Sixteen Steps to Fall in Love

by Liz Isaacson

  She turned in a circle, trying to think. Could she call one of her siblings? What would they even do? They’d abandoned her here—the youngest sibling who didn’t know any better—to take care of their aging parents.

  Anger built with the panic in her chest, flooding her head and making thinking almost impossible.

  She was so, so angry she was here alone, dealing with this alone.

  It made everything hard, and maybe some of that anger had transferred over to the clinic…and to Boone.

  But her siblings could wait. Her anger had to be shelved. Her reasons for treating Boone badly would have to wait to be sorted out.

  Right now, she needed to find her mother. Her eyes landed on the house next door, and she practically ran in that direction.

  Her parents had lived on this street for over fifty years, and so had a couple of other people. Bonus of a small town, she thought as she mounted the steps at the Bates’. She knocked, her fist sounding so loud in the summer evening quiet.

  Right when Nicole was about to beat the door down, Mrs. Bates finally opened it. “Oh, Nicole. There you are. I was watching for your car, but I must’ve missed you.”

  “My mom?” Nicole asked, her heart racing and not only from the running.

  “She got sick this afternoon, and your dad took her to the hospital in Amarillo. They said they’d call.”

  Nicole started nodding, little short bursts of head movement. “Thank you, Mrs. Bates.” She turned to go, barely able to see more than five feet in front of her. Her mind raced. Her parents often went to the hospital in Amarillo instead of the one here, because her mother’s specialists were there.

  It was just so far from Three Rivers. Could she take tomorrow off work? Should she call Boone now and tell him? What about her dogs? They needed to be fed and taken out. Her stomach roared for food, but she didn’t think she’d be able to eat anything right now anyway.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  She froze at the deep, sexy, familiar voice. She swallowed and everything came into focus—including Boone standing next to her car.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I went to your place to see if you were home and would go to dinner with me.” He reached for her. “What’s wrong?”

  She let him gather her into his strong arms. She let out a few tears though she wished she could hold them back, be strong. She’d never felt so alone as she had thirty seconds ago, and there was Boone, telling her it would be okay, that he’d help her.

  “What do you need?” he asked. “Is your mom okay?”

  Nicole drew in a deep breath and put some space between them. He kept his warm hands on her arms as she shook her head. “She’s in the hospital. I need to go find out what’s going on. Neither of my parents have a cell phone.”

  “I’ll drive you,” he said.

  “I need someone to go take care of Valcor and Taz,” she said.

  “I’ll do it,” he said. “And then I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

  “You don’t—”

  “I’ll bring you something to eat.” He turned and opened her car door but hesitated before stepping back. “You sure you’re okay driving?”

  She honestly wasn’t sure. And would it really matter if she arrived at the hospital thirty minutes later? A fresh set of tears stained her face, and Boone closed her car door. “I’m driving,” he said in that authoritative, bossy voice she hated.

  “I’m fine,” she said, a bite to her own voice now.

  “Uh huh.” He steered her toward his much nicer truck. “We’ll swing by your place and take care of the dogs. We’ll grab something to eat on our way out of town. It’ll take ten extra minutes.”

  “Boone, I said I was fine.” She pulled her arm away from his hand, everything in her igniting. “You’re not the boss of me. Not right now.” She glared up at him with anger coursing through her. It felt unreasonable, but it was there, burning, boiling, bubbling through her.

  “You’re not fine to drive almost an hour by yourself.” He glared right back, the danger in his eyes surely much more impressive than hers. “I want to help. Why are you fighting me on this?”

  She had no idea. “Fine.” She marched around the front of his truck and climbed in the passenger side. She clenched her arms across her middle and scowled when he got in.

  “Fine,” he said in a much softer tone and started the truck. “What do you like to eat?”

  She remained silent, her emotions clashing and coiling every other second.

  Boone didn’t push her. He simply drove to her house, went inside and came out with both dogs tucked under his arm. She took them from him, drawing some measure of comfort from them as he once again put the truck in drive.

  He pulled into an apartment building in the ritzy part of town before she said, “Where are we?”

  “Dylan’s going to take the dogs for the night,” he said. “He already has Vader and Leia.” He reached for her pets, but she cradled Valcor close to her throat.

  “Sweetheart, we can’t take the poodle to the hospital.” He spoke in such a gentle voice, that she passed Valcor over to him, wishing she could tell him that the little dog was a security blanket for her.

  She said nothing as she passed over her two dogs and watched as Boone disappeared into the building.

  She closed her eyes and prayed. Prayed that Mama would be okay. That her father could be strong. That she could provide the support they needed.

  That she could be strong enough to tell Boone the truth about why she hadn’t liked him.

  Something snaked through her, clearing out all the panic, the fear, the desperation. Peace descended and for that brief moment, Nicole knew that God was with her. That He cared about her, and that whatever happened was in His hands.

  Boone returned, and Nicole scooted over on the bench seat to sit right next to him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was freaking out.”

  He threaded his fingers through hers and held on tight. “It’s okay.”

