“Go introduce yourself. You can’t expect every woman to chase you like I did,” Vanessa joked. They’d met at a conference. Wade had been presenting; Vanessa was a surgical nurse and had been there for training. She’d approached him in the hotel bar with a terrible chemistry joke, demanded his number, and he’d made sure she had no trouble catching him.
Having that wife and the promise of kids had been the next steps for him and her timing had been perfect.
Until he and Vanessa both learned that military life didn’t work for her. Leaving her and his daughter behind while he was stationed elsewhere had nearly destroyed him, and divorce had given them new life as friends and family.
His next marriage would be completely different. It would be successful, for one thing. And for that to happen he was sure he needed someone who was or had been in the military, so they knew what he knew, firsthand. “I’ve never been good at meeting women.” Wade gestured for her to step out on the small landing that led down to the sidewalk and the parking lot. “But advice to ‘get out and try’ from the woman who knows best what a bad bargain I am... Don’t know what to think about that.”
Vanessa slammed to a stop and turned to him with her eyebrows raised. “You? A bad bargain? No way. Life as a Navy wife? Dealing with your job and the hours and the calls? The loneliness and fear of you being taken from us? All the time away from your home? Watching alcohol take over... Okay, that was no walk in the park. But the things you faced, still face, and how you used to handle that...” She held up a hand. “All bad, but you deserve to find someone good. Someone who suits you more than me. We tried as hard as we could and didn’t make it. I’ve seen how you’re trying new choices. She’s out there, Wade, and if she’s as beautiful as the woman carrying boxes outside, you’d be twice a fool to miss out.” Vanessa trotted back up the steps to hug him. “Don’t be a fool, ’mkay?”
Before Wade could figure out how to answer any of the unexpected pep talk from his ex-wife, she’d made it to the car and slid in the passenger seat. All three of them waved as they backed out of the parking spot, and Thea turned around in the back seat to watch him until they left the complex.
Inhale slowly. Hold it. Exhale.
Wade closed his eyes and tried to regroup. Thea had taken over every minute, left him no time to worry about anything but the moment; here, from one second to the next, it was like his world dropped away. The empty present leaving too much bad history and fear that the future might hold failure.
He was alone again. After almost a lifetime of being alone, that should get easier.
The pain in his chest and the sting in his nose? Literal heartache.
Right now everything was scary and unknown and his ex-wife was encouraging him to ruin some other woman’s life and his daughter was learning to love him and he had a big empty house to fill and a job to learn and no way to dull the sharp claws of fear except to make it through one minute and then the next.
Alcohol had been the pressure valve for his anxiety for a long time.
His plans were always about organizing, managing, controlling. Wade wanted control, but right now...
Learning to sit in that anxiety instead of immediately washing it away was a lesson he had to teach himself over and over. A good therapist had taught him the tools, but he still had to practice. At times like this, anxiety could drown him.
“Can anyone join in this meditation session or is it a private event?” Brisa asked softly.
Wade opened his eyes and found her standing on the sidewalk. While he was wearing a ripped T-shirt and paint-spotted shorts, Brisa was dressed in deep purple silk and linen and appeared as if she’d stepped out of a salon. Unlike their other meetings, he was at a distinct disadvantage here, but that didn’t stop him from appreciating every inch of her style.
It was flawless.
“Sorry. You were standing there, so still, for so long, I was concerned.” Brisa frowned. “That sounds like I thought you might need medical help.” She cleared her throat. “What I meant is, everything okay? I’m guessing that was your ex-wife since she got in a car with your daughter and drove away? Hugging suggests things are good between you.”
Wade considered that. He’d never reflected on how far he and Vanessa had come. Their divorce had been a relief, and he’d never blamed her for needing it.
“We’re okay. She’s a great mom.” He smiled wryly. “Thinks I need to fall in love and soon. I didn’t tell her that I’d had a plan for that, but someone derailed it.”
