Chapter Two
Abby blinked away her shock. He felt responsible for her twenty-first birthday? She wanted to ask where that had come from.
Instead she said, “Aside from the obvious, that it’s now two years after the fact, why would you think you owe me that?”
“When you hired on, you became part of the Marchetti family. I don’t know where my head was back then.”
The dark look was back momentarily, as if he was remembering something unpleasant. He so rarely looked angry, she couldn’t help noticing that it had happened twice in one day. What bad memory had brought that expression to his face? Whatever it was, she had the most absurd desire to make it better.
She pushed the thought away and said, “That’s a no-brainer. Your head was where it always is.” She gave him a wry look. “Buried in business.”
“Maybe.” One corner of his mouth lifted, replacing his tension with teasing. “The fact is, you became an adult and the occasion was not properly acknowledged.”
“It was a long time ago. I don’t care—”
“I do,” he said in his I’m-the-boss voice that suffered no pithy comeback.
“It’s very nice of you to be concerned, Nick. But it’s over. Even if I wanted you to, there’s no way you can get that back for me.”
Abby made a conscious effort to wear a blindfold when she looked back on her life. The past held mostly bad memories. But the future was full of possibilities, as soon as it was her turn.
He glanced at the watch on his wrist and stood up, grabbing his jacket as he did. “I don’t have time to debate this right now. But you will have a birthday celebration.”
“If it involves pointy hats and spin the bottle, count me out.”
He laughed and opened the door. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
Abby stood in the doorway, watching until his broad back was swallowed up by the darkness. She figured there wasn’t too much danger of kissing games for her. Like all the other guys in her past who had tried to plan something with her, Nick would find out she had responsibilities that pushed her own dreams aside.
But the thought of something wild and unpredictable was exciting—for the second and a half she allowed herself to fantasize. Then she filed the daydream under “footloose and fancy-free,” to be pulled out at a later, more convenient time.
Her turn would have to wait.
After dinner, Nick drove Madison home, then walked her to her front door. The building was in an exclusive area of town. This sophisticated high-security condo complex was exactly where a well-bred, up-andcoming female attorney should live.
Sometimes he forgot that Madison Wainright was in such a high-powered profession. She was petite, even smaller than Abby. The black knit dress she wore was a high-collared number that flared at mid-calf and hugged every curve in between. She chose clothes that she thought would make her look taller. From his vantage point she was woefully unsuccessful, since he was looking at the top of her red hair.
He preferred blue-eyed blondes. Although more important than the color of a woman’s hair was her sense of humor. He recalled Abby’s electronics-department comment about woofers and hooters. His mouth twitched again. She had said that on purpose. When she wasn’t hiding behind her professional face, Abby was fun.
So was Madison. Usually. Although he had a feeling her sense of humor had taken the night off. It could be she was preoccupied with the case she was working on, but he suspected he’d done something besides pick her up late to put the wrinkle in her briefs.
At her front door, he stood one step below the porch while she put her key in the lock. The outside light spilled onto the step and sparkled in her green eyes as she glanced hopefully at him. “Would you like to come in for a nightcap?” she asked.
“I wish I could, but there’s an early meeting tomorrow,” he answered.
“Okay. Thanks for dinner.” Her voice was brittle. She pushed the door open and started inside.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Good night, Nick.”
He moved beside her and put his hand on her arm. “Something’s eating you. What is it?”
“We need to talk.”
A shudder slithered through him. He had a feeling he wasn’t the only man on earth who had that reaction to those words. But he figured he had a better reason than most. The last time a woman had said that to him, his life had turned upside down.
He took a deep breath and said, “Okay, shoot.”
She hugged her black clutch purse to her chest. “You’re going to dismiss everything I’m about to say, but it’s time to say it. You don’t have feelings for me, at least not the way I want you to. Although, when you picked me up tonight, I hoped things would be different.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were excited, practically humming with enthusiasm. I haven’t seen you like that in weeks.”
“I’m always upbeat, Madison. And of course I care about you.”
“See? I knew you would dismiss me.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets. “I’m not. I just don’t understand where you’re going with this.”
“We hadn’t finished our dinner salads before the other Nick was back, the one I can’t reach because he’s buried in business.”
Funny, he thought. That’s almost what Abby had said to him earlier. “You make me sound like a schizophrenic, Madison.”
“You are. At least now you are. When we first met, you were attentive. You courted me. It’s what made me fall—” She pulled herself up to her full five feet, one inch, a bit more with heels, and looked him in the eye. “Now you’re like two people. The fun-loving Nick and the one who’s only interested in profits over the last year. The latter is the guy I always see. I’m not sure I like him.”
“Next you’ll accuse me of having an evil twin.”
“That’s what it feels like.”
“You’re exaggerating—”
“Am I? Think about it, Nick.”
He did, trying to remember, and came up empty. He put his hands on her waist and felt her stiffen. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She shook her head. “It’s all right. This probably wasn’t the right time to bring it up.”
“I get the feeling you’re holding something
