“No, I’m disgustingly healthy. Are you going to charge me for an office visit?”
Thane ushered her through the outer office, past his desk, and into the examination room. “It would break Paddy’s heart if anything should happen to you.”
Autumn glanced around the two connecting rooms. They were just as she had imagined they would be, with sterile beige walls and brown tile floors. The only attempts at decorating were framed certificates and diplomas hung in military perfection on the walls. She watched as he walked over and unlocked a glass-front pharmaceutical cabinet. “You really should get some plants.”
He shook two tablets into his palm and looked around his office. “Why?”
“It would brighten up the place.”
“This is an office, not a conservatory.” He replaced the bottle and locked the cabinet.
“Plants would give the place a more homey feeling.” She thanked him when he handed her the aspirin and a cup of water, but at the amused look on his face she snapped, “Okay, forget that plants would make your patients feel more relaxed. What’s your opinion about the fact that plants release oxygen into the air?”
Thane’s lips twitched as he leaned against the windowsill. He never thought he’d see the day when Paddy’s granddaughter would be thanking him for anything. “I’m all for oxygen.”
Autumn noticed the movement of his lips. Was that the beginning of a smile? She hoisted herself up and sat on the examination table, then contemplated the white tablets in her hand. She shifted her gaze over to the doctor and saw that he was studying her. “Is it fun you have trouble accepting?”
“There’s a difference between fun and impertinence, Miss O’Neil.”
Autumn narrowed her eyes. “You still haven’t forgiven me for Columbus Day, have you?”
“I’d be the first to admit that maybe I overreacted on that particular occasion.”
Autumn snorted. “You dragged the director from his office into the game room.”
He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at her look of indignation. He really should have quietly pulled her aside and demanded an explanation for her latest stunt. “I realize now that you had no idea what you were singing.”
Curious, she asked, “Did you really think I would knowingly teach thirty-five senior citizens a crude sailors’ ditty?”
A smile finally curved his lips. “You were the one dressed like Columbus belting it out.”
Piqued, she said, “Well, I didn’t know it was referring to that!”
Thane chuckled as color flared in her cheeks. Autumn O’Neil was embarrassed. “Sailors spent months, if not years, at sea. They rarely sang about anything else.”
“Harold, in four-o-seven, taught me that song. How was I to know he had a wicked sense of humor?” Her eyes flashed to match her temper.
He couldn’t help teasing her. “If those darling ladies only knew what they were singing about, half of them would have had the vapors.”
Autumn considered it. “I don’t agree. Those ‘darling ladies,’ as you call them, have seen more action than you and I combined.”
Thane choked on his laughter. After today’s enthusiasm over the poster of Boy Wonder, he had to agree. “You might be right there.” But his merriment disappeared and a frown pulled at his mouth as the image of James Savage returned to him. Was that the kind of man Autumn had fantasies about, one who was picture perfect? Unconsciously he slid his right hand into his pants pocket. “Millicent won’t be able to hang it up in her room.”
“Why not?” She popped the aspirins into her mouth and washed them down with the water.
His gaze devoured the tiny drop of moisture clinging to her lip. “The poster doesn’t fit in with the image we are trying to project here at Maple Leaf.”
“Is the home trying to project the image or is it you?”
Thane pushed away from the windowsill, took the empty cup from her hand, and dropped it into the wastebasket. Being with Autumn in such close quarters was having a very disturbing effect on his body. “It’s one and the same.” He moved to the other end of the small room. “My responsibilities not only include the medical supervision of the residents but the quality of care they receive and the creation of the most stress-free environment possible.”
Autumn sighed. The stuffy doctor was back. For a moment she almost believed he could be human. “I thought the last two are the director’s job.”
“Clark Baker knows the quality of life here at Maple Leaf affects the residents’ health.”
“Clark also knows that having fun is part of life.”
