Heart to heart boxed set, p.2
Heart to Heart Boxed Set, page 2
“Hi, Caroline. It’s been a while.”
“I’m surprised to see you here without Jonathan.” Caroline smirked and led them to a table in the middle of the room.
Lucas flashed his winning smile. “Come on, Caro. Give us one of the booths along the wall.”
Caroline giggled. “Okay, but only if you promise to come to my house for dinner next Sunday.” Her sultry half-lidded eyes left no doubt what she wanted for dessert.
“Let me get back to you,” Lucas murmured. “I’m doing renovations on the house and have workers coming and going right now so things are a little crazy.”
“Okay, but don’t forget.” She dropped two menus on the table. “Enjoy your dinner. Say hello to Jonathan for me, Annie.” Caroline sashayed off, flicking long blond hair over one slim shoulder.
“Sorry about that.” Lucas picked up a menu. His gaze roamed over the colorful pictures of steak dinners. “So. Who’s Jonathan?”
2
Lucas studied Annie as she shifted and peered at him over the top of her reading glasses. “Jonathan?”
“Um-hum. I’m pretty sure that’s the name Caro mentioned. Twice.”
She sat back in the booth and studied her menu. “He’s a friend.”
He waited two heartbeats. “Boyfriend-friend?” He turned the page, not having read a single thing, grateful the menu wasn’t upside down..
She blew out a breath. “I’m a little old for a boyfriend.”
He raised one eyebrow and fixed his gaze on her. Two spots of red appeared on her cheeks as she adjusted her reading glasses.
Teen energy bubbled over as a young girl arrived at their table, snapping her gum and grinning. “Hi, my name is Pepper. I’ll be your waitress this evening. Can I get you guys something to drink?” Snap, snap.
“Annie?” Lucas touched her hand. Soft, warm, lots of rings adorning delicate fingers.
“Just water for me.” She placed her hands in her lap and smiled at the waitress.
Water? Maybe next she’d order bread to go with it, and call it dinner. “How about a glass of wine?”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s Monday.” She chewed the side of her bottom lip.
How the hell can a forty-something woman chewing her lip look adorable?
“Come on, a glass of wine to celebrate.”
Annie raised one eyebrow. “And what exactly are we celebrating?”
“Um, let’s see.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. “How about my retirement?”
She laughed and turned to the waitress. “White wine, please.”
“And you can bring me a beer, whatever you have on tap.”
“Okie dokie, comin’ right up.” With one last snap of her gum, Pepper bounced away.
They looked at each other and mouthed at the same time, “Pepper?”
“So why does Monday make a difference between water and wine?” He leaned back, stretching his arm across the top of the booth. The dim light from the wall sconce cast her in a wash of gold. He could get used to looking at this woman.
A small hand rose from her lap to fidget with the cloth napkin. “I don’t drink on a workday.”
“Do you have a problem with alcohol?” He winced. Brain and mouth disconnect.
“Of course not!” Her face flushed. “I don’t like to drink when I have to work in the morning.”
“I’m sorry if I offended you.” He reached out, again took her hand in both of his. “It’s just the only people I’ve ever met who had rules about alcohol were those who had a problem with it.” He flashed a full-mouth smile as he rubbed her knuckles. “I’ve obviously been hanging around the wrong people. Forgive me?”
She hesitated for a moment. “Yes, I forgive you.” Her breasts rose and fell, drawing his gaze to the taut fabric as it stretched over her chest when she inhaled. “I’m the type of person who seems to have rules for everything.” Gently, she eased her hand out from under his.
He pulled his gaze from her chest to her eyes. “So, before our waitress’s partner, Salt, comes along to deliver our drinks, tell me about Jonathan.”
“There’s nothing to tell. Jonathan’s a friend of mine. We go out occasionally, sometimes here or to a movie. Nothing fascinating.”
Pepper returned, setting a wine glass before Annie and a mug of beer in front of him, foam oozing over the side and puddling on the beige tablecloth. Annie smiled her thanks to the girl, then circled her slender fingers around the stem of the glass.
