by Jamie Wesley
“Doc, I am so sorry. How old were you?” He covered her hand with his left and interlaced their fingers. She didn’t pull away, letting his warmth seep into her.
“Eighteen.”
“What…?”
Noelle looked up at him. “What did I do? It was the summer after I graduated from high school. I went to college because that’s what I was supposed to do, right? To move on?” She shook her head at the ridiculous notion. “But I was the girl no one wanted to be around. I was sad, crying at the drop of my hat. I couldn’t develop deep bonds with anyone, and my high school friends were scattered everywhere. Going to class was something I did, but didn’t take part in. Thank goodness for one of my professors, who basically forced me to come see her after class one day. Dr. Barry was my lifesaver. She heard about what happened and said I needed therapy and marched me down to the grief-counseling center. It was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I wasn’t a freak. The crying, the anger, the numbness—it was all normal.”
“She’s why you became a psychologist.”
“Yes.”
Her parents were why she believed in love. Since their deaths, she’d been unsure she deserved it. If it wasn’t for her stupidity, her irresponsibility they would still be alive. But maybe it was time to forgive herself. To fully embrace life.
…
Tate pressed a kiss to Noelle’s forehead. He didn’t know what he’d expected to happen at the cemetery. He’d acted on instinct, knowing he needed to be with her, that she didn’t need to be alone. He thought he’d understood her, but he’d had no idea. Now that he did, he had no clue what to do. Giving her up filled him with trepidation and dark anger, but what else could he do? The love and admiration she held for her parents came through loud and clear. Now he knew. There was no denying it. She truly believed in love. It wasn’t radio shtick.
She wanted a marriage like her parents’. She wanted love. She deserved it all. He couldn’t give that to her. Had no idea how to.
His gut twisted. He didn’t want to give her up. She brought a lightness and freshness to his life he hadn’t been aware was missing. Her uncompromising opinions, her dedication to her career and her listeners and patients, her belief in the human spirit, her disapproving frowns, the little sigh she made after every kiss. He enjoyed it all.
No, he didn’t want to give her up. Not yet. In any case, it wasn’t like he had to do it now. Matter of fact, it was probably better if he didn’t break things off. They still had another three days to go with their show. No need to make things awkward.
After their show was over…his heart clutched. Yeah, he’d think about it later.
Chapter Thirteen
“Wow. You look amazing.” Noelle ogled Tate unashamedly. A black suit, obviously custom-fitted, draped his figure like it had found its rightful home and never wanted to leave. Lucky suit.
“That’s supposed to be my line,” he said.
He stepped back, and Noelle twirled. His audible intake of breath made the two hours she’d spent getting ready worth it. From the front, the fire-engine-red dress gave off an innocent vibe. It showed not a hint of cleavage due to its boatneck collar. But the truth was revealed when she turned around. The back plunged to a vee at the base of her spine, leaving most of her back open. Oh, yeah, the dress also cupped her behind.
“You look better than amazing,” he drawled.
“Thank you, kind sir.” Noelle followed him outside her house and halted in her tracks. “What is that?”
Tate clasped her hand, and they started down the walkway. “It’s exactly what you think it is.”
“Right.” The stretch limo was sleek, black, and gleaming. Gorgeous. “I guess I should have said what is it doing here? What’s going on?”
He grinned and squeezed her hand. “All in due time.”
“Are Mike and Shannon inside?” She’d made separate reservations at a restaurant for the two couples for her second love-is-the-way-to-go date.
“Change of plans. They’re having alone time.”
“You hijacked my date?”
Tate chuckled. “I wouldn’t call it hijacking. Don’t worry about them. They’re well taken care of. Tonight is all about us.”
“It is?” Sounded promising.
“It is.” He held the door open. She scrutinized his handsome face for a second. She saw nothing but kindness and enthusiasm in his expression. What was he doing to her? It was hard, nearly impossible, to keep him at a distance when he insisted on being a stand-up guy. He was so much more than she’d given him credit for. Than he gave himself credit for.
Noelle kissed him on the cheek, then stepped inside the vehicle and sank into the sumptuous leather seat. This wasn’t the bottom-tier limo high school seniors rented for prom.
Tate slid in next to her and pointed to a champagne bottle icing in a silver bucket. “Can I offer you a drink?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t drink, remember?”
“I remember.”
Ice clinked as he picked up the bottle and tilted it toward her. Noelle let out a delighted laugh. Sparkling grape juice.
“Only the best will do tonight.” He twisted the cap off and juice dribbled down the sides. Noelle laughed, grabbed the white towel next to the bucket, and handed it to him.
“Thanks,” he said, wiping the bottle.
“No. Thank you,” she said after he handed her a glass. She took a sip of the cool, crisp liquid.
“My pleasure,” he said, leaning in. He sipped gently at her mouth. The taste of his tongue blended perfectly with the sweetness of the juice.
Noelle caressed his smooth jaw as the kiss came to an end. “Hmm. Nice.”
“Just nice?”