Brisa nodded solemnly. It was impossible to maintain a grudge against the woman. But he still wasn’t going to tell her Vanessa’s suggestion. They were both quiet until he added, “It will take a minute to adjust since Thea left.” He missed her. The faint ache he’d lived with since the divorce was stronger, more painful, and he hoped it was because he and Thea were closer now. Wade pointed at the truck. “Do I have a new neighbor?”
“Me. I’m moving in. Your least favorite person is now your neighbor.” Brisa held her arms out. “My probationary period for Concord Court has changed. I need to be close to stay on top of all the day-to-day demands as manager, so I’ve decided to claim my spot here.”
“Oh.” Brisa was the “preeettyyy” new neighbor his ex had mentioned. Of course, she was.
“Yes, this is my sister’s moving outfit.” Reyna stepped up beside Brisa and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “You and I, we’re dressed appropriately.” She waved a hand to indicate their matching ragged outfits. “Brisa is dressed like the queen is coming to dinner.”
“Brisa is the queen,” Wade said before he thought better of it. Brisa was so beautiful she didn’t quite fit in the real world, she was more like a fairy-tale queen or princess.
“It’s a tank and shorts,” Brisa scoffed and pointed at her perfectly matched clothes. “Casual doesn’t have to mean cotton.”
“Whatever. I’m done for the day. I made your bed up so you can get some sleep when you’re ready.” Reyna mimed hugging her sister. “Don’t want to spot the silk with my actual sweaty hands, BB. See you tomorrow.” She nodded at Wade and walked down the sidewalk. In the next block of homes, Reyna’s man from the cocktail party was sitting on the steps to another unit, Reyna’s dog right next to him.
That must be Sean. Brisa had mentioned Reyna and him working together without any sign of romance. Wade watched the man stand to kiss Reyna slowly.
Apparently, romance had found them.
“Has better things to do than help me unpack, I see,” Brisa muttered before turning back to him. “Joke’s on her. I’m going to wait until she shows up tomorrow to do any more unpacking. I need food tonight.”
“I have pizza but no furniture. I’m willing to share.” Wade crossed his arms over his chest. This was a weird impulse. He wasn’t sure where it came from except the prospect of returning to his now empty apartment alone. No furniture. No television. No Thea. Nothing to sway him from the worry that grew every day as his new job’s start date drew closer.
That anxiety frustrated him. It was silly. September first would come, he’d report to the ER, and all of this worry would have been for nothing because he was good at his profession.
Telling himself that over and over was a weak solution. A distraction would help.
Brisa tilted her head to the side. “I would love to see the progress you’ve made with Thea’s grand design.” She took a step forward, but stopped. “If you’re serious about sharing your pizza.”
Wade turned and trotted up the steps to his door, a shot of energy kicking in. He was committed now. It was a slice of pizza. What could go wrong?
CHAPTER SIX
BRISA FOLLOWED HIM even as the Good Brisa in her head demanded an explanation of what she was doing. For days now, she’d been brushing away the thoughts that popped up occasionally about Wade and Thea. Why were they on her mind like this? Nothing good cou
ld come from getting more entangled in their lives.
She had too much riding on her success at leading Concord Court. Focusing on that was her priority. Wade’s dating would be easy enough to resolve. She’d take care of that and leave Thea and Wade to their own devices. Distance was the correct answer.
But did she want to live in a world where turning down free pizza made sense?
“You weren’t kidding about the furniture,” Brisa said as she stepped inside. Almost everyone who moved in had bits and pieces, even if they didn’t have a whole home’s worth of furniture. Wade was starting from scratch.
“Delivery’s tomorrow. I’ll be up all night with the excitement, like a kid at Christmas. Thea has pillows, at least. We can borrow them for seats. I’m glad you’re here. You might be able to help with something.” Wade picked up two plates and the pizza. “Can you grab the drinks?” He motioned at the refrigerator with his head.
