Kendall snorted. "Oh, pish posh. Honestly, Georgie, Walt is the first man I've seen you with who actually has some potential."
Georgie worked up a look of mild surprise, and although she knew where this conversation was heading, she asked anyway. "What do you mean by potential?"
"You know, he looks like a guy who sticks."
Georgie swallowed hard. A guy who stuck didn't sound all that great. In fact, it sounded downright frightening. People you love rarely stuck. They always left. She had loved her boyfriend, Matt, but once he graduated from college he didn't want to stay around and wait for her to finish her degree. He had left to go back to his own town, telling her it'd been fun but he didn't want to pursue a long-distance relationship. The pain wasn't as deep as what she went through when she'd lost her parents, but her heart hadn't truly recovered.
She couldn't risk that kind of pain all over again.
"Look, Kendall, I'm not interested in a guy like-"
"I knew it."
Georgie drew back and blinked, surprised at Kendall's haughty tone. "Knew what?"
Her face set into a decided pout as if she were about to break the news that Georgie had only two weeks left to live. "You've got intimacy issues," Kendall whispered.
"Thank you, Dr. Phil," she said, rolling her eyes for effect. "But I don't have any issues. I'm not crazy here. In fact, I'm perfectly sane. Probably the only sane one in this store"
More sympathy exuded from Kendall's soft brown eyes. "I didn't say you were crazy, sweetie, I said you have intimacy issues. And don't knock Dr. Phil. I've learned quite a lot watching his show. By the way, chronic defensiveness is the first sign."
Georgie blew out a huff and cast a glance over her shoulder. Dee appeared to be busy explaining something to Randall and pointing to the computer screen. Georgie wasn't fooled. Even though Dee looked preoccupied, Georgie had no doubt she was somehow listening in. Maybe even silently agreeing with everything Kendall had just said.
Did she have intimacy issues?
No, of course not. But she felt a prickle of uneasiness when she realized that answer hadn't come to her right away.
Georgie turned her attention back to Kendall and folded her arms. "And just what makes you think I have intimacy problems? I do enjoy going out on dates, you know-when Brad doesn't mess them up"
"True. But you should take a good hard look at the men you've been dating. I couldn't see you seriously dating any of them for any length of time. In fact, I'm surprised-"
"Look, not everyone wants the kind of relationship that you and Jake have, okay?"
Kendall's eyes rounded, looking hurt, and for a brief moment Georgie felt guilty for her outburst. But just because Kendall had decided to get married didn't mean that kind of commitment was for everyone. It certainly wasn't in the cards for Georgie. She had the Midas touch when it came to relationships. Only everything she touched didn't turn to gold; it disappeared.
Having heard enough talk about dates, intimacy issues, and Walt Somers, Georgie turned away. Of course, that's when she immediately saw Walt stride into the pharmacy.
Her life was turning into a sitcom.
"Well, well," Kendall drawled, shooting him a saucy smile as he approached. "Speak of the devil."
Georgie's pulse quickened as Walt sauntered up to them. He looked like he'd been out and about early this morning. His nose and cheeks were already pink, and the ends of his spiky hair were windblown in all different directions. He wore an untucked brown T-shirt with khaki board shorts and smelled crisp and fresh, as if he'd just doused himself with salt air and sunshine.
"Oh, were you talking about me?" he asked, his deep voice thick with amusement. "I'm flattered. It's kind of nice that there's a buzz about me going on already."
Georgie gritted her teeth. Walt had no right to be so happy and charming today. Not when she was so confused and grouchy-and apparently intimacy-challenged.
She scowled. "Why are you here?"
Walt raised an eyebrow at her tone. Unfortunately, he was still breathtakingly handsome even when he was frowning at her. "I'm here because I partly own the store, remember?"
"I know that. I mean, it's your day off. Shouldn't you be taking the opportunity to look for more permanent housing?"
He chuckled, but his eyes were cold. She had to resist the sudden urge to rub her arms to ward off the chill. "Thanks for your concern, Georgie, but I have a realtor out doing that for me. What's the matter? Afraid I might cramp your style when Mr. Movie Star comes to pay you a visit?"
