Chapter 11
Between taking Grandpop to his doctor’s appointment, getting the new bike shop in shape and keeping tabs on the original store, Blake was too busy during the week to do more than exchange a quick email or two with Vi. She seemed equally busy. Both of them checked in with their grandparents daily. Grandpop was focused on his bruised rib and the swelling and discoloring there and on his cheek. He didn’t talk about anything else. According to Vi, the discussion with Caroline was much the same.
As busy as Blake was, he often thought about Vi. Brief emails only said so much. How was she doing at work? Mostly though, he thought about other things. The sweetness of her hand in his when he’d needed it. The eager taste of her lips. The prissy hairdo she wore when she was at work, and the swishy ponytail otherwise.
He’d known her exactly one week, but with everything that’d happened it felt much longer. Small wonder, the way their grandparents put them through an emotional wringer. She was outspoken but not obnoxious, intelligent, and an all-around decent person. She’d been standoffish at first, but that had quickly faded. She came across as a confident woman, and yet… He couldn’t get over her opinion that she was average when she was beautiful and hot.
Meanwhile, he was on-edge. Were his grandfather and Caroline still mad at each other, or had they broken up since their fight? Heck if he knew. He hadn’t heard a thing about that from the man, and according to Vi, Caroline was also mum on the subject. Best to let each of them alone with their thoughts.
Except the silence was killing him. No doubt, Vi was in the same boat. He’d grown frustrated waiting the man out. To hell with that. Time to pay a visit to the 709 and get the real scoop, then contact Vi and share what he learned.
But on the way to the retirement home, he changed his mind and decided to drop by her place instead. After a quick visit to the grocery and a nearby diner, he headed for the townhouse.
By Friday,sick of the long hours and ready to wind down and forget work for a while, Vi left the office at five o’clock. Once home, she considered various options. Seeing a movie with Carmie sounded fun—if she didn’t have plans with Chris. Treating herself to dinner someplace, and then doing the movie thing solo would be okay, or scrounging up something to eat at home, sipping wine while watching the tube, then falling into bed for a much-needed long night’s sleep.
Undecided, she poured a glass of wine and sat down to think about it. The doorbell chimed. Who could that be? She frowned. Rose wasn’t due back till the following evening. Maybe one of the neighbors needed to borrow an egg or a cup of sugar. She’d done that a time or two herself.
The last person she expected to see on the front stoop was Blake. In jeans, a faded denim jacket and a slate-blue Henley shirt that brought out the navy color of his piercing eyes, he looked yummy enough to—Vi shut off the thought. She was not going to drool over a man she had no business getting involved with. “Hi, there. What brings you here?” she asked, happier to see him than was wise.
“It’s Friday night, I’m tired, and I want to hang with someone who’s going through the same hell as me. That’d be you. Besides, we haven’t talked for a week, and the texting is getting old.”
Of course, the thing with the grandparents. Nothing remotely romantic in that. Which was good, though deep down a part of her wanted him to be interested in her romantically, even if it did spell trouble.
She shoved the blasphemous thought from her mind just as he held up a bag from McPherson’s, a popular diner, and threw her an irresistible grin. “I brought sustenance. Gonna let me in?”
“McPherson’s—yum,” she said, salivating as he stepped inside. “I love that place. What all did you get?”
He handed her the bag and shrugged out of his jacket. The shirt was long-sleeve and oh, my, those broad shoulders and flat belly. She couldn’t help but remember the feel of his body so close the other night… She swallowed hard.
“First, I stopped at Collingwood’s Grocery for a bottle of wine,” he said, thankfully oblivious to her admiration. “Then I picked up two orders of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with a side of gravy, and green beans. They packed it piping hot, but it’s cooled off a bit and should be heated before we eat—that is, if you haven’t had dinner yet.”
“I haven’t, and I’m hungry. It smells really good.”
“Music to my ears. Let’s—” Mr. T sashayed toward him. He stopped what he was saying and crouched down. “Hey there, buddy,” he said, and rubbed the area on the tom’s back just above his tail. Loud purring ensued.
“He likes you,” Vi said, and so did she. “I just opened a bottle of wine, so save yours for another time. Give me that food, pour yourself a glass from the open bottle, and I’ll start the microwaving.”
Man and cat followed her into the kitchen. She pointed out the cabinet with the wine glasses and set to work. While the food heated, she handed plates and silverware to Blake. Moments later, the kitchen filled with the smells of fried chicken and gravy.
“Oh, the aroma,” she said and licked her lips. “You took a big chance stopping by without calling first.” Normally, she preferred advance notice and the chance to say no thanks, but she was really happy to see him and the food. “What if I’d made dinner for myself?”