Brisa opened it and took out two bottles of water. The fridge was nearly empty. A carton of milk. Some juice. Not much to feed a growing kid or man. As she closed the door, a paper blew in the breeze. Since it was labeled clearly “Thea’s Bedroom,” it was easy to understand. Straight lines interrupted by gaps formed the outline of her room. “Bed” had been drawn in carefully near the window.
“If science and space fail her, Thea should study architecture or interior design, possibly both,” Brisa said as she followed him.
Wade stopped in the middle of the dark room lit only by the twilight filtering through the blinds. “Computer, turn on the lights.”
Warm light flooded the room.
“Whoa,” Brisa said as Wade tossed her a big green pillow. She dropped it and took a seat. “That’s new.”
Wade grumbled, “The trouble with having a daughter who lives two decades in the future already is that her standards take real hard work to meet. Thea asked the guy at the home improvement store about ‘easy-to-install smart systems’ and this is what we ended up with. Lamps on smart timers controlled by the computer.” He spread his arms out wide. “The future is here. Thea says that she needs to learn how to use voice commands because all space systems will be operated that way.”
Brisa could read the pride on his face as he pointed out features of Thea’s room. It was adorable. He’d worked hard.
“Now that I’ve figured out how to make this work, I have to consider Thea’s promise that in ten years, every house on the planet will have its own brain.” He raised his eyebrows as if he couldn’t believe he was saying it, but it was hard to argue with progress. “Architecture, home design, space travel or designing RVs for weekend Mars camping, whichever direction Thea goes, she’ll be prepared.”
“I’ll start saving my money for a Mars spa day,” Brisa said. Then she added innocently, “Was the smart system included in the two-hundred-dollar budget?”
Wade scowled before he put two slices of pizza on the plates and handed her one. “I failed to teach her about budgeting. Over and over, in fact.”
Failed to teach her. Did he think he only got one shot?
“Is that sausage I see?” Brisa asked. “What did the vegetarian say?”
Wade pointed at the pizza. “Gift from my ex-wife, I’m guessing. They had another pizza in the car. I bet it was Thea-approved.”
“Sweet. Neither one of you would order her dinner and tell her to like it, whatever it was, would you?” Brisa said and took a bite. Now was not the time to remember how many times she’d choked down yogurt at breakfast because her father insisted it was the healthiest choice before school.
Anything with the consistency of cold mucus had better be super healthy.
She hadn’t touched the stuff since she’d married Hartley Amis and moved into his off-campus apartment.
“No,” Wade drawled. He frowned as if he was trying to figure out where the question had come from. “Why would anyone do that? Do people actually do that?”
“Force kids to eat things whether they want to or not? So many people, Wade.” Brisa tried to imagine the battles over the Montero dining table if she’d demanded a special diet. It would have been intense. Her father against Reyna, while Brisa wished she’d never brought it up.
His confusion was sweet. Forcing his daughter to eat something she didn’t like made zero sense to him. Naming the emotions hitting her from all directions would take a minute, so Brisa ate while she watched him chew.
“Thea is determined. For now, she’s made a vegetarian choice and it isn’t a whim. She will tell you all the advantages to herself, to me, to the planet. I don’t know that anyone could talk her out of it.”
Brisa remembered her father’s face in the lobby. “If she persists in explaining how it leads to long life, Luis Montero will do his best to correct her.”
Wade groaned. “I’d almost forgotten Thea’s smart answer to Luis. I should work on manners, speaking with elders, too.”
Brisa chuckled. “Oh, if you could somehow get Thea to call him an elder...” She held her side as she laughed at the image in her head. Eventually, she realized he was grinning at her but also watching her closely. “Manners are good. Knowing how to put someone who is being rude in their place, though? Priceless.”
Wade didn’t answer immediately. “Truth is, I’m almost certain I’ve created a monster. This room is her vision. The bathroom’s got a solar system shower curtain.” He sighed. “I’ve started calling this a suite and ‘Thea’s Galaxy’ and I’m afraid she’ll annex the living room next. My credit card statement will tell a sorry tale.”
