Then Comes Love

by Candice Poarch

  Drake stood in the foyer taking in the atmosphere. There was nothing feminine or inviting about her house. The place was so bare his footsteps echoed through the rooms. There were no pictures on the walls. No colorful throws or pillows to brighten up the place.

  Drake slowly went to the kitchen and placed the food on the table. He wondered how the place would look once she’d decorated it.

  Pillows were all over his mother’s home, along with pretty curtains and feminine knickknacks. He realized he thought of his ideal woman like his mother—warm and soft. He laughed. He was acting like a throwback. Career women didn’t turn him off; his mother was certainly one. He grew up with women who were confident and self-sufficient, too, but he was attracted to more feminine women. His mother was strong, no doubt about that. But she had something extra. Something that made his old man’s eyes blaze with desire.

  So, Drake wondered, what was it about Jasmine that appealed to him? Was it his need to fix her up? He chuckled. As if he could. There wasn’t a soft cell in her body. She was all angles and attitude.

  A year ago, Steven had asked Drake to check out Dr. Mackenzie. Drake grew up in Fairfax, only an hour’s drive from Middleburg. So it was easy to check Mackenzie out when he came home from Vermont on vacation.

  He had pretended to apply for the small-animal vet position Mackenzie had advertised. But when Drake went for the interview he found himself impressed with the practice. When Mac kenzie offered him the job, Drake discovered that he really wanted to work there, so he accepted.

  Now, for no other reason than his friendship with Steven, Drake wanted to help Jasmine fit in with her family. She deserved a break.

  Drake heard footsteps descending the stairs and headed to the cabinets to look for dishes. Of course, sharing out of the cartons wouldn’t be a bad thing. He gathered plates and utensils and set the table.

  He heard her at the doorway, turned around and…he felt the punch of a horse kick in his gut.

  Jasmine was dressed in tight jeans and a mauve short-sleeved sweater with a hue that perfectly complemented her complexion. Her rounded breasts were outlined to precision. And the cute V did little to calm his skittering heart. Hell of a lot sexier than the oversized gear she wore for work. He worked to gather his wits.

  Drake knew it. He shouldn’t have stopped by. He shouldn’t have let Steven talk him into taking Jasmine under his wing. Hadn’t he gotten in enough trouble behind Steven in college to know better?

  “Smells good,” she said, dragging Drake back to his senses as she advanced farther into the room. “How is the dog?”

  Drake cleared his throat. “Hugs is resting.”

  “You named the dog Hugs?” Humor shimmered in her eyes. “Do you need one?”

  Taken aback, Drake was a little slow in answering. “Are you offering?”

  Jasmine cleared her throat. “What was wrong with her?”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he pressed, though he didn’t need the image of her arms wrapped around him. Her breasts pressed against his chest.

  “No.”

  He waited just long enough for the idea of a hug between them—the idea of some sort of physical contact—to hover in her mind the way it was suddenly consuming his thoughts. “My neighbor’s daughter named her,” he finally said. “Hugs has cracked ribs and several deep contusions. Some idiot used her for target practice.”

  “Asshole.”

  “Exactly.”

  Jasmine smiled, and a dimple appeared in her cheek. He liked that dimple. Wished he could kiss…Whoa.

  “Tell me about Ponce,” she said, sliding into the chair opposite him. “Why the friction in the office?”

  Sitting across from her, he told her about the ongoing battle between Floyd and Ponce.

  “Is there any way this can be resolved?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Ponce is a chronic complainer. If it weren’t Floyd it would be something else. But he is correct in that he is overworked.”

  “How long has Floyd been here?”

  “Mackenzie hired him six months before he hired me.”

  “I can’t afford to have people quit right after I arrive. I can’t do the job of three people.”

  “Don’t worry about it right now. I’m sure Jeff is going to come up with a solution.”

  “Of course I worry. I still have school loans to pay off.”