She met his twinkling eyes. “Okay. Very nice. Very, very nice. Let’s make a toast.”
“To what?”
“To us. The best youth baseball team coach and cheerleader in Dallas.”
Tate nodded. “We are, aren’t we?”
They clinked glasses. “To us,” they said at the same time.
The limo glided through the streets. Noelle let Tate lead the conversation. He kept it light, regaling her with tales about some of his more opinionated listeners.
When the car stopped, Noelle peered out the window, hoping to clue in to their whereabouts, but she couldn’t see much. The driver opened the door and they alighted. Noelle turned in a circle, taking in their ramshackle surroundings, which consisted of a group of what looked like abandoned warehouses and an empty parking lot. “What are we doing here?”
“Come on. You’ll see.” He tugged on her hand. His excitement roused hers and she hurried alongside him. They rounded the corner and Noelle gasped.
In front of them, a helicopter beckoned. She whirled to Tate. “Is that for us?”
“Yes,” he said, bending down in for a kiss. She met him halfway and laid her hand against his cheek, the contact thrilling her. She lost herself in him until someone behind them cleared his throat. She reluctantly pulled away and smiled, silently acknowledging Tate’s promise for more later.
“Welcome to Destiny Aviation,” the man who’d interrupted them said. “I’m Nolan Avery, your pilot. I’m assuming you’re Tate and Noelle.” When they nodded, he said, “Follow me, please.”
The pilot showed them into the helicopter. They buckled their seat belts and put on headsets that would allow them to hear and talk to each other while in flight.
Tate reached behind their seats and pulled out a bucket of ice, a bottle of juice nestled inside and a tray of strawberries, kiwis, and other fruit. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” she asked, taking a champagne flute from him and holding it while he poured.
“I try,” he answered with a quick grin.
Then the helicopter was off. Noelle knew her smile stretched from ear to ear, but she had no desire to dim it. She couldn’t believe he’d remembered her desire to take a helicopter tour of Dallas.
She gasped in wonder at all
they saw. The downtown skyline, White Rock Lake, Southern Methodist University. Skyscrapers took on a beautiful, otherworldly view. They shared a smile as they passed the behemoth stadium the Cowboys played in.
The setting sun added an extra layer of romance to the tour. On the ground with all the city lights shining, it was impossible to see the bountiful twinkling stars in the sky. In the air, brilliant stars, tons of them, were almost close enough to touch. A clear night with no clouds marring the view made the experience even better.
Tate seemed as in awe as she was. He held her hand the entire time, raising it repeatedly to apply kisses to the palm.
“Is that…?” Noelle pointed with her free hand.
“Yep. Southfork Ranch.” The place where the TV show was filmed. The old version and the new. Noelle laughed. Despite being a Dallas native, she’d never made it to the tourist attraction.
When the helicopter started descending, Noelle frowned. They weren’t anywhere close to the airport where they’d taken off from. She turned to Tate. Was something wrong? Not if his demeanor was any indication. He lounged in the seat, his expression calm.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
He leaned in for a quick kiss. “Don’t worry. It’s fine.”
After the aircraft touched down, Captain Avery exited and held the door open for them. Tate jumped out and offered his hand. She took it and stepped out.
“I’ve enjoyed having you both with me,” the pilot said. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
Was he going to leave them there? Apparently so, because he got inside the helicopter and flew away.
Noelle held her hair back as the rotors whipped the air. They stood on top of a building in downtown Dallas, which was cool, but… “What are we doing here?”
“Come on. You’ll see.” Strands of glittering lights offered guidance. They walked, stepping carefully, to the other side of the rooftop, which was draped in shadows. Two portable fans cooled the hot July air. He really had thought of everything.
Tate stopped and stepped aside.
Noelle gasped at the tableau before her. A table covered by a crisp, white tablecloth. A centerpiece of blooming red roses. Flickering candles. Gleaming silverware. Silver domes that presumably covered their dinner. He’d done this? For her?
She’d been sure he couldn’t surprise her any more, but he’d just proven her a liar. “Wow. Thank you. It’s gorgeous, but can I ask what the occasion is?”
…
Tate held out a chair for Noelle. After she sat, he took his seat. “I realized we’ve never been on an official date, which isn’t fair to you. You deserve better.”
When their relationship ran its course, as all relationships did, he wanted her to remember their time together fondly. Yesterday, at the cemetery, he wanted nothing more than to obliterate the sadness from her face. He couldn’t give her forever, but he would give her tonight.
“You look beautiful.” He drank her in. Soft, black curls cascaded down her back the way he liked. The sinful red dress skimmed her delectable curves. Candlelight played across the planes of her face, highlighting her expressive gray eyes, sharp cheekbones, and luscious lips. She was the perfect mixture of effortless class and sexiness. How had he missed it for over a year? “Why aren’t you married?”
Noelle jerked back, her eyes opening wide. “What brought that on?”
