by Brenda Novak
“What?” He could tell she didn’t like being counted out, and yet she couldn’t argue that he should consider her. Not only was she in the middle of a nasty breakup with a man she still loved, she didn’t live in the area.
“You realize you’re making my job more difficult,” she said, but he knew that wasn’t the only thing that bothered her. It was just the safer response.
“Taking charge of my love life was your idea,” he pointed out.
“And it’s a good one! So will you go and get me a picture? Or here... I’ll take one with my phone.”
“No. Forget it,” he said. “I’m going out to buy us some breakfast.”
He was halfway through the door when she called his name. As soon as he turned, she snapped the picture.
“Hang on,” she said as she examined it. “Okay. You can go.”
He almost demanded she show it to him. He couldn’t imagine she’d gotten a shot that made him look very appealing. But he thought her efforts were doomed from the outset, so he decided not to say anything. How could someone else find him the right woman?
“I’ll put that you’re searching for a mate who’s between thirty-five and forty,” she said. “But, in my opinion, you’re blocking out a huge sector of very viable candidates. You should really go twenty-five and up.”
“No way!”
“How about thirty? Any older, and you’re looking at the secondary market.”
“The secondary market?” he echoed, holding the door. “Did you really just use that term?”
“Yes. I’m talking about people who’ve already been married, have kids, exes to cope with, et cetera.”
“You mean like me.”
“Not exactly like you, no. You don’t have kids. And Noelle was just a goof up. Not a true marriage.”
“It felt real at the time. And in case I forget how real it was, she’s still using my last name.”
“She’s proud to have been associated with you.”
He cringed. “It’s a constant reminder of my own stupidity.”
“You let a conniving woman get her hooks into you—and now, with my help, you’re going to escape her and the damage she caused.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not sure I want you to get involved.”
“Come on, have some faith. You rescued me. Let me rescue you.”
“How’d I rescue you?”
“By taking care of me. I’m lucky the furnace went out in the rental. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come into my life when you did.”
Was it only friendship she was looking for? After last night, the situation with Lourdes was a little confusing. The attraction they’d felt didn’t seem to have disappeared with sobriety—not that he was going to let an attraction to the wrong woman, or anything else, trip him up again. “I’m sure you have other friends who would’ve supported you.”
“It wouldn’t be the same. I’ve been too busy, too insulated by my work to socialize very much. And they would all have had an opinion. You don’t push me to break up with Derrick or give him another chance. You’re neutral yet supportive. Perfect.”
Did she really believe that? Because he was far from neutral, and that concerned him. “I don’t know Derrick. Otherwise, I’d probably be giving you more advice. So please don’t feel you have to do anything for me in return. I’ve been set up on dates before. Many times. It never works.”
“It’ll work this time. You’ll see. Go thirty. You’ll thank me in the end.”
She seemed so convinced. He could tell he wasn’t going to talk her out of it. He wasn’t all that motivated to resist, anyway. He liked having her interested in his love life, even if it was ostensibly to find him someone else. So he decided to let her have her fun. He’d just shoot down anyone who didn’t look promising. He could do that until Lourdes lost interest, couldn’t he? It wouldn’t be long before she was back in Nashville, trying to restore her career instead of finding him a wife. He doubted she’d be able to spare a thought for him then.
With a roll of his eyes, he said, “Fine, go thirty,” and left.
9
Noelle called while Kyle was at the grocery store.
“I can’t believe you have Lourdes Bennett at your house,” she said as soon as he answered.
He’d taken her call only because he felt he should thank her for the meal—and so he could tell her he’d drop off her dishes. He didn’t want to give her any excuse to come back to his place. If he timed it well, he could leave the dishes on her doorstep while she was at work. “She’s begging for privacy, Noelle. You’ll let her have it, won’t you?”
“Of course! I won’t tell a soul.”
He was willing to bet she’d already told many souls. It was probably all she could talk about at work. “I mean it.”
“Stop being so grumpy. If word gets out, it won’t be my fault.”
“Yes, it will,” he insisted. “You’re the only one who knows she’s here.”
“I’m not the only one!”
Instead of grabbing a cart and entering the store, he moved off to one side, away from the automatic doors. “If you know that, you’ve talked to someone about her.”
“Just Olivia. My sister. You trust her, don’t you? You must, since you told her yourself.”
He sighed as he dragged a hand through his hair. “All I’m saying is that...Lourdes doesn’t want to be bothered, okay?”
“Then maybe you should quit telling people she’s here!”
“I just told the people I trust.” Noelle must’ve brought it up to Olivia, because Olivia wouldn’t have mentioned it otherwise.
“Me, too!”
That tic in his eye started up again. “Fine. Whatever,” he said. “I don’t want to argue about it. All I’m asking for is your discretion. Anyway, thanks for the meal last night.”
“You liked it?” She seemed so delighted to hear this, she let him change the subject without complaint.
