Chapter 15
Not long after he’d left the restaurant earlier and still seriously irritated that Vi had compared him to Devin, Blake needed to clear his head. A hard, fast ride should do the trick while tying in nicely with testing the Bad Boy 3 Bike, a new model hybrid that looked promising. If he liked it, he’d add it to the inventory at both bike stores. He changed into cycling togs and packed clean clothes and a waterproof jacket in the waterproof bike pack he always carried on rides, just in case.
After donning his helmet, he headed up the highway toward Port Simms Park and Lockleigh Trail. Before being repurposed into a trail, the Lockleigh had been a train track that circled the perimeter of the park and continued for nearly 40 miles. Perfect for the rigorous test he had in mind.
A while later, the wind picked up. No problem, he was used to pedaling uphill which was similar to riding against the wind. As always, he relished the effort needed to speed along. It was good to be outside, nodding to other bikers, noting the birds swooping in the wind and the signs of spring everywhere. Flowers, new grass, trees unfurling their leaves and fat with buds.
Savoring the freedom and joy of riding, he veered off the trail and segued onto another more rugged path farther away from home. The wind held a trace of moisture now, signaling an upcoming rain. He paused to pull the jacket from the pack and put it on. And realized he was only a mile or so from Vi’s place.
What was he doing all the way out here?
Yes, he wanted to clear up the questions she’d put into his head and hadn’t answered, but not a few short hours after they’d parted ways, especially when he stunk of sweat. Besides, he wasn’t even sure she was home. On a Saturday afternoon she could be anywhere. She’d also made it clear that she appreciated a call first.
A raindrop splashed his cheek. He glanced up at the dark clouds rushing by as if being chased by more clouds behind them. This was going to be a doozy of a storm. A heavy downpour started, and he doubted the rain gear would keep him dry on the long ride home or that it was safe to ride in this weather.
Leaving him little choice where to go. Vi’s it was.
He pedaled toward her townhouse.
The wind wasfierce and rain pummeled the window. Vi thought about Rose. By now, she was either home or almost there. She texted her sister to let her know she was eager to see her, then sat down to scroll through the menus of various restaurants. Her mouth was starting to water when someone knocked at the door.
Could that be Rose? But no, Blake stood on the step wearing a bike helmet. She wondered about that. “Dropping by unannounced again? Don’t make a habit of it,” she scolded, but right now the poor guy needed shelter. “You’re a wet mess.” She gestured him inside.
He didn’t move. “Is there a safe place to stash my bike?”
“In the garage. I’ll open it.” After shutting Mr. T in the broom closet to keep him from running outside, although in this weather she doubted he’d be tempted, she hurried into the garage and activated the garage door. Seconds after it slid upward, Blake wheeled the bike in. He wore bicycle shorts that hugged his narrow hips and reached to midthigh. The loose jeans he favored had only hinted at the powerful muscled legs exposed now. Wow. No doubt from the cycling he did.
“There’s room in front of the garbage bin on that side,” she said, pointing leftward. “The door on the opposite wall leads into the utility room. When you’re finished, come through there.”
“Will do. There’s a change of clothes in my waterproof cycle bag. I’ll bring that in with me. I sure hope the thing didn’t leak.”
“If it did, you can use the washer and dryer. Smart of you to pack a change of clothes.” Had he planned to come over?
“I always bring extras for emergencies.”
Then he hadn’t expected to visit. Yet here he was. He unzipped the yellow jacket covering his torso and shrugged out of it. The tee underneath was wet. “I should’ve stopped and zipped up the Gore-Tex jacket sooner. Once I hang it someplace, it’ll drip dry. I didn’t expect a storm like this.”
“It’s coming down hard, the wind is crazy and you biked a long way from where you live.”
“Thirty miles is nothing. I rode the trail for a while, too.”
Odd that he’d come to the townhouse a few hours after walking out of the restaurant. She’d offended him. Maybe he’d intended to stop by and had come to talk more about it. But if that were true, wouldn’t he have called to let her know? Once he was warm and dry, she’d find out. “There are hangers in the utility room.”
He glanced down at himself. “I don’t want to track mud into the house.”
“Leave your shoes next to the mat here in the garage. I’ll meet you in the utility room with a towel so you don’t drip.”
“I could use a shower.”
The mud spatters attested to that. As soon as he entered the utility room with the cycle bag, she handed him a towel for his feet. Now that they were both in the house, she let Mr. T out. He stared at Blake, but didn’t come any closer.
“I don’t blame you, buddy,” Blake said. “I’m a wet, stinky mess.”
Vi agreed. He really needed that shower. She led him toward the bathroom, stopping to point out the adjacent linen closet. “There are more towels in there if you need them.” Thankful she’d taken care of her wash earlier, she nodded at the empty laundry basket next to the cabinet. “Toss your things in that and put it outside the bathroom door. While you clean up, I’ll start the washer. If it turns out your cycle bag also leaked, I’ll get the clean clothes into the dryer right away.”
“I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
“You’re here, and I have time. It’s no problem at all.”