He was as shocked as she was that the question had spilled out. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. The answer was part of the puzzle that was Noelle, a puzzle he found himself becoming more and more obsessed with solving. Beautiful, ambitious, compassionate—why hadn’t some guy who believed in happily ever after snapped her up? “I don’t know. You’re a good catch, Doc.”
“Thanks.” Her lips twisted. “I was engaged.”
“You were engaged?” Every muscle in his body tensed. The thought of another guy being with her, having a claim on her, touching her filled him with an unfettered amount of fury.
“For about six months. I worked at a college doing research with my then-fiancé. I thought we were living my three Cs until he accused me of loving work more than him and told me he’d found someone more biddable, someone who didn’t mind revolving her whole life around him.” She paused. “I stayed at the job for a while.”
“That must have been uncomfortable.” He forced himself to relax back in his seat.
She rolled her eyes. “To say the least. But thankfully, a few months later Deb called me. She’d heard some guest segments I’d done on another show. The call came at the perfect time. I needed a fresh start, and I missed counseling and connecting with people.”
“And…um, you’re over that relationship?” Tate took a sip of juice, needing to do something besides holding his breath while he waited for her answer.
Noelle let out a small laugh. “Without a doubt. He was a self-righteous ass. I dodged a bullet.”
Tate smiled. “You’re a strong woman.”
“You’re a smooth talker.”
“It’s a skill,” he said, shooting her a flirtatious glance. “Let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
She lifted the dome in front of her, revealing surf and turf artfully displayed on white bone china. “This looks amazing.”
“I’d say I made it, but we’d both know that would be a lie.” During their nights together, she’d assumed most of the cooking duties, and he’d made up for it by cleaning up. And satisfying her in other ways, as he liked to remind her.
“Too true.” Noelle looked around again, her surprise about being on a rooftop in downtown Dallas clear. “I never would have expected all this.” She waved her hand. “How did you get permission to be up here?”
He let his mouth curve into a brief smile. “I have my ways. Now let’s eat.”
“Ooh, you’re being mysterious, but I like it.” She dug into the steak first and moaned. “This is so good.” She ate a few more bites and then said, “Can I ask you a question?”
She sounded and looked serious. He swallowed a bite of lobster before answering. “Sure.”
“Why did you sell your website?”
An unexpected question, but one he’d answered plenty of times. “The short answer is I received an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
Noelle studied him over the rim of the glass, her gray eyes seeing far too much. “And the long answer?”
She demanded the truth. More importantly, he wanted to give it to her. “The long answer is it wasn’t as fun as it was when I first started it. It was successful beyond my wildest dreams, but it wasn’t a challenge anymore.”
“You got bored.”
“Yes.” He shrugged. A problem that had plagued him his entire life.
“And then you went to radio?”
“Yeah, Deb offered me the job when she found out I was local. The website became popular, in part, because I was never afraid to offer my opinion. The job sounded interesting, so I said sure. Like you, I enjoy connecting voice to voice. It’s way better than doing it through a computer.”
“You’re happy doing radio?” Her eyes probed deep.
He paused before answering. “Yeah.”
“Are you sure? That wasn’t the most convincing answer.”
He shrugged again. “I’ve been doing it a long time. Sometimes I get a little restless. Well I did until a certain doctor started mouthing off about how sports weren’t important.”
“I have my moments,” she said with a sexy twist of her lips.
Contentment settled over him. Being there alone with Noelle, with no bet, no radio show, no well-meaning friends to distract them was nice. Better than. Way better.
“Have you thought more about going to your parents’ wedding?”
His fork dropped out of his hand and clanked against the plate. “Way to spoil the mood.”
“I didn’t mean to.” She reached across the table and covered his hand. “I know they drive you crazy, but they are your parents. You never know what tomorrow holds.
”
“I know, but I haven’t thought about going.” Which wasn’t precisely true. He had thought about it, but didn’t know if he could stomach sitting through the ceremony watching his parents make promises to each other they had no intention of keeping. He stared at her, while he took a long swallow of juice. “My turn to ask you a question.”
Her lips pressed together like she was repressing a sigh. “Okay.”
“Have you heard anything about your book?”
Noelle smiled. “Good way to distract me, but no, not yet. The publishing business moves at a snail’s pace, so I don’t expect to hear anything for a while. At least that’s what I tell myself to keep from going crazy.”
“My money is on you. It’ll happen.”
“You are such a smooth talker. What am I going to do with you?”
A husky tone entered his voice. “I have some ideas.”
…
After dinner, Tate escorted her to a door on the far wall of the roof, down a flight of stairs, and into a lit hallway. Noelle assumed they were heading for the elevator, but he shocked her again, stopping at a door about halfway down the hall. He pulled out a key card from the inner breast pocket of his suit jacket. He opened the door and flipped the switch on the wall, bathing the room in bright light. “Welcome to my place.”
Place was an understatement. Try penthouse. Her jaw dropped. Gorgeous wood floors. A stunning entryway that led to a sunken living room. All tastefully decorated in shades of blue, green, and brown. No stereotypical bearskin rug in front of the striking stone fireplace.