“C’mon, Vi, don’t frown at me, not after all we’ve been through. You’re right, I should’ve phoned. It was a spur-of-the moment thing. We haven’t had a chance to talk since the accident. I figured we’d eat while we caught up. Don’t I get points for bringing dinner?”
Wearing an earnest and innocent expression, he was irresistible. “I’ll forgive you this once,” she said, adding a grumble for effect.
He flashed another charming grin, and she had a hunch he got away with pulling stuff like this with other women he dated. But she wasn’t dating him, she reminded herself. Far from it. She wasn’t about to fall under his spell and get involved like that, only to be dumped when he moved on.
“What’s the latest at DD Telecom?” he asked as they sat down at the eating counter.
He would bring that up. “Please, not that, just when I’m ready to dig in. In a nutshell, it’s a mess, and you know how I love that.” She paused to sip her wine. “We’re all working long hours without much to show for it.”
He squinted at her. “If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll get sick.”
“Who has time for that?” She sighed. “What you mean is, I look tired. It’s true, I’m running myself ragged, and I’m not the only one. Things are so bad, I don’t know how much longer any of us can continue to work at this pace. I’m doing everything I can to help, but I feel like Sisyphus, pushing a heavy rock up a steep hill, only to have it roll to the bottom again.”
“Sounds brutal. What about finding a new job?”
“I’ve thought about that, but I love this company. I’m determined to hang on and do what I do while it struggles to right itself. How are things at the bike shop?”
“Busy, but nothing like your situation. After a few rough starts, things are coming together pretty much on schedule. Wait’ll you see it. Which reminds me, our grand opening is the first day of May. That’s a Wednesday. You’re invited.”
“Thanks. I’ll try to make it—if I’m still standing.” She managed a slight smile. “I’ll add it to my calendar right now, before I forget. What time?”
“It’s an all-day thing, starting at nine a.m. and ending eight p.m. Stop by when you can. I’m running ads on social media, the Port Simms Weekly and the radio, and offering a discount on rentals and purchases made during the first week. Ross, the cycling buddy I told you about the other day, is doing a decent job interviewing and hiring. That’s a big load off my shoulders. He mentioned wanting to stay on, but he tends to change jobs frequently, and I don’t want to end up in another situation of losing my HR person.”
“He sounds like Rose. She switches a lot, too, but she doesn’t really have to work. Her husband Peter is a hotshot surgeon and makes plenty of money.”
“I’ll bet.” They finished the meal. “It won’t get dark for a while and it’s still nice outside. Let’s take a walk.”
“What a great idea,” Vi said. “I’ve pretty much been inside since Monday morning. Why don’t I show you around?”
“I saw the play area and a few other places when I was here before, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them again.”
“I meant outside the complex. There’s a park nearby and a lot of cute little shops. Why don’t we take a look?” As they headed toward the park, Vi marveled at the changes in the landscape over the past week. “Suddenly, flowers are budding and blooming everywhere. The air smells so good. Without this walk I would’ve missed it, and spring is one of my favorite seasons of the year.” She gave Blake a grateful smile. “This is exactly what I needed.”
“There’s that beautiful smile. I’m thinking about dessert. Is that an Ice Creamery down and across the street?”
“Sure is.” Very much in the mood for ice cream, she hurried to the crosswalk. “Let’s go before the light turns.”
Blake reached for her hand much as he had the other night. “C’mon, it’s about to change.”
Did he have to do that? It only made her like him more, the opposite of what she wanted. “I can get across the street without you holding my hand,” she scolded and reclaimed it.
He seemed nonplussed. “Guess I got used to us grabbing on to each other the night of the accident. My apologies.” She nodded, and they headed toward the shop. “The other day my mother called from the ashram. That was unexpected—she’s not supposed to use the phone except in emergencies.
“I mentioned texting her the night of the accident. I did it again the next day about Grandpop’s cracked rib, and that the doctor assured him and me he’d heal. She was worried anyway. I reassured her and said he’d be happy to hear from her. But like I said, she’s not supposed to take time away from whatever it is she’s doing. Before we hung up, I also told her about Caroline. She was surprised.”
“I’ll bet. I talked to my mom, too. Like yours, she wanted more info about the accident than she got through my text. I gave her the details and told her about Gran and Malcom and that I have no idea if they’re still mad at each other or whether they’ll go through with the marriage. She didn’t comment about that and said she’d give Gran a call, but I don’t know that she did. I’m sure Gran would tell me, or maybe not. Lately, all she talks about is her bruised arm. No more headache, which is a relief.”
