by Karen Rock
“I’ll give that proposal the attention it deserves,” she said before vanishing into the crowd.
* * *
“STRETCH THOSE ARMS, Mrs. Larson. Mr. Tanner, straighten your back,” called Kayleigh thirty minutes later. All around her, seniors swirled in the pool. They were garbed in a variety of swimwear, from Mrs. Perry’s swim dress and floral rubber cap to—her brain shuddered—Mr. Jennson’s lime-green Speedo. Needless to say, she hadn’t given him much direction in today’s water-aerobics session.
The music switched up to “Jailhouse Rock,” and Elvis’s growl echoed off the white-tiled poolroom and competed with the splashing seniors. The strong smell of chlorine burned her nose, the warm water loosening the tension that had filled her since this morning’s crushing meeting.
“Roll your shoulders now. Let’s do ten backward. One...”
She counted down, moving her muscles rhythmically as her mind wandered. There’d only been a slim chance that a major investor like Capital Central would take on a small start-up like hers. Still, she’d hoped to test her presentation skills, something Brett had always discouraged her from doing. When she’d asked Niall along, she hadn’t expected the old-boys’ network to leave her on the outside—again.
“We’ve done more than ten,” warbled Mrs. Larson, who shook her arms, then slid them in an arc in the water around her.
“Sorry! Ten frontward shoulder rolls,” Kayleigh called, her mind already drifting as she executed the moves for the group she led each week.
She’d thought her biggest challenge with Niall would be to convince him to get actively involved. It’d caught her flat-footed when he’d taken center stage and she’d been ignored instead. Major Carlton had practically offered Niall a job and had paid the bare minimum of attention to her proposal.
Worse yet, Niall had handed over a program prototype he hadn’t shared with her. As friends, they’d always been open with each other, yet he’d kept her in the dark about this.
How could she trust Niall?
“Can we switch to something else?” groused Mr. Tanner, his face red and puffing, strands of white hair dripping in his eyes.
“How about some pelvic thrusts?” Mr. Jennson’s lime-green Speedo was a blur beneath the blue water, and a few of the women giggled while Mrs. Perry splashed water in his face.
“Looks like you need to cool off.”
“Hey. Just trying to get some exercise!” sputtered Mr. Jennson.
“That’s not all you’re trying to get!” retorted Mrs. Perry, who sprayed him again for good measure.
Kayleigh held back a smile. It really was impossible to stay in a bad mood on water-aerobics day. She loved volunteering at Gramps’s assisted-living facility. In some ways, she felt closer to the residents than she did—with the exception of Gramps, Beth and the boys—to her own family. Now that Niall had come back into her life, she wasn’t sure where he stood—close like he had in the past, or far away. After this morning’s debacle, it seemed like miles separated them. Would they ever get back to the way things used to be?
“Everyone hold out your arms and twist your hips.” She eyed Mr. Jennson. “A twist is a side-to-side motion, Mr. Jennson. Not a front to back.”
“You could come over and show me.” He waggled his silver eyebrows while he swiveled his lower half in the pool.
“That’s my granddaughter, Pete!” Gramps shouted, and she exchanged a smile with him, noting that he looked pink from the exertion, his blue eyes, so like Chris’s, sparkling.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t want a nap after the workout. She needed to talk to him, ask his advice. She’d thought Niall was the right partner for her business, but now she had doubts. She wasn’t sure if he would support her or take over. Tell her everything or disclose only what he thought she needed to know. When Niall expressed no interest in brainstorming company names, she’d settled on High Dive Enterprises because she didn’t want to play it safe anymore, letting others take charge.
“Hey! Who’s that?” hollered one of the seniors, and she looked up, wiping the fog from her swim goggles, to see MaryAnne walking beside a tall, muscular man wearing navy swim trunks. His body was as lean and sleek as a greyhound’s, his muscles shifting under his skin with an animal grace. The group stopped along with her and watched as he dropped his crutches on the floor ahead of him, then swung his body forward, his biceps straining. Something fluttered into her throat and lodged there.