The stubborn set of his jaw reminded her of Malcom. “It is for me. I don’t want you doing my laundry. After I clean up, I’ll do it myself.” He entered the bathroom and shut the door firmly.
All right, then. Moments later, she heard the shower start. Her cue to head back to the kitchen and finish looking through those dinner menus.
Instead, she stayed right where she was. Having him here in her house, standing under the shower spray in all his naked glory… Certain body parts got excited. She swallowed hard, then frowned. What had come over her?
Lusting for him was a bad idea. Dangerous. She marched herself back to the kitchen and wished he’d called first. If he had, she’d have told him not to come.
Or would she?
All she knew was she wanted him gone, preferably before Rose showed up. Yet here she was, pulling out the tin where she stored the coffee bin to brew a fresh pot.
Surely he wouldn’t cycle all the way home in this weather. And they really did need to talk more. She hadn’t meant to insult him during lunch and wanted to straighten out the misunderstanding. Now she was sending mixed messages to herself. She rolled her eyes ceilingward.
As she headed toward the bathroom again to find out if he was still in the shower, the sudden silence proved he wasn’t. Like a fool, she stayed where she was, imagining him toweling dry and getting dressed. For way too long, as it turned out. She was about to dash back to the kitchen when the bathroom door opened.
Caught.
He flashed a smile. “Anxious to see me, are you?”
Too overconfident for his own good. Her cheeks felt hot. He was in jeans and nothing else, and water droplets from his hair dripped onto his broad shoulders. She was so awed by the site of his bare torso—the abs and biceps—that she was struck silent until she dragged her admiring gaze up to his face. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m standing here because I forgot to tell you where the hair dryer is,” she ad-libbed, not a bad reason for lingering outside the door. “It’s in the cabinet under the sink.”
“Exactly where I found it. These jeans are fine, but the tee I packed is damp and definitely needs to go into the dryer. Do you happen to have a shirt I can borrow?”
As if anything of hers would fit him. She thought for a moment. “Not a top, but I do have a happy coat—a short, lightweight robe I wear in warm weather—that’ll work. I’ll bring it to you.”
“I’d appreciate it. I’ll try it on after I dry my hair.”
When she returned from getting the robe from the bedroom closet, the hair dryer was on full blast. Super noisy, and she knocked several times before he opened the door. “Hard to hear with this thing going full blast,” he said. “Still working on the hair.” He stared at the bright pink flowers and the purple cotton sash laced through the belt loops on the happy coat and chuckled.
“You don’t have to wear this. It’s okay if you’re bare-chested.” She’d have to pretend she wasn’t drooling, but guessed she’d be able to control herself.
“I’m not proud. Hand it over. I’ll be out in a bit.”
In the kitchen again, she ground the beans, started the coffeemaker, and grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. Seconds later, wearing dry socks, he padded into the room with the laundry basket. The happy coat wasn’t quite big enough to stretch fully across his chest. On her, the robe hung to midthigh; on him, it barely reached his hips. She tried to stifle a giggle and failed.
His eyebrows went up. “That bad?”
“Pretty awful. I should get a picture of you.”
“Don’t you dare,” he said as she pulled her phone from her hip pocket and snapped several photos.
“Vi,” he warned, a smile softening the tone. “Let me see.”
He reached for her phone. She jerked it away. “Hand you my phone so you can delete these photos? I’ll show you instead.”
He set the laundry basket down and moved in close. Too close. Trying her best not to inhale his clean-soap smell, she showed him the pictures.
“What do I have to give you to make you delete them?”
All kinds of unwanted ideas filled her mind, most of them way too sexy to voice out loud. She stepped aside. “I promise not to share with anyone unless you misbehave.” She giggled again. It felt good.
“Be on my best behavior—got it. The sooner my tee dries, the better. Do I need to know anything about operating the washer?”
“Laundry soap is on the top shelf. Otherwise, it’s self-explanatory.”
His hair was tangled and sticking up. He smoothed it with his palms, frowned, and smoothed again, for all the good that did. Wouldn’t you know, the happy coat rose up another few inches, giving her a generous glimpse of his navel and flat belly. She glanced away and focused on that hair. She wanted to grab a comb, wet it and groom him. She wanted more than that. Stop it.
Anyway, she didn’t share her comb and brush. “I’m about to make coffee if you want it.”
“Go ahead. I’ll join you when I get this stuff into the washer.”
While he was gone, she considered texting Rose. Her sister needed to know he was here. At least when he was around, she wouldn’t press Vi to talk about him. She postponed texting to pull a carton of half-and-half from the fridge and fill a small pitcher.
After the washer started, he padded into the kitchen. “Man, that coffee smells good.”
“Help yourself. Half-and-half and sugar are on the counter.”
For some reason, watching him fix his coffee was mesmerizing, especially with a decent swath of his chest exposed. Did he have to be so buff? Better stop ogling the man. She filled a mug for herself. “You should know that Rose is coming over soon. We’re ordering takeout.”
“Your sister’s finally back. Got it. As soon as the laundry is done I’ll call Falcon Ride Service and ask for a car that has room for my bike.”
