Fringe Benefits

by Sandy James

  “Stop, Mom. I’m not searching anymore. Maybe later, but not right now. Look, I know you didn’t like the idea of me living with Dani, but—”

  “I’m fine with you renting her basement,” Jackie snapped. “I told you that. I shouldn’t have made such a fuss. She’s a nice lady. I was just afraid it would be a problem since she’s your department head and a little older. Figured she might not like a twentysomething kid in her house.”

  “Are you ever going to let that shit go?” This was going to be more difficult if she couldn’t open her mind and start looking at Dani as a beautiful woman instead of his boss and some sort of desperate cougar. “She’s a department head, not my boss.” He sarcastically punctuated the word with air quotes. “And I’m twenty-four—twenty-five next month—and not exactly a kid anymore.”

  “I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

  Since his mom’s tone was contrite, he let some of his anger slip away. “Dani’s only a handful of years older than me. You really don’t need to keep bringing it up.”

  Kat frowned. “Why would her age matter to either of you? She’s just Nate’s landlady.”

  Nate shook his head. Kat had opened the door, so he stepped right through. “Dani’s my girlfriend.”

  Both women gave him the weirdest looks. Jackie’s expression was a cross between shocked and upset. Kat’s was pure pissed.

  He didn’t care about either of their reactions. Dani meant the world to him, and he wasn’t going to let his mother or his ex hurt her any more than they already had. “We started dating and we’re serious about making things between us work. We live together now.”

  “Oh, Nate…” Jackie shook her head.

  Her disappointed frown sent his temper soaring again. “What exactly is your problem with Dani?”

  “It’s not her so much…” Letting out a sigh, she raked her fingers through her short hair.

  It had never dawned on him how many of her mannerisms he’d adopted. “Then what exactly is it, Mom? Hell, I thought you’d be playing matchmaker since she’s so great. What made you set your mind against her when you don’t even know her?”

  Folding her arms under her breasts, she glared at him. “I wasn’t set against her.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Kat was still scowling, that same glare she’d always given him when he hadn’t allowed her to have her way. Funny how when he’d been so besotted with her he hadn’t noticed some of her more annoying traits. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me, Nate. It’s just plain cruel to throw her in my face when I came home to be with you.”

  “To be with me?” He shook his head, not even wanting to know exactly what motivated her to suddenly want to resurrect the dead relationship. “We were over a long time ago, Kat. And I didn’t bring Dani here to throw her in your face. I didn’t even know you were going to be here!”

  “Let me guess,” she continued in a snide tone. “There is no stupid conference. You brought her here to surprise your mom with your new toy.” She let out a snort. “Like some cat dragging home a dead mouse for its owner.”

  Probably seeing his temper start to boil over, Jackie stepped in. “That was uncalled for, Kat. You don’t have to be mean about it.” She looked to Nate. “So she’s your girlfriend now?”

  He nodded.

  “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I could see the sparks, and you… well, you were clearly taken with her. So I’ll try to make her feel more welcome. I’m sorry she walked into… all this.” Jackie stood up. “Let me make Dani some tea. You can take it down and let her know she’s more than welcome here.” As she headed into the kitchen, she called over her shoulder, “Since you like her, I’ll refrain from cooking anything except tea.”

  At least he could chuckle now. Until he saw Kat sitting on the sofa, her eyes angry. “Kat—”

  She held up a hand. “Don’t say a fucking word.”

  “Hey, now,” Jackie scolded. “Watch the language.”

  While the admonition was hilarious coming from a woman who talked like a sailor, Nate let it go. “We should talk.”

  “No, we shouldn’t.” Kat jumped to her feet. “I’m heading up to my room. I’ve got homework.”

  Nate didn’t try to stop her. The hurt in her voice surprised him and made guilt wash over him. Despite feeling as though he owed her some kind of explanation or excuse, he actually didn’t. Any commitment he’d made to her had ended when she’d walked away, and she’d seemed to do it with an ease that indicated she’d never truly loved him the way he’d loved her.