He didn’t know if he wanted to strangle her or kiss the droplet from her lip. Exasperated, he started to pace. “These are senior citizens we are dealing with, not preschoolers.”
“They are also human beings.”
He came to a halt in front of her and scowled. “You think I don’t know that!”
Autumn stiffened her back, sat up straighter and came directly to the point. “I think you are so caught up in trying to prove to the world how good you are that you sometimes forget that fact.”
Thane’s mouth fell open. Who in the hell did she think she was? He snapped his mouth closed and jammed his hands on his hips. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Autumn relaxed. Doc Clayborne had a temper, so he might be human after all. Having four volatile older brothers had prepared her for handling a temper. Whatever Doc Clayborne dished out couldn’t possibly match one of her brothers’ fits. Temperamental, passionate outbursts she could handle; it was deadly cold logic that scared her. Still the ladies of Maple Leaf were depending on her to persuade the good doctor to leave their nocturnal Romeo alone. A spark of an idea started to take shape in her mind. There was no way she could reason with Doc to stop his investigation, but she might be able to bribe him. “I know what you’re after.”
His gaze zeroed in on her lip as a fiery blush swept up his neck. He quickly moved back so she wouldn’t see it. “What’s that?”
“You want to be the Virginia Coalition of Retired Persons’ number-one nursing home in the state.”
“Me and a couple hundred other nursing homes,” Thane muttered, relieved. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You feel some of the activities I help organize will decrease Maple Leaf’s chances of winning that prestigious honor.”
“I don’t feel it, I know it. If the committee ever walks in here for inspection during one of your so-called activities, we’d be lucky to score in the top fifty.”
Autumn smiled; she had him now. “What would you say to me working with you to achieve this lofty accomplishment?”
His eyes narrowed as he studied her. Definitely a bad move, Clayborne, he told himself as he felt heat rushing through him. “What’s the catch?”
She jumped off the table and hid a victorious smile. “I’ll be willing to curtail some social activities and calm down the rest until they meet with your approval.”
Surprised and uneasy, he asked, “What’s in it for you?”
“You have to do one itsy-bitsy favor for me.” She picked up her purse and walked toward the door.
He couldn’t prevent himself from asking, “Which is?” It sounded too good to be true. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined a docile Autumn coming to him asking for permission and approval.
A radiant smile lit her face. “You have to leave the Kissing Bandit alone.” She chuckled at the sudden look of contempt on his face. Instinct told her to beat a hasty retreat before his shock wore off. She said, “Call me after you’ve had time to think it over,” and walked out of his office.
Chapter Two
Autumn ran her hands nervously down her clothes and took a last glance at herself in the full-length mirror. The emerald-green satin blouse, which matched the color of her eyes, was her favorite and was zealously saved for special occasions. Tonight’s meeting with Thane couldn’t be classified as special, but it did rank up there as Important.
Her mu
lticolored skirt billowed whenever she turned, giving any interested viewer a glimpse of knees covered with silk stockings. Why everyone said her legs were her best features was beyond her. As far as she could tell they were too long, too thin, and too white. Her creamy, pale skin had always presented a few problems, such as having freckles, and not being able to acquire a tan, just a vicious sunburn. Her natural red hair clashed with half the colors in the spectrum. She reached up and poked a wayward curl back into the thick French braid streaming down her back.
When she had returned to her used-goods shop, Second Chances, after her visit to the home, she had been surprised to discover the phone ringing and Thane on the other end. He wanted to discuss the situation further with her and suggested doing it over dinner. She had accepted, knowing that by his naming the time and place he wanted the ball in his court. When she had recommended meeting him at the restaurant, he flatly refused, told her what time he’d pick her up, and quickly ended the call.
A loud knock on the front door broke into her musing. She said a silent prayer to Saint Patrick for a favorable outcome of the meeting and the strength not to lose her temper. The happiness of a bunch of little old ladies was riding on this dinner. With a thumbs-up sign to the elegant, yet casual woman in the mirror, she left the bedroom to answer the door.
