven refilled his own glass. “You’ve got an offer?”

Dylan nodded. “This woman came by the other day. Said she was ready to make an offer. When I didn’t hear back, I thought she’d changed her mind.”

“Even at your asking price, she’s still getting a deal. It’s worth every penny.” He leaned forward, his cropped red hair spiking upward, his gaze intent on Dylan. “It’s not too late. You can back out of this. I know I’ve been pushing for you to get back into the swing of things, but I wasn’t suggesting such a drastic change.”

Dylan hesitated for a moment. Was he making a mistake? Why was it so hard to let go? His gaze scanned the paneled walls. “No, there’s no going back. This is the only room I spend any time in.”

“But, Dylan, this house…it means so much to you. I know that better than anyone. Imagine what you could do if you dedicated yourself. You’re a natural. It’s a masterpiece, a sign of real creative genius. To just let it go…”

Dylan waved his hand in dismissal. “I’m an attorney, haven’t you heard? We don’t create. We tear things down, argument by argument. Besides, I’ve finally earned the old man’s grudging respect.”

A scowl marred Steven’s otherwise pleasant features. “It would do the old bastard good to have his plans go awry.”

“He’s my father. I’m the only one who can call him a bastard.”

“Ha! They were calling him that way before you were born.”

“Either way.” Dylan gestured at the room. “This house was a phase. I only managed it with your help. You’re the real architect. Besides, I’m good at what I do now.”

“But are you happy?”

“I buried all my happiness two years ago.”

Steven smacked his glass down on the desk. “Yes, it’s been two years. When are you going to snap out of it?”

Dylan narrowed his eyes on his friend. He picked up the contract. With a furious scrawl he signed his name across the bottom. “There. I’ve sold the damn house. How’s that for snapping out of it?”

Silence hung over the room.

Steven slumped back in his chair. “I do want to see you moving on. I just hate to see you sell this place.”

“It’s done. She wants to set the closing in a month’s time. So be it.”

“Not even a counteroffer? You should have asked for more.”

He shrugged. “I’ll pay closing. Let the witch have the place.”

“Witch?”

An image of Nikki McClellan floated in Dylan’s mind. “She must be one. That or…something.”

“By ‘witch’ do you mean ‘bitch’?”

“No, not that.”

Steven sat forward. “I get it. So your buyer’s a babe?”

Guilt still plagued Dylan, but the liquor had loosened his resolve. “When we were in the gardens, all I could think about was getting her into the hammock.”

“Excellent.” Steven nodded in approval. “This is definitely progress.”

“I feel like I’m being…unfaithful.”

“No! You’re not. Kathy would want you to be happy. This is a good thing. You should act on those impulses. God, it’s about time. Ask this witch out.”

“I don’t know what it is about her….”

“I think she’s just what the doctor ordered.”

“I’m not ready for a relationship.”

“Make it a no-strings affair.”

Dylan stared at his empty glass. “I can’t believe a woman like her would go for that.”

“It’s a new millennium. Women like their independence. You won’t know unless you ask. This is huge. Do you realize you’ve been like a dead man walking around here? You’ve been working way too hard. When was the last time you even thought about a woman? I’d about given up on you. I can’t wait to tell Rebecca. She’s been living for this day.”

“Whoa. I said that I find this woman attractive, but I didn’t say I was going to do anything about it. This is a big step.”

“But you’re giving it serious consideration. I can tell. You’ve got that spark back in your eye.”

Slowly Dylan nodded. Maybe Steven was right. Anything was better than the agonizing tedium his life had become. “We’ll see.”

“THERE HE IS, ALL FIXED UP.” Nikki handed the kitten to its young owner. “Told you we’d make him feel better.”

“He’s a big boy. He didn’t even cry. Just like me. I didn’t cry when I got my shots to go to kindergarten, right Mommy?” The six-year-old owner of the kitten beamed at her mother.

“That’s right, sweetie.”

“Well, Oliver’s all set.” Nikki scratched the cat behind his ear. A wave of calm flowed from the little guy as he gave a contented purr. “You ready to take him home?”

