Chapter Four
Kellie woke the next morning in her newly constructed bed, in her new bedroom. There was a definite chill in the air, despite the fact that the sun shone through the stylish window panels she’d picked out special for the large bay window.
As she lounged for several moments in the comfort of her bed, she couldn’t help but be grateful to Miles for assembling it for her. What would she have done if they hadn’t run into each other? Literally.
With some hesitation, she left the warmth of her bed and padded to her master bath. She snatched up a towel from her linen closet and hurriedly showered. It wasn’t until she left the shower that she spied herself in the mirror. She winced. The bump on her head was now a mottled collection of black and blue shades, with various purple hues radiating from the injury.
After a tentative exploration of the impressive lump, she dismissed it and readied for the day. She stepped into her living room and spied the boxes scattered throughout. With a sigh, she realized a big job lay ahead of her; one she didn’t particularly relish. Deciding to wait until later before tackling the task, she grabbed a couple of Pop Tarts and a bottle of water and headed outside for a walk. She realized she probably should have left her shower for later, but decided hindsight was always twenty-twenty.
She found the October air crisp. It brought an abrupt eruption of goose bumps on her arm. She wondered if she dash back inside to grab a jacket, but decided she’d warm up soon enough.
She set off along a trail that originated just beyond the main entrance to the condominiums and continued on to a level, treed park nearby. There, she began a brisk pace around the meandering path, munching on one of the Pop Tarts as she went.
When she heard the sound of footsteps on the asphalt path behind her, she didn’t bother turning around. The path was popular with neighborhood residents. Suddenly, someone pulled up beside her, slowing to meet her pace. She glanced over, surprised to see Miles. He was dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, and a light, fleece jacket.
“Hey,” he said with a grin. “You’re up early.”
“I could say the same thing to you,” she replied, returning his smile.
He suddenly reached out and took her arm, bringing her to a stop. She eyed him curiously, until she realized he was checking out the damage to her forehead. He winced dramatically. “Either you have a soft head or I have a really hard chest,” he said drolly.
“Is this where I tell you what amazing pectoral muscles you have, Commander?” she said, and chuckled when his cheeks turned bright red.
He appeared to study his feet, but finally glanced up. “I was not fishing for a compliment,” he assured her. “If you must know, I feel … terrible.”
She laughed. “Why do you feel terrible? It was my fault.” She waved off his worry. “Really, it’s no big deal. I could give you a list of childhood injuries that far surpass this one in severity. For example…”
He raised his hands. “No, no, that’s okay. You’re just trying to make me feel better. I mean, not that thinking about you having worse injuries than this one would make me feel better…” His words trailed off and he looked wholly uncomfortable.
“I’m fine!” she assured him, shaking her head. “Really. Don’t worry about it.”
She started walking again and he fell into step beside her. “Is that a Pop Tart you’re eating?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yep. It’s smore flavored. My favorite. Would you like one? It just so happens I have another one.” She held it out to him.
He chuckled. “Uh, well, no thanks. I like to start my day with a little protein to go with my Pop Tarts.”
She stopped to study his physique, but promptly began walking again.
“What was that about?” he inquired.
She shrugged. “Nothing.” She wasn’t about to tell him that whatever his daily breakfast selection, it was working in the fine physique department.
Suddenly, a strong breeze blew through the path, rustling the golden leaves on the nearby trees and causing Kellie to shiver. Miles promptly slipped out of his jacket and passed it to her.
“What’s this for?” she asked him, coming to a stop again and eyeing the jacket in her hand.
“It’s cold,” he said succinctly.
“Yes. But if I accept the jacket, you’ll be cold. I’m curious. Is there some law that says it’s okay for a man to be cold, but that a woman mustn’t ever be cold?”
He measured her with a chagrined glance. “Yep, it’s a law. And since I’m charged to uphold the law, put the coat on.”
