“Well, I won’t keep you,” he said. “I’m calling to confirm our date.”
Date? A bad choice of words. “You mean the hospital thing?”
“Yes, it’s this Friday morning. How about I swing by your place around nine to pick you up?”
“That’s fine. I’m still not sure of my part in all this, but I’m happy to help out.”
“You are helping out. You’re helping me.”
The way he said it, with such deep sincerity, tugged her heart in ten different ways. And it dawned on her that it wasn’t just returning to work he was partially dreading, but going out in public for the first time with everyone expecting to see Dylan McKay back in true form. That was clearly worrying him. He didn’t know if he was ready for that. He needed the support of his sister and friend.
“And you’re going to make a difference in a lot of children’s lives.”
“I hope to. See you around nine, Em. Sleep tight.”
“You, too.”
Emma ended the call and sat there for a few minutes taking it all in again. She had to stop dwelling on Dylan McKay. Food usually kept her mind occupied. But oddly, she wasn’t hungry. In fact, the thought of eating right now turned her stomach, so she nixed that plan and picked up the TV remote. She hit the on button and her small flat-screen lit up the dark room. The channel, tuned to the local network, was airing a movie. She settled back, propping up her feet, and stared ahead.
Dylan McKay’s handsome face popped up, filling most of the screen, his bone-melting blue eyes gazing into the pretty face of Hollywood’s latest darling, Sophie Adams. The cowboy and his girl were about to ride into the sunset. The camera zoomed in for the movie-ending kiss, and just like that, something cold and painful snared Emma’s heart as Dylan’s mouth locked onto Sophie’s.
Hitting the off button did little to calm her. Why couldn’t she get away from Dylan?
Falling for the unattainable was romantic suicide. She wasn’t that stupid.
She’d just have to get over her secret dibs.
End of story.
* * *
She was ready at precisely nine o’clock. When the doorbell rang, she took a quick glance in the mirror, checking her upswept hairstyle, snowy-white pants and the sherbet-pink blazer she wore over a dotted swiss top. A tiny locket nestled at the base of her throat; that, silver stud earrings and a fashionable chunky watch were all the jewelry she’d opted for. She was going for a professional look without appearing unapproachable to the children. A little thrill ran through her body. Seeing Dylan aside, she was looking forward to meeting the kids, knowing firsthand how hard it was for a youngster to be outside the mainstream. She’d been one of those kids. Lucky for her, she had been healthy, but she’d been different, unloved and unwanted, and she’d never really felt as if she belonged.
Today was all about the kids.
She opened the door and was immediately yanked out of her noble thoughts as she took one look at Dylan standing on her doorstep. She’d expected his driver. But there Dylan was, in the flesh, his bandage gone now, the scar on the side of his head that would eventually heal only making him appear more manly, more dangerous, more gorgeous. Dressed in new jeans and a tan jacket over a white shirt, he smiled at her. “Morning. You look great.”
She didn’t feel great. She had woken up pale as a ghost and feeling boneless from tossing and turning all night. But his compliments could get to her, if she put stock in them. He was smooth. He was the consummate lady-killer. He knew which buttons to push to make females fall at his feet. And with her, she was sure, he wasn’t even trying.
“Thank you. Is Brooke with you?”
He shook his head. “Brooke cracked a tooth this morning. She called me in a panic and said she had to get it fixed right away. I guess it’s because of your event tomorrow, but she bailed. She’s got a hot date with the dentist in twenty minutes.”
Or rather a hot date with Royce next week and she couldn’t go toothless. “Oh. Poor Brooke.”
“She didn’t call you?”
Emma lifted her phone out of her purse and glanced at the screen. “Oh, yeah, she did,” she said. “Looks like a voice mail this morning. I was probably in the shower.”
Dylan’s eyes flickered and roamed over her body. Gosh, he was Flirt Central without even knowing it.
“I’m ready. Or would you like to come in?” Oh, boy, had she really invited him in? The last time he’d been here, they’d...
He glanced behind her and scanned her apartment as if seeing it for the first time. It was clear he didn’t remember coming here.
She put those thoughts out of her mind and wondered what he would think of her two-bedroom apartment tucked into an older residential area of Santa Monica. There were no views of the ocean, no trendy, glamorous furnishings or updated kitchen. But it was all hers. And she loved having...stuff of her own.
“Maybe some other time,” he said politely. “We should probably hit the road.”
After she locked up her apartment, Dylan took her arm and guided her through the courtyard to the limousine parked by the sidewalk. “Here you go,” he said as the driver opened the door. She slid in and Dylan followed. “I haven’t gotten clearance to drive yet,” he explained as he settled into the seat across from her by the window.
But it wasn’t as if being carted around in a limo was foreign to him.
“Thanks again for coming with me today.”
Again, she was struck by his sincerity. “You’re welcome. Actually, I’m looking forward to it.”
He stared at her, waiting for more.
She shrugged. “It’s just that my own childhood wasn’t ideal. If I can do something for these kids, even just as a bystander, I’m all for it. But how are you doing? This is your first venture out in public since the...”
“Accident?” His lips tightened and he sighed. “Let’s just say, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Even though you’ll have your team waiting for you there?”
“My agent and PA are great, don’t get me wrong. But they see me one way. I don’t think they get how hard this has been for me. Losing those days of my life, and losing Roy, has put me at a disadvantage I’m not used to. There are missing pages in my life.”
And she could fill in some of those blanks if she had the courage.
He reached for her hand and laid their entwined fingers on the middle seat between them. “Brooke had good reason to jump ship today. I’m just glad you didn’t bail.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I know. That’s why I asked you to join me. I can count on you.”
They reached Children’s