The child radiated with excitement. “Can we find him a special treat?”

“You got it, sweetie. Thank you, Dr. McClellan.”

Nikki bade mother, child and kitten goodbye as she walked them out of the examination room into the waiting area. Several people sat in the chairs against one wall while Janet, her receptionist, talked quietly on the phone.

Nikki paused, absently nodding at something Oliver’s owner said. A tall blond man stood with his back to them, bent over the sign-in sheet at the reception counter. Her pulse quickened. A familiar melancholy drifted to her, but it seemed different today than when last she’d experienced it—tamer somehow.

The man straightened, turning toward her, and she smiled, unexpected delight filling her. “Dylan, I thought that was you. What are you doing here?”

He nodded toward her groomer, Sarah Hendricks, who stood behind the counter, her gaze fixed admiringly on him. Sebastian made a feeble protest from her arms. “I decided to follow your advice and bring him in for grooming and nail clipping.”

“Oh.”

The man was a mystery. Had she imagined that heated look in his garden? He certainly hadn’t acted on it. In fact, when he’d come upstairs during her tour of his house, she’d gotten the distinct feeling he’d been angry with her. Thank God he’d accepted her offer on the house.

“He seems happy enough here.” He nodded toward Sebastian.

“He’s in the right hands. Sarah will take good care of him.”

Talking soothingly to the cat, the young woman finally tore her gaze away to head toward the grooming area. Nikki drank in the sight of Dylan. He wore a charcoal suit with a blue shirt that brightened the color of his eyes. His shoulders appeared broader, and he seemed to take up more space in her waiting area than he had in the expanse of his house.

His pleasure at seeing her swept over her, stealing her breath and warming her cheeks. She had never experienced this kind of intensity from anyone before. It was a desire so pure, her throat tightened with the beauty of it. It called to something deep within her, and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to touch his arm. Even through his clothes she felt the connection.

“Thanks for bringing him in,” she managed at last before dropping her hand.

“It was the least I could do.” He traced his finger along her collarbone, sending a ripple of pleasure up her spine. “How’s the scratch?”

“Healing. I’ve had worse, rest assured.”

He nodded slowly. “This is a nice place you have here. Did I understand correctly that you own it?”

“That’s right. I had a little help from my great-aunt Emma. She died last year and left an inheritance to my sisters and me. I could never have established my own clinic so quickly without her.”

“It seems to be prospering.”

“I’m doing okay.”

“Okay enough to buy a house.”

“Yes.” She experienced again that giddy feeling that had hit her when she’d heard he’d accepted her offer. “I’m really excited about that. It’s my first.”

The muscles in his jaw bunched, then relaxed. “Seems we both have something to celebrate.”

She nodded.

He hesitated a moment, then said, “Perhaps we could toast our good fortune over dinner sometime?”

“Dinner?”

He was asking her out. The hungry glint in his eyes as they had stood in the garden flashed through her mind. So he had been interested. What would it be like to spend an evening with him? “I suppose that would be nice.”

“Great. I…” A short laugh escaped him. “I have to check my schedule. I have to be in court quite a bit this week. In fact, I need to run now. My assistant will pick up Sebastian later, but could I call you?”

“I look forward to it.”

“Wonderful.” A smile lit his face.

“Nikki?” Janet walked over and handed her a clipboard. “Boxer and Mrs. Sneldon are ready for you.”

“Thanks, I’ll be right there.” She turned to Dylan. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Right. Me, too. So…I guess your number is on the contract?”

She laughed and it came out higher pitched than she’d intended. “That’s right.”

“We’ll talk soon then.”

She nodded, and he favored her with another smile before turning to leave. She headed back to the examination room with a sigh. She needed to focus on her work before she succumbed to the worst case of infatuation in the history of womankind. Somehow she had to find a way to shield herself from this man.

3

“THE MELONS ARE FRESH TODAY. Would you like a squeeze?” The young man’s eyes gleamed the following Sunday as he offered the fruit to Nikki.