“I did. It was great. Really.”
“See? I know how to please you. I remember every detail.”
He wrestled with the revulsion that welled up. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly why he was feeling so negative toward her when she’d done him a good deed. Except that he suspected she had an ulterior motive. Ignoring the part about knowing how to please him, since he could easily guess that she was hinting at his sexual preferences and not his food preferences, he moved on. “I’ll drop the dishes by later. Do you work tonight?”
If so, he’d take them once she left...
“I was supposed to, but I’ve been putting in so many hours that I got someone else to cover my shift. I thought maybe we could take Lourdes to San Francisco and show her around.”
No way did she just say that. “Are you kidding?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Lourdes doesn’t want to go to San Francisco, Noelle.”
“How can you be so sure? Have you asked her?”
“Because I know why she’s here—to write her next album uninterrupted.”
“Well, she can’t work all day and all night. We could leave late—like eight or nine. Most of the good clubs don’t get busy until after ten, anyway.”
He choked back the diatribe that was going through his mind—which began with the reminder that they were exes and not friends. She’d just say he was being mean.
Taking a deep breath to bolster his patience, he opted for a simple “No.”
“No, what?”
“We’re not going out with you.”
There was a long moment of silence. “So are you going without me?”
He pressed his palm to his forehead. The painkiller Lourdes had provided was no longer doing its job. “Lourdes has a boyfriend. We’re not going out at all. I’m her landlord. I’m letting her
stay at my place only because the furnace at the farmhouse isn’t working. The moment that’s fixed, she’ll be moving in there.”
“You aren’t attracted to her?”
He wasn’t admitting to anything. “She’s too famous for me. I wouldn’t enjoy the attention.”
“And no one can replace Olivia.” Her voice had turned sour. “Believe me, I can guess what you’re thinking.”
Clutching his hair, he squeezed his eyes closed—until someone came up and touched his arm. “Kyle, are you okay?”
He opened his eyes to see Mrs. Higgins, an older widow who lived in town, looking at him curiously.
Curving his lips in a reassuring smile, he nodded. “Yes. Of course. I’m fine. How are you today?”
“Creaky. But I’m creaky most days. Comes with age,” she teased and left him to finish his phone conversation.
“Where are you?” Noelle asked.
“Picking up a few groceries.”
“Why don’t you stop over? We should talk. I feel as if the nicer I am, the meaner you get.”
Her words did nothing to help him relax but he worked a little harder to master his irritation. “I apologize,” he said curtly. “It isn’t intentional.”
“That’s better. So are you coming over?”
“No.”
“Because...”
“Because we don’t have anything to talk about! I gave you a water heater. You thanked me with a meal. And now I’m arranging a time to return your dishes. That’s a polite exchange, isn’t it?”
“Polite? It doesn’t matter to you that we were once married? You’re never going to get Olivia, Kyle. You might as well settle for me.”
He’d never be that desperate. “We’re divorced, Noelle. Divorced people do not continue to see each other.”
“That’s not true! A lot of them do. And some of them get back together.”
“I’m sorry, but we won’t be reconciling. Ever.”
“Why? You married me before. I must have something you like.”
Was she forgetting about the baby? Which she’d used to force his hand?
“I’ve changed,” she went on. “If you’d give me a chance, I could prove it to you. But you’re too busy holding grudges.”
“I’m not holding any grudges. I’m being as nice as I can.”
“You’re fighting what you feel because you don’t want to get hurt again. But I won’t hurt you. I’ll be a better wife this time around. I promise.”
Kyle dropped his head back, appealing to the sky. Was this really happening? At what point had he given her any hope? “I’m sorry. I’m not interested.”
“You won’t even consider it? Wait until you see what I’m wearing.” Her voice turned sultry. “You won’t be able to resist me.”
“Noelle—”
“I’ll let you tie me to the bed. That would be fun, wouldn’t it? I’ll be your sex slave for the whole weekend, let you do things you never dreamed you could do with a woman.”
“Stop it!” he shouted. “We tried to get along. It didn’t work.”
“We’re not the same people these days. Why grow old alone when we could make each other’s lives more fun and more...comfortable? I’m working so hard, but I can barely make ends meet. You’re making plenty, but you must be tired of living without a woman in your bed. We each have what the other needs.”
“Quit dangling the promise of sex. It—” He searched for a kinder way to say what first came to mind. “It’s not an option, okay? I’m fine the way I am.”
The tone of her voice hardened almost instantly. “You don’t want me as your enemy, Kyle.”
What the hell did she mean by that? It sounded like a threat. “Excuse me?”
“You heard what I said,” she replied and disconnected, leaving Kyle scratching his head and staring at his phone.
* * *
Kyle was quiet when he got back. He’d bought a lot of groceries, but he didn’t seem to be in a very good mood. Lourdes wondered if it was the prospect of online dating that had him out of sorts, his hangover from last night or simply the hassle of grocery shopping.
