you always so feisty in the morning? Or are you just grumpy because you skipped your caffeine fix? I know that first cup does wonders for me. See, I’m smiling.” His lips bowed into a ridiculous grin.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. She honestly didn’t know what to make of the man. His personal hygiene was impressive, but other than the kitchen his house was a disgrace. And last night he was crankier than an old bear, yet this morning he was smiling. He was one walking contradiction.
Lucas held out his hand. “Let me have your keys and I’ll pull your car up to the door so you don’t get soaked.”
“I don’t have one.” She’d left her car in Pennsylvania, figuring city driving was not something she wanted to attempt.
“Did you call a taxi?”
“I don’t need one.” She pulled a red umbrella from her tote. “I’m armed and ready.”
“Have you looked outside? It’s still pouring. That umbrella isn’t going to help much.”
“Thanks for caring. But I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now. I’ll be fine.”
When she started to move toward the front door, he reached out and grabbed her upper arm. His touch was firm but gentle. Goose bumps raced down to her wrists, lifting the fine hair on her arms. She glanced down at where his fingers were wrapped around her and immediately his hand pulled away.
“Sorry. I just wanted a chance to offer you a lift. I’ll go grab my wallet and keys.” He dashed down the hallway without waiting for her to say a word.
This was ridiculous. She couldn’t let herself start going soft. There was only her and Molly and right now, her daughter needed her to be strong for both of them. She would walk to the hospital as planned. It wasn’t that many blocks and she’d already done it a number of times.
She quietly let herself out the front door, feeling bad about skipping out on Lucas. For some reason, he was really trying to be a good sport about finding a stranger living in his house. She wondered if she would have been so understanding if the roles had been reversed.
* * *
“Kate, I’ve got them.” Lucas called out from the kitchen. “We can go now.”
Lucas had never met a woman quite like her. Her tenacity combined with a hint of vulnerability got to him on some level. He sensed she wasn’t the type to ask for help and would only take it if it was pressed upon her. Maybe that was why he was going out of his way to be kind to her—because she appeared to be in need of a friend and would never ask for one.
He strode to the foyer with his jacket on and keys in hand. But Kate was gone. He called out to her, but there was no sound. Surely she hadn’t skipped out on him.
He stepped outside to look for her. The rain was picking up and so was the wind. But there was no sign of Kate in either direction. This was not a day where an umbrella would do a person much good.
Without taking time to question his next move, he was in his car and driving around the block. She couldn’t have gotten far. And then he spotted a perky red umbrella. In the windy weather, Kate struggled to keep a grip on the umbrella with one hand while clutching her suitcase with the other.
He slowed next to her and lowered the window. “Get in.”
She ignored him and kept walking. A gust of wind blew hard and practically pulled the umbrella free from her hold. In the end, she’d held on to it, but the wire skeleton now bowed in the wrong direction, rendering the contraption totally useless.
“Get in the car before you’re soaked to the skin.”
She stood there for a second as though ready to burst into tears. Then pressing her lips into a firm line, she straightened her shoulders and stepped up to the car. He jumped out to take her things from her.
Once they were stowed away, he climbed back in the driver’s seat. “Where are we off to?”
“East Riverview Hospital.”
Her face was devoid of any expression, leaving him to wonder about the reason for her visit. She’d mentioned meeting his aunt there, but she hadn’t added any details. Was she visiting a sick relative? Or was there something wrong with her? Was that the reason for her drawn cheeks and dark circles under her eyes?
He wanted to know what was going on, but he kept quiet and eased back into traffic. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him. Otherwise it was none of his business. He assured himself it was best to keep a cordial distance.
* * *
Kate settled back against the leather seat. She hated to admit it, but she was thankful for the ride. She hadn’t any idea that there would be so much ponding on the sidewalks. Her feet were wet and cold.
As though reading her thoughts, Lucas adjusted the temperature controls and soon warm air was swirling around her. It’d been a long time since someone had worried about her. For just a second, she mused about what it’d be like to date the Bachelor of the Year—he certainly was easy on the eyes and very kind. More than likely, he had his pick of women. The thought left her feeling a bit unsettled.
She couldn’t let herself get swept away by Lucas’s charms. She had a notorious record with unreliable men. Why would Lucas be any different? After all, she knew next to nothing about him—other than he was a lousy housekeeper. He’d dismissed his desperately needed maid service. And he went out of his way for strangers he found squatting in his house. Wait. She was supposed to be listing his negative qualities.
She needed to make an important point not only to him but also to herself. “You know, I would have been fine on my own. You didn’t have to ride to my rescue.”
“I had to go out anyway.”
“And you just happened to be going in the same direction.”
“Something like that.”
The car rolled to a stop at an intersection. Lucas glanced at her. His probing eyes were full of questions. Like what was a small-town girl doing in the Big Apple? And how had she befriended his aunt? And the number one question that was dancing around in his mind: Why was she going to the hospital?
He didn’t push or prod. Instead he exuded a quiet strength. And that only made it all the more tempting to open up to him—to dump the details of the most tragic event in her life into his lap. No, she couldn’t do that. No matter how nice he was to her, letting him in was just asking for trouble.
Afraid he’d voice his inevitable questions, she decided to ask him a few of her own. “What’s the story with the house? Why does it look frozen in time?”
Lucas’s facial features visibly hardened. “I haven’t had time to deal with it.”
“Have you owned the place long?”
“My family has lived there for generations.”
Wow. She couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to have family roots that went that deep. Her relatives were the here-today-gone-tomorrow type. And they never bothered to leave a forwarding address. Once in a while a postcard would show up from her mother. Her father...