  So did Drake, but there wasn’t an immediate solution. The seat creaked as Drake settled back into it. He was seeing her in a new light. There were bags under her eyes. He detected fatigue and weariness. And her guard was still up. Having to always guard her back had taken its toll. She didn’t know how to relax. He wanted to…

  “When is the party?” he asked.

  “Next Saturday.”

  “I’d be happy to…”

  She waved a dismissive hand. It grated him that she wouldn’t even consider him as an escort. Okay, so maybe he got carried away with his work. And maybe she painted him with the same brush as Steven.

  Stubborn woman. He had a date, but he could cancel it—unless it was girls’ night out or something. Jasmine would walk through a vat of boiling water before she admitted she needed anyone. The most he could do was just show up on her doorstep at the appropriate time. He was doing this for Steven.

  “This party. Is it by any chance for women only?”

  “No.”

  That’s what he thought. “So what time is the affair?”

  “Don’t know,” she said, clearly enjoying the food. “Noelle is sending an invitation.”

  “You are going, aren’t you? You’re not afraid?”

  She glanced up, dark brows pulled together in annoyance. “Of course I’m going. And why should I be afraid?”

  Her back was stiff enough to skate on. She needed to know this family—to at least get it out of her system. He knew he now had to cancel his date. And he’d worked weeks to get the woman to even glance his way….

  His cell phone rang and he snatched it out of his pocket. It was the vet tech. An emergency call. He stood before he finished the conversation. “I have to go into the office,” he said, closing the phone. “Sorry to cut the meal short.”

  “Need help?”

  “I can handle it. Enjoy your meal.”

  Jasmine walked him to the door. “Thanks for dinner. And the company.”

  Drake escaped. He’d never intended to set up his small-animal practice in horse country. The thought struck him again as he made his way to the office. He had been working in Vermont and when he went to check on Dr. Avery for Steven, he was impressed with the idea of heading the small-animal division. Actually his ultimate goal was to move closer to D.C., not Middleburg and he’d planned to do so once he’d saved enough to open his own practice. But last year he’d been charmed by Dr. Mackenzie’s mission for the practice’s growth.

  Now he had to travel just as far as the large-animal vets to get to an emergency, but could only charge a fraction of the cost.

  When Drake arrived at the office he gathered the supplies he’d need. Steven had put him in a precarious position. Drake had always been slightly attracted to Jasmine, but her attitude had been the barrier between them. Now that he knew the reason for the attitude…Drake shook his head. God, what a family. He was way out of his league.

  Chapter 3

  For the party Jasmine dressed in dressy black slacks and a red top—clothing her mother had sent her after despairing that Jasmine had nothing decent in her closet and would never catch a man’s eye. Jasmine was never very concerned about what she wore. The horses certainly didn’t care. In the mirror she looked at herself critically. She had to admit the two pieces looked nice on her and her mother had saved her a shopping trip. Since Ponce had left a few days earlier for a much-needed vacation, Jasmine had very little spare time.

  Jasmine tugged a comb through her short hair, arranging it into shape. There wasn’t much to be done there. Usually she didn’t bother with makeup, but she applied
lipstick and blush—another donation from her mother—and dabbed mascara on her eyelashes to make her eyes appear larger. Stepping back, she realized she didn’t look like the usual plain Jasmine. A few minor touches had worked wonders and she approved of the finished product. She picked up the lacy eyelet shawl, also courtesy of her mother. Too dressy. She discarded it.

  She’d started up the stairs in search of a jacket when her doorbell rang. Who in the world could that be, she wondered, but only for a second. Drake had shown up with dinner—unannounced—three times in the past week. Did he think she was too skinny? What was up with him? She wasn’t too surprised to see him at her door.

  “Don’t you have a date or something?” she asked. “I heard whispers around the office.”

  “Canceled it.” His gaze scanned her from head to toe. She felt like tugging at her clothes, but the gleam in his eye told her she was looking okay.

  “I can get myself to a party.”

  “Ready?”

