Rescue Me

by Anne, Melody

  “No one knows yet, so you keep quiet,” Joseph said. “I’m sharing a deep secret with you. My uncle, who wasn’t a good man, married a woman far too young for him,” Joseph grumbled. “It’s just sick in my opinion.” He said a few curse words about the evil uncle, but then he smiled. “But the woman was a good mother, and she gave me new nephews, so it all worked out. I only recently found out about them, so I want them to get to know me since their father and I didn’t have a good relationship.”

  “I can’t believe with all that going on you managed to make it over here,” she said.

  “I always have time for you, young lady,” he chastised.

  “It’s Ryan’s birthday, not mine,” she said, feeling cherished.

  “Well, I found out you were finally coming home, so I had to make an appearance.”

  She threw her arms around him again. “I love you, Joseph. I’ll come by on my next day off, and we can have lunch. I miss our talks.”

  “I love you too, sweet girl,” he said. She saw a suspicious sparkle in his eyes, but he turned away and when he looked at her again, his eyes were bright and inquisitive. The sentimental moment was over. “Now tell me about this young man you brought home with you.”

  It wasn’t a question, it was a demand. “We just work together, but . . .” she trailed off. She wasn’t exactly sure how to finish that sentence. There was no way in hell she was telling a man she considered a grandfather about how great sex was with Kyle.

  “But you’re feeling things for him,” Joseph prodded.

  “Maybe a little, but we aren’t a couple,” she said.

  “Well if it matters, he’s a good man,” Joseph told her. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed at him. He didn’t so much as blink.

  “Did you check him out?” she asked, her hands on her hips.

  “Of course I checked him out, just like I’m supposed to,” Joseph told her.

  She wanted to be mad, but there was no way she could, not with that sweet smile on his lips. “You’re terrible, Joseph Anderson. I should go and tell Katherine right now.”

  They both turned toward a delightful laugh coming from the woman they were talking about. She was the love of Joseph’s life, and he didn’t ever try to hide how he felt about her.

  “Don’t you dare. I’m out of the doghouse at the moment,” he said, his eyes shining as he gazed at his wife.

  “Then quit meddling and maybe you’ll stay out of it,” Patsy told him.

  “I can’t promise anything,” he admitted.

  Patsy laughed, unable to stay mad at this man even if he was meddling in her life. She was used to that by now. As a matter of fact, she’d be lost if these strong men she called family didn’t meddle. Maybe it was their way of showing how much they loved her.

  “Speaking of your young man, where did he run off to?” Joseph asked. “I was hoping to chat with him.”

  Patsy laughed again. “Don’t you dare,” she said. She looked around but didn’t see Kyle. “He probably got a page and is off making a phone call. I’d better go find him. It’s either that or one of my family members has him cornered and he needs rescued.”

  “Then rescue away, fair lady. I’m going to take Katherine for a spin on that dance floor.”

  Patsy hugged him one more time then set off to find Kyle. She was more than ready to get him alone. The day had been about as perfect as it could be.

  She didn’t know that was all about to turn on her so badly it would feel as if she’d been stabbed straight through the heart.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Patsy wandered through her sister’s massive property looking for Kyle, and the longer it took the more insecure she felt about it. This was ridiculous. What were they to each other? Nothing, really.

  They’d had great sex—really, really great sex. And he’d made her laugh and was an excellent teacher. They’d had a couple of what she guess she could consider dates. But most of their relationship had been running from each other. And they certainly weren’t committed to one another. They hadn’t talked about tomorrows. Still, he’d wanted to come with her to a family event. That meant something, didn’t it?

  Was it possible to fall in love with someone without knowing it? Was it possible to happen so quickly? She was so dang confused about how she was feeling. Part of her wanted to simply enjoy the moment. She had plans, and they didn’t include a wealthy doctor who she didn’t trust not to end up breaking her heart. But slowly he’d wedged himself beneath her tough exterior. And that was the problem.

  Now she was anxious because she wanted to be with him and didn’t know where he was. It made her incredibly uncomfortable. She decided it was best to give up.

  Then she heard voices—and froze.

  She knew that giggling female voice anywhere. Darcy. Her gut clenched when a sexy deep baritone responded to the woman’s obvious flirtation. Peeking around a corner, she found Kyle standing far too close to be appropriate to the woman who’d made Patsy’s life hell through high school.

  She was about to turn away when she heard her own name. Fighting tears she felt frozen to the spot as Darcy looked her way. Patsy was pretty sure the woman hadn’t seen her, but Darcy moved the extra two inches closer to Kyle as she raised a perfectly manicured nail and ran it down the center of Kyle’s chest. He didn’t push her away.

  Why this was upsetting Patsy so much, she wasn’t sure. This was exactly who Kyle was. She’d known that from the day she’d met him. He wasn’t doing anything against his nature, and he wasn’t committed to Patsy anyway. But it still felt like betrayal, since they had come to the party together—the party at her sister’s house.

  Patsy wanted to run away but Darcy said her name, and she needed to know what they were talking about. Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice was screaming at her that no good could come out of eavesdropping.