“Have you guys decided on what y’all want for dinner?” Snap, snap.
Lucas cocked one eyebrow. “Are you ready, Annie?”
“Yes. I’ll have a baked potato, no butter or sour cream, and grilled asparagus.”
“No steak?” Snap, snap.
Annie shook her head, took a sip of wine.
The teeny bopper turned her perky attention to him.
“I’ll have the rib eye steak and fries.”
“Ya want the asparagus with that?” Snap, snap.
He winced. “God, no.”
Pepper breezed off.
Annie had her hand over her mouth to hide a smile. “Don’t like vegetables?”
He shuddered. “I force myself once in a while, but no, I don’t like the green things. You don’t like steak?”
Annie’s chin rose a notch. “I’m a vegetarian. I eat some fish, but no meat.”
“My grandpappy, a Kiowa, said his tribe’s definition of a vegetarian is ‘bad hunter.’”
Annie frowned, but her lips twitched.
Oh boy. Rules, vegetables, and no alcohol during the week. He sure picked the wrong woman to get horny over. But his body had stopped paying attention to his brain this morning when she landed in his arms. The scent of lilac floated in the air as she shifted in her seat. Heat gathered in an uncomfortable spot.
“Why the need to feel secure?” At her startled look, he added, “You thought I forgot, didn’t you?” A little conversation would get his blood back to his brain.
“I’m beginning to feel like I’m under investigation.” She attempted a smile but didn’t quite make it.
“I guess I need to apologize again. Force of habit, I’m afraid.”
Her tongue darted to clear the drop of wine from her lip. “Oh?”
Blood rushed downward again. At this rate he’d probably pass out from lack of blood flow to his brain. “During my twenty-five years at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, I did a lot of interrogating. I don’t mean to come across like I’m questioning you. I’m just interested.” He leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table.
“Things in my marriage were…difficult. I wanted familiar things around me while I recovered.”
“Recovered?” His hands tightened around the beer glass. Years of experience had very large and loud bells ringing madly in his head.
“Oh, wrong word. Sorry. I mean, um, I was tired from all the hours I’d been putting in at work. You know, stress.” Her face flushed a bright red.
Boy, if she were a suspect, right now I’d be locking her up. She doesn’t lie well.
Their food arrived, and conversation ceased for a while.
* * *
Annie studied Lucas as they ate. Even in the midst of her intense youthful crush, his gaze never affected her like this. Hot and cold at the same time, she felt giddy like their gum-snapping waitress.
His interest in Jonathan surprised her. She and Jonathan had been in school together. He stayed in Duncan all his life, had three ex-wives. She had no desire to be ex-wife number four. Deep in debt between child support and alimony payments, Jonathan had made it clear this was a platonic relationship. But he was fun, and they enjoyed many of the same things. Comfortable was the right word to describe their relationship. That’s what she wanted in her middle years. Comfortable. Being with Lucas would be something entirely different—something exciting and wild and foolish.
And scary.
He finished his coffee and sat back, stretching his legs, his eyes never leaving hers. “You look good, Annie.”
Heat shot through her, pooling in an awkward spot. “Thanks, you look pretty good, too.”
“How’d you and your ex end up in California?”
“I met him in college. Dean was one of the security guards on campus. California was his home state. We moved there, and he joined the San Jose police department. Not much more to tell.” She shrugged. “It didn’t work out, so I came home.” It amazed her how she could sum up all the torture of her ten-year marriage with a shrug and “it didn’t work out.” Even her brother wasn’t privy to the whole story of those years.
“Children?”
Her muscles tensed. “No. He didn’t want kids, so…” She attempted a smile. “How about you and Patty? Kids?”
“Twins. Boys. Lucky for us, because that gave us an excuse why they came early.” His expression said more than his words.
So Patty had been pregnant. Annie swallowed, her mouth dry. She’d always wondered about his quick wedding and even faster move to Oklahoma City. Her teenage heart had been crushed. She’d hoped he was waiting for her to grow up.