  She thought he was looking much too nice in dark slacks and jacket. By the last dinner, he’d done a lot to convince her they could be good friends, but even though she tried hard to act like his pal, the flutter in her stomach wasn’t friendly.

  “So how did the girlfriend take the change of plans?”

  “We aren’t that tight. Don’t worry about it,” he said, a little irritated. Drake hadn’t expected her to be wearing makeup and looking gorgeous. In the office he was used to seeing her face au naturel, when he saw her at all. She didn’t pay attention to her makeup, hair or clothes. Usually her hair looked as if she’d run her hands through it a thousand times. But now…

  “Let’s go,” he muttered curtly.

  “If you were going to be cranky you could have gone on your date,” Jasmine said in an irritated tone.

  Drake blew out a long breath. “How did we get off on the wrong foot? Let’s try again. I wanted to come with you tonight. We’re friends, remember?”

  She nodded. “Just a minute.” She gathered up the lacy shawl. “I’m ready.” She preceded him out the door, wrapping the shawl around her shoulders. The gold against her brown skin made her face sparkle. The earrings added a feminine touch that tugged at Drake’s gut.

  He reminded himself they were just friends.

  By the time Drake pulled himself together and followed her, she was already seated in the passenger seat. He opened his door and slid in, quickly starting the motor and pulling away from her house.

  In the car they were both silent as the miles flew by.

  Drake played a Gerald LeVert CD. Jasmine was so tense, Drake patted a hand on her clenched fists, then he took her hand in his, wrapping his around her stiff fingers. Seconds passed before she relaxed her fists.

  “It’s going to be all right, you know. It’s just a party,” he said. “They aren’t going to tie you up and roast you. They don’t even know your true identity.”

  “I know.”

  “When are you going to tell them?” he asked quietly as the music filled the car.

  “Why should I? My donor father is dead. There’s nothing to accomplish by revealing who I am.”

  “They would want to know.”

  “They have their lives and I have mine,” she said. “I didn’t come here to intrude.”

  For a second, Drake’s gaze flickered to hers. “Then why did you come?”

  “I’ve asked myself that same question. I don’t know,” she finally said after a moment. “The very definition of the sperm-donor program is to give the donor’s family anonymity. I don’t belong here. It’s the way the program was made to be. One happy family gets the child and everyone lives happily ever after.”

  “Legality can’t dictate emotions.”

  Drake’s heart finally began to beat again. The little number she wore had his blood pumping. This was a lot from a woman who usually wore jeans and shapeless tops. He tore his gaze from Jasmine and concentrated on the drive. There was nothing about her that indicated she was coming on to him. She might be dressed for fun, but she was all business.

  The music floated around the silence. On a regular date he’d make small talk, but Jasmine wasn’t the small-talk type. “So, heard from your family lately?” he asked, before he remembered their estrangement. Goes to show how shaken he was. “Forget I asked.”

  “Good, because I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “I understand.”

  “My mother and Norman are visiting soon,” she said after an uncomfortable silence.

  “Oh?”

  “They drive me crazy. Mom calls me every week to remind me. How far do I have to go to get away from them?”

  “She misses you.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “Family’s okay,” Drake said, but she didn’t share his fond memories. “You’re going to have kids of your own one day. You’ll feel the same about them.”

  “I’ll make sure I marry the father before I have children, or I won’t have any. I’m not having a child by a man who doesn’t even want them,” she said bitterly. “That’s for sure.”

  She had a lifetime of anger to purge. It was apparent in her tone. “What kind of relationship did you have with your father?” Drake asked.

  “After my parents split, I can count on one hand the number of times I saw him. I don’t think my dad ever really wanted children.”

  “You know, people start out with good intentions. Life kind of gets in the way. Sometimes when parents get so wrapped up in the mess around them, kids get the shaft. I’m not making excuses and I’m sure your father loves you in his own way.”

  Jasmine snorted. “I’m too old to delude myself.”

  Glancing at her, Drake smiled. “What are you? All of twenty-six?”