  But still she stayed.

  “You realize I’m here with Patsy, right?” Kyle asked. Patsy’s heart thumped. Maybe this wasn’t as bad as it appeared.

  “It’s loud out there and the band is terrible,” Darcy said. “Besides I wanted to talk to you about something.” The woman was a master seductress all the way from the position she was in, to the flirty gestures of her fingers, and the way she licked her perfectly painted red lips.

  Who could resist that? Half the time Patsy didn’t have time for makeup, let alone time to learn all those little things women did to draw attention to themselves. She’d told herself she didn’t want to be that kind of woman; she didn’t need to be desired. But seeing the man who’d rocked her world so intently staring at another woman made Patsy rethink that thought. She wondered what it would be like to have a man so completely enamored with her.

  “What do you want to talk about?” he asked. Patsy couldn’t tell if he was into the conversation or not. She could see he wasn’t pulling away though.

  “I heard Patsy’s on a strict career path; she has no interest in relationships. Why would you want to come here with her?” Darcy asked, parts of her body in constant contact with his.

  “That isn’t any of your business,” he told her.

  She reached up and ran a hand over the back of his neck, and Patsy wondered if she was going to throw up. Kyle didn’t push the woman away. His hands reached out and gripped her hip. The sight was utter betrayal.

  “I’ve seen your work. I need a new doctor to get a few things done,” Darcy told him. “And I only choose the best.”

  Kyle laughed and Darcy smiled at him as if the two of them were in on a joke together. With the perfection of Darcy’s body, Patsy understood why he was laughing. It was obvious she didn’t need plastic surgery.

  “I’m booked up for a long time, and you don’t need work done anyway,” he told her.

  She coyly smiled at him as she moved a bit closer.

  “Ah, you’re too sweet, do
c, but there’s always room for improvement. I refuse to grow old gracefully. I like who I am, and I’m not afraid to enhance what God has already given me.”

  Kyle laughed again. “That’s how I make a living,” he told her.

  The friendly banter between the two of them was worse than the touching in Patsy’s opinion. Darcy was the trophy wife, the type of woman Kyle would one day marry. She’d be on his arm looking absolutely perfect, the ultimate doctor’s wife. That wasn’t who Patsy was. She’d never be content to be a trophy. She wanted to be spectacular in her career and have her life matter. She wanted her own name to have meaning, not just be some man’s wife.

  “I bet you’re planning on some procedures with Patsy, squeezing her into your busy schedule,” she told him with a perfect pout.

  Patsy froze, her insecurities rising. She knew she wasn’t flawless, but she’d never considered having any work done. She’d chosen this job because she wanted to help people, not change them. She hated the scar on her chest from her heart transplant, but she hadn’t thought Kyle cared. Maybe she’d been wrong. His next words broke her heart.

  “What work do you think she needs done?” he asked, his voice nothing more than conversational as if he was describing any patient. He was talking about her with a woman who had always hated Patsy. It was a terrible thing to do, and Patsy wanted to reveal herself, to tell them both to go to hell, but she didn’t budge.

  “That nasty scar on her chest looks like it was done by a butcher. That could definitely be fixed, though I’m not sure there’s much that can be done, but with the way she works all the time, I’ve noticed she’s put on a few pounds. I’m sure things are also beginning to sag and need some lifting,” she told him with her perfected laugh.

  Kyle laughed at the words and Patsy’s last bit of confidence in him and whatever it was they had together slipped away quicker than smoke off the end of a cigarette. She was crushed.

  “Hmm, you think so, huh?” he asked, his voice almost a purr.

  Darcy reached around him and Patsy was done. There was no way she was going to stand there and watch the two of them make out, possibly have sex right there on her sister’s property. She had stood there long enough to know all she needed to know.

  Whatever she’d had with Kyle was over. That was more than clear. She didn’t want to spend a moment longer with him than she had to.

  She turned and walked away, the sound of Darcy’s giggle following her for too long. She fought tears as she sought out her sister, who was busy with the party. She found her laughing with a group of friends and Patsy didn’t want to ruin the festivities so she turned to the house and decided to call a cab.

  She wrote a quick note while waiting, telling her sister she had been paged to work and to please make her excuses. Then she grabbed her dog and slipped away before anyone found her.

  She was proud that she didn’t allow tears to fall until she returned to the city and made it to the safety of her bed where Eeyore snuggled with her, somehow knowing she needed the comfort.

  She hadn’t had an affair with Kyle. It had been two co-workers seeking pleasure. It obviously had run its course. As soon as Patsy convinced herself of that she’d feel a whole lot better.

  Kyle tried calling her several times that night, but after the third try she turned off her phone and found solace in sleep. She had to gear up for the next time she saw him, because, although it wasn’t fair, she would have to see him again.

  There was no way she’d allow him the victory of knowing how badly she hurt from what he’d done. She was too strong for that. She wouldn’t give him or Darcy the satisfaction of knowing they’d affected her. And soon she might be able to convince herself she was perfectly fine.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kyle was dumfounded when he didn’t find Patsy anywhere. He tried calling her and was pretty sure she was deliberately sending him to voicemail. He found himself at her family’s house with no sign of her.