“No, really. You were smart enough to bring a jacket, I wasn’t. I should pay for my error in judgment, not you.” She passed the coat back to him.
He grudgingly studied it as he considered her words, and then glanced up to meet her eyes. “If I open a door for you, are you going to smack me upside my head?”
She considered his words this time. “Nope. But that’s different.”
“How?”
“Opening a door doesn’t involve a sacrifice on your part. Well, usually, anyway. I mean, I guess it’s possible you and I could be running away from some danger, reach the door to safety at the same instant, and then, well, we’d have a decision to make.”
“I’d let you go first,” he said without hesitation.
“You’re a cop. It’s what you do, huh?”
He shrugged. “I’d like to think I’d put your safety before mine whether I was a cop or not.”
“I’d let you go first,” she informed him.
“I wouldn’t let you.”
She shook her head and began walking, both because she needed to warm up and because she wanted to ponder Miles’ declaration. Clearly, he was one of the good guys, but she wasn’t interested in any guy right now—good or otherwise. He was a distraction. A gorgeous, blonde, blue eyed distraction with chivalrous tendencies. She really should steer clear. So why wasn’t she steering clear?
“What are you thinking?” Miles asked her quizzically, taking her arm and bringing her to a stop again. “I can actually see the wheels turning behind your eyes.”
“Must be the head injury,” she said. When he visibly winced, she raised a conciliatory hand. “Kidding! I’m fine.” She started off again. Unfortunately, her teeth began chattering.
“You’re going to catch pneumonia,” he pointed out as he walked beside her, matching his pace to hers again.
“Yes, I might. But, if you give me your jacket, you could very well catch pneumonia.”
He sighed heavily. “If you and I go out to dinner, and I pick up the check, are you going to make a scene in the restaurant?”
Kellie considered the question. “No. As long as you allow me to pay sometimes.”
“How often? Say a sixty-forty distribution? Or seventy-thirty? With me paying more often, of course.”
“Fifty-fifty is good.”
“Okay, so am I to assume from this conversation that you will go out with me sometime?”
She smiled. “Are you asking me out?”
“It happens I am,” he told her, smiling back. “Of course, we’ll probably have to wait until you’re over the cold you’re going to catch.”
“I don’t get sick,” she said mock smugly.
“Well, just so we hedge off any potential illness…” He slipped into his jacket, but then surprised her when he draped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her close. She found herself pressed against his rock hard body. She gave him a startled glance.
“A compromise,” he told her, meeting her gaze. “Now, we’re both warm.”
She wasn’t sure how she felt about him pulling her so close. Once again, her heart began beating in an awkward rhythm, and to her consternation, she found she rather liked having his arm around her.
He kept it draped around her the entire duration of their walk, and when they reached the crosswalk to the condominium community, and stood waiting for traffic to abate, he pulled her even closer. She felt his warmth radiate thr
ough her.
When traffic eased up, he still kept an arm over her shoulder. Together they crossed the street, and to her surprise, he led her to his place.
She pulled to a stop, watching him curiously.
“I’m going to fix you a little protein to go with that Pop Tart,” he informed.
Kellie shook her head ruefully. “You really don’t have to.”
“I want to,” he said.
Later, after they had shared a breakfast of bacon and eggs, she smiled her thanks. “You didn’t have to do that, but it was delicious.”
“Yeah, I can crack an egg with the best of ‘em,” he said. “So, what’s on the agenda today?”
“I have boxes to unpack,” she said, and he opened his mouth to speak. She quickly raised a hand to quiet him. “No. It’s Saturday. You have a life to get back to. You’ve already assembled my bed. And just now you cooked me breakfast. You’ve done enough.”
He gave her an alarmed glance. “Did you think I was offering to help you unpack?” He shook his head vigorously. “No way. I hate unpacking. Don’t even ask me to help you unpack.”
She watched him with alarm. She realized she really had been presumptuous to assume he was about to offer to help her unpack.