  Seeing her now, he could finally put any residual hurt to rest. He cared for her, but he didn’t love her. Not anymore, and with the intensity of his feelings for Dani, he had to wonder if he ever truly had.

  But he’d misjudged Kat’s feelings. A woman couldn’t fake that kind of heartache. While he was here, he’d have to find some time to sit down and talk with her so any wounds remaining from their relationship could finally heal.

  Now it was time to soothe Dani. He went to his mom and helped her put together a small tray with hot tea and graham crackers. Then he carried it downstairs. At the bedroom door, he kicked it softly in lieu of knocking. “Dani? Are you asleep?”

  “Come on in.”

  She was lying on her side on top of the blue quilt, her back to him. The only light came through the slim basement window.

  “I brought you some tea and Tylenol.”

  Rolling toward him, she wiped her hand across her eyes as though she’d been crying.

  His stomach clenched. “I’m sorry about all the stupidity upstairs.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  He sat on the bed by her legs and set the tray down where she could reach it. When she sat up and propped the pillows behind her, he lifted the tray long enough for her to finish and then put it over her lap. “Drink some tea. Should help you feel a little better.” He picked up the bottle of pills and spilled two on his palm. “Take a couple of Tylenol, sweetheart.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured as she obeyed, tossing them into her mouth and then taking a drink of the small glass of water he’d added to the tray. After she poured a couple of pink sweetener packets into the tea, she sipped for a while as they sat in the quiet. “Did you know Kat was going to be here?” she finally asked.

  Nate rubbed his hand up and down her shin. “Not a clue. The last Mom told me about her was that she was in England.”

  “Wonder how long she’s been back.” Dani nibbled on one of the crackers.

  “I honestly don’t give a shit how long she’s been here or how long she plans to stay. You’re the one I care about.”

  * * *

  Dani could hear the emotion in his voice, the sincerity in his words. She just needed to force herself to believe him.

  Seeing the beautiful woman Nate had loved, the one he’d been engaged to, the one he’d almost shared a child with, had been a shock she’d had no time to prepare for. Even worse, to watch as Kat threw herself at him and kissed him had been gut-wrenching.

  Overwhelmed by jealousy and worried that Nate had dragged her here as some sort of weird way to try to win Kat back, Dani did what she did best where emotions were involved.

  She retreated.

  It had seemed the best tack, and she hadn’t been lying when she’d told them she had a headache. Her head pounded in rhythm with her wounded heart. She’d allowed some tears of disappointment to fall, and crying, even if only for a minute or two, had helped ease the hurt of both her head and her heart.

  Only a woman in love could have been so devastated by a friendly kiss of greeting, and she simply didn’t want to accept that she’d fallen in love with Nate Ryan.

  Once she could push aside the jealousy, she’d started to see things as they truly were. Nate hadn’t been at all happy to see Kat. Although she’d hugged him, he hadn’t hugged her back. Nor had he kissed her. There had been no welcome in his
words, only the same confusion Dani had felt.

  “I’m sorry I ran away.” She held the warm cup in her hands before sipping more tea.

  “You didn’t run away. You had a headache.”

  She nodded. “Car rides get to me sometimes.”

  “Car rides and unexpected surprises—bad surprises. So how about a good surprise?”

  “Hmm?” she hummed as she took another drink. “A good surprise?”

  “Yep. Turns out my mom likes you.”

  Dani didn’t mean to snort. It just slipped out.

  “I mean it,” Nate insisted. “She does, and I can prove it.”

  “How?”

  His dimples were going to be the death of her. “She promised not to cook for you.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Nate had chosen the restaurant, but Dani didn’t really care. She wasn’t particularly hungry, so it really didn’t matter where they went. To have to sit across the table from Kat and Jackie would be difficult regardless of the locale.

  A week. How was Dani supposed to survive a week with Nate’s ex hanging around, probably trying her best to seduce him? And then there was his mother. He might have tried to convince Dani that Jackie liked her, but doubt remained. For the time being, she put on a confident façade and tried not to let anyone know exactly how flustered she was.

