by Ashley Ladd
“Miss James? How long will it take you to get here?”
With her brain fried she could barely think, so it took her a moment to calculate. At this time of night without traffic, she could travel quickly. “About a half hour. Do I ask for you when I get there?”
“Tell the desk sergeant why you’re there. We’ll see you soon.”
Dreading the confrontation with Frankie, she turned to find him behind her with his hands planted on his hips. He glared and the edges of his lips were white. “What now? Your house is on fire?”
She couldn’t do this right now. “My sister’s in trouble. I have to go.”
“I should fire you.”
Trapped like an animal she whirled on him. “Fire me, then. I don’t have a choice.”
“Go now, but this is your last chance. I mean it this time.”
She was well past him when she caught his words but she turned to wave and shoot a small smile. It wasn’t much of one, but she tried. She felt pretty horrible that she’d let her sister down, her mother down and herself down. Everything was too crazy and too much for one person to handle.
Cliff…
She looked and he was still where she’d left him. Bracing herself for an “I told you so” she marched over to him. “I need you.”
When Cliff’s eyes lit up, she cursed herself. “I mean, I need your help. Can you come with me?”
Sure, he would follow, good Boy Scout that he was. Ali took off at a trot to the dressing room to grab her clothes. When Tim barred Cliff’s way, she said, “He’s with me. It’s okay.”
“You’re white as a ghost. What’s wrong?” Cliff stood at her elbow, concern etched on his face. “Did that jerk fire you?”
“Not yet,” she mumbled as she fumbled with her bra, her fingers jittery.
Cliff replaced her fingers with his and latched it for her. He whispered in her ear, “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
His warm flesh grazed hers and shivers shot up her spine. His words echoed in her head. He had always been there until she’d shoved him away. Now that her mother was gone, he was the only one left who had always been good to her.
Guilt racked her and tears burned her eyes. Had she been a fool to end things with him? To put her career first? To worry about money more than love? Cupid had obviously been busy shooting his darts at other people that Valentine’s Day when they’d broken up.
Frightened, she turned in his arms and leant on him. When he circled his arms around her, she burrowed deeper into his embrace. She rested her cheek against his heart and took comfort in its strong beat. “I’m so sorry. I don’t deserve your kindness or your help.”
In a gruff voice he said, as he stroked her hair away from her face, “Well, you’ve got it anyway. But you still haven’t told me what’s wrong so I can help.”
The momentary weakness fled and she patted his shoulder and pulled back. Her half-hour was waning and Amy was waiting, probably scared to death in a jail cell. Maybe it would do her sister good to sweat it out, but it was Ali’s duty to take care of this. She’d promised her mother, she was obligated by law and her sister was the only family she had left. “Amy’s in jail. I have to go to the Fort Lauderdale PD. Come with me?”
Storm clouds roiled over Cliff’s face and lightning flashed in his eyes as he held her blouse for her to slip into. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“She might not be when I get my hands on her,” Ali muttered.
Cliff’s brows rose but he remained silent, listening.
She slung her purse over her shoulder and marched out the back door. “She was caught having a wild party at my house. There was underage drinking and sex. They’ll probably release her and lock me up instead.”
Cliff stopped. “You leave her unsupervised at night while you’re here?”
His tone made her bristle and she stopped dead in the middle of the parking lot. She pivoted on her heel and faced off against him. “Sixteen’s too old for a babysitter. We live in a nice part of town. She locks the doors and has my number on speed dial. Mrs. Rice is next door if there’s an emergency.”
“Mrs. Rice must’ve been asleep on the job.”
Ali boiled over but she did her best to keep her voice controlled. “You know what? I don’t need your kind of help. I do what I have to do to survive.”
But was she actually surviving? If she’d married Cliff, she’d be home to supervise Amy. She wouldn’t have to worry about keeping a roof over their heads. Her medical school might have been put on hiatus, or she might not have finished, but survive? Yeah, they would have survived fine.