  She shook her head, trying to make her thoughts align. They moved so quickly from Boone, to her siblings, to her parents, she couldn’t make heads nor tails of them.

  “I think I blame you for things I shouldn’t.” The quaking returned to her chest as the words she needed to say built up inside.

  And she didn’t think she could hold them back this time.

  Chapter Eleven

  “What kind of things?” Boone asked, his curiosity and his desire for Nicole piqued. Even in her distress, she was beautiful. A fragile soul he wanted to comfort and protect. A fiercely strong woman he wanted to witness take down the world.

  “Family things,” she said. She didn’t say more, and Boone didn’t press for details. He sent a silent prayer of gratitude that he’d been prompted to go see her that night despite asking her to dinner at lunchtime and getting a noncommittal answer. And that when he didn’t find her at home, he’d called Joanne to find out where her parents lived.

  In any other situation, he might have considered his actions on the stalker side, but given the circumstances, he felt sure God had directed him that evening.

  “Tell me about your family,” he said. “You mentioned your siblings are a lot older than you?”

  “I’m angry at them,” she said, her voice weary.

  He glanced at her and found her eyes closed. Her breathing had evened as well. Her fight or flight adrenaline had calmed. He focused on the road again, a rush of adoration painting his insides with warmth.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “They left me here to deal with everything,” she said.

  “Are you going to call them?”

  “Later.”

  Boone swallowed, his need to know overwhelming his desire to keep Nicole close. “Is that why you’ve been angry with me for so long? Because of them?”

  She nodded, the movement soft against his bicep. “I—I don’t know why,” she said. “But…I think I somehow transfer some of my anger with them
onto you.”

  Boone nodded like he understood, but he didn’t. He’d never done anything to her—well, besides his messy handwriting and missing those check boxes he didn’t know about. He didn’t want to push her farther away, but if this relationship was going to continue, he needed to know.

  “Why are you angry with me?” he asked.

  She didn’t answer, and Boone dared to take his eyes off the road to look at her again. She’d fallen asleep. He chuckled softly, gripped the steering wheel, and decided to let her have a few minutes of peace.

  Once they arrived at the hospital and he parked, Nicole straightened like she’d been shot out of a cannon. “I fell asleep.”

  “You sure did.” He gazed at her. “Are you going to freak out again?” He dealt with a lot of stressed pet owners, and he wanted to be prepared for another episode if it was coming.

  She looked back at him, her eyes soft around the edges. He couldn’t seem to look away, and something formed between them. Something strong and viable that Boone felt in his own pulse.

  He reached up and brushed the wispy pieces of her hair from her forehead. “Nicole, I think you’re really pretty,” he whispered.

  She blinked at him. His heartbeat pulsed, pulsed, pulsed. The moment lengthened, and he leaned closer. “Am I allowed to kiss you?”

  She pulled in a breath and the slight upward curve of her lips told Boone yes. Yes, please kiss me.

  He leaned forward, wondering if this was really where he was going to kiss her for the first time. But he wanted this kiss, had been dreaming about it for a few days now.

  The spark she’d been unwilling to name in the park earlier flamed between them, and he was a fraction of an inch from touching his mouth to hers when her phone went off.

  She startled and glanced down at her lap. Boone cleared his throat and straightened as she said, “It’s the hospital. Hello?”

  He couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but he’d met with enough nervous pet parents to know that the news she was getting wasn’t the best.

  She hung up and he ran his fingers through his hair. “Should we go in? What did they say?”

  “They were just calling to let me know she’s here,” she said, reaching for the door handle. “They said to check in at the reception desk on the first floor, and they’ll tell me which room.”

  “All right. Let’s go find out about your mom.” He dropped his hands and turned to exit the truck. She followed him, tucking her hand into his as they entered the hospital.

  He stood by her side as she inquired about her mother, got a room number, and walked toward the elevator. Once on the right floor, Boone fell back and let her talk to the nurse alone. She glanced over her shoulder at him, a shy look on her face, before ducking into the appointed room with the nurse.

  Boone finally released the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He turned away from the nurses’ station and went back out to the main hallway. He needed coffee and something to eat. They were going to pick something up on the way, but then she’d fallen asleep.

  He didn’t want to leave her there without letting her know. He paced back onto the floor and walked the circuit twice before she came out. She’d clearly been crying, and he stepped right into her personal space.

  “How is she?”

  “She’s stable. Daddy fed her some cottage cheese that was sour. She vomited and he panicked and brought her here.” She took a deep breath and embraced him. He slid his hands down her back. “She’s fine. They’re keeping her overnight because she needs the fluids.”

  “So crisis averted, right?” Boone didn’t want to downplay her feelings, but he didn’t want to see her worry anymore.

  “For now,” she said.

  “Should we go eat? I hear hospital cafeterias actually have good food.”

  She laughed in his arms, and Boone wanted that to happen again. And again.

  “I need chicken noodle soup,” she said. “Do you think they have that?”

  “One way to find out.” Boone threaded his fingers through hers and led her toward the elevator bank.