  All she truly wanted was to go home, but there wasn’t a chance she would run. She would never let Kat or Jackie know exactly how much they rattled her. She was already angry at herself for her cowardly retreat. The victorious look in Kat’s eyes when Nate had led Dani from the basement had been more than enough to put starch in her spine.

  “So is Nate going to be as good a teacher as his mom?” Mark asked.

  Meeting Jackie’s husband had been a pleasant surprise. Mark Brennan was handsome enough to be a model, the gray peppering his dark hair only adding to his appeal, and he was kind and welcoming. Having expected him to be in Kat’s corner for her obvious attempts to snag Nate back, Dani was pleased that Mark accepted her with open arms.

  Dani favored him with a smile, and not one of the fake ones she had to give Kat or Jackie. “From the way you phrased the question, I’ll assume Jackie was a terrific teacher.”

  “You betcha I was,” Jackie replied.

  Mark simply nodded.

  “Then, yes. Nate is going to be every bit as good. The kids adore him, and from all the times I’ve observed his class, I can tell he really knows his stuff.”

  Nate’s hand settled on her thigh, where he gave her a pat. “Thanks.”

  “Just telling it how it is,” she said. “English is such a tough subject to teach. Most of the kids come to class thinking it’ll be boring.”

  With a shake of his head, Nate said, “Silly kids. With all the great books out there to read? Boring my ass.”

  Dani nodded. “I know, right?”

  “Biology was easier,” Jackie admitted. “The students got to get their hands dirty. Dissections. Labs. Experiments.”

  Mark draped his arm over Jackie’s shoulders, something Nate also had the habit of doing that Dani enjoyed. “That and every single one of them thought you walked on water.”

  “Hardly,” Jackie said with a scoff.

  Kat had been a bit sullen through the meal, probably sulking at how comfortable Mark seemed to be with Dani. She jumped into the conversation. “So do all the girls flirt with Nate? I imagine with his good looks—”

  “They do,” Dani replied as sweetly as she could manage. “He’s just humble enough not to see it.”

  “Nate, be careful.” Jackie’s brows gathered in concern. “Don’t ever be alone with any of the girls.”

  He nodded. “Dani already gave me that talk. Helps that her room is right across the hall.” His hand moved over her leg, tickling a little closer to the juncture of her thighs with each rub. Thankfully, his actions were concealed by the long green tablecloth. “She seems to have a sixth sense as to when I need her.”

  The heat in the restaurant shot up, or at least Dani’s internal temperature did. The way Nate had so openly showed her how much she meant to him every time Kat was around had helped Dani find her confidence to stand firm against the little digs Kat kept throwing her way.

  “Must be weird,” Kat said. “Having all those young girls making eyes at you.”

  “I honestly don’t see it,” he replied.

  “You never did realize your own appeal.” Kat batted her eyes at him.

  Nate appeared unfazed, which made Dani smile. “Dani was the teacher of the year for the whole corporation last year,” he said. “Quite an honor, and she was one of the finalists for Illinois teacher of the year.”

  Her face flushing warm at the compliment, she winked at him. “It was just my turn. After all, Mallory won a couple of years back. Jules was teacher of the year her fifth year at Douglas. And Beth has won that title twice.”

  “So it’s the Ladies Who Lunch for the win.” He punctuated the teasing by giving her a pinch on the butt, which only made her face warmer.

  Bad thing about being so fair skinned was that blushes were like flashing neon lights.

  Kat cocked her head. “Are you okay, Dani? Having a hot flash or something?”

  How old does she think I am? Dani needed some payback, which made her bolder than she probably should’ve been. “Nah. Just blushing since Nate’s over here pinching—”

  “Hey,” he scolded. “That’s private.”

  From the scowl on Kat’s face, she’d figured out exactly what was happening. “How long have you been a teacher?” she asked. “Nineteen years? Twenty? Longer?”