The truth was, she wanted to do more than just survive. Why did that make her suddenly feel selfish?
She’d always thought it was noble, her goal to cure people of cancers like the one that had claimed her mother. But if her life, and her sister’s life, was falling apart because of it, was that really so noble?
“So you keep saying.” Cliff took her elbow and gently propelled her forward.
At his touch, frissons of desire stole up her arm and shot straight to her heart, confusing her more than ever.
Chapter Four
Two days later, Ali cooked dinner beside Amy, who was still seething about being grounded for the rest of her life and having a “babysitter” sleepover on nights when Ali had to work. “I promise I won’t do it again. I learned my lesson.”
Ali wasn’t so sure. She diced tomatoes, green chillies and green onions and scraped them into a pan with browned hamburger. She supervised the spices her sister added to their taco filling. Then she flipped the plantains, jumping back when oil hissed at her.
“So did I. You’re too young for me to leave you alone at night. What if a burglar had come in?” Or worse. Amy might think she was immortal but she wasn’t. In many ways, she was still a child, as the other night had proved.
Amy squared her shoulders and pouted. Her sullen expression was opposite of the smiling hearts on her T-shirt. “I keep the doors locked when I’m alone. I don’t open the windows.”
“Have you had boys visit at night before when I’m gone?” She hated to think so. It was her job to protect Amy.
Amy scowled, “I’m not a child. I practise safe sex.”
Ali’s heart fell and her gut twisted. “So you have. Do you know how dangerous sex is? Do you know how many people get pregnant having ’safe‘ sex? Do you know how hard I’m working to provide a better life for us?”
“For us? You mean, for you.”
That smarted and Ali winced.
Ali wasn’t sure how to ask, so she just blurted out, “Is there any chance you’re pregnant?”
Amy slammed down the pan she was working with, heedless of the food that jumped onto the stove, and swung around to face Ali. Her brow furrowed, and her chest heaved. “I told you, I practise safe sex. I’m on the pill and we use condoms.”
Ali chewed her lip, uncertain if she should make her sister take a test. Why hadn’t their mother left a manual on how to raise teenagers? “It’s a lot more involved than just that. You’re too young. I want you to stop seeing that boy. You’re grounded.”
Amy stomped up to her. “No! We have a big date planned for Valentine’s Day. I won’t dump him, especially not on Valentine’s Day. I’m not like you.”
That knocked the breath out of Ali but she did her best not to show how deep the barb wounded her. “You don’t have a choice. You do as I say.”
“You’re not my mother. You don’t care about me. You’re only letting me live with you because you have to.”
Ali couldn’t believe her ears. Her heart shrivelled. She reached out for her only family and winced when Amy flinched and stepped back. Hurt, her hand fluttered to her side. “That’s not true at all. I love you. You’re my sister.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re never around. You just want to lord it over me.”
This tough love stuff was a lot harder than she’d imagined. Had she been as difficult at the same age? She didn
’t think so. She’d taken care of their mother and Amy when their mom had been too ill to get out of bed. She’d even quit the high school softball team to care for her. Now she wondered if she should have stayed on and got a scholarship. She wouldn’t have to work so hard now.
She girded herself for more sass and hateful glares. “Get up to your room and do your homework. Like it or not—believe me or not—I’m doing this for your benefit.” She pulled her final trump card: “Do as I say or I’ll sell your car and TV.”
After Amy snarled and stomped up the stairs, Ali deflated and rested against the counter. Her appetite had vanished. Her energy was sapped. She had a ton of studying to do, as this was her night off from the club. She ached for a break. She longed for a strong shoulder.
The desire to talk to Cliff overwhelmed her.
Before she overanalysed it, she locked herself in her bedroom and dialled his number. When he answered, her heart somersaulted and she started to hang up.
“Ali?”
Shit! Damn Caller ID! She hated technology.
