by Gina Wilkins
Just as she’d had no right to expect to be called when he was injured, she added silently. No right to ask him to be careful. No right to know where he was when he wasn’t with her. What he was doing. Or who he was with.
This was exactly what he’d made it clear that he didn’t want from her—or any other woman. He had said he had too many people to answer to already. Too many expectations to live up to, too many commitments to fulfill.
He wasn’t interested in a wife. Not even a long-term relationship. And she had thought that was fine with her. Exactly what she wanted, too.
Or so she had believed.
Because she understood now how unfair she was being to criticize him when she was the one who seemed to be changing the rules, she sighed and shook her head.
“I’m sorry,” she said again—only this time she meant it. “I really don’t have a right to lecture you. You just scared me, that’s all. I was already stressed today, and when I heard you’d been in an accident, I guess I just freaked out a little.”
She watched as his face softened a bit and his taut shoulders relaxed. “And I’m sorry I snapped at you. I should be grateful that you were concerned about me. And I should have realized you would be.”
Still shaking her head, she took a step toward him. “Don’t apologize. I’m the one who’s been acting unreasonably. I suppose I do need to sit on the couch and relax for a little while, as you suggested earlier. Why don’t I serve us both some ice cream—I have your favorite, chocolate—and then we can crash in front of the TV. Unless you need to go?”
“Ice cream and TV sound good to me,” he assured her and then gave her a decent imitation of his usual lazy grin. “But let’s not use the word crash, okay?”
The sharp words they had both spoken weren’t forgotten, Cecilia mused, but she and Geoff could put them aside for the rest of the evening. After all, there wouldn’t be many more evenings to spend together before they returned to their separate lives.
He would probably be relieved to move on, especially after this. She didn’t think it would be quite so easy for her.
Which was all the more reason for her to try to enjoy the remaining time they had together.
Sitting on the couch at Geoff’s right side an hour later, Cecilia felt a bit of tension ease from her shoulders. They hadn’t said much since they had moved into the living room, but the silence had been companionable. Having eaten their ice cream, they sipped the herbal tea Geoff had brought her and watched a new documentary on the history channel. The program was interesting, informative, quietly entertaining—just the sort of calming activity they both needed.
As the program neared its end, she noticed that Geoff was beginning to squirm a little—surreptitiously rubbing his left arm and shoulder, stretching his leg out as if it were cramping.
She set her empty teacup on a side table. “Are you in pain?”
“No, I’m fine.”
She gave him a look that let him know he wasn’t fooling her for a minute.
Geoff made a face. “Okay, I’m a little sore,” he admitted. “Kind of stiffening up.”
She twisted on the couch to face him more fully. “Just how badly were you hurt? Really?”
“Nothing serious. Really. As I said, it’s just scrapes and bruises.”
She reached out to unfasten the top button of his shirt. “So you won’t mind if I check for myself?”
“Um—” He cleared his throat as another button popped out of its hole. “Just remember, it looks worse than it is.”
“I’m a nurse. I know how to assess an injury.” She slid the unbuttoned shirt carefully off his shoulders.
Had she not been a nurse, she might have gasped. Fortunately, her training helped her see with one long, searching glance that he had told the truth about the severity of his injuries.
Though the scrapes down his arm and his side were raw and angry looking and the bruises were already turning a rainbow of muddy colors, none of the wounds was serious. He was going to feel like hell for the next week or so—the soreness and stiffness would get worse before they got better—but he would suffer no long-lasting repercussions.
“You got lucky,” she said.
He released a breath he must have been holding while she examined him. “I know. Dad blew a gasket when he saw me, but Mari convinced him I would be okay despite appearances. He’s not a medical professional, of course, so it looked worse to him than it is.”
“Were you given a prescription for pain medication? Because you might need something later.”
“Mari tried to give me some pills to take, but I told her I didn’t need them. I don’t like to take prescription medications unless it is absolutely necessary. I can manage this with over-the-counter painkillers.”
She frowned, both because it had been Mari, rather than the E.R. doctor, who had offered the pills, and because Geoff had turned them down. “I don’t know, Geoff. You’re going to be awfully sore. There’s nothing wrong with taking something to make you feel better.”
“You know what would really make me feel better?”
She looked up from his bruises to his face. His smile gave her a clue what he was going to say when she asked, “What?”
For a man whose left side looked as though it had been attacked by a cheese grater, he moved surprisingly quickly. He pulled her against his bare chest, letting his mouth hover only an inch above hers. “I’m prescribing my own medication.”
She slid her hands up his chest, taking care where she touched. “And just what do you prescribe, doctor?”
“You.”
She smiled against his lips. “I just happen to be available.”
He might have murmured something about being glad to hear it, but since the words were lost in the depths of a spectacular kiss, she would never know for sure. Truth was, she didn’t really care.
It was very…interesting making love to a man who had recently been injured, Cecilia discovered. When he had insisted that he was up to the activity even as she expressed her doubts, Cecilia had willingly cooperated.
On one condition, she had added. She would do all the work.
It was quite a challenge. She had to take great care to give him only pleasure and not cause him any pain. Oddly enough, doing so greatly enhanced her own pleasure.