“I was kidding! Really, I don’t mind helping you unpack. I don’t have anything better to do today.”
She eyed him skeptically. “You’re telling me you don’t have anything better to do on a Saturday than to help me unpack?”
He held up his right hand and made a sad face. “It’s true.”
“Well, as nice as you are to offer, I don’t feel much like unpacking myself. I think I’ll leave those boxes for another day.”
He met her gaze, his eyes alight with humor. “Those boxes aren’t going to unpack themselves. I ought to know. When I moved in here, I left my boxes sitting idly for weeks—ignored them really—hoping they might suddenly unpack themselves.” He shook his head mock sadly. “Nothing happened. I finally bit the bullet and got busy.”
“Well, I’m not going to get busy today,” she declared. “I’m going to the mall.”
“Why?” he inquired, and then apparently decided he was being nosy. “I mean, it’s none of my business, but why would you want to go to the mall on the weekend when you spend your workdays there?”
She shrugged. “I love the mall. Don’t you?”
“Well, I wouldn’t go quite that far,” he admitted. “I mean, I like it okay. Well, I guess I’m not much of a shopper…”
“Oh, you don’t have to be a shopper to love the mall. There’s a movie theater there, and a mini-putt golf-o-rama, and an arcade. So much to do, really.”
He nodded semi-obligingly. “Yes, I guess so. Hey, would you want to catch a movie with me?”
“Do you?”
“Sure. I’ve haven’t seen a movie in a long time. In fact, I can’t remember when I last saw a movie.”
“Let’s go then,” she said cheerfully, anticipating an escape from the boxes.
“Okay,” he said. “Any particular film you’d like to see?”
She was eager to see a romantic comedy she’d seen advertised on TV, but wondered how he would feel about a chick flick. When she mentioned the name of the movie, he didn’t appear to have an opinion one way or the other. “Whatever you want to see,” he said.
“I’ll go change,” she said brightly.
“Me too, and then I’ll be right over.”
She nodded and then hurried to her condo. As she was about to enter, Daniel and his mother stepped out of their front door. She turned and smiled at Daniel. “Hi,” she said.
He smiled shyly. “Hi, do you live there?” he asked, gesturing toward her place.
“I do,” she answered with a smile, and turned her attention to his mother. “I’m Kellie Sanders.” The woman did not return her welcoming smile.
“I’m Lynne Daily. You just moved in, didn’t you?” she queried.
Kellie nodded. “Just a couple of days ago.”
“I must have been working,” she observed, “since I didn’t hear you.”
Kellie smiled and glanced around awkwardly. There was something about this woman—her manner felt cool, aloof. She soon found out why.
“You’ve met Miles,” she said. It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes. Both at work and here.”
She nodded, seeming to assess her with a critical eye. “So you know… Miles is one of the good guys. I’d … well, myself and all of his friends, would hate to see him hurt.”
After making the remark, the woman continued watching her with a challenging glint in her eye. Were she and Miles involved? Kellie wondered. Did she view her as a threat to their relationship?
Suddenly it occurred to her, if he was involved with this woman, why had he asked her out? Was he truly one of the good guys or…? She was unsure how to respond to Lynne’s manner, so she simply smiled uncertainly.
“He’s been hurt in the past,” she continued. “His friends, well, we’re protective.”
There was no mistaking her meaning this time. She was warning her off. But what could she do? She had plans to see a movie with him. Should she cancel?
Miles chose that exact moment to show up. He was dressed in jeans and a sweat shirt, and wearing a smile on his handsome face. “Hey, Lynne, Daniel,” he said, tousling the boy’s hair. “What are you two up to today?”
“Mom’s taking me to the mall.”
“He needs new shoes,” Lynne said, smiling ruefully at her son. “He outgrows them faster than I can buy them.”
“It’s a boy thing,” Miles observed. “Heck, I think you’ve grown a couple inches since yesterday, Daniel.”