She dug her nails into her hand and hoped he wouldn’t say he told her so. “Do you have a few minutes to talk? I need a sounding board.”
“What’s up?”
His voice sounded so disembodied and she felt so alone. Even the ghost of her mother was absent from the house. “It’s Amy. Oh, it’s just everything.”
“Are you at home or work?”
“Home. Why?”
“I’ll be right over.”
Before she could yell stop, the phone went dead.
Her nerves tried to jump out of her skin. She ran to the bathroom and checked her face in the mirror, swearing at what she saw.
Although she didn’t want to look as if she’d prettied herself up for him, she didn’t want to look scary, either, so she scrubbed her face, brushed her hair and pulled it into a high ponytail. Then she applied moisturiser, to give her skin a natural glow. She was just finishing when Cliff pounded on the door.
“Coming!” She wanted to bite back the word soon as it escaped.
Amy emerged from her room and ran to the window. “Is it Connor?”
It better not be Amy’s boyfriend, Ali thought. She’d give the young man a piece of her mind and then let Cliff have a turn. “Cliff’s coming over.”
Amy cocked a brow and drawled, “Are you two back together?”
Ali shook her head but tingles shot down her spine. “We’re just friends …” And not really friends, but she didn’t want to get into that with her sister.
When she opened the door, with the early evening sun behind him, Cliff looked like an apparition. When he stepped inside, she could see his hair was damp as if he’d just stepped out of the shower.
Her mouth went dry. He had recently been naked. Maybe he’d been naked while talking to her.
She chastised herself. She, of all people, shouldn’t react like this to the thought of naked people. It was just skin. Just another male body. Everybody’s basic anatomy was the same.
But Cliff’s anatomy wasn’t the same as 99.9 percent of the men who came into the club. He had a lean, hard body. He obviously worked out and kept in shape. He wasn’t soft and pudgy, with a beer gut. He was clean cut and didn’t dress as if he’d just crawled out of a gutter.
Tonight, he wore tight dark jeans that gloved his thighs and showcased his tight ass. He wore a white T-shirt that stretched over his broad shoulders and tapered to his slim waist.
“What’s wrong?” Cliff closed the door and led her to the living room.
She wondered if Amy could hear them. She wouldn’t put it past her sister to eavesdrop. She held up a finger. “Wait a sec.” She called Mrs. Rice who agreed to come over and stay with Amy.
“Can we go somewhere private and talk?”
He regarded her closely. “How about my place?”
Alarms blared in her head but she tried to keep the expression on her face neutral. “Aren’t you staying with your grandfather?”
“I am, but there’s a private apartment over his garage that’s vacant. I use it when I want to be alone.”
She nodded. She didn’t want anyone to overhear if their conversation turned to her job so she quelled her misgivings. “You have time?”
“I’m off-duty tonight and you look as if you need a friend.”
She looked that bad? Maybe she should have put on mascara. “Okay.”
When they were safely cocooned in the garage apartment, she paced. As much as she needed to get this off her chest, she feared he might not understand.
He pulled two beers out of the fridge, handed her one, and then hunkered down on the couch and watched her. When she arched her brow at the beers, he chuckled and tipped his bottle to hers. “Neither one of us are on duty tonight. You look as if you need a little fortification.”
She needed a whole bottle of rum, not merely a puny beer. But she took a long swig and let it slide down her throat.
“It’s Amy. She’s wild. She’s sleeping with her boyfriend. She’s defying me. She thinks I don’t love her. She’s only 16!”
She held her breath, waiting for the “I told you so,” hoping it wouldn’t be too dark to walk home after she stomped out of here in righteous indignation.
Cliff sipped his beer and settled deeper into the couch. “From everything I hear defiance is on par for the age. Unfortunately a lot of teens sleep around these days.”
Shocked at his laissez-faire attitude, she gaped. “You think it’s okay for a sixteen-year-old to be sexually promiscuous? I didn’t go to bed with a man until I was twenty-th—” She bit off her words, lest she remind him he was her first.