  Sure, he’d gotten distracted visiting with people, but up until an hour before he’d been very aware of her location at all times. She’d seemed content, smiling more than he’d seen her smile before, and giving him hungry glances from across the yard.

  He’d been having to be very careful with his thoughts as he was at her family’s house and he didn’t want to be thrown off the roof for lustful thoughts over her. He’d thought about dragging her into a dark corner somewhere, but was pretty sure he’d be murdered if they were caught with their pants down.

  And then all the sudden she had just disappeared.

  When he tried calling for the second time, Nicole approached him with a rueful expression.

  “I hope you’re having a good time,” she said.

  “Yes, but I can’t find Patsy anywhere,” he told her. “It’s getting late so I thought we should head out.”

  “Oh.” Now Nicole looked slightly embarrassed. “I thought she would’ve told you,” she said as she looked behind her.

  “Told me what?” he asked.

  “She left a note that the hospital paged her. She left about thirty minutes ago.”

  There was a look in Nicole’s eyes that told Kyle she wasn’t buying that excuse any more than he was. It was something very easy to verify.

  “Thank you,” he told Nicole and walked away. He didn’t want to be rude, but he was furious.

  He called the hospital and sure enough, Patsy hadn’t been called in. He was lost on why she’d left the way she had with that excuse. What had happened? Was she done with whatever it was between them? Up until an hour before everything had been perfect, or as perfect as it got for him.

  He didn’t do games. Hell, Kyle had never done a relationship before if he were being honest. But he really didn’t do games. He tried calling her again, attempting to be patient—and failing.

  The longer she ignored him, the more irritated he became. What was she up to? He deserved an explanation. The entire ride back to his apartment, his anger grew.

  He parked and immediately went to her door, knocking loudly. He heard Eeyore bark, so he knew she was in there. But she didn’t answer. He tried calling her again, but it went straight to voicemail.

  His anger went icy cold.

  He was done.

  Kyle had never played games with a woman, and he wasn’t going to start now just because said woman was great in bed. That was all they had together. It wasn’t worth navigating a landmine of crap to see her again. She liked to run, and maybe it was so she could be chased. But she was messing with the wrong guy if that was what she wanted. He was done chasing anyone.

  She’d told him from the beginning she wasn’t interested in a relationship. He’d been the one with the thick skull, wanting to be with her. He’d become obsessed with her in the short time he’d known her, and it had led to nothing but trouble.

  He went to his own place and snarled out loud when he stepped into his bedroom and her scent hung heavy in the air. His desire to see her, touch her, demand an explanation from her overwhelmed him.

  With a fever, he stripped his bed, throwing the sheets into the laundry room before he remade his bed. But as he lay down that night her scent still hung in the air, invading him.

  He wasn’t going to be able to turn off what he felt for her as easily as he’d been able to with others. He might be in more trouble with this woman than he was willing to deal with.

  Dammit!

  He wished life would go back to the simplicity it had been before he’d decided he was unhappy, before he’d uprooted everything. Now he wasn’t sure who he was anymore.

  He was putting that on Patsy Lander as much as everything else. He kept telling himself over and over how done he was. But as the night wore on, not allowing him sleep, he wondered if he could keep that promise to himself.

  He deserved an explanation at least. Why was she that way? He didn’t get
it. She had a beautiful family, and yes, Kyle hadn’t been the best at maintaining relationships in his past, but he’d been nothing but good to Patsy.

  He shouldn’t care.

  But he did.

  Best case scenario would be if he could push her from this thoughts. That would be a hell of a lot easier said than done. She’d wedged herself inside his head and . . . his heart, if he were being totally honest, and he wasn’t sure she’d be easy to push out.

  He’d never tried so hard with a woman, and she was constantly running from him. Most men would’ve moved on long ago. But then again, he’d never felt such a connection with a woman. There was an Ed Shernan song he’d found himself listening to a lot lately that talked about how people fell in love. Could it truly be as simple as the touch of a hand? He didn’t know. All he knew was he wanted to be done with her, wanted to stop torturing himself. But it wasn’t that cut and dry.

  He was going to give it one hell of a good try though. He didn’t get relief until pure exhaustion pulled him under.

  A new day was about to start long before he was ready.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Patsy felt like a burglar as she carefully walked the halls of the hospital she’d been so excited to work at not that long ago. She peeked around corners, listened for the sound of one particular male voice that had her stomach clenching when she heard it, and avoided the locker room as if it was a quarantine zone.

  In short, she was tired, miserable, and unfocused on her job. As one day turned into two, and that turned into a week, she became grumpier and grumpier, and all of the blame went on one particular man.

  She’d told him she didn’t want a relationship, told him workplace affairs never worked out, told him it was a bad idea. She’d been right. The few times she’d managed to avoid him, she’d heard his voice—his very normal, non-affected voice—and her rage had grown.

  He was fine. He was completely, utterly fine, while she felt as if her world was tumbling down, one stone at a time.