Thane looked around the small porch as he waited for Autumn. A clay pot with late-blooming red geraniums sat in the middle of a round white wicker table. Two matching rockers stood on either side of the table. The only other thing on the dimly lit porch was a dirt-streaked welcome mat and a couple of leaves. Fall had arrived with all its colorful splendor to the Shenandoah Valley.
When he had looked up Autumn’s address he had been surprised to see she was living at Paddy’s old address. He had pictured her in some apartment complex with hordes of other single people, not a quiet residential neighborhood.
He heard the front door open and turned, a small groan escaping from his lips when he saw Autumn. She stood like a shimmering angel silhouetted in the soft glow of a lamp. She looked beautiful, elegant, and entirely too sexy for his peace of mind. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“Hello, Doc. Won’t you come in?”
He stepped over the threshold and squashed the urge to tell her how lovely she was. This was going to be a business dinner, with him calling all the shots. The only thing he wanted from Autumn was her cooperation with the VCRP’s forthcoming inspection. Taking a lesson from his father’s book, he was prepared to wine and dine Autumn to get what he wanted.
“I’ll go get my coat and purse,” she said.
Thane watched as she walked down the hall toward the back of the house. “No rush. We’re early.” From his experience with women he had purposely given her plenty of time in case she wasn’t ready.
He glanced around the living room. Overstuffed chairs and a couch, complete with crocheted doilies, dominated the small, cozy room. Dozens of framed photos were scattered over the mantel, end tables, and every other available surface. He would bet his favorite stethoscope that Autumn hadn’t changed one item in the room since Paddy was placed in the home. He wondered why.
Autumn returned carrying a white knit coat and her purse. She noticed Thane frowning over the family photos and lovingly gazed at the grinning faces of her parents, brothers, and their families. “Gruesome lot, aren’t they?”
“There certainly are a lot of them,” he answered, helping her put on her coat.
He knew from Paddy’s records that Autumn’s father was an only child and that she had four older brothers. As he ushered her from the house, he wondered why it was she who was shouldering the responsibility of Paddy, his home, and his business.
#
At the restaurant Autumn slid into a booth and smiled at the hovering waitress. “White wine, please.”
Thane sat down across from her and studiously avoided bumping her knees under the minuscule table. He wanted a Scotch, preferably a double, straight up, but he had to remain clear-headed. Too much was riding on the outcome of this dinner. “Same for me.”
Autumn glanced around the dark lounge where they would be waiting until their table was ready. Someone was sure saving on the electric bill. The only lighting was a candle flickering under amber-colored glass on each table and a few covered bulbs behind the bar. A golden sheen was cast on Thane’s high cheekbones and full lower lip. He looked distinguished, wealthy, and incredibly sexy in his crisp white shirt and dark gray suit. Doctors shouldn’t look so sensual, she thought. They were supposed to be old, knowledgeable, and overflowing with kindness. “I didn’t expect you to call me so soon.”
Neither did I. He nodded at the waitress as she brought their wine. The dinner invitation had been given on an impulse. Fifteen minutes after Autumn had issued her proposal and left, eighty-two-year-old Millicent DuPont proudly wheeled herself into his office demanding a shot of Vitamin B-12. Just in case the Kissing Bandit showed up that night. She wanted to give him a run for his money. “I would like to hear what you had in mind.”
Autumn traced the design printed on her cocktail napkin with her finger. “When is the VCRP inspection scheduled?”
“They don’t schedule them, they’re a surprise. This way they can examine the homes under natural circumstances.”
“And keep everyone on their toes for weeks,” Autumn added.
“Only the top fifty nursing homes warrant a personal visit.”
“Is Maple Leaf in the top fifty?” She knew its rank but couldn’t help teasing him.