She covered him with gentle, tender kisses. And then she covered him with herself. And when tears rolled down her cheeks as they experienced their release together, she knew it had much more to do with almost losing him that afternoon than with the physical gratification she had found with him now.
It was pain that drove Geoff from Cecilia’s bed sometime around midnight. Gritting his teeth, he slipped stiffly from beneath the covers. He was relieved when she didn’t stir. Remembering her description of her day, he knew she must be worn out.
He found nonprescription painkillers in her medicine cabinet. Though the dosage was two tablets, he swallowed four.
He really was hurting. He doubted that the four little brown pills would be nearly as effective against his pain as Cecilia’s tender loving care had been earlier, but it didn’t seem like a particularly good idea to wake her for another dose.
Wearing only a pair of boxer shorts over his sorely abused body, he prowled restlessly through Cecilia’s house while he waited for the medicine to take effect. He ended up in the room they had painted together last week.
The nursery.
Looking at the maple rocker that was the only piece of furniture in the green-walled bedroom, he allowed himself a few minutes to savor the memories of that day that seemed oddly longer ago than it actually had been. The laughter. The kisses. The long, arousing shower that had followed their silly play with the paint.
And then his thoughts drifted forward. To the future that might be. He could almost see a crib against the far wall, and a tiny body sleeping peacefully in that crib. He could picture Cecilia lifting the baby from the crib and settling into the rocker for a middle-of-the-night nursing. And he saw himself, st
anding in the doorway to watch.
But no, that wasn’t right, he thought with a shake of his head. He didn’t belong in that particular scene. He wouldn’t be here for feedings and baths and bedtime stories and first smiles. That was the agreement they had made. He would be the part-time parent, the one who popped in for weekend and holiday visitations, while Cecilia would handle the day-to-day responsibilities he had said he didn’t want.
Hadn’t this evening proved he was right about having someone else to answer to if he got seriously involved with a woman? After being chewed out by his family just for trying to have a little fun on his bike, he’d had to endure pretty much the same from Cecilia. Another lecture about his obligations to family and business. More wounded looks that had made him feel guilty for being in an accident that hadn’t even been his fault.
So why did he find it sort of nice that she had been so frightened on his behalf?
“Geoff?” Cecilia’s sleepy voice came from the hallway behind him. “Are you all right?”
Turning away from the empty wall where he had just imagined a crib to be, he responded. “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little sore.”
He snapped off the nursery light as he went to meet her and to assure her again that he was okay—physically, at least. Emotionally—well, he seemed to be a little shaky in that area this evening.
Chapter Fourteen
Cecilia was on her way to Mari’s office for the scheduled consultation Friday morning when she crossed paths with Vanessa. Because it was so unusual to see Vanessa frowning, Cecilia had to take a minute to stop and ask what was wrong.
“Everything is just so crazy around here lately,” her friend complained. “Have you noticed it, too, or is it just me?”
“Trust me, it’s not just you. I’ve been wondering if the planets are misaligned.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
“Is there anything in particular that’s got you scowling now or just a series of events?”
Vanessa made a face. “I’ve been dealing with a mess in the medical supply room. Everything’s rearranged. I couldn’t even find the Orcadol. Someone put all the bottles in the wrong place.”
Cecilia frowned and spoke quickly, “Orcadol is missing? Should we notify Detective Collins?”
Vanessa shook her head, making her enormous earrings swing wildly. She held both hands up in a calming and rather pleading gesture. “Lord, don’t get the detective all worked up again. I didn’t say anything was missing, just misplaced. The new security measures seem to be working well enough to satisfy even Detective Collins. The filing system, on the other hand, definitely needs some work.”
It still concerned Cecilia that Orcadol had been incorrectly shelved, but she told herself Vanessa had the situation under control. She was just oversensitive about the subject, she supposed, after what she had overheard between Collins and Mari. “I’m on my way to a consultation with Mari. It shouldn’t take too long. Want to grab lunch afterward and have a nice, long gripe session?”
“You bet I do. Find me when you’re free.”
Cecilia nodded and moved on toward Mari’s office. Mari looked up from her usual mountain of paperwork with a smile. Obviously, judging from her expression, she was having a better day than yesterday.
“Thank God it’s Friday,” she said as Cecilia took a chair beside the desk in response to a wave from Mari’s hand. “Those words have never seemed more appropriate than they do this week.”
“I know what you mean. Vanessa and I were just saying something to that effect. It’s been a madhouse around here.”
“Speaking of which—I’m sorry I ran out of here like a crazy woman yesterday.”
“I understood. You were worried about your brother.” Cecilia had pretty much been a crazy woman herself after that, though she had done her best to hide it.
Mari nodded gravely. “Yeah. I hate that motorcycle, and Geoff knows it. It’s a miracle he didn’t break his fool neck.”
Were you afraid I’d broken my neck before I fulfilled my bargain to you? Cecilia could hear the echo of Geoff’s resentful question in her mind, and it still irritated her.
“I’m glad he wasn’t seriously injured” was all she said to his sister.