When his eyes flashed and he finished, “—Three. With me,” she knew she hadn’t been quick enough, and she mentally kicked herself. Suddenly the apartment walls closed in and she was intensely aware of how close he was, how sexy he smelled. She spied an open door and when she moved closer, saw a large bed made up in the centre of the room.
She did her best to ignore it but the bed mocked her. When Cliff gave a wry chuckle, she turned her gaze back to him.
He scrubbed his hand across his jaw. “No. I’m not saying it’s okay. But you can’t stick your head in the ground and ignore it, either. You can’t be with her every second, even if you didn’t go to work or school.”
She felt a bit better but questions still inundated her. “So I shouldn’t have someone stay with her at night when I’m gone? She’s furious that I hired a babysitter since the episode this week.”
“I think you’re smart to have someone with her.”
Now she was confused and tilted her head. Her legs felt heavy, so she sank onto the couch beside him and tipped the beer to her lips.
He pulled her into a friendly hug and patted her shoulder. “You can’t stop everything but you can’t let her run totally wild. You can’t open your house to Amy and her friends every night when you’re gone, either. All sorts of things could happen.”
She shifted so she could gaze up at him and her breast grazed his arm. Shivers coursed through her. “I’m not a total ogre?”
His gaze bore into hers as if searching her soul. His voice softened, became husky. “Not at all. You’re being a concerned, responsible guardian. Someday she’ll thank you for it.”
Wry chuckles escaped her lips. “If I survive that long.”
She couldn’t break the gaze or maybe she didn’t want to. She enjoyed letting his body heat warm her. She took comfort in his strength. She asked herself, was it so bad to let go for one night? To borrow his strength? To enjoy his company?
Once they had been close and she had loved being with him. She’d forgotten how much, until now. Had she been a fool to end things?
As he didn’t seem to mind, she cuddled against him and rested her head on his shoulder. “Welcome back. Are you here for good or just until your granddad gets better?”
“I’m not sure yet. It depends.”
She couldn’t contain her curiosity. She didn�
�t flatter herself that his decision could hinge on her. “On what?”
“Things.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.
She was getting warm all over. Too warm. She had too many clothes on, too much separation from Cliff. “Mm, this feels nice.”
“You think so?”
Alarms buzzed in her fuzzy brain but were quickly drowned out by the beautiful smile he bestowed on her. “Don’t you?”
His arms tightened and he pressed his cheek against her head. “Yeah. I do.”
She tried to hide the happy smile that played on her lips but gave up. “So I’m not such a monster? I’m not the worst parent in the world?”
“No. You’re learning.”
She nodded and nestled closer. When he pulled her onto his lap, she didn’t protest. Her heart banged against her ribs in rhythm with his. Her breathing fell into synch with his, too.
“You’re a nice man. There aren’t many like you.”
“Sorry you let me go?”
“Maybe…” An impromptu video played in her head of the lonely years that followed their break-up. No one else had stirred her, even a bit. Only him.
One thing she was definitely sure of. She lifted her eyes, sure her bruised heart shone through. “I’m sorry about how and when we broke up. Of all days to break up, it shouldn’t have been Valentine’s Day.”
“I’ve hated that fat stupid cupid ever since.” His words held a hint of mischief, though, rather than bitterness.
“Me too.” She sighed heavily but rubbed her cheek against his, revelling in the feel of his five o’clock shadow. She’d missed having a man. It had been too long. She’d anesthetised herself to men at her job.
This closeness felt way more erotic than prancing around half-naked in front of a roomful of drunken men. Cliff’s tenderness was much more of a turn-on than their leers and groping.
“I really loved you,” Cliff said against her cheek as he trailed kisses down to her neck.
Frissons of desire shot through her and she arched her throat for more of his caresses. “Loved?” she baited, as in, he didn’t love her any longer? His lips, his body said otherwise and she hoped they told the truth.