“Or you can have dinner with us.” Had she really just invited him to join them? “Since it’s pouring and you’re here.”
“Wouldn’t want to impose.” He glanced down at himself and snorted. “Guess I already am.” They sat at the eating counter with their mugs. “I still have questions about what you told me earlier today.”
“Considering the abrupt end of our conversation, I’m not surprised. When you left, you weren’t happy.”
“No, I wasn’t. Your comment that what we did reminded you of the clown you got involved with really fried me. I’ve never been compared with anyone like that. You said you liked my kisses, but I guess you changed your mind.”
“Believe me, I haven’t,” she replied, her lips tingling from the memory of his delicious mouth on hers. “That wasn’t what set me off.”
“Well, what did? Because sharing a few kisses is much different from borrowing money from you and cheating.” His eyes blazed, and not in a good way, as they bored into hers.
A few tense seconds later, Vi sighed. “Apparently, my explanation wasn’t as clear as I meant it to be because you’re still mad.”
“Ya think?” He paused and scratched a finger in his hair. “Huh.”
“Huh, what?”
“I’m just now realizing what I’m really ticked about. Not you, the jerk who led you on and messed with your feelings.”
He understood, a relief, and about the sweetest thing she’d ever heard. The more she got to know Blake, the more she liked him. She fought the urge to pull him close and admitted to herself that she was in worse trouble than she’d realized. It was time to pull back before she made a huge mistake. “I think we need to—” The chiming doorbell cut her off. “That’s Rose.”
Her sister blew in like a wind-whipped flower. The strands of hair across her face and pink cheeks only made her prettier. “Some homecoming this is. I didn’t expect wind and rain, but it is mid-April.” Her eyes widened and she cut herself off. “Hi,” she said, staring at Blake in the happy coat. “I’m Rose.”
“Blake.” He nodded. “Believe me, I don’t usually dress this way.”
Her lips twitched. “Good to know. Nice to meet you. I’ve heard about you.”
“Yeah?”
Vi felt his curious glance. Not wanting him to get the wrong idea, she jumped in. “I told Rose about Gran and Malcom inviting us to dinner that first night and about the accident.”
His attention was on her sister. “What else did she tell you about me, Rose?”
The tom meowed and butted her sister, and she picked him up and cuddled him. “Hi, Mr. T,” she cooed. “Did you miss me while I was away?” He wanted down and jumped out of her arms. “Vi’s been close-mouthed. She hasn’t told me much, at least not as much as I’d like. I was going to find out more about that tonight, but I didn’t expect to see you.”
“It was a surprise to me, too,” Vi said, arching her eyebrows Blake’s way. “You never said what brought you all the way over here.”
He shrugged. “I was out riding in the area and got stuck in the downpour. End of story.”
“But your house is on the other side of town. Why cycle all the way out here?” Vi asked.
“It wasn’t something I consciously thought about. I wanted to test a new bike before I placed an order for the stores. Figured I’d ride part of the trail and then head back. Turns out, it’s a terrific bike. I was enjoying myself too much to stop, so I kept going.”
As explanations went, his fell short, but Vi didn’t want to question him in front of Rose. “His wet clothes are in the wash and the spare shirt he brought got wet. It’s in the dryer. That’s why I invited him to stay for dinner, if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course. But be forewarned, Blake, I’m going to talk about my trip and share some photos.”
“I don’t mind. Vi mentioned you were at a spa.”
Rose nodded. “In Cancun.”
“My sister likes to go down there for the same thing.”
“Oh? Which spa? Is she down there now?”
“I don’t know the name, and no, she’s on bedrest. She’s carrying twins and her doctor doesn’t want them to arrive for another three to four weeks.”
“Boys, girls, or one of each?”
“One of each.”
“That’s exciting, but stuck in bed? Poor woman.”
“It’s rough, but she’s doing all right. I thought sure you’d be with your husband tonight.”
Rose’s turn to shoot a questioning look Vi’s way. “Plans change. He’s at a medical convention till tomorrow night.”
Vi watched closely as Blake interacted with her beautiful sister. Any man in his right mind would’ve flirted with her even if she was married. Not Blake. He was friendly but not overly so and basically behaved himself, when she’d thought sure he’d at least show her the sexy smile he sometimes flashed. “Hey, you guys,” she said. “Let’s figure out what we want for dinner. I checked several websites and want your input.” She sent the links to their phones
It didn’t take long to decide, and some minutes later she placed the order. “The food should be here in thirty minutes.”
“That’s fast. While we wait, I’ll show you both some photos I took.” Rose yawned. “It’s three hours later in Cancun. Is there any more coffee?”
Shortly before the food arrived, Blake’s tee dried. During the meal, the three of them talked about the grandparents and Rose’s plan to visit Caroline the following morning. “We’re looking forward to seeing each other,” she said and promised to keep them informed about whatever she found out.
By the time they finished the meal, the rain had shifted to a light drizzle. While Blake loaded the freshly washed clothes into the dryer, Vi saw her sister out.
“I like him, Vi. He seems like a great guy,” she said in a voice too soft to carry. “Be nice to him.”