In her gray wool slacks, black turtleneck sweater and matching long winter coat, she seemed so young. He was thirty-eight. Not old. But her fresh youthfulness made him feel ancient.
“Why do you think no one listens to you?” he asked suddenly.
“Hmm?” She blinked. “Oh. I have five brothers—three older and twins younger. I love them, but they just don’t have a lot of interest in the things that appeal to me.”
“Jewelry?”
She laughed. “For starters.” She tapped her lip with her index finger, drawing his gaze to her generous, sensual mouth. “But I usually get their attention when they need a get-out-of-the-doghouse gift.”
“Excuse me?”
“When they’ve done a bad, bad thing and the current woman in their life is ready to give them the heave-ho. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve come through for them in a pinch, I would be a wealthy woman. Jewelry has saved many a rocky relationship.”
“Except mine.” But he hadn’t been aware that his relationship was on the rocks. Thanks to Sky Colton. “So what are you going to do about the balance I owe on those rings?”
She sighed. “As much as I could use that money, I can’t in good conscience collect it from you. There’s that whole thing about not kicking someone when they’re down.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He folded his arms over his chest. “I wish all the other wedding arrangements I’ve got to abort could be taken care of as easily.”
Especially in regard to his family, specifically the female members, who would be profoundly disappointed. What was he going to tell his mother? Not to mention his grandmother who’d come all the way from Spain?
“What else do you have to do?” she asked, pulling her coat more snugly around her as the wind kicked up.
“Look, it’s freezing out here. What do you say we go somewhere warm and I buy you dinner?”
She eyed him speculatively. “You’re not planning to slip a little poison in my grits, are you?”
“Now why would I do that? And just how do you think I could pull it off?” he asked, humor tugging at him again.
“My cousin Willow’s friend, Jenna Elliot, is a nurse. By association with her I’ve learned that nurses and obviously doctors have access to drugs. Have prescription pad, will prescribe.”
In spite of his resolve to resist her humor, his mouth curved up. “Did your nurse friend tell you we doctors take an oath to use our powers only for good?”
She laughed again, a merry, cheerful sound. “It’s just, you were so bent out of shape when you came in the shop earlier, I just can’t help wondering why you’d want to take me to dinner.”
He became less angry and more intrigued the longer they talked. On top of that, an idea began to form. It was unconventional, but he had a very immediate problem on the cusp of becoming a crisis. Desperate situations called for outside-the-box solutions. With her help, he might be able to get from Point A to Point B and spend a minimum of emotional energy.
“Let’s call dinner a thank-you for writing off my bill,” he finally answered, taking her elbow. “Besides, I’m in desperate need of a woman.”
Chapter Two
“Hold it right there, Doc.” Sky pulled her arm from his grasp. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
“No. Wait. You’ve got it all wrong.”
Starting to shiver, she turned up the collar on her coat. “I hate to tell you this, but after a statement like you just made, there’s no right way to take it. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
“Look,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’re going to catch your death out here and I’ve taken an oath to save lives. Let’s go someplace warm where we can talk. I’ve got a proposition for you.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better—how, Doctor?” She held up her index fingers and made a cross.
“My name is Dom.”
“Okay.”
“I swear it’s not what you think. If I’m lying—”
“What?” she asked.
He shifted his feet on the sidewalk. “Give me a second. I’m trying to come up with something that will convince you of my sincerity.”
“How about if you’re lying I turn my five brothers and four big, burly male cousins loose on you. And before you answer, I should warn you, my family is in law enforcement. My father is retired army and then a security consultant. One of those burly cousins I mentioned is the sheriff of Black Arrow. My brother Jesse is with the National Security Agency and Billy is a major in the army. They both know three hundred ways to kill a man with their bare hands. Then there’s my brother Grey—a judge. After the rest of them get finished with you, he could send what’s left up the river for a really long time.”
By the time she finished, he was laughing. Sky blinked, then stared. She couldn’t believe the difference. He went from angry austere doctor to approachable human male in zero point three seconds. Her heart kicked into a lively cha-cha as she noted what a very attractive smile he had. He’d been a hunk-and-a-half a minute ago. Now he was off the scale.
“You think I’m kidding?” she asked.
She was stalling, trying to sidestep the emotional danger she’d unwittingly unleashed. If she were smart, she would turn on her heel and leave him in the dust. She didn’t want to be attracted to a man. Especially one who was on the rebound—a fact for which he blamed her. But she wasn’t smart. She stood there and continued to bask in the warmth of his smile until it faded.
“I don’t think you’re joking.” He shook his head, but humor still lurked in his eyes and turned up the corners of his mouth. “I believe you have contacts in law enforcement.”
“So you want to make me a proposition and you don’t need a woman, right?”
“Wrong. I want—actually, I need to talk to you. If you’re offended by what I have to say, bring on the family testosterone.”
“All right then. But you don’t have to buy me dinner.”
Sky trusted this man. Maybe because Shelby had talked about him as if he had wings, a halo and walked on water. Could it be that medical school training in bedside manner helped generate trust in patients? Whatever it was, except for one notable exception when her heart had been the only casualty, she was a good judge of people. Sky knew there was nothing to fear from Dominic Rodriguez.
She angled her head toward the second story above her shop. “My apartment is over the store. I’ll cook dinner for you.”
“You don’t have to do that—”
“You don’t think I can cook?”
“No, I—”
She sighed—loudly. “You’re just digging yourself in deeper, Doctor.”
“I meant no offense.” He blew out a long breath, creating a smoky cloud of white between them. “I’m sure you’re a fine cook. It’s just I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“No trouble. I like to cook. It’s relaxing. Besides, it’s Friday night. Restaurants in town will be crowded and we’ll have to wait. We can be warm and cozy in no time and I’ll whip up something that will fill that empty place in your tummy before you can say code blue.”
“Code blue?” he questioned, lifting one eyebrow.
“I watch TV.”
“So you said.”
“This