“This is my brother, Niall Walsh,” MaryAnne called out. “Kayleigh invited him here to volunteer. He had a bit of trouble finding the center, but he’s here now, so let’s welcome him.”
Kayleigh’s astonished gaze flew from a sheepish Niall to a beaming MaryAnne, who was clearly oblivious to the fact that she’d been tricked into letting Niall in. Another fabrication. She met his eyes, his dark coloring contrasting with the white walls behind him. Why was he here? What did he want? She’d told him she’d be in touch, yet it seemed as though he didn’t want to wait. She crossed her arms. Here he was, calling the shots again, deciding what was best for her.
A chorus of “Hi, Niall!” rose from the pool as several seniors, especially the women, waded to the edge and ogled him, their eyes wide enough to swallow him whole.
He nodded and, after waving aside MaryAnne’s help, lowered himself to the side of the pool and dipped in his right leg, the stump of his left leg appearing at the edge of his trunks. It was her first real glimpse of his injury, and something softened inside her as she absorbed the fact that he’d exposed himself to seek her out.
Was he here to convince her that he was all in? If so, he was taking it literally. He shot her a wry look, slid into the water and dunked his head under. When he came up, water slicked back his dark hair. Droplets clung to his eyelashes and, for a moment, she found it hard not to stare. She forced her eyes away when she reminded herself that friends didn’t look at each other like that. Or at least, they hadn’t before...
“What moves do you have for us, Niall?” called Gramps, his all-knowing look flickering between her and her new water-aerobics partner.
Niall gestured her way. “I’m just here to support Kayleigh and anyone else who needs some help.”
Several female hands waved in the humid air, and MaryAnne snorted before sauntering out of the room, the double doors making a loud click shut behind her.
“Ladies, take your places,” Kayleigh said firmly, and pushed through the water toward Niall.
“What are you doing here?” she asked under her breath, working not to let her smile slip. “Let’s all march forward ten steps, then backward ten steps.” Her docked iPod shuffled to a Beach Boys’ tune, and the group stepped mostly in sync.
“Like I said, I’m all in.” Niall bobbed as he jumped forward the ten steps then backward alongside her.
“I told you I’d contact you,” she huffed, and ignored his hurt expression to point at Mrs. Larson. “You’re out of step, Mrs. Larson.”
“So is Grace. She’s all over Frank.” Her grandfather’s ladylove put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips.
“Everyone is too close to Frank, according to you, Annette!” shouted Mrs. Perry, who seemed to stumble, then batted her eyelashes when Gramps steadied her.
“You can march with me, Annette.” Mr. Jennson put out his arms, and Mrs. Larson doused him with water.
“In your dreams, Pete.”
“Only my best ones.” Mr. Jennson blew her a kiss, and she turned away and scowled at Mrs. Perry and Gramps.
Kayleigh couldn’t help but return Niall’s lopsided smile, her breath hitching as the amused glimmer in his eyes brought out their gold flecks. What was it about him that affected her this way lately? This new awareness made no sense and would be disastrous to their business relationship. If they still had one.
“Let’s shuffle ten steps t
o the left, then back ten steps,” she instructed, mirroring the move, impressed that Niall didn’t miss a beat. He leaped alongside her, raising his powerful arms over his head and lowering them in time to the music. There was something endearing about his presence there, his strong, silent support of her.
“You don’t have to do this,” she murmured when he passed close.
He considered her for a moment. “Yes, actually. I do.”
She forced herself to act nonchalant although she wondered what he meant. With a shrug of her shoulders, she continued the class and ended with a freestyle cooldown. Mr. Jennson finished with a flourish and spun Mrs. Larson until both she and Gramps protested. Sheesh. Middle-school drama had nothing on assisted-living facility antics.
