Susan Mallery - Straight From The Hip

She managed to keep her nerves at bay right until she turned off the highway and headed down the long road leading to the main house of the ranch. She slowed as she approached, taking in the large, white clapboard structure with the wide porch and flowerpots. Beyond the house was the barn and the corrals. In the distance she could just make out the shapes of the guest cottages.

Scared and jittery, she parked her car and climbed out. The front door opened. A thin man stepped out. He was only a few inches taller than her, with sandy brown hair and brown eyes. His shirt was lavender, his jeans tighter than hers and he wore bright red cowboy boots. She grinned.

“You’re beyond fabulous,” she yelled.

Aaron clapped his hands, then rushed toward her. “Seriously? You can see me? Don’t you love my boots?”

“They’re perfection!”

They hugged, then Aaron put his arm around her shoulders. “So, what do you think about Chez Nick?”

“Fancy.”

“I’ve had to make a lot of changes. You should have seen it when I got here. It gave the word institutional a bad name. You’re healed? All is well?”

“I’m healed and have nothing but eye drops to worry about. Oh, and no eye makeup for the next month.”

“You don’t need it.” Aaron squeezed. “I’m so happy for you. Come on in. You’ll want to see the house. And Nick.”

Izzy hung back. “I thought I’d go see Rita first.”

“Chicken.”

“Maybe. I need a few minutes.”

“All right. When you’re ready, he’s in his office. I won’t say a word.”

“Thanks.”

Aaron went back in the house and Izzy started toward the barn. Partway there, she paused and glanced back at the house. She really wanted to see Nick, to finally know what he looked like. But not just yet.

The barn was big and red, with crisp, white trim. As she walked in the large open door, she saw that everything was clean, the supplies neatly stacked. She followed the sound of soft words into the storeroom.

Rita stood patting a barn cat on a shelf. Izzy took in the petite woman’s curly brown hair, her work-roughened hands and eyes that didn’t track with her actions.

“Hi,” Izzy said.

Rita turned toward her. “What happened?”

“I can see.”

Rita smiled and moved toward her. “Good. I knew that’s what would happen, but I’m happy all the same.”

Izzy bit her lower lip. “Are you sure it’s okay?” Because nothing changed for Rita.

The older woman cupped Izzy’s face. “Never be sorry for what you have. Be grateful. But don’t think this means you’re going to stop working for me.”

“I’d like to stay.” For as long as Nick would let her. But she was only here to heal. Wouldn’t everything be different now? Wasn’t she supposed to leave?

“Then tell him that.”

“Okay.”

Rita dropped her hands to Izzy’s shoulders, turned her and gave her a little shove. “Tell him now.”

Izzy made her way back to the house. She went inside.

The huge living room was decorated in shades of green. The hardwood floors were covered with big rugs. There were comfortable sofas and chairs. She crossed to a couch and touched the fabric she’d never been able to see before. The fireplace was brick. She hadn’t known there was one. Brass lamps sat on end tables. Everything was different than she’d imagined. Different, yet familiar.

She took a step, then stopped, not sure where to find Nick’s office. Then she closed her eyes. The darkness was familiar. She got her bearings, opened her eyes and started down the hall.

A door stood open on her left. She heard him working on his computer. Izzy swallowed a couple of times, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She jumped out of planes without a second thought. Of course she could walk into a room and say hi to a guy. She stepped into the doorway.

“Hi, Nick.”

He looked up, then stood.

Her first impression was of size. He was tall and muscled, which she’d figured out already, but knowing and seeing were very different. He had broad shoulders and long legs. He seemed to fill the room with his presence.

He had dark hair, which wasn’t a surprise, but piercing green eyes that were. His mouth was perfect, nearly as good to look at as to kiss.

“Izzy.”

She saw the questions in his eyes, the concern and something that might have been a little case of nerves. She smiled.

“You’re very crush-worthy.”

He gave her a slow, sexy smile that made the butterflies in her stomach sigh. He walked around the desk. “You can see.”

“Everything. I’m healed and restored and ready to swim with sharks. Oh. I can’t go swimming for a month. No swimming, no eye makeup, but otherwise, it’s back to nor-”

He silenced her with a kiss. That sensual mouth of his claimed her with lips and tongue. She hung on to him, feeling the shoulders she’d just seen, knowing what the muscled body now looked like.

Kissing him felt right, she thought, giving in to the experience. Better than right. It felt like something she would be very happy doing for the next five thousand years.

He broke the kiss and stared into her eyes. “Ready to hear I told you so?”

“You’re one of those kind of guys. That’s disappointing.”

He kissed her again.

She let the desire wash through her. It mingled with happiness and elation and every good feeling she could imagine. Today was a very good day.

He straightened and rubbed his thumb against her mouth. “What am I going to do with you?”

A question she wasn’t sure she wanted answered. “Whatever you want?”

The slow, sexy grin reappeared. “Works for me. But I was thinking about out of bed.”

“Oh. That.”

“We’re busy for the next few weeks. Want to stay and help out with the corporate retreats? Aaron always needs staff.”

She rested her hands on his chest. “You mean I wouldn’t be in charge?”

“Not this time.”

Stay here with Nick? It was the best offer she’d had all day. She would be doing work she enjoyed while getting ready to start the next phase of her life. And, hey, maybe figure out her feelings about Nick.

“I’d like that.”