The little boy beamed at the compliment, and Kellie couldn’t help noticing how different he seemed today than he had yesterday. He had been sullen and uncommunicative, but today, he seemed cheerful enough. He was behaving like the little boy he was, and clearly lapped up any attention he received from Miles. He was likely missing his father, and her heart tugged at the thought.
She smiled his way, and he dropped his head bashfully. She reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “I don’t suppose you’re a handy man, are you?”
He hesitantly raised his head and met her gaze. “I do odd jobs for money.”
“If you’re free sometime, I could really use some help unpacking boxes.”
He grinned. “Really? How much do you pay?”
“Daniel!” his mother scolded.
“No, no, he’s a smart businessman,” Kellie said. “How does five dollars an hour sound to you?”
He perked up even more, his eyes flashing with dollar signs. “Mom, I can earn enough money to get that video game you won’t buy for me!”
His mother seemed hesitant, and watched Kellie curiously. Finally, she appeared to relent, since she smiled. “Well, I suppose you could.”
The boy bounded off then, but turned and offered a cheery wave. “I’ll see you guys later!” His mother bid them goodbye and followed him.
“He’s a good kid,” Miles said, watching after them. He turned to Kellie. “It was nice of you to offer him a job.”
“Well, you know what they say. It takes a village.”
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a man, calling out to Miles. Kellie watched curiously as a man about thirty walked toward them. He was as dark as Miles was fair, tall but slightly built, and walked with a distinctive swagger.
“Who’s that?” she inquired.
“The village idiot,” Miles muttered. She shot a startled glance at him and he noticed. “Sorry. Did I say that out loud?”
She chuckled uncertainly. “Uh, yes.”
“Look,” he said under his breath, “watch out for this guy. He’s…”
Before he could finish his warning, the man reached them. He grinned broadly from Miles to Kellie, and then extended a hand to her. “Well, hello there. I’m Tony Marks, and you must be our new resident.”
“I�
�m Kellie Sanders,” she told him.
When he took her hand and kissed it, rather than shake it, she wasn’t sure what to think, particularly since he lingered over the kiss. He glanced up and met her eyes, and she wasn’t certain, but she thought he winked at her. When he rose up, she was nearly blinded by the gold chain dangling around his neck.
“So what do you think of our little community?” he asked.
“Well, so far it seems very nice,” she said neutrally.
“Oh, it is,” he told her. “Have you had a chance to check out the gym? Or the indoor pool? We have an excellent rec room, too. If you’d like, I could show you around sometime.”
Although Kellie had no claim to Miles, nor he to her, this man didn’t know that. His flirtatiousness in full view of Miles surprised her. He gave off a strange vibe, and she couldn’t quite discern if it was a threatening one, or simply a ridiculous brand of bravado.
“That’s nice of you to offer,” she said, “but I’ve already had a look around. And you’re right, this place has wonderful amenities.”
He arched his brows, his eyes seeming to pass over her slim body. “So do you,” he said smoothly, eying her intently.
Suddenly, Miles moved, putting himself between her and Tony. She saw the grim expression on his face that morphed into unconcealed hostility. He appeared to be weighing his options—attempting to decide what to do next.
“We should really be going,” Kellie hastily interjected.
Miles gave her a quick glance. “You’re right. We’re going to be late. I checked the newspaper and the movie starts soon.”
She realized that by mentioning their movie plans, Miles had alerted the man to the fact that they were going on a date. Had that been his intent? Was he being territorial? Because, if so, it was premature. But then, Tony definitely gave off a creepy vibe.
“We should go,” she agreed, and then nodded at him by way of a nervous goodbye.
Miles didn’t say anything further to the man, who appeared in no hurry to leave. Regardless, the couple left him standing outside her front door.
Inside, Miles promptly glanced through the peephole. “He’s gone,” he told her, and then watched her grimly. “Look, if that guy bothers you, let me know. Okay?”
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