Turning, she came face to face with… “Roger! Oh my God, it’s so nice to see you.” Nice to see him? Could she be any lamer? She smoothed the hem of her slim black T-shirt and wished she’d paired it with something more eye-catching than cropped khaki cargos and black canvas ballet flats, because he looked wonderful. A pristine white polo shirt and tennis shorts set off his sun-streaked hair and tanned skin. Could any man be more perfect? And yet, even as she formed the thought, a picture of Tyler sprang into her mind—tall, dark, and distractingly handsome. She shoved his uninvited image out of her head.
“Good to see you too, Ellie.” Roger’s warm greeting and the quick brush of his lips against her cheek sent her heart fluttering. “Or should I say, Dr. Swann? I heard you were back.”
Dazzled by his smile and the mesmerizing sparkle in his heavenly blue eyes, she managed a breathless, “News travels fast.”
“’Round these parts, it doesn’t have far to travel.” With a shake of his head, he added, “I can’t believe it’s really you.” He stepped back and took stock. “Sometime during the last ten years you got all grown up. You look good, Ellie. Really good. How are you?”
A blush heated her face, all the way to the roots of her hair. Thankfully, the barista placed her mocha on the counter just then, giving her an excuse to turn away for a moment. “I’m great.” Giddy, nervous, nearly incoherent with excitement. “And you?”
“I’m doing well”—his smile faltered—“or, maybe I should say working my way in that direction. I don’t know if you heard about Melody and me?”
“I heard you called off your engagement,” she said, giving his forearm a comforting pat. No way would she admit to overhearing why. “I’m very sorry.”
He offered her a pained look. “News travels fast, huh?”
She inclined her head and gave his earlier response back to him. “’Round these parts, it doesn’t have far to go. But I have to admit the news came as a shock. I always assumed you two would go the distance.”
He sighed. “She’s a great girl, and she’ll always be my best friend, but our relationship just didn’t work out. I— It’s completely my fault.”
Sympathy swelled her heart. Melody might have been putting on a brave face for Ginny, but she hadn’t sounded nearly this broken up about the end of the engagement yesterday afternoon in DeShay’s. Frankly, she’d come across as completely at peace with the decision, whereas he seemed racked with guilt.
“If you need a good listener or a shoulder to cry on, I’m available.” I’m available? Shoot, did she sound too forward? All she’d meant was—
“Thanks, Sparky. That’s really sweet.” His eyes shifted to someone behind her. He straightened and smiled. “Hey. How’s it going?”
This time when she turned, she came face-to-face with her 2:00 a.m. caller.
His mouth tipped up at one corner in a slow, ridiculously sexy grin. “She doesn’t like to be called Sparky anymore—prefers Ellie or Dr. Swann.”
“Whoops. Sorry, Ellie. I hope I didn’t offend you. It’s just