“Good. I’ve already talked to Aaron and he’s giddy with excitement. He wants to meet with you this afternoon.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Now I’ll have to take notes and everything.” She grinned. “Kinda cool, huh?”

“It works for me.”

She started to leave, then turned back to face him. “Oh, I have wheels now. My sisters brought my car to the doctor’s office. It’s the red Mustang. If you ask real nice, I’ll let you drive it.”

“How nice?”

“You’ll figure it out. And that’s not the only thing that’s new.” She pulled up the hem of her T-shirt, exposing her belly button and the diamond bar nestled against her skin. “For later.”

He swallowed. “Promise?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?” Aaron asked.

“Yes.” Izzy sat slumped at the kitchen table. “You’re way bossier than I remember.”

“You were gone a morning. How could you possibly forget anything?”

“I didn’t have to take notes before.”

“You couldn’t see the paper before.” He tapped on her yellow pad. “Chop-chop.”

“You did not just say that to me.”

“Want to arm wrestle for dominance, honey?”

Izzy laughed. “That’s okay. Back to brainstorming.”

They were talking about ways to make more use of the ranch.

“So far we’ve got renting out the facilities without staffing them,” Aaron said. “I like that. Groups can come in and do their thing, then leave. Our expenses will be minimal. We’ll charge them a cleaning fee, so there’s the insurance issues and wear and tear. And I like your idea of expanding the obstacle course.”

“I think we should talk about having kids here longer than a weekend,” she said. “What about a week at a time?” Her plan was eventually kids would take over for the whole summer, but she doubted Nick was ready to hear that.

“What additional staff would we need?” Aaron asked. “A nurse? Counselor?”

“Maybe. What about a school counselor? They have the summer off. We could invite a counselor and his or her whole family. They’d get a free vacation, we’d get the expert we need?”

Aaron eyed her. “You’ve been thinking about this?”

“Some. I saw what the time here did for Heidi. That was only three days. In a week-”

“We’re not doing weeks.”

The statement came from behind her. Izzy turned and saw Nick standing in the kitchen.

“What are you two doing?” he asked, not sounding or looking happy. She’d never seen him frown before. Or the ice that seemed to invade his eyes. “You’re supposed to be working on logistics for our fall retreats.”

“We’ve done that,” Aaron told him, unfazed by the obvious annoyance. “We’re brainstorming ways to make your life better.”

“My life is fine the way it is.” He left.

Izzy rose and went after him.

“What’s your problem?” she demanded as she hurried to catch up with him. “We’re helping. You need to be starting the conversation with thank you.”

He stopped in front of his office and faced her. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Had he been this much of a jerk when she’d been blind?

“Excuse me? I should just shut up and do my job? I don’t think so. What’s wrong with you?” She planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “Getting the most use out of the facilities makes financial sense. Expanding what you offer will bring in more clients. The more corporate sessions you book, the more money for the real work with the kids. Although if you ask me, you need to completely change the schedule to do corporate stuff from fall to spring and have kids all summer. Aaron and I were talking about having one-week sessions for them that-”

“No.”

Nick didn’t speak loudly or harshly, but there was a finality to the single word that silenced her.

They stared at each other.

“Just like that,” she said. “Only you get to decide? There’s no team here? What is going on with you? Why are you acting like this?”

“This is how it has to be.”

She knew he had a gentle, caring side. She’d seen it. She’d experienced it firsthand. But apparently that part of him was on vacation.

“Is this about the guilt?” she asked.

The ice thickened. “I’m not having this conversation.”

“Actually, you are. That’s why we’re both angry.” She drew in a breath. “I understand you have issues.”

“I don’t have issues. I’m responsible for the death of three innocent people. That is fact, not emotional baggage.”

“True, but because of those other people, children are getting a second chance. That girl who was here before. Denise. She’s going to be a doctor. She’ll spend her entire career saving lives. There are people who will still be living because of her. People who otherwise wouldn’t make it. And she’s doing that because of what you did.”

“Nothing makes up for what I did before.”

“All the more reason to have the kids here longer.”

“No.”

He stepped into his office and closed the door behind him.

There wasn’t a lock. She could have followed him inside. But that wasn’t the point. He was trying to shut her out and he was doing a heck of a job at it.

So much for the romantic homecoming, she thought sadly as she walked away. So much for thinking there was something between them. It was as if Nick was trying to push her away.

And he was doing a damn good job.

NICK STOOD in the center of his office and wanted to throw something. He knew he should go apologize to Izzy, but he couldn’t. Not without telling her what was wrong. And to tell her that was to admit the truth about Garth.

He would have to tell her eventually. The longer he waited, the bigger the risk that she would find out from Garth directly, and Nick didn’t want that.

But he also didn’t want to lose her.

He knew the second she found out the truth, she would stare at him as if she had no idea who he was. Because she would believe he’d betrayed her. That he’d sold her out from the beginning. And he wasn’t sure he could explain well enough to change her mind. She wouldn’t be able to forgive him just like he couldn’t forgive Garth, despite the continued calls from his former friend.

Just another day, he thought. One more day. One more night. Then he’d tell her.

What tonight was supposed to have been, he thought grimly. Them together. He’d blown that.

He crossed to his desk, but couldn’t relax enough to sit. If only he’d met her another way. If only they didn’t have Garth between them. Would that have made a difference? And why did he care? It wasn’t as if Izzy was a significant part of his life. She was a friend. He respected her, but in a few weeks she would be gone. He wasn’t looking for anything permanent.