His dry delivery made it impossible not to giggle again.
“She’s lucky. I love to see a man wrapped around his daughter’s finger. Teaching her about money can wait. We all learn how to manage it sooner or later. You did. I did, sort of. Figuring out who she is has got to be way more important for both of you.” Brisa didn’t meet his eyes. Concentrating on her pizza was easy. When she didn’t look up, Wade cleared his throat.
“So, I mentioned my furniture delivery tomorrow, but I’ve been called in to the hospital for a mandatory orientation.” He crossed his legs. “Any chance someone could let them in for me?”
Brisa took another bite as she nodded. “It’s my day off. I can do that.”
When he didn’t answer, she glanced up from her pizza to see him frowning. “That easy? You just volunteer?”
She frowned to match his. “Sure. I can do it. It’s simple enough. I’ve seen the important architectural drawings already. So...” She pointed in what she hoped was the general direction of Thea’s drawing on the refrigerator. What was the big deal?
He nodded. “Okay. Thank you. That’s nice of you on your day off. I hoped someone on the maintenance crew could help.”
Brisa shook her head. “It’s a small operation now, but that’s kind of the goal I have for Concord Court. I want anyone who needs help to come to us. If we can provide the answer, we will.”
Wade’s frown faded, but she had the uncomfortable sensation that he was rethinking his opinion of her and she wasn’t sure what that meant. It had to be an improvement, right?
Then he reminded her of the agreement between them.
“Any news on the date you’re going to find me?” Wade asked as he stretched out and plopped the last bite of crust in his mouth. “My ex-wife may decide to hunt up her own candidate if I don’t find someone soon.”
Brisa picked off a piece of sausage and squeezed it between her finger and thumb. “Really?” Wade and Vanessa were close. Hartley wouldn’t answer her phone calls the last time she’d tried to contact him, and when she’d run into him at brunch at her father’s club, he’d stared right through her. He’d adjusted to life away from their parents’ money better than she had, but he’d never gotten over the need to sleep with the prettiest female in the room. Every room.
If they’d had a baby together, would they have
been friends? It was hard to imagine.
Wade picked another piece of pizza up. “I don’t know if she’d set me up, but she wants me to get out and date. I’m glad Vanessa doesn’t hate me. She has a right to.”
The urge to blurt Why would you say that? was strong. Being curious about his past was another bad sign.
“Did she have someone in mind? A good possibility?” It would be nice if his ex could take care of Brisa’s obligation and she could go hide behind the desk in the lobby until Wade McNally was safe and secure with some other nice, dependable, good-for-a-family woman.
“Well, the way she drew out the word pretty—” Wade copied her delivery “—when she mentioned the woman moving in next door made me think she was suggesting you.”
Brisa blinked slowly as she tried to determine his reaction to that.
He was studying her face and giving nothing away.
Did the military train people to do that? Her sister could be unreadable at times, too.
Brisa whistled loudly and enjoyed the way he winced. No one ever imagined she could whistle like that. “Could turn into a mess, dating a neighbor like that, couldn’t it? Besides, that woman? She’s a mess. You want a hero. Good thing I’m your least favorite person in Miami.”
There. Lighthearted. That was good. Nothing to indicate how something had shifted inside her at the suggestion of Wade focusing his attention on her.
When she managed to check on his reaction, he was staring up at the ceiling. He didn’t face her when he asked, “Want to see the coolest part of the room?”
“Yeah,” Brisa answered, relieved the subject had been dropped.
“Computer, nighttime setting,” Wade said, his voice gruffer than she remembered.
The warm yellow light of the lamps blinked out and white twinkle lights lit up in swirls along the wall. The glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling were faint, as if they were on the edge of the galaxy.
“Wow,” Brisa whispered. Magic. Wade had created magic for his daughter with paint and lights and hard work.
The Doctor and the Matchmaker--A Clean Romance Page 6