“Are you okay?” she asked, frying the sausages so he could make the French toast.
“Of course, why?”
“You seem upset.”
He continued to whip the eggs in a big red bowl and didn’t answer right away.
“Kyle?”
“I’m not upset,” he said. “Just bugged. My ex-wife is annoying the hell out of me.”
“Did you talk to her this morning?”
“I answered her call because I wanted to return her dishes without having her come to the house.”
“I appreciate that. But...I assume she didn’t appreciate the offer?”
He looked a little bemused. “She keeps trying to get me back in bed with her. I might be an idiot for admitting this, but I’d rather go without—for the rest of my life.”
Lourdes nudged him. “You won’t have to go without much longer.”
He surprised her by laughing out loud. “And you know this...how?”
“There are some very interesting women on that dating site. Pretty, too. After breakfast, we can go over the ones I’ve marked as the most promising, if you like.”
Although his smile faded, he seemed encouraged. “What the hell. I guess it’s worth a shot.”
When her mother called a couple of seconds later, he offered to take over at the stove, but she jerked her head to indicate that he should continue with the French toast.
“Hey, Mom. Sorry I didn’t get back to you yesterday.” She held the phone with one hand while turning sausages with the other. “I was really busy.” Busy breaking up with Derrick. She wondered how her mother would respond to that news. She was curious—and yet hesitant to mention it. Her mother was so excited about the wedding. She didn’t see the need to heap her family’s disappointment on top of her own. Why not give herself some time to recover first? It wasn’t as if they’d set a date and someone was booking the venue or making other financial commitments.
“I just wanted to be sure you’d arrived safely and that the house was what you hoped,” her mother said.
“The house is perfect. I love it.”
“That’s a relief. Derrick takes such good care of you.”
“He does?” He’d hardly done a great job over the past six months.
“Isn’t he the one who lined up that place?”
“Oh. Yeah.” At her request...
“Will he be joining you soon?”
She stepped back as Kyle reached for the cooking spray, which was in the cupboard by her head. “That was the original plan, but...”
“Something’s changed?” her mother asked.
“Derrick’s busy. I’m not sure he’ll be able to make it.”
“Wait...he’s going to leave you there alone?”
“It’s better if he doesn’t come,” she replied. “I need to concentrate on what I’m doing.”
“But won’t you be lonely? You don’t know a soul in Whiskey Creek. Or are you planning to visit Angel’s Camp?”
“I’d like to go home, see the old house, maybe visit a few of our friends. But not until I have my album written.” She hoped she’d be feeling more in control of things then, more capable of handling the myriad questions she’d get about how her career was going and what was coming next.
“How long will that take?”
“Who knows? This album has to be the best I’ve ever produced. I’m not going to rush it.” She needed to feel stronger, more confident, before she could start writing. And just now, she felt as if she’d been hit by a bus and left on the side of the road. Only her new friendship with Kyle made her feel halfway human.
“I don�
��t understand why you can’t write it here,” her mother said. “It can’t be fun being out there all alone, especially with the holidays coming up.”
Kyle elbowed her, pretending she was crowding him, and she smiled. Fortunately, she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought she’d be. “I’m in a good place.”
“You’re still coming home for Christmas, though, aren’t you?”
The sausage popped and sizzled as she turned them. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You might stay there?”
“Like I said, the album has to be my first priority. So I’ll stay if I need to.”
That didn’t leave her mother much room to complain. She understood that Lourdes’s entire future hinged on this next project. And she was supportive of her efforts. No one understood Lourdes’s aspirations quite like her mother, who’d given up her own dream of a music career to live in a small town and raise a family. “Should we come there, then? We will, if you’d like us to.”
Her mother’s kindness made her eyes water. “No, I don’t have room for everyone. But I appreciate the offer.”
“You sound funny. Are you sure you’re okay? What’s going on? Why isn’t Derrick going there to join you like he planned?”
Lourdes almost told her they’d broken up, but couldn’t when she imagined her mother’s response—shock, outrage, anger, disappointment. It was too much in addition to what she was already feeling. She couldn’t tolerate the sympathy. “I told you, he’s busy. And so am I.”
They talked about her sisters and the tree her mother had put up. Then Lourdes said she had to go. The sausages were done, and Kyle had set a piece of French toast on a plate beside the stove.
“Your mom doesn’t like you being gone for Christmas, huh?” he said when she placed her phone on the counter.
“This will be the first Christmas our family won’t be together.”
“You could go back for a few days.”
“No. That’ll only make what I’m going through harder. Derrick will be in the area. So will Crystal. There’d be no way to keep the truth from my family, which means that Christmas would end up being more of a pity party. I’d rather not do that to them—or myself.” January would be soon enough to deal with all that. It wasn’t as if there was any chance that her mom and Derrick would talk while she was away. Derrick had always been too invested in his work to build much of a relationship with her family. They didn’t even have his cell number.