The medical aides arrived and helped the residents from the pool. She waved to MaryAnne, who was supervising, then watched as her grandfather limped away, Mrs. Larson frantically gesturing beside him. With a sigh, she turned to face Niall, but noticed he’d already pulled himself up to the edge of the pool.
He extended a hand. “Want some help?”
She ignored the offer and hoisted herself up beside him, the backs of her thighs scraping against the rough cement border. Her heartbeat pounded in her ear and she waited, wondering what he’d come here to say.
After a long moment, the silence grew between them. A tangible presence. “I’m sorry, Kay,” he said at last.
“For what, exactly?” Her foot made an angry swirl in the water. It wasn’t that she couldn’t think of anything to accuse him of. She thought of too much. She needed him to say it.
His arms made a sweeping, overhead gesture. “For being rude, dismissive, offhand, inconsiderate and, basically, a jerk.”
She couldn’t hold in a smile. “Go on,” she said, her mood lifting. It was nice to hear him own up to his wrongs—but did he really understand what he’d done or hadn’t done?
Niall nodded, dark strands sticking to his angular jaw. “I’m not around people much lately. Talking isn’t something I do often and—” he rubbed the back of his neck and sent her an apologetic look “—not something I do well. I’m not sure what else you need to hear, but I’d say it if I knew.”
“Some would say that’s a matter of practice.”
He caught her eye and held it. “I agree.”
She studied a red caution sign above the exit door, glad for the reminder. “Look, Niall. I don’t understand your change of heart, but even if you’re all in, I’m not sure anymore how this would work. You’re used to doing things your way, and I’ve spent too much time doing things other people’s way. I can’t follow that route again. I won’t.” Her voice trembled despite her attempt to sound confident.
The cool air on her wet shoulders made her shiver, and Niall wrapped his towel around her. “Here. I don’t need it.”
She handed it back. “No, Niall. You don’t get it. I don’t want you to come to my rescue. I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor. If I were a princess, I’d save myself.”
Niall’s leg circled in the water, making a mini whirlpool. “So tell me what a nonprincess needs,” he said at last.
“Someone who brings out the best in me, supports me, values my opinion and, most of all, is honest with me.”
“I’ll do that, Kay.” He looked sincere, and his insistent tone undid the wall she’d placed between them. “As much as I can. Let’s set up our base of operations in my apartment, and we’ll meet there tomorrow. I’ve got some things for us to go over, and nothing’s final until we both approve.” He pulled off her swim goggles, then trailed the backs of his fingers down the side of her face until they fell away.
Her breath hitched. That didn’t feel like a “friendly” touch. And it definitely crossed professional boundaries. So why did she want him to do it again? To let his hand linger so she could press her cheek into his palm.
“We’ll disagree at times. But I won’t let anyone, like Major Carlton, act like you don’t exist again.”
She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts back on track. “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
He studied his wrinkled fingertips, then lifted his eyes to hers, their tortured depths doing something funny to her heart. “I notice you, Kayleigh,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “More than I should.”
CHAPTER NINE
COOL AIR FROM the north had swept in overnight, leaving the morning fresh and dewy soft, the blue skies dotted with cirrus clouds that scuttled wherever the breeze blew them. Kayleigh could have floated, too, as she strolled through sycamore tree shadows on her way to Niall’s apartment.
The weather, suited to fresh beginnings, energized her. Now that her partner was fully invested, she couldn’t wait to get started. Once they secured financing, she’d breathe easier still. Most of all, she couldn’t deny how glad she was to have Niall back in her life. Spending this time with him was filling up a part of her that had lain empty since Chris’s death.
A loud bark jolted her from her thoughts, and she sidestepped the man and terrier she’d spotted yesterday. She paused to let a group of girls playing double Dutch jump rope finish, enjoying watching the game she and her friends had once played.