“That’s good news. Except for health updates, they’re not telling us much.”
They went into the Ice Creamery and came out with double-scoop cones. “This was a great idea,” Vi said as she licked the caramel swirl scoop on top, then the midnight chocolate underneath. She realized Blake was staring at her. “Do I have ice cream on my face?”
“A little on your chin. It’s cute.”
He thought she was cute? For all of two seconds, she felt warm inside. Then reason kicked in. Fat chance. He probably said similar things to the women he actually dated. Stuffing the unwanted warmth deep inside, she dabbed at her chin with a napkin. “Better?” He nodded. “Gran has exactly two weeks left before she has to pay up or leave. My friend Carmie works for Port Simms Apartment Rentals. I’m going to talk to her about finding a place for Gran to stay.”
“Wasn’t she going to cash in her life insurance policy?”
“So she said, but I have no idea. When I brought it up on the phone the other day, she changed the subject. I also asked about a good time to come visit. She didn’t want me taking time off from work especially now, and told me not to come. Then she ended the call.” Vi compressed her lips. “It’s so frustrating.”
“Tell me about it. Grandpop’s only interested in talking about his sore rib and bruised cheek, and how the second store is coming along.”
“They’re both deflecting our questions. I’m thinking they’re embarrassed about the public fight. Although Gran sort of apologized and wanted you to know she thanks you for treating them to dinner. Either they have too much pride to admit to us they were wrong about their feelings for each other, or they’re up to something and keeping it from us.”
“Funny, I’ve been thinking about the same things. Great minds… Hard to know which is the truth. My money’s on the latter.”
“Knowing how we feel about their quick decision to get married, that makes sense.”
By the time they finished their cones, the sun was setting. “Let’s head back before it’s dark,” Vi said. “I’m tired enough to fall asleep super early.”
“A good night’s rest will do you a world of good.” He started to grasp hold of her, seemed to catch himself, and stuffed both hands into the pockets of his jeans jacket instead.
Smart man. “Since we don’t know the reason is for their refusal to talk about their relationship, we need to find out.” Vi tapped her finger to her lips while she thought about that. “Phone calls aren’t working, but I’ll bet if we visit in person we’ll learn more. I haven’t seen Gran since her doctor’s appointment, and I really should. I’ll stop by tomorrow whether or not she likes it. Rose gets back in the evening and I know Gran wants to see her, but it’ll be too late to visit then. Anyway, I’m sure she and Peter will want to spend time together first.”
“Sounds reasonable. I was going to visit Malcom tonight for the same reasons. I may as well do that tomorrow.”
“Why didn’t you see him tonight?”
“I wanted to see you.”
He fixed an avid gaze on her, and she got all flustered. Darn the man for messing with her feelings and making her want what she shouldn’t. “I don’t think we should see them together or go to the 709 at the same time. If we stick to one-on-one conversations, they might be more willing to talk. If that doesn’t work, we’ll keep a close look on body language and facial expressions and do our best to puzzle out what they’re not saying. I’m planning to sleep in tomorrow, so I’ll come after lunch.”
“I’ll go in the morning before I meet with Ross for lunch and a summary of the past week’s interviews. After our visits, you and I should compare notes.”
“And we have a plan,” she said, pleased.
“Without a single detail. On the way to dinner the other night, that bothered you a lot.”
“Still does, but it can’t be helped. We’ll have to feel our way around them as we go.”
He seemed surprised. “You’re okay with that?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“And look how easily we figured this out.” He beamed at her. “We make a terrific team.”
Was he trying to make her want him even more?
They reached the complex and soon arrived at her door. “Thanks for dinner, and for the walk,” she said, looking forward to falling into bed.
“Back at ya for the ice cream.”
She pulled the key from her jacket pocket and unlocked the door. She was about to open it and let herself in when Blake leaned in and kissed her. Not again. But instead of pushing him away, she clutched his jacket lapels and kissed him back. The key dropped from her fingers. The clanking sound on the concrete step brought her to her senses. Stop.
Frowning, she picked it up. “Why did you do that?”
“I needed more of something sweet—you. Kissing you is better than any ice cream.”
Laughter bubbled out of her. “How did I not know what a cornball you are?” She wanted to remind him that his flattery didn’t affect her in the least, but blurted out something else. “Do it again.”
She considered taking the words back and reminding him she had no interest in being one more name on the list of women he’d seduced, but his clever mouth teasing her lips erased the thought. Her body hummed with longing she couldn’t stop and didn’t want to. Outside where anyone could see.
She opened the door and yanked him inside.