“Not those kinds of talents!” she snapped at him. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Gregory.”
“What?” Gage shrugged, feigning innocence, as if he hadn’t been mentally picturing her swinging naked from a trapeze in his bedroom.
Actually, he was kind of enjoying putting Doctor “Ice-wouldn’t-melt-on-her-tongue” in the hot seat. Whenever she got flustered, which granted only seemed to be around her mother, her deep-indigo eyes took on a sexy sheen, and twin spots of color rose high on her patrician cheekbones.
Gage had the strongest urge to reach over and muss her perfect hair, to smudge her flawlessly applied lipstick.
Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to kiss her again and hold her against the length of his body. He wanted to nibble on that long swanlike neck and strum his tongue back and forth across her earlobe.
She was such a challenger with her sharp, cynical wit and that keep-your-distance facade. He knew she would never go out with him for real. Especially now. He had mucked things up when he’d told Gracie they were dating, and he had only been trying to help.
The Good Samaritan got kicked in the teeth sometimes.
Gracie clapped her hands, bringing him back to reality. “You two are just so cute together.”
“You’re not burning something, are you?” Janet asked her mother, but her flinty-eyed stare remained fixed accusingly on him.
“What?” That distracted Gracie, which had been Janet’s intent.
The older woman scurried to the stove and lifted lids and poke at the contents with a fork. The hearty smell of burgundy, sour cream, and beef burst forth and mingled with the earthy, yeasty bread aroma.
His stomach rumbled, but he wasn’t ready to eat. Not yet, because after dinner he was going to have to break up with Janet and he sorta enjoyed being her boyfriend.
What’s the problem, pal? You’re not really dating her. Dine and ditch.
“Darling, would you mind pouring the iced tea into glasses?” Gracie asked Janet.
“I’ll do it,” Gage volunteered, pulling open the freezer compartment of the fridge and getting out ice trays.
That earned him another dirty look from Janet.
“Aren’t you sweet.” Gracie beamed. “And very handy. Your young man is quite a find. You’ve done much better hooking a mate on your own than I could ever do for you.”
“Remember that, Mother. Okay? From now on, there will be no more matchmaking.”
“Don’t worry. Now that I know you’re with Gage, there’s no need. I can rest easy.” Gracie patted one of his biceps. “He’s got great genes. Your babies are going to be so gorgeous.”
“Mother! Stop. You’ll chase him off.”
“I don’t mean to embarrass. Did I embarrass you, Gage?”
“Not a bit, ma’am.”
“See there, he’s not embarrassed.”
Janet sighed and shook her head.
Truthfully, he felt sorry for her. It couldn’t be easy having your mother constantly flinging guys in your path. Getting to know Gracie was helping him understand Janet better. That wall she kept around her heart was as much to ward off Gracie’s unwanted suitors as to protect herself.
Well, he wasn’t one of Gracie’s suitors, and Janet didn’t need to protect herself from him. He meant her no harm.
“We’re almost ready. Janet, you bring the salad to the dining room.” Gracie shoved the salad bowl in her daughter’s hands, and Janet pushed backward through the swinging kitchen doors. “Gage, we’re going to need one more glass of iced tea,” Gracie said to him.
“One more?”
“Please.”
“Mother, why are there four place settings at the table?” Janet came storming back into the kitchen, glowering.
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? We’re having company.”
“Wait a minute! I specifically asked you not to tell anyone that Gage and I were dating. Give it up, Gracie. Whom did you tell? Aunt Rhonda? That flake Nadine? And please don’t tell me that our mystery guest is gossipy Mrs. Tattersol.”
“No dear. I kept your secret.”
“Totally?”
“Well...”
“Who’s coming to dinner and why?” Janet sank her hands on her hips.
“Okay, so I told one person.”
“What one person?”
Why was Janet getting so upset? So what if Gracie spilled the beans to a close relative. No harm done.
Right?
Apparently not.
“Don’t get mad, sweetie. He was really happy for you. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this excited about anything. It just so happens he’s heard of Gage, knows his reputation in the medical community, and he’s very impressed.”
Janet blanched and trembled.
Gage set the glasses of tea he’d had clutched in his hands on the counter and hurried to her side. “Are you all right?”
She reached out to him and gripped his hand for support.
He liked that she was leaning on him, but her reaction confused him. What was going on here?
“Whom did you invite, Mother?” she whimpered, sounding almost like a lost little girl.
The sound jerked on his heartstrings. This wasn’t the proud, independent young doctor he knew. What man could cause this kind of change in her? Was it an old boyfriend? He wondered in a momentary flare of jealousy. Was a bad heartbreak the reason she didn’t believe in love?
“Don’t ask me why, I told him. I suppose I wanted to impress him. After all these years, I guess I’m still trying to win that man’s approval.”
“Who are you talking about?” Janet’s eyes were wide as saucers. Her hold on Gage tightened. “Who’s coming to dinner?”
Gracie looked chagrined. “Why, dear, your father, of course.”
8
At that fortuitous moment, the doorbell chimed.
All three of them stared at each other.
Janet’s heart leaped. Her father was at the front door. The man she had spent a lifetime trying in vain to impress.
Old childhood memories flashed through her head. Infrequent memories when Father would come by the house to pick her up for that occasional birthday excursion or Christmas outing.
If she had tried to kiss him, he would tell her that her face was sticky. If she ran to him for a hug, he would scold her unladylike behavior. If she tried to hold his hand, he’d tell her to quit draping herself over him like kudzu.
“Men despise clinging, dependent females,”