"Not at all. It's just that-"
Kendall loudly cleared her throat. "Um, sorry to interrupt this interesting moment you guys are having, but I have to run" She turned her attention to Walt. "I'm so glad you're here, because now I can ask you in person. Wanna come to my engagement party this weekend? I'd love for you to meet Jake. A lot of people from town are invited so it might be a great opportunity for you to get reacquainted with everyone again."
Walt's expression warmed, which had Georgie's jaw tightening. She couldn't help feeling jealous, especially when all he'd done since he'd first looked at Georgie was frown and shoot icicles at her with his eyes. "Thanks. I'll be there," he told her.
Kendall beamed. "Great! Well, I guess I better be off." But before she left, she grabbed Georgie's hand and shyly added, "Tell Brad I really hope he comes" She waved good-bye to Dee and Randall, then made a beeline for the doors.
Georgie waited a few beats, then planted a fist on her hip. "So, tell me, why are you really here on your day off?"
"I was on my way over to visit Al and thought I'd see how the progress was going with the diabetes expo. News sure seems to travel fast around here. I had three people stop me in the parking lot to ask me about your contest win."
"Yeah," she said with a weak laugh. "I guess I'm all the buzz around town now too."
Walt didn't crack a smile. He just kept looking at her, sending a strange tingle through her spine. The smoky way he gazed at her now and the way he'd reacted to her date contest news were in contradiction to one another. She didn't understand what was going on between them, but if she could minimize their time together and treat him in a purely professional manner, their relationship might be able to go back to normal.
"Well, if that's all you want from me ..." Georgie turned away, hoping to make a clean escape.
"That's not all I want from you"
Georgie's heart stopped at the huskiness in his voice. She forced herself to turn around, giving him a questioning look, but his expression remained bland. "I wanted to go over a few more things with you, if you don't mind." He indicated toward the back storage room and grinned. "Step into my office"
She hesitated, casting a glance at Dee, who was watching the two of them as she would her favorite Clay Hayes soap opera. "Um, all right, but just for a minute. I do have work to do."
"I'm sure Dee and Randall can handle things on their own"
She followed his gaze out into the empty aisles. "Oh. Right. Well, people have been calling in their prescriptions all morning. You never know when they'll come by and pick them up. We could get a crowd at any second"
"Then I'll try to make it quick," he said with a wink. He whirled around without a glance back, obviously expecting she'd follow, which she did, trying not to let her gaze focus too long on his backside.
It's no big deal, she told herself. Admiring a man's body does not mean you want a relationship with him.
Walt stopped and opened the door for her. Georgie stepped into the storage room and flipped on the light, allowing herself a good look around at the back room. Walt had certainly done a lot with the space available. Al was a bit of a packrat when it came to filing. But now the boxes of prescriptions, which had to be kept for a minimum of seven years, were tucked away in the attic, neatly labeled. There was even a nice, wide walkway now from the break room to the bathroom. The storage area had never looked so organized.
She had to give Walt some credit. Although he'd
only been in the store a short while, he'd thrown himself into bettering the working conditions and trying to turn around the store's marketability. He obviously cared a lot about Al and had pride in the pharmacy, which she couldn't help but admire.
Georgie finally turned around and was surprised to see that Walt had been studying her reaction, a smug smile on his lips. He obviously knew she was impressed with what he'd accomplished so far. "Okay. What did you want to talk about?" she asked.
Walt shifted his footing, letting out a hard sigh before answering. "The other night."
Georgie froze. "The other night?"
"Yeah. Look, I-"
"Forget it," she said, and truly wished he would. She didn't want him reading anything further into their kiss. Probably because then she would be forced to as well.
"A momentary lack of good judgment on my part," she continued, even though her cheeks felt like they would melt off her face. "So don't worry about it. As far as I'm concerned that kiss never happened."