After a moment, she sauntered on, more excited than she’d ever been for a business meeting. Was she looking forward to getting started, seeing Niall or both? Her mind shied away from the question. After yesterday’s disastrous finance meeting, this was the boost she needed. Nothing more.
She unlatched his gate, climbed his stairs and buzzed his apartment. 9:00 a.m. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when the door vibrated instantly. He’d been waiting for her. Possibly anxious, too? She placed a hand over the thudding in her chest before pulling open the door and stepping inside.
I notice you. More than I should.
Niall’s words returned to her as she started up the stairs, a shivering awareness dancing through her. Of course, he was right. They shouldn’t notice each other. Attraction was wrong on every level. There was, of course, the old adage not to mix business with pleasure—a lesson she’d learned the hard way with Brett. Second, she was not the type of woman to jump from one man to another. She wanted to make it on her own and be an equal with a colleague, nothing more.
Her hand stilled on the first-floor landing’s banister. Yet something about Niall’s poolside admission, its raw honesty, had cut through her and melted her heart. Did she want more from him than friendship?
Impossible. She was mixing up the closeness she’d felt for him as a friend with this strange new attraction. One she needed to quash. Having Niall back in her life was a gift. If she gave in to her fledgling feelings and a romantic relationship between them didn’t work, there was a chance—a big chance—that he’d vanish from her life forever.
No. She needed him as her business partner and as her friend. The part of her that wanted him on another level would have to do without.
She nodded to a man carrying a pair of inline skates and continued her climb. One thing was absolutely certain. She and Niall were in the business of helping others find love, not falling in love themselves.
Niall’s door was ajar when she reached the second floor. He stood there, the top of his head just inches from the jamb.
“Good morning.” The deep timbre of his voice unsettled her, and she clutched her bag of brownies. “You look nice.”
She glanced down at her white capri pants and the rose-colored top that matched her lipstick. She had gone to a lot of trouble with her appearance for an informal meeting, even straightening her hair. “Thanks.”
She did her best to ignore the clean, soapy smell of him as she neared, and the devastating way his turquoise polo shirt set off his coloring and lean torso. When she ducked under his arm, she pulled up short at his transformed apartment.
Every surface shone
. A single newspaper lay on his otherwise uncluttered coffee table. A peek into his kitchen revealed a sink free of dishes and the percolating sound of a coffeemaker at work.
“You cleaned.”
The locks turned with a metallic click and Niall joined her. “You mentioned bringing over office supplies, so I thought I’d get the place ready.” He shrugged, and his eyes slid her way, his lopsided grin appearing. “Since I’m also the office custodian, do I get extra pay?”
She handed him the baked goods. “Will these do?”
When he opened the bag, his lids lowered and he inhaled deeply. “Barter works for me. These smell great. I’ll check on the coffee.”
She watched him disappear into the kitchen, touched. He’d said he was all in, and it looked as if he meant it.
“Set your stuff next to my computer.” A current of excitement ran through Niall’s offhand words. She swung her head around for a quick survey, and what she saw made her melt. He’d moved some of his hardware to the floor and cleared a desk for her. Her chest swelled. How sweet and thoughtful. Her old friend was back. Maybe now she’d be able to stop the traitorous thoughts that maybe he could be something more.
“This is great.” She unpacked her supplies then froze when she saw a folded piece of paper with the words Kayleigh—I like hamsters printed on it.
She laughed, despite her efforts to maintain business decorum. But how could she resist? They were the words she’d once written on her summer camp name badge. Niall had remembered.
“I like my nameplate,” she called, setting the Number One Aunt plaque Josh had given her next to it. “Very official.”
Niall returned with a plate full of the brownies. “I thought it set the proper tone for High Dive Enterprises,” he said solemnly, humor sparkling behind his long lashes.
She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Of course. How thoughtful of you, Mr. Walsh.” She scribbled his name on a notepad, added his former camp introduction information and handed the folded paper to him. “Pizza Connoisseur.”