I used to see her quite a bit. She’s a sweet lady.”
“She has me a bit worried. It’s probably nothing. Maybe she drank grape juice with breakfast and that’s what she saw when she spat up. I don’t know. I just feel as if I’m missing something.”
“You want me to have a look at her for a second opinion?”
“Would you mind?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded. I’ll be at the hospital with you anyway.”
“Good point.” She got her purse from a desk drawer, then stood. “You ready to go so we can get this over with?”
“‘This’ as in the hospital or the night in general?”
She met his gaze, lifted one shoulder in a semishrug. “We’ll see. Oh, and if you think you’re going to get away with just feeding me frozen yogurt, you’re wrong. I’m not one of those ‘forever dieting and watching her carbs’ chicks you normally date who doesn’t eat. I expect real food before frozen yogurt.”
Lance grinned at the woman sitting next to him in his car. Twice in less than a week she’d been in his car when he’d begun to wonder if she was ever going to admit there was something between them.
He understood her concerns regarding them working together, but it wasn’t as if they worked side by side day in and day out. More like in the same office complex and caught glimpses of each other from time to time with occasional prolonged interaction. With other women he might be concerned about a “work romance,” but not with McKenzie. She was too professional to ever let a relationship interfere with work.
Thinking back over the past few months, really from the time he’d first met her a couple years ago when she’d moved back to Coopersville after finishing her medical training, he’d been fascinated by McKenzie. But other than that he’d catch her watching him with a curious look in her eyes, she hadn’t seemed interested in anything more than friendship and was obviously not in a life phase where she wanted a serious relationship.
Not that he wanted that either, but he also didn’t want to become last month’s flavor within a few weeks. She didn’t seem interested in dating anyone longer than a month. It was almost as if she marked a calendar and when thirty days hit, she moved on to the next page of her dating life.
Although he had no plans of marriage ever, he did prefer committed relationships. Just not those where his partner expected him to march her down the aisle.
He owed Shelby that much. More. So much more. But anything beyond keeping his vow to her was beyond his reach.
Since his last breakup he definitely hadn’t been interested in dating anyone except McKenzie. If he was being completely honest, he hadn’t been interested in dating anyone else for quite some time.
Oddly enough, since she dated regularly and routinely, she’d repeatedly turned him down. Which, since she was obviously as attracted to him as he was her, made no sense. Unless she truly was more a stickler for not dating coworkers than he believed.
“Have you ever dated a coworker in the past?”
At his question, she turned to him. “What do you mean?”
“I was just curious as to why going on a date with me was such a big deal.”
“I didn’t say going on a date with you was a big deal,” she immediately countered.
“My references say that going on a date with me is a very big deal.”
“Yeah, well, you might need to update that reference because I’m telling you Mommy Dearest doesn’t count.”
He grinned at her quick comeback. He liked that about her, that she had an intelligence and wit that stimulated him. “Did you think about our kiss?”
“What?”
He grinned. He knew that one would throw her off balance. “I was just curious. Did you think about our kiss on your porch this weekend?”
“I’m not answering that.” She turned and stared out the window.
Lance laughed. “You don’t have to. I already know.”
“I don’t like how you think you know everything about me.”
“I wouldn’t presume to say I know everything about you by a long shot, but your face and eyes are very expressive so there’s some things you don’t hide well.”
“Such as?”
“Your feelings about me.”
“Sorry. Loathing tends to do that to a girl.”
There went that quick wit again. He grinned. “Keep telling yourself that and you might convince yourself, but you’re not going to convince me. I’ve kissed you, remember?”
“How could I forget when you keep reminding me?”
He laughed again. “I plan to keep reminding you.”
“I have a good memory. No reminders needed.”
“I’m sure you do, but I enjoy reminding you.”
“Because?”
“You normally don’t fluster easily, yet I manage to fluster you.”
“You say that as if it’s a good thing,” she accused from the passenger seat.
Seeing the heightened color in her cheeks, hearing the pitch-change to her voice, watching the way her eyes sparked to life, he smiled. “Yes, I guess I do. You need to be flustered, and flustered good.”
“Why am I blushing?”
“Because you have a dirty mind?” he suggested, shooting her a teasing look. “And you liked that I kissed you today in your office and Friday night on your porch.”
“Let’s change the subject. Let’s talk about Edith and her bowel movements.”
He burst out laughing. “You have a way with words, McKenzie.”
“Let’s hope they include no, no and no again.”
“Then I just have to be sure to ask the right questions, such as, do you want me to stop kissing you, McKenzie?”
She just rolled her eyes and didn’t bother giving a verbal answer.
There really wasn’t any need.
They both already knew that she liked him kissing her.
EDITH DIDN’T