  A week, then two, passed with Boone paying closer attention to his weekly paperwork and handwriting, which gave him a headache that bordered on a migraine. He’d gotten them in college as he struggled to study for tests and absorb large amounts of printed material. He massaged his temples and took the pain medication the doctor gave him.

  “You okay?” Nicole leaned in his doorway late on Thursday night, the trip to the hospital almost three weeks old.

  “Yeah.” He smiled and gestured for her to come in. She shut the door behind her, the clinic having closed ten minutes ago. “Why are you still here?”

  She gave him a coy smile and sat down in the single chair across from his desk. “Didn’t want to go home alone.”

  “That sounds scandalous.” He grinned at her and winced as pain shot up into his brain.

  She laughed, which he usually enjoyed, but tonight, with his head pounding, the sound pierced his eardrums. “I’m not a bad cook, and I put everything in the crock pot to make turkey chili this morning. I can whip up some cornbread and we’ll be good to go. If you want to come over and eat.”

  He’d never gotten her to come to his place, and their relationship had been running on a hamster wheel. She’d been adamant about keeping their personal relationship off the clock, and he’d been forced to try to take his lunch at the same time as her, message her once he got home, or take her to dinner a couple of times.

  He stood and shrugged out of his lab coat, hanging it on a hook to his right. “I’m good to go now.” He glanced at the paperwork he’d been laboring over. “Can I get this to you in the morning?”

  She smiled and picked it up. “I’m sure it’s fine.” She tucked it under her arm and turned toward the door.

  Before she could open it, he pressed one palm against it. “Are we off work?” He’d gone to her house a couple of times after dinner, always walking her right up to the front porch and lingering. She had an immaculate front yard, but she’d never invited him inside. He hadn’t invited her to his house—yet—because she had barriers up he was still trying to break down.

  “We’re in the building,” she said.

  “But we’re not working,” he argued.

  “I’m holding your paperwork.”

  He took it from her and tossed it back onto his desk. “I’m not wearing my lab coat.” He put both hands on either side of her head and leaned toward her. “Come on, Nicole. We’re closed.” He kicked a grin in her direction, and she melted.

  “I guess we’re not at work right now.”

  His smile widened and his pulse kicked into high gear. “You have to know I’m dying to kiss you.” His voice came out as barely a whisper.

  “Do I?” she teased him, a sliver of fear in her expression that disappeared the longer he looked at her.

  “Nicole.” He dropped his eyes to her mouth and when he looked at her again, her eyes were closed. She was waiting.

  Boone was tired of daydreaming and waiting. Holding her hand and waiting. Eating with her and waiting.

  He closed the distance between them and touched his mouth to hers. The spark he’d been imagining roared to life, no longer just a fantasy. This real-life version of kissing her was at least a hundred times better than his own imagination.

  Her fingers trailed up his sideburns and along the shaved short part of his head, lighting every sensitive nerve in his scalp on fire. He growled, pulled back the teensiest bit, his breath coming quick, quicker, and kissed her again.

  She giggled as soon as she pulled away from him, ducking her head so his mouth met her forehead. He kissed her there, pure delight pulling through him. He chuckled too. “Nicole.”

  She lifted her head and looked at him. He cupped her face in one of his palms and breathed in with her, his headache starting to subside as the drugs worked their magic.

  “Is turkey chili actually good?” He left his office wi
th her right behind him.

  “Yes.” She scoffed. “Don’t be too closed-minded about it. Accept it’s turkey and not beef, and you’ll be fine.”

  He pulled her close, already wanting to kiss her again, as they walked down the hall and outside.

  “You want to drive with me?” he asked. “I can bring you back here after we eat.” He paused, his keys out and his truck just two spots down.

  “We’re going to my place,” she said. “It’s just down the street. So just follow me.”

  Boone agreed, though he wanted to stay with her, even for a five minute drive down the street. He wasn’t sure why. Kissing her had definitely changed his life. Changed their relationship.

  But is she ready? he wondered, the headache back and pounding furiously against his temples. He pushed the negative thought away and parked behind Nicole in her driveway. She didn’t take him directly into the house, but through the gate on the north side.

  “Have I told you that I host weddings back here?” She paused at the corner of the house as the most magical backyard came into view.

  Boone said, “Wow,” and couldn’t take in the greenery fast enough. “This is like the Garden of Eden.”

  She laughed and slipped her hand into his. “I told you I like to garden.”

  “Weddings, huh?” he said, his mind now racing around the idea of marriage. Would she get married back here? Had she even thought about it?

  Don’t say anything, he told himself. They’d been dating for four weeks and just had their first kiss. It was much too soon to even mention the M-word. Or the L-word. Or any other relationship word. And besides, the panic now parading through him testified that he wasn’t ready for such topics either.

  “I have one at the end of the month,” she said. “I don’t do much but attend, but I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”

  He tore his gaze from the magnificence of the orchard to peer down at her. “To a wedding?”

  “It’s someone I’ve known my whole life,” she said. “I don’t want to go alone.”

  “You realize this means everyone in town will know we’re dating. I mean, a wedding.”