  Ah, finally. The slam about the difference in their ages. Dani let it roll right off her back. “Long enough to know the ropes.”

  “Put the claws away, my wee Kat.” The stern frown Mark threw at his daughter was enough to almost make Dani bust out in a grateful giggle. Then he directed his attention to Dani. “What did Nate mean by the Ladies Who Lunch?”

  Dani gave him the story of how the Ladies had been born that cold day in Chicago so many years ago. “The name just stuck. Everyone calls us that now, although Jules isn’t teaching anymore. She’s selling real estate with her husband. But Mallory, Beth, and I are still in the trenches. Probably always will be.”

  “Don’t let Jackie get you alone.” After Mark playfully jostled his wife with his elbow, he added, “She’ll give you her lecture on why you and Nate should be getting out of education, like you’re on the Titanic and it’s going down, down, down.” He held his nose and puffed out his cheeks, as if going underwater.

  Jackie punched him on the upper arm. “I won’t lecture them. I’ll simply give them some good advice and the benefit of my hard-earned wisdom.”

  “I understand totally why you’d think education is a bad career,” Dani said. “It’s pretty crazy right now. I guess I like working with the kids so much, I put up with the crap and try to minimize it.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Kat had folded her arms under her breasts and leaned back in her chair, shooting daggers at Dani with her dark eyes. “Doesn’t it bother you that you’re so much older than Nate? I mean, you live in such a small town. Don’t people gossip about you having a younger boyfriend?”

  “Kat…” Mark growled.

  “No, it’s okay,” Dani said. “I don’t mind answering.” She leveled her best don’t-fuck-with-me smile at Kat. “I’m really not that much older than Nate. Not quite… what?” She turned to Nate to include him, even though she knew exactly how much older she was. “Eight years?”

  “Seven and change, sweetheart. You could be my very own cougar if you were older. But alas”—he picked up her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles—“we’re just a regular couple.”

  “So you can see,” Dani continued, “the age thing really isn’t an issue.”

  Kat let out a snort.

  The waiter came over to see if anyone wanted dessert. The pasta had more than filled Dani’s stomach, a
nd all she wanted was to go home and relax. Unfortunately, she’d be going to the Brennans’ home, and she couldn’t even look forward to snuggling up against Nate when it came time to go to bed. When he’d told his family that he’d moved upstairs with her, he hadn’t asked if the Brennans minded his sharing a room with her now. The basement was Dani’s for the week, but Nate was taking one of the upstairs bedrooms.

  No one was in the mood for something sweet, so the waiter was leaving the black folder on the table right when Dani’s phone rang. She’d wanted to get the check, but Mark reached for it first. Since her phone continued to ring, she wasn’t able to argue with him. She fished her phone out of her pocket, ready to silence the ringer and let it go to voice mail. Then she caught the name of the caller.

  Robert.

  A rush of adrenaline sent her heart slamming against her chest. There was no reason for him to be calling unless… “Beth.” She offered the group a sheepish apology. “I’m sorry, but I really need to take this.” As she rose to stride toward the entrance so she could step outside the restaurant, she answered the call. “Robert. What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Dani. Beth’s in the hospital.”

  Shoving open the door, Dani stepped out into the quiet night air. “What happened?” A million horrifying scenarios ran through her head. A car accident. A mugging. Beth’s stomach bug was really appendicitis.

  “She couldn’t stop throwing up. Well, not throwing up so much as heaving. There can’t be a thing left in her stomach. I finally insisted we go to the ER because she was so damned dehydrated that her lips were cracking and bleeding. They’ve got her on IV fluids and are keeping her at least a day or two.”

  “That’s a hell of a stomach bug. I’ll get home as soon as I can.” If Nate wasn’t ready to leave his family, she’d just drive back by herself. Maybe he could get a rental car, or once Beth was better, Dani could come back and get him.

  “That would be great. She’s really worried about Emma. We dropped her off with Jules, but…”

  “I know, I know. Jules already has her hands full with the twins since her manny has fall break off.”