His gaze dropped to her breasts. She shivered and pulled close the blouse she’d worn over her sundress. She’d seen that expression too often. She smiled politely and moved on, knowing she’d have to circle back for her bananas. Her best strategy was to put distance between her and this Casanova.

Sighing, she turned her cart down the juice aisle. Attracting men had never been a problem. If only she could figure out how to keep one.

As they had for most of the past week, thoughts of Dylan Cain swirled through her mind. She’d missed his call earlier. They’d been playing phone tag since his visit to the clinic, so she’d left her cell phone number on his voice mail when she’d last called him back. She placed a bottle of juice in her basket. Like the house, something about that man called to her.

Her cell phone rang and her heart quickened as she pulled it from her purse. “Hello?”

“Nikki, how’s my girl?” Thomas Scott’s voice crackled across the line. He was the one man who’d remained a lifelong friend of her mother’s without ever having slept with her. Nikki loved him like a father.

“Hi, Thomas. Just grocery shopping.”

“I hate to bother you on a Sunday….”

“No bother. What’s up?”

“It’s my sister’s dog. He’s got something weird going on. His whole face is swollen. He was fine one minute, then he just started puffing up like a balloon.”

She frowned. “Poor Buck. Why don’t you tell Lola that I’ve got to drop these groceries off, then I’ll meet her at the clinic?”

“He’s over here with me. I’m watching him while she’s out of town.”

“Oh, then I’ll just stop by your place. You’re closer than the clinic.” And he wasn’t far from Dylan’s house. Maybe she could drive by afterward and get another peek.

At the house or the man?

“That’d be great. You think he’s okay?”

“I have to see him first to know for sure. Was he outside when it happened?”

“We were out back. Why?”

“The last time I saw a dog do that, he’d just snapped up a bee.”

“You think it’s an allergic reaction?”

“Maybe. I’ll know better when I get there.”

“You are an angel, Nikki. I knew I could count on you to take care of this.”

She said goodbye, then hurried to the checkout.

She made the short trip home in record time. With grocery bags weighing down her arms, she fumbled with the lock. The door swung open before she could turn the key.

Her youngest sister—green-eyed, blond-haired Erin—frowned at her as she grabbed several bags. “Why did you carry all this by yourself? I would have come down and helped—or at least sent one of the minions.”

She nodded toward the back of the apartment, where a steady banging sounded. Tess’s ex-lovers tended to hang around long after the loving. “Brandon or Brendon or whatever his name from the catering company is back there fixing her closet organizer.”

Waving aside Erin’s concern, Nikki pushed into the cozy living room and continued on to the kitchen. “I’m fine. Did anyone call for me?”

“Not that I know of.” Erin followed Nikki into the kitchen.

“Is Tess here?”

“Her latest stud picked her up hours ago.” Disdain laced her sister’s voice.

Nikki flinched. She’d been a little down on Tess for following in their mother’s footsteps, but in light of her talk with Sophie, maybe they should cut their sister a little slack. “You know, Erin, I think I understand her a little better now. I have to run help Thomas, but maybe when I get back we can talk about it.”

An indifferent shrug was her only answer.

Sighing, Nikki set her load on the kitchen counter, then ditched her blouse. “You sure no one called? There weren’t any messages on the answering machine?”

“I’m sure. No one called. What’s up?” Erin asked as she dropped a head of lettuce into the vegetable bin in the refrigerator.

Nikki bit her bottom lip. Not wanting to get their hopes up needlessly, she hadn’t mentioned her house hunting to her sisters in case the deal fell through. If she told her sister about Dylan, she’d want to know where Nikki had met him. “Nothing, really.”

Erin eyed her for a minute, then shook her head and tossed an empty grocery bag into the recycling. She looked as though she might argue but continued putting away groceries, slamming cabinets harder than normal. Nikki would soothe Erin’s rumpled feathers after the house was theirs. Her sister had been so moody lately, but Nikki would have to deal with her another time. If Buck really was having an allergic reaction, it could be life threatening.

Nikki hurried to Thomas’s house. He was sitting on his front stoop with his sister’s dog when she pulled up.

