Tangling With Ty

Suzanne shot her a look of pity. “Oh, honey, have you got a lot to learn about men. There’s only one way to reach them, and it’s not, contrary to popular belief, through their penises. It’s through their stomachs. Now give him this tray with a nice morning smile and you’ll see what I mean. You can smile this early, can’t you?”

Nicole glared at her.

Suzanne laughed. “Well, honestly, I don’t see you smile that often. Actually, I don’t see you do anything but work.”

“Not today. I called in.”

“You…called in?” Suzanne slapped a hand to her mouth in disbelief. “You?”

Nicole rolled her eyes. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“To you it is. You, the workaholic, took a day off to care for Ty. That’s huge.”

“He did fall through my ceiling.”

“You took a day off.” Suzanne marveled at that for a moment. “Wait until Taylor hears you’re falling for him. She’s going to be the last one of us holding on to that vow of singlehood.”

“Oh no.” Nicole laughed. Fall for Ty? Ha! “I don’t know what you think is going on here, but you can just wash it right out of your hair. I’m staying single forever, just like Taylor.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I am.” She meant it. Ty would finish his job here and sooner or later he’d be gone. Long gone. He wouldn’t so much as look back, as looking back wasn’t in his genes.

She wouldn’t look back either, she’d-

She’d miss him. Damn it. She’d really miss him.

But she’d carved out a good life for herself. She had her career, a family that was only slightly dysfunctional, and friends, even if they were nosy as hell. She had all she needed.

“I used to be in denial, too,” Suzanne said with a knowing smile.

“It’s not denial.”

“Right. Hey, I’ll come back later for the tray and any details you want to share.”

“There won’t be details.”

But Suzanne had already walked away. “Damn it,” Nicole muttered when Suzanne’s laughter floated back up the stairs. Shrugging it off, she went back to her shows.

And wondered if Ty was dreaming of her.

TY CAME AWAKE in slow degrees. When he was fully conscious, he carefully opened his eyes.

The sun rudely pierced into the room, stabbing him with the brightness until he closed his eyes again. He took mental stock and decided his entire body felt as if he’d been thrown under a steamroller.

Except for his head. His head felt as if he’d put it into a giant vise and cinched it down.

With no little amount of struggle, he managed to get to a sitting position. From there he eyed the bathroom door, only a few feet away.

It might as well have been a hundred miles. Determined, he staggered up, and for his efforts, nearly passed out. Gripping the back of a chair, he took a handful of deep, careful breaths. Daggers shot upward from his ankle. His ribs screamed. He had no doubt his head was going to fall right off. But he made it to the bathroom, shut the door and leaned back against it.

“Ty!” From the other side of the door came Nicole’s worried voice. “What are you doing!”

“Considering getting sick.”

“Are you okay? Are you hurting? Do you need any help?”

“No, yes and no.”

“Ty-”

When he was done, he opened the door, about two seconds away from passing out.

Nicole was right there, wrapping herself around him, taking his weight. “Of all the fool things to do, getting up by yourself, trying to walk, moving around as if you didn’t drop yourself on your head just yesterday…”

“Not back to bed,” he said when she turned him that way. “Not unless you’re coming, too.”

Her arms were around his bare middle, carefully avoiding his hurt ribs. He liked the feel of her hands on him. Too much. She took him to the living room where he could see the blanket strewn over the futon. An episode of I Dream Of Jeanie was on TV. Next to the futon was a half-eaten bowl of cereal.

“Are those Frosted Flakes?” His mouth started to water. “And I love that show.”

“It’s a Jeanie marathon. This is the one where she gets stuck in her bottle.” She looked at the TV. “I think I’d like to be able to toss my ponytail and have my every wish come true. You’ve just missed I Love Lucy. She was working on a candy assembly line. Honest to God, I’ve never laughed so hard…what?” she asked self-consciously as he stared at her.

It was just that her eyes were laughing. Her cheeks were flushed. And her hands were still on him. Irresistible combo. He found his insides stirring, and not just the part of him that usually stirred while staring at a beautiful woman, but something in his chest. She looked…happy. It wasn’t a look he’d seen on her before, making him realize he hadn’t often seen her out side of work mode.

He liked this side of her, he liked it a lot. “You haven’t seen these shows a hundred times?”

“Are you kidding?” She laughed, a sweet, simple sound. “We weren’t allowed to watch anything but public television growing up. I never even had a TV until a couple of years ago, but I rarely turn it on. I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. And The Brady Bunch! What a crack-up-” She narrowed her eyes when he grinned. “Stop that.”

“You’re pretty damn adorable, Dr. Dweeb.”

Her mouth opened, then shut. “I never know how to take you,” she finally said.

“Take me any way you want, darlin’, just take me.”

She stepped back, which left him holding up his own body. He braced his legs, shooting an arrow of pain from his ankle directly to his ribs. Clutching them made his vision waver again and he gritted his teeth.

“You fool,” she said softly, reaching for him again, easing him down. “Sit. Lucky for you Suzanne took pity and brought you a tray of food.”

“You mean you aren’t going to slave over a hot stove for me?”

“I don’t slave over a hot stove for anyone.”

“Hence the Frosted Flakes.”

“Hence the Frosted Flakes,” she agreed. “Pouring milk into a bowl, now that I can do.” Shrugging, she set a heavenly smelling tray on his lap. “I think I missed the girlie gene. I don’t cook, I don’t sew, and…” She lifted a napkin Suzanne had folded into a flower. “I sure as hell don’t fold napkins into shapes.”

It took an effort to smile when his head was pounding, but she looked so unexpectedly vulnerable, he tried. “I like you anyway.”

She didn’t smile back, but she didn’t slug him either. “You do?”

“Yeah, I do.” She hadn’t turned out to be anything as he’d imagined. She wasn’t aloof or spoiled, or insensitive, but was warm and giving and incredibly compassionate. In fact, he had to resist the urge to pull her close and bury his face in her hair. Not only would it hurt like hell to do so, but the urge was wrong. He had no business feeling this way, none at all. “I think you’re a pretty incredible woman, Nicole. And sexy as hell to boot.”

She let out a deprecatory smile. “I’ve never been accused of being sexy before.”

“Then you’re not listening, because I’ve been thinking you’re the sexiest woman I know from the first time I set eyes on you.”

“Well.” Brushing her hands on her jeans, she backed away, looking around her as if searching for someway to keep her hands busy. “I’ve got to…”

When she just turned in a slow circle, at a complete loss, he wanted to laugh. “Work?” he finished for her.

“No. No work today. I, uh…” She avoided his gaze, lifted the lids off the food Suzanne had left him. “Here. You need food before you get more pain meds.”

Obediently he picked up a fork, groaning at an ache in his shoulder. Definitely he was getting too old to be falling through ceilings. “Why no work today?” He saw the truth in her eyes and gaped at her. “You called in? For