Mari’s face softened. “Me, too. As annoyed as I get with him at times, I still love the guy.”
Cecilia was becoming increasingly concerned that she did, too. And that possibility terrified her almost as badly as Geoff’s motorcycle.
“Did you see him last night?” Mari asked casually. “He seemed anxious to let you know he wasn’t seriously injured.”
So maybe he had thought she’d been kept informed. It made Cecilia feel somewhat better that he had at least thought of her. She answered very casually. “Yes, he came by my place for dinner. He looked battered, but generally in good shape.”
“Bet he’s sore today.” Mari sounded more amused than perturbed. Typical sibling, Cecilia thought with a slight smile. Mari had “I told him so” written all over her.
There was a bit more compassion in Cecilia’s reply. “I’m sure he is.”
“So you and Geoff have been seeing quite a bit of each other during the last few weeks, haven’t you?”
Also typical big sister. Nosy.
“We’re friends,” Cecilia said with a light shrug. “He’s been at loose ends while he waits for the next business jaunt, and it turns out we share a fondness for pizza and the history channel.”
She had been making similar explanations so frequently during the past few weeks that it came naturally to her now. She hadn’t even had to stop to think about how to respond without piquing his sister’s interest.
Mari looked a bit disappointed by the prosaic response. “He does love the history channel. And he rarely finds anyone willing to watch it with him.”
“Same here. Now, about this new patient I saw yesterday…”
Confident that she had adequately deflected Mari’s curiosity—at least for now—Cecilia kept the conversation on business for the rest of the meeting.
She would leave it to Geoff to make explanations if a pregnancy test yielded positive results at the end of the month.
Geoff doubted that it was entirely coincidence that he ran into Eric Mendoza in the hallway of Bingham Enterprises Friday afternoon.
“I heard about your accident yesterday,” Eric commented. “How are you feeling today?”
“Like I got hit by a Buick,” Geoff answered wryly. “I’ve got some fresh-squeezed orange juice in my office. Want a glass? Or I could have someone bring you a cup of coffee.”
The quickness with which Eric accepted reinforced Geoff’s suspicion that he was in for a brotherly interrogation. “Orange juice sounds good, thanks. CeCe’s the coffee fanatic in our family.”
“CeCe?”
Eric shrugged as he followed Geoff into the spacious office. “I’ve called her that since I was a toddler. She raised me, you know. Our mother was always away at one job or another and Cecilia, who’s eleven years older, was my substitute mom—except for the two years she was married when I was between eight and ten.”
“She still seems to have very maternal feelings toward you.” Geoff handed Eric a crystal goblet of ice-cold juice.
Eric accepted it with thanks, took a chair, then remarked as Geoff sank into his own chair, “You seem to be moving sort of stiffly today. Pretty sore, huh?”
“You can say that again.” Geoff opened a drawer in his desk, pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen, shook a couple into his palm and washed them down with orange juice.
“So how’s your bike?”
Geoff grimaced. “It’s in ICU at the Harley shop. It’s a mess, but fixable.”
“So you’re keeping it?”
“Of course I’m keeping it. I love that bike.”
“Never had one, myself. CeCe would’ve had a nervous breakdown if I’d even suggested it.”
“She does seem to have a rather marked aversion to motorcycles.”
&nb
sp; “I guess they remind her too much of her dad. Understandable, I suppose.”
Geoff leaned back in his chair, studying the younger man’s somber face. “What do you mean?”
Eric’s dark eyebrows lifted, an expression that reminded Geoff forcibly of Cecilia. The Mendoza siblings were certainly a good-looking pair. “CeCe hasn’t told you about her father?”
“No, she hasn’t really mentioned him. I know he died when she was young.”
“Yeah. He died in a freak whitewater accident. Capsized and broke his neck on a submerged boulder.”
Geoff winced as he remembered his ill-tempered comment about Cecilia being afraid he had broken his neck before he fulfilled their bargain. “I, uh, didn’t know that.”
“Apparently, he was a real daredevil. Always doing something dangerous, keeping his wife and daughter worried about him. He raced motorcycles, nearly got himself killed on them a couple of times before the kayaking accident.”
Damn it, why hadn’t she told him? This information explained so much about the way she had reacted when she heard about Geoff’s accident.
“She doesn’t like to talk about her dad. Neither did our mother. I don’t know a lot about Cecilia’s father, but I know neither one of them ever fully recovered from his death.”
Not only had Geoff unwittingly brought all those painful memories back, he’d even snarled at her when she had shown concern for him. He wished he had known all this sooner. He felt like a heel.
“So,” Eric said after draining his glass, “when are you leaving town again?”
Was that a hint? “In a week or two. The arrangements are still sort of tentative.”
Eric nodded. “I suppose you’ll be glad to get back to a big city. You must be getting pretty bored with the limited entertainment Merlyn County has to offer.”
“No, actually I haven’t been at all bored.”
“Mmm.” Eric gave him a long, measuring look. “I haven’t seen much of my sister lately. I understand she’s been spending a lot of her spare time with you. Anything I should know about?”
Geoff tried to keep his expression unreadable. “No.”