  “I’m an old twenty-six.”

  “That’s right. You were the brain of the family. Graduated at seventeen.”

  “I wanted to get out of the house as quickly as I could,” Jasmine said.

  It was just a short drive to the farm, and by the time they arrived at the estate, they had achieved a certain level of comfort.

  As she quickly opened her own door and dashed out of the car, once again before Drake could get it, he was again struck by her beauty. It would take a lot to overlook her pain and cynicism and get to the core of the woman. He wondered if she’d ever let anyone see the real Jasmine.

  Jasmine had geared herself up for a tedious evening with a group of strangers. Well, that wasn’t quite true. Casey would be there, but Jasmine didn’t know her neighbor well.

  George Avery and Noelle met them at the door. Mr. Avery was very dapper and attractive in a dark jacket and slacks, Noelle more casual in beige slacks and a sculptured aqua top.

  Observing the smooth way in which Mr. Avery greeted his guests—a man comfortable in his skin and environment—Jasmine knew he’d passed a few of his genes on to Noelle.

  It was when Drake ushered her forward with the pressure of his hand on her elbow, that Jasmine realized he’d touched her at all.

  She had been on call that day. It had seemed a horse on nearly every farm needed medical attention. She’d worked from sunup, barely making it home in time to dress for the party. Right now she really wished she could go home, heat up a bowl of soup and go to bed. But she straightened her shoulders and forced a smile on her face to greet her hosts.

  “I’m so glad you could come,” Noelle said, grabbing both her hands.

  “Thanks for the invite,” Jasmine muttered. Many people had already arrived. Guests milled around eating snacks and pairing off in conversation.

  Noelle hooked her arm through Jasmine’s. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” She glanced at Drake. “Colin’s out back.”

  Drake regarded Jasmine, and when she nodded, he looked relieved to leave them for male company.

  Noelle laughed. “Men. Put them in a tea party and they feel like elephants stumbling around mice.”

  Jasmine chuckled and her tense shoulders relaxed for the first time in
hours as Noelle introduced her around.

  In the dining room, the buffet table was set up with finger foods, a cold-cut platter and other hors d’oeuvres. A huge pot of tea was placed near china cups and saucers. It was easier thinking of tea and cakes instead of the fact that she was walking the floors her father walked for many years. That he’d grown up in this house of love as a spoiled only child with both parents.

  When they were in a cozy little room with a fireplace and shelves of books, someone captured Noelle’s attention and Jasmine had an opportunity to stroll around unattended. She stopped in front of a photo of the man she knew must be Mackenzie. Jasmine flexed her hands around the photo, lifting it for a closer look—and stared into her own whiskey eyes—a masculine image of her nose and mouth. Jasmine’s heart pounded. Her palms sweated so much the frame nearly slipped from her fingers. No wonder Leila thought she’d seen Jasmine someplace.

  She was the feminine version of her father.

  “Hey, girl.”

  Jasmine jumped, almost dropping the photo. She carefully placed it back on the table next to another one. A man leading a pony with a child on its back. The man was Mackenzie. The girl was surely Noelle. Jasmine forced a smile. “Casey.” She desperately needed a moment to pull herself together. Casey was casually dressed in brown slacks and a beige top. Her long hair, usually worn up in a ponytail, hung loosely down her back.

  “Sorry I’m late. Thought we’d come together, but I see you got the Doc to bring you. His car looks like it’s at your place practically every night. You two an item?”

  Gosh, the woman was nosey. “We work together,” Jasmine said. She couldn’t even have company without somebody noticing.

  “So that’s what you’re doing? Working when he’s at your place? Funny, I didn’t know you had animals at your place.”

  “Don’t mind Casey,” Noelle said.

  Casey punched her in the side. “She knows I’m teasing. But take it from me. He’s quite the catch. And speaking of catches, when’s that brother of yours visiting again, Noelle?”

  “I thought you knew. He’s spending the summer here working on some geology project,” Noelle said.