Leslie Kelly – Sultry Escapes: Waking Up to You (страница 9)
Her eyes narrowed. “Shall we talk about how
Hell, if she thought he was going to apologize for getting a hard-on when he’d had a gorgeous woman in his arms, she had another think coming. “I have a Y chromosome. And you’re beautiful.”
Her bluff having been called, she looked away.
“Paris,” he reminded her.
Crossing her arms over her chest and harrumphing, she said, “I just meant if I was going to end up in some hot guy’s arms this week, it should have been in the city of light, not in my grandfather’s kitchen.”
He made a mental note of the
Casting him an arch look, she added, “By the way, it could have been any guy’s arms.”
“Hot.”
“What?”
“You said any
“It’s like I’m riding with a digital voice recorder.”
“Like I said. Good memory.”
“The point is, I was just speaking in
He wasn’t buying it. “Didn’t sound that way.”
“Would you stop interrogating me?”
There was fire in her eyes now, and color in her cheeks. Indignation wafted from her, and he congratulated himself on getting her mind off her troubles. Let her be annoyed at him, and engage in a little verbal sparring. At least it would be a few minutes less she spent worrying about her obviously deeply loved grandfather.
“Why were you going to France?”
“Did you miss the part about not interrogating me?”
“It’s just a simple question.”
“One that’s really none of your business.”
“So, not for work, then.”
She just huffed.
He speculated aloud. “If there was a possibility you’d end up in some random guy’s arms, you obviously weren’t meeting up with a boyfriend.”
“Did you also miss the part where I said it was about kitchen vs. Paris and
“Your boyfriend’s stupid?”
“Argh!”
Defense attorneys hadn’t called him the Honey Badger of Hollywood for no reason. Oliver had been born with a persistent gene. “Was that an answer?”
“I
“Well he can’t be very smart if he lets you come alone up to Sonoma to be stalked by a potential ax-murdering maniac in your grandfather’s kitchen.”
“There’s no boyfriend, okay? Stupid or otherwise!”
He’d known that’s what she was saying but was glad for the confirmation, anyway. He couldn’t say why that certainty sent a hint of relief gushing through his veins, but it did. “Well, that’s good. I’m afraid I’d lose a little respect for you if you liked stupid guys.”
“Right now, they’re sounding very appealing,” she mumbled.
“Low standards, huh?”
“No, I just wouldn’t have to be couching every word I say so it couldn’t be used against me in a court of law.”
That was striking a little close to home. “Because a stupid guy would understand you better?”
“No, because I wouldn’t give a damn if he didn’t!”
“You calling me smart, and saying you give a damn?” He wondered if she could see his half smirk. “Gee, hot and smart in one conversation. Better watch it, Miss Reid, or you’ll make my head swell.”
“Shut up, all right? Just. Stop. Talking.”
He finally started to laugh. The sound felt a little rusty; he didn’t make it very often anymore. And after a few seconds, she slowly joined in.
“You did that on purpose.”
“Maybe.”
“Women must threaten your life on a regular basis.”
“I guess.”
They were silent for a moment, then she sighed softly and said, “Thank you.”
She didn’t have to elaborate. He knew what she meant. So he merely replied, “You’re welcome.”
A few minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. Seeing it ratcheted up her tension again, and she was yanking the handle and hopping out of the truck the second he parked. He caught up with her at the hospital entrance and escorted her to Buddy’s room.
After a soft knock, they entered to find the old man dozing. He was still hooked up to machines and a morphine drip and probably looked pretty bad to his granddaughter. But compared to how he’d looked after he’d fallen yesterday, this was quite an improvement. Oliver wasn’t sure he’d ever get over the terror he’d felt when he’d heard the loud cry of pain and he’d run around the house to see Buddy lying on the ground, looking like a fragile, broken porcelain doll.
“Grandpa?”
The eyes shot open and the old man turned to stare at her, his blue eyes shining with vitality and affection. “Candy-cane, what are you doing here?” He cast a glance at Oliver. “I told you not to worry anybody.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, bending to kiss his forehead. She tenderly brushed away a long strand of silvery hair—used in the ultimate old-man comb-over to cover the sizable bald spot on his pate. “Mom was going to come herself…”
“Ridiculous! She needs to stay in Florida and take care of your stodgy old fart of a father.”
Seeing the smile on Candace’s face, and the matching one on Buddy’s, Oliver could only think theirs was a closeknit family and the joke was an old one. Buddy had to be at least eighty, but he was usually as peppy and energetic as a much-younger man.
“Well, that’s why I came, to scope out the situation and see if she needed to visit.”
“She doesn’t!”
“You certainly seem peppy.”
“I’m feeling no pain,” he admitted. “You really don’t have to stay.”
“Of course I’m staying. I’ll be here when you get out of surgery, and I’ll be at your house waiting for you when you come home.”
He didn’t argue anymore, looking visibly touched and showing just the faintest hint of vulnerability. Buddy might not want to be a bother, but when it came to being in the hospital, nothing beat having family nearby. The old man hadn’t said anything about being nervous about his operation, but considering he hadn’t been expecting any such thing twenty-four hours ago, he had to be worried about it.
“I think I’ll give you two some time alone,” Oliver said. “Buddy, I just wanted to say I’m here and hope everything goes well with the surgery. I have no doubt you’ll be kicking up clods of dirt and rocks in no time.”
His boss nodded. “Thank you for bringing my grandbaby to see me.”
“Not a problem.”
“You’ll make sure she’s okay out there at the house? It’s awfully lonely and desolate for a helpless young girl on her own.”
He saw Candace roll her eyes at the description. “I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “I certainly don’t need a babysitter.”
“Humor an old man. Promise me you’ll let Oliver look after you.”
She glanced back and forth between them, her mouth opening and snapping closed. Obviously she didn’t want to promise any such thing. However, she didn’t want to upset her elderly relative, either. Finally, she hedged. “If I need anything, I’ll be sure to ask him.”