“What are you doing baking yourselves out here?” she asked as she climbed the front steps, medical bag in hand.

“Once I told him you were coming, he insisted.” Thomas nodded his gray-streaked head toward the dog. “He seems to feel okay.”

Poor Buck. His face was swollen and wrinkled like a shar-pei’s. Nikki knelt before the beast. The old Irish setter thumped his tail. “That’s my boy. Did you snap up a wasp? Can I take a look?”

He whined softly as she pried open his mouth. “There’s the stinger.” Grabbing an instrument, she pulled the offender from his mouth, then patted him reassuringly. “Just a couple of shots and you’ll be right as rain.”

Worry lines crossed Thomas’s forehead. “Will he be okay by the time my sister gets back tomorrow?”

“Let’s take him inside and I’ll get the injections ready. Give him about an hour and he’ll be fine.”

“Sure looks awful.”

“Untreated, it could constrict his trachea or make his tongue swell so much it could cut off his breathing.”

“So let’s get on with those shots. That sister of mine will skin me if I return him damaged.”

“Come on, boy.” She urged Buck into the house after her.

A short while later, she found Thomas tinkering in the small workshop he kept at the back of his garage. A box fan stirred the thick air around him. He turned as she approached.

“Hey, there, pull up a chair.” He patted the stool beside him. “How’s the old boy?”

“Took his shots like a trooper.”

“Thanks for the house call, pumpkin. Tell me, what do I owe you?”

She waved her hand in dismissal. “The way I see it, I owe you. I wouldn’t even have the clinic if you hadn’t talked me into going to work for Doc Emerson way back when. And I might not have stuck it out if you weren’t constantly encouraging me and sending me business.”

“Doc knew his practice would be in good hands when he sold it to you.”

“It’s certainly made life easier, stepping into an established practice. I’d be lucky to break even if I were starting from scratch.”

“You’ve worked your ass off for it and you earned every penny. You helped build that business. Now, you send me a bill. Nobody makes house calls these days.”

“This really is closer than the clinic. Besides, this way I can drive by the house I’m buying.”

“You found a house?”

“It’s in Coral Gables. The closing is scheduled for the end of July.”

“That’s wonderful! My Nikki is going to have her own home at last.” His eyes misted. “I’m proud of you, girl. No one’s worked as hard as you have. I’ve never known a more deserving soul.”

Happiness filled her. “I’ve wanted this my whole life, Thomas. You can’t know what it means to me. After this move, I’m never going to move again.”

His eyebrows drew together. “I know living with Maggie wasn’t easy, but it’s made you strong and independent. It’s made you the woman you are today.”

“Aw, it wasn’t so bad—not if you don’t mind changing addresses every couple of months.” In spite of Sophie’s revelation, Nikki couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her tone. “There was that one time we got to keep the same phone number through three moves. As long as I didn’t invite any of the kids over, they didn’t realize we had moved and I was spared the jokes about Mom taking a new lover. That subdivision had lots of street parties, so we met most of our neighbors. If there had been more single men, we might have stayed in the area a little longer.” Bitterness tinged her voice. “Until I got my first apartment, I never knew what it was like to not live out of suitcases and boxes. That was life.”

“You still don’t understand her. She loves her art and her men.”

“What’s to understand? Sophie says Mom has a big heart.”

“It’s true. Do you doubt that Maggie loved each and every one of those men?”

“I don’t know. I guess she did.”

“Was there ever fighting? Any bad partings?”

“Of course. What home goes without fighting?”

“Maggie had fallings-out with her men? They fought?” Thomas peered at her, his eyebrows arched.

Nikki frowned. Funny, she and her sisters had had their share of sibling rivalry. Seems she and her mother had fought all the time. But try as she might, she couldn’t remember a single moment of discord between her mother and any of her lovers.

“It’s weird. I can’t remember any. That seems strange, doesn’t it, that all those relationships were peaceful, then the breakups amicable?”

“That’s my Maggie. She has a special magic.”