Pepper skipped back, check in hand, ponytail swinging. “Anything else I can get you guys?” Snap, snap.
Lucas reached for the bill. “No. That’s fine. Thank you, Pepper.”
“Okay, y’all have a good night.” Snap, snap.
They grinned at each other as they rose. Lucas threw bills on the table and took Annie’s hand. After years of avoiding men, more specifically men who touched, it amazed her how comforting the feel of his grip was. Because he was an old friend, or was there more to it? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer.
Caroline spotted them as they left, held her pinky to her mouth and thumb to her ear, mouthing the words “call me.” Lucas tugged on his hat before giving Caroline a slight smile.
Once settled in the Jeep, Annie turned to him. “Caroline seems to know you pretty well.” She could have bitten off her tongue. That was definitely a smirk on his face.
“I know Caro from Oklahoma City. She’s a cousin, or something, to one of the women at the Bureau. She visited once in a while, and we had lunch a couple times. Nothing more than that. I was married until a year ago.” He shot her a look. “I don’t cheat.”
Wow. That response was a little strong. She’d bet there was more to his story, too. Silence filled the Jeep during the short ride to the store. Strong hands yanked the wheel and whipped the Jeep into the parking lot behind the building. Her pale blue Honda Civic sat by itself, under the LED outdoor light.
Her gaze fluttered to her lap, where stiff fingers fumbled with her skirt. “Is Caroline the reason you moved back home?”
Lucas released his seat belt and turned toward her. “No. Would that matter?” His deep voice slid over her like warm honey.
She shrugged, staring straight ahead. Her heart flipped and her stomach settled in relief.
“Annie. Look at me.”
Almost of its own will, her head turned. The smile in his eyes contained a sensuous flame. Her nipples tightened, and her stomach clenched. Something she hadn’t felt in years. His eyes glowed with pleasure, his mouth tipped at the edges, and he tilted his head ever so slightly to the left. She’d seen that look before on several of Dean’s friends, most of them sporting wedding rings. Always had her wondering if her husband had set her up. A little “test” to go along with his other quirks.
“There’s a strong attraction here, between us. I hope you feel it, too. The last thing I want to do is frighten you.”
She stiffened.
“Relax.” His knuckles stroked her cheek. “I’m too old for seduction in the front seat of a car.” With his warm hand on her chin, he kissed her softly, a mere brush of lips.
He tasted like coffee and the after-dinner mint he’d had. And something else, all Lucas. His soft lips started slow, then claimed her mouth in a hard kiss.
She pulled back, her eyes wide. “I’d better go.” Her insides twisted with fear and regret. This was twenty-five years too late. Never again would she allow a man to get close.
“Okay.” He watched her with curious eyes. “I’ll walk you to your car.” He left the Jeep, came around, and opened her door.
She pulled the calendar out of her purse. “Lucas, we never made an appointment.”
He leaned his forearm on the car, staring off into space for a moment. “How about now?”
The grown-up fearful woman in her wanted to run home and bolt the door, hide in the closet. The teenager with the wild crush on Lucas Raven said “go for it.” The teenager won. “That would work. It’s still early.”
Lucas gave her that heart-thumping smile. “Okay, follow me in your car.”
* * *
Recently widowed, Sarah Rogers had lived in her house forty-nine years, having moved in the day she married her husband, Fred. She’d put it up for sale after her husband died. Annie heard she’d moved into a retirement home. Sarah came into the shop from time to time, talking about all the “treasures” she had in her attic. The antique lover in Annie was almost salivating at the thought of getting her hands on some of them.
She pulled up behind Lucas in the long driveway. The old house was obviously going through renovations. Part of the roof had a huge blue tarpaulin strung across, anchored with bricks. The white shingles on the outside walls of the house had a new coat of paint, as did the black trim on the doorway and shutters. A new solid-oak porch replaced the rickety one Annie remembered, the smell of new wood perfume to her nostrils. They made their way into the house and up the stairs.