Walt's eyes darkened as they narrowed. "That kiss didn't happen, huh? Look, I'm not going to push you, Georgie, but you seem to have no problem with the thought of going out with Clay Hayes. Yet for some reason I can't even get you to acknowledge that you're attracted to me. I'm getting the feeling you're purposely not giving us a chance"
Walt wouldn't let this conversation go, but she was determined to protect herself at all costs. She crossed her arms, giving herself the needed support to stick to her decision. "You're absolutely right. I'm not giving us a chance because there is no us"
Walt took a large step, closing the gap between them. Without warning, he reached out and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers lazily trail through the ends of her hair and down the side of her neck. She shivered. "We can work on creating an us," he said softly, leaning his face toward hers.
She nibbled her lip as she gazed up at him, her heart pounding with desire for him to kiss her again. But as tempting as he was and as hard as it was to do, she stepped away from his touch. "I'm not interested," she said, more harshly than she intended.
Walt's hand dropped. He stared her down for almost a full minute before he nodded, the expression on his face clearly showing that he didn't believe her. Well, she never was a very good liar. That's one thing that hadn't changed since they were kids.
"Clay Hayes is a lucky man," he murmured.
She looked away and lightly kicked one of the boxes on the ground near her. Her chest felt tight. In her mind she told herself getting involved with Walt would be problematicthat he would want more from her emotionally than she could give-but her body was obviously telling her something else. He was becoming dangerous to be around. "Look, can we just talk about the diabetes expo now and be done?"
Walt let out a frustrated sigh and pointed to the group of boxes she had just kicked. "Tell Randall he can move those to the pharmacy area. Also, when you get a chance today, you can make a list of what we've received so far in dona tions and who sent them. Then I'd like to send some thankyou notes before it gets too late. Gather to-"
"I know what to do," she snapped. "I told Randall to move everything to the pharmacy area. He obviously must not have seen these boxes. And I already had plans to make a thank-you list this afternoon. So you didn't need to come here and check up on me. I'm not as incompetent as you think I am"
Blame it on her mental Fruit Loops or just being in Walt's presence for too long, but she suddenly felt cornered and defensive. She hated him telling her what to do when she'd been doing things around the pharmacy long before he came to town. The words had flown out before she could stop them. Only snapping at Walt hadn't relieved any of the tension she'd been feeling around him.
Walt's head reeled back. "Hey, easy does it. I never said you were incompetent. I just want to make sure these things get done. I'm not implying you don't know what to do"
"Yes, I believe you were," she said more calmly than she felt. "You obviously think I need to be told how to do everything. Like I wasn't handling things perfectly fine before you and your know-it-all ideas came to town. You're exactly like Brad."
Anger flashed over his face. "Oh, am I? Well, maybe if you didn't go around acting like a flighty brat all the time, I wouldn't feel the need to come in on my day off to remind you how to do your job"
"Message received loud and clear, boss. Now you can leave rest assured that you won't have to hold my hand any longer today. Sorry I'm such a burden. Seems like that's all I am to people anymore" To her horror, tears started to fill her eyes.
Walt's anger immediately deflated. His eyes softened, and he instantly reached for her arm. "Georgie, don't be-"
She backed away, afraid her tears would start to spill out once she allowed him to give her even an ounce of comfort. She hated feeling so vulnerable, especially in front of Walt. It made it harder to rely on just herself, to not get attached, to remain independent, and not give in to what her heart really craved.
"No, I'm fine. I'm a big girl." She dabbed the corners of her eyelids with her fingertips, then stuck out her chin to prove that point. "There's obviously nothing left to say. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."
Don't you need to get back to work?" Uncle Al asked, glancing at his watch.
Walt refrained from rolling his eyes. Back to work? Ha! Not a chance. He was sorry he'd spent ten minutes of his day off in the pharmacy today. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have gone and upset Georgie so much, they wouldn't have fought, and she wouldn't be thinking what a complete and total jerk he was right at this very moment.
Nice going, big mouth.
