“Yes.” Janet glared at him. Did the man have any clue what he’d just unleashed on them? Gracie at full throttle was an outstanding force of nature. “Why didn’t we?”
“Um...” His grin was more sheepish now than heroic. “Because I just now asked you to go steady.”
Go steady? Was this guy for real?
Gracie clapped her hands and giggled like a schoolgirl. “And Janet said yes? You won my daughter over? Oh my, you do have your charms, Dr. Gregory.”
“Call me Gage,” he invited, then sat down beside Janet and slung an arm around her shoulder, suggesting an intimacy they did not share.
Her heart started beating double time for absolutely no good reason at all.
“She’s not as testy as she seems.” Gracie peered at him over the top of her glasses and grinned. “I think she’s finally met her match.”
Janet shook her head in disbelief and tried to wriggle out from under his disconcerting arm, but he kept an ironclad grip on her. It wasn’t fair that her body swamped in shimmering heat, responding treacherously to his touch.
Not fair at all.
“You’ll have to watch her. She’s always been a little stubborn, a little too serious, and a little too independent for her own good, but I can tell you’ll balance her out just fine on that score.”
“Absolutely.” Gage trailed a finger along the back of Janet’s neck, raising goose bumps the size of the Texas. She wanted to knock his hand away and tell him to cut it out, but something warm and pliant and treacherous inside her liked the sensations his touch stirred.
Blue skies above! Gracie, Gage, and her own perfidious body were ganging up on her. What had she done to deserve this?
Then again, as much as she would like to blame Gage for this mess, how could she? To be fair, she had mentally telegraphed him a plea for help, and he had characteristically leaped to her rescue. Yes, she had wanted to put a stop to her mother’s meddlesome matchmaking, but not by perpetuating a lie.
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
Would it be so bad, she wondered idly, her brain befuddled by his fingers kneading her neck, pretending she and Gage were dating? Maybe it really would get Gracie off her back for a while. She could use a respite. Besides, Gage was a good-looking guy with a great sense of humor.
Not to mention that he’s a world-class kisser, the long dormant, impish voice in the back of her head prodded.
She could definitely do worse. Like getting hooked up with Oscar and enduring a running lecture on the evils of flabby thighs.
But Gage is also your colleague, her ever-present rational voice crowded out the impish one. This could be very dangerous indeed.
Especially since Gracie had a dreamy, gooey-eyed, grandbaby-on-the-way expression on her face.
She should say something, put a stop to this nonsense before it really got out of hand. “Listen, Mother...”
Then before she could complete the sentence, Gracie leaned over to hug her, gently kissed Janet’s cheek and murmured, “Darling, you’ve made me the happiest mother in the entire world.”
Oh, cripes. What could she say to that?
“Mother,” she whispered, appalled at her own lack of courage, “it’s not as if we’re getting married or anything like that.”
“Maybe not yet. But a mother can hope, can’t she?” Gracie gave her attention to Gage. “Can you come to dinner on Saturday at my house? If you don’t have to work that is. Say one o’clock.”
“Neither of us are on call this weekend, and yes, I’m honored to come to dinner.” He nodded.
“And if she’s good, you can bring her along with you.” Gracie jerked a thumb at Janet.
Great. Now these two were bosom buddies. Her worst nightmare come to pass.
“We’ll be there.” Gage pulled Janet close against his side. “Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”
Janet glared at him. Oh, he was going to pay for this.
“I better go break the news to Oscar that you’re not interested. I wonder if this means he’s going to charge me his hourly rate for dragging him over here on a wild-goose chase,” Gracie mused.
“If he does, I’ll pay his fee,” Gage gallantly offered.
“Aren’t you the sweetest thing?” Gracie pinched one of his cheeks. “Where have you been all her life?”
“Floundering helplessly.” He winked.
Janet rolled her eyes.
They were nuts. Both of them.
“And I can’t wait to tell your Aunt Rhonda the wonderful news, and Nadine and that snotty Mrs. Tattersol who bet me twenty bucks that you would never find anyone to marry you. I’m going to make her pay up.”
“Wait a minute. Hold it. Stop right there.”
Janet felt the color drain from her face. Even though Gage had made his declaration at a diner frequented by hospital staff, it had been too noisy for anyone to overhear their conversation. But Gracie and Mrs. Tattersol were both hospital volunteers. If her mother told the other lady about Gage and her, then it would only be a matter of time before the whole ridiculous story was rampaging throughout Saint Madeleine’s grapevine. The last thing she needed was for anyone at the Blanton Street Group to believe she and Gage were going out.
Gracie blinked. “Why, what’s wrong, dear?”
“You can’t tell anyone that Gage and I are... er... dating.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s an office romance,” Gage interjected.
“Oh.” Gracie lowered her voice. “I see. You haven’t told your colleagues yet.”
“That’s right.” Janet laid a finger against her lips. “Shhh. Mum’s the word.”
“Damn. Can I at least tell Nadine?”
“No one.” Janet frowned.
“All right,” Gracie sighed. “But you’ll let me know as soon as I can tell my friends.”
“Mom, this whole thing between Gage and me is so new. Please don’t get your hopes up.” She flashed Gage a dirty look. He had started this whole fiasco. “It probably won’t last a week.”
Gage arched one eyebrow, pursed his lips, and pretended to look offended. “Honey, say you don’t mean