“Sophie calls it a ‘gift.’ I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”

“I take it you don’t believe in this gift?”

“The gift of sexual healing? Get serious.”

“Oh, Nikki, it’s very serious business indeed.”

She turned to face him more squarely. “You mean you believe my mother runs through lovers like last season’s fashions because she’s in their lives to heal them sexually, then she moves on once the healing’s complete?”

“That’s right. You do understand.”

“No. I don’t get how a man as reasonable as you can believe that.”

“I don’t get how a woman with this special gift can deny the magic she’s been born with.”

She stared at him a moment. First Sophie, now Thomas. Was there something to this after all? “So you believe this gift is inherited by all the women of my family?”

“That’s my understanding, but you should be able to answer that for yourself.”

A small groan escaped her. Tess certainly seemed gifted when it came to the opposite sex. With Erin it was hard to tell, but she was young still and hadn’t had many serious relationships. Nikki’s own love life was at least unusual. “I don’t know, Thomas. It’s just a little out-there, isn’t it?”

“Is it?”

A shrug was all she could give in answer. “I suppose the empathic nature goes hand in hand.”

“I believe it’s stronger in some of you than in others.” His gaze pinned her. “Could be worth exploring.”

If it were all true, was she doomed to live a life devoid of love? “You mean, I should enter relationships for the sole purpose of healing but never get attached because I’ll always have to let go?” Her throat tightened.

“No, sweetie, here’s where you don’t understand. Look at Maggie. She loves each and every one of them heart and soul. That’s where the real magic comes from. That’s where she taps into her healing potential.”

“She loves them, then when it’s over she just lets them go?”

His head bobbed. “It’s the releasing that frees her to receive again.”

“So does she just stop loving them?”

“Of course not. She has unlimited potential to love in that big heart of hers. It’s part of her charm.”

“But I don’t want to keep getting left behind.”

“Then be the one to go out and embrace the world.”

“I don’t know.” Dylan’s image wavered in her mind. If ever a man needed her healing, he was the one. She didn’t question this inner conviction. And she’d never felt such a strong attraction. Did she dare explore her gift with him? Then, if she did, would she be able to let him go? “It’s a lot to think about. For now, I need to get going. There’s a house I’ve got to go see.”

“A new house and a new life, Nikki.”

She smiled. “Yes, I think so.”

NIKKI’S HEART POUNDED AS she passed slowly in front of the house. Soon it would be hers. It stood as solid and enchanting as it had before, the stained glass over the door reflecting the late-afternoon sun.

“I’ll just drive by,” she murmured to herself.

An orange cat suddenly streaked in front of her. She slammed on her brakes. She came to a screeching stop, her front tire grazing the curb. To her amazement, the tabby, which looked suspiciously like Dylan’s cat, jumped up onto the hood of her car.

“You little rascal.” With a shake of her head she got out, then walked to where the animal stood meowing at her. “What are you doing? Were you trying to kill us both?”

“Well, hello, Nikki.” Dylan’s deep baritone startled her.

The sun danced across his bare chest as he approached. He wiped his hands on a rag sticking out of his shorts pocket. Apparently he’d been working in one of the gardens.

Warmth filled her cheeks and her pulse quickened. “I was actually in the neighborhood, not five minutes away. A friend of mine has a dog I had to see whose face was all…had to give him some injections… Anyway, I just wanted to drive by to make sure I hadn’t dreamed this place. I tried to call you back…and your cat came out of nowhere.”

She closed her mouth, her cheeks burning. She’d turned into a babbling idiot.

“Sebastian, bad boy.” He turned his gaze to her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize he’d gotten out. Come on, big fella.” He reached for the cat, but Sebastian growled, flicking his tail in warning.

“That’s no way to act.” Gently she stroked his back and he calmed. “Would you like me to put him inside? I don’t think he’ll mind if I pick him up.”

“I guess I can’t leave him out here to endanger other drivers.”

The cat meowed when she scooped him into her arms but didn’t resist as she moved toward the house with him. “Now, what was that all about? Do you have a death wish?”