Walt could see his uncle's concerned stare from the corner of his eyes, so he quickly stopped beating himself up and pasted on a fake smile. "Nope, it's my day off, so I'm here to visit with you for as long as you want me"
"That's great. It's so nice to have a chat now and again. Keeps my mind from worrying about the store" His uncle leaned forward, shifting the pillows behind his back. He and Walt were sitting companionably outside on Al's deck. The weather was a little crisp to sit out for too long, but Al was dying to get some fresh air since his knee surgery. The doctor had said his uncle was coming along fine and moving about the house with his walker with no problem, but he'd still be out from work for several more months.
Al's face suddenly lit up as he pointed toward the beach. "Hey, look. There's some dolphins."
Walt pretended to follow his uncle's gaze, but his mind remained elsewhere. Nothing could hold his interest now-not a visit with his uncle or dolphins swimming in the morning sunlight. Heck, he wasn't sure if Angelina Jolie in a bikini could hold his attention right now. He couldn't stop thinking about the tears he'd seen in Georgie's eyes.
And, worse, how he had put them there.
"You seem troubled, Walt. Do you miss the city? Are you adjusting to small-town living okay?"
Walt tried to take a deep breath, but his chest felt as if he had a car parked on it. He really wished that the town itself was the source of his problems. "No, I like Maritime City. The people are just as nice as I remember. And business is doing a little better too. I think the diabetes expo will make an even bigger impact."
"Yes. Georgie had a great idea there. I told you she was smart as a whip."
Walt could only grunt in response.
Al looked at him sharply. "I'm afraid I'm not quite up to date with the young person's lingo. Is that grunt code for something? Georgie giving you problems?"
Major problems. With her brother. With the store. With his head. And most of all with his heart. "No, no problems that I can think of."
Al sat back again. "Oh, that's good. Well, tell me, has Georgie met any nice young fellows yet?"
"No," he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest and giving in to his grouchy mood. "In fact, she's gone and won herself a date with that Clay Hayes character. A Hollywood actor! Can you believe that one?"
"Ah, yes," Al said calmly, nodding. "I read that in
the paper. Well, that's nice. It's for the town and charity after all."
"Charity my big toe," Walt scoffed. "All that guy is after is a little small town diversion with a pretty redhead who happens to be too stubborn to realize that she's the small town diversion."
Raising his eyebrows a clear inch up his forehead, Al cleared his throat. "Oh, I see"
Walt caught the knowing look on his uncle's face and grew defensive. What was the point of admitting how he felt about Georgie? She had obviously put up a six-foot fence around her feelings. He assumed that's why she'd picked that fight with him at the pharmacy. That was her way of dealing with things-lashing out then pushing away.
Well, maybe it was time for him to listen to her and move on.
"No, Uncle. You don't see anything."
"But-"
"There's nothing to see"
"Oh, Is-"
"Don't say it again," he warned.
"If you say so"
"Well, I do"
Several seconds ticked by.
"So, how long have you felt this way about Georgie?" his uncle finally asked.
Walt let out the breath he'd been holding and hung his head in defeat. "I think ever since she accused me of stealing those stupid condoms"
Al made a tsking sound. "Then I'm afraid you've got it bad, my boy. Does Georgie know?"
"Yes. No. Sort of. Well, she knows I'm attracted to her. And she's attracted to me. That's the kicker. But she keeps shutting me out. It doesn't make any sense. Everything is so crazy. She's crazy." And loyal, and hardworking, and smart, and beautiful, and everything I could want in a woman.
Al looked at Walt like he was the one who was crazy. "Georgie's crazy like a fox I'd say. She's probably just playing hard to get"
Walt wished it were as simple as a woman playing hard to get, but he knew differently. Something more was going on. "No, she's not a game player, not like Kiera was. Georgie is unique. She's a very upfront woman, which is one of the things I really like about her. I think she's got this notion in her head that I'm like her brother, that I don't take her seriously. I do take her seriously, but she misinterprets my caring about her as interference. I don't know how to get through to her."
Georgie on His Mind Page 11