Offended, Thane said, “We were number two last year, and I expect to be number one this year.” He saw her lips curve into a mischievous smile. “The only obstacle in Maple Leaf’s way is currently sitting across the table from me.”
In pure innocence Autumn purred. “Little old me?”
Thane refused to be swayed by the laughter in her eyes. Didn’t the woman take anything seriously? “It might be worth my while to pay someone to see that you are indisposed for the next two months.”
Autumn chuckled. He was ready to make a deal. The poor man really did want that award, and Maple Leaf deserved it. Paddy had the right to spend his remaining years in the number-one nursing home in Virginia. Maybe she should go easy on the well-meaning doctor. “I think I can talk Lillian into postponing her slumber party until after the inspection.”
“What slumber party?”
“The one Clark Baker gave me permission to throw. Lillian will be turning the big eight-o in two weeks. With the help of Nurse Harris we were going to have about six ladies spend the night in the game room. There was going to be cake, ice cream, movies, and the entire night to gossip and catch up on girl talk.”
Thane frowned. He had never heard of anything so ridiculous in his life. Autumn would do it.
“I’m sure I can convince Lillian to wait for her party if she knew the Kissing Bandit was still making his rounds.” Thane’s frown turned into a scowl at the blatant bribe. “The only problem I see with the slumber party is that Harold in four-o-seven has gotten wind of it. With his bizarre humor I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried pulling a panty raid on the poor dears.”
Thane blanched. Maple Leaf was turning into a frat house. The next thing he’d know Autumn would be scheduling toga parties. “What else has your devious mind thought up to make my life pure hell?”
“Tsk, tsk, Doc.” she chided. On a more serious note she said, “I’m only trying to make life interesting and fun for a bunch of elderly people most of the world has forgotten.”
He heard the conviction and sadness in her voice. She believed in what she was doing. “I’m trying to prolong their last years on earth and to make them as comfortable and peaceful as possible.”
She ran her finger around the outside of her glass, trailing a path through the condensation, and stared into the wine. “I think we both want the same things, Doc, only we’re coming from opposite directions.”
Thane considered her statement. Coul
d it be true? Maybe they could reach a truce. “Who is the Kissing Bandit?”
Amused, she said, “How would I know?”
“Paddy told me he asked you to look into it a couple of weeks ago.”
“I told my grandfather I wouldn’t do it. He and his cronies are just jealous that the ladies are finding an interesting diversion.”
“Paddy and ‘his cronies’ asked me to expose the Kissing Bandit and put a stop to his visits.”
“I know, he told me,” Autumn said. “The sweet ladies of Maple Leaf asked me to stop you.”
“Stalemate,” Thane muttered.
“Time for a compromise.” She offered the first olive branch. “I’m willing to go as far as working with you on the Halloween party.”
“If, and I say if, I allow the Kissing Bandit his fun, you wouldn’t do anything in Maple Leaf without my permission?” The chance of the inspectors showing up in the middle of the night and running into the Bandit were slim.
Autumn felt her hands slowly being tied behind her back, and she knew she had to give in. “Yes, but the minute the inspectors step off Maple Leaf property, all bets are off.”
“That works both ways, Ms. O’Neil.”
“Since we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other for the next couple of months, why don’t you call me Autumn.”
His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could see wisps of curls that had escaped her braid. The faint light from the Candle cast a radiant halo around her softly illuminated face. For the first time he admitted what he had been desperately trying to deny for the past six months—Autumn O’Neil was a beautiful woman. “Only if you stop calling me Doc. My name is Thane.”
Autumn held out her hand. “Do we have an agreement?”
Thane shook hands. “Yes, providing you stick to your end and the Kissing Bandit keeps to his harmless roses and doesn’t endanger any of the residents.”
Her lips curved in a brilliant smile. She did it! “It’s a deal.”
Thane reluctantly pulled his gaze from her and glanced at the maitre d’, who had joined them. “Your table is ready, sir.”
Midnight Kiss Page 2