Though the evening temperatures had cooled to about seventy degrees, the stifling air in the attic took her breath away. She pressed her fingers against the wall to gain her equilibrium and her breath as she adjusted to the heat. One dim light bulb hung from a cord in the middle of the huge space. A yellowish glow filtered across the room, leaving most of it cloaked in shadow.
“I put the things in those three boxes.” Lucas pointed at a small stack near the back wall. “Given the light in here, I’ll carry them down to the kitchen for you to look through.”
She headed towards the stack. “I can carry one.”
Lucas stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “No, let me. You go on to the kitchen. There’s iced tea in the fridge.” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Pour me a glass if you will.”
His touch still excited and scared her. She didn’t want this. Or maybe she didn’t want to want it. Her life had been comfortable before Lucas walked into her store this morning. Was she too young for comfortable?
Sometimes life sucked.
The smell of paint reached her before she entered the kitchen. A lot of work had been done in the room. A long time ago, she’d brought some soup to Sarah when she wasn’t feeling well. That kitchen in no way resembled this modernized, bright-yellow room. New white cabinets replaced the dark wooden ones, and the shiny gray tile floor was a vast improvement over the ripped and faded flowered linoleum. A huge bay window with a padded bench underneath filled a wall that had previously contained a small single window with blinds drawn tight. Her spirits lifted as soon as she stepped across the threshold. What a great place to cook a meal!
Unlike most bachelors, Lucas’s refrigerator had food in it. She smiled. On second glance, his beer, iced tea, leftover pizza, eggs, steak, and hamburger patties in no way compared to her small fridge at home stocked with yogurt, fresh fruit, tofu, and salad mixings.
She rummaged around the cabinets until she found two tall glasses and poured the tea. As she placed them on the table, Lucas entered, carrying the three boxes, his muscles bulging with the strain. Show-off.
He lined them up on the table and sucked down a large gulp of the tea. “Thanks.”
Annie slid dark-framed reading glasses out of her pocket and bent over the boxes. Some items, such as the china pieces and small crystals, would sell very quickly; the old books she wasn’t too sure about.
“Take your time.” His voice, close to her ear, broke with huskiness. He pulled back when she jumped, then shifted a bit. Moving away from her, he straddled a chair, and placed the empty tea glass on the table. “What made you go into the antique business?”
She took a deep breath to calm herself. “It seemed to suit my personality. I love history and all things old.” She turned toward him and took a sip of tea. “I was a history major in college.”
He nodded for her to continue.
“When I came back from California, I needed to earn a living so I began working in the antique shop with the prior owner. Before he retired to Texas, I bought him out.”
“Don’t tell me old Warren Mallory still owned the place?” He flashed a smile, and her stomach fluttered.
“Yes, he did. He called the store This Old Stuff.” She winced. “Can you imagine?”
“I must admit, I like Heirlooms of the Heart much better.”
She pulled out a doll. It stood about eighteen inches and had a china head with a painted face. The eyes were black and gazed at her like a shark. The hair, also black, could have been human or synthetic. The dress was old and faded, most likely handmade. “Look at this.”
Lucas stood and took it out of her hand. “It appears to be very old. But then, as an antique guru, you probably know that.”
“It’s creepy.” Annie rubbed her palms up and down her arms.
As he held it up to the light, turning it, a shiver raced across her flesh. The eyes appeared to look straight at her, no matter which angle he turned it.
He seemed to pick up on her reluctance. “You don’t have to take it.”
“No. I’ll take it. It’s different. I may find a buyer who actually likes it.” She laughed, but the uneasy feeling settled firmly in her stomach. This was ridiculous. She dealt with old things all the time. Nothing before had made her uneasy, yet the doll did.
“Stack the things you want on the counter, I’ll get another box to put them in. These are kind of dusty from the attic.”
Annie packed the doll, an old journal, various pieces of china, some crystal, several bookends, a beautifully painted lighthouse, and a small statue of a woman holding a child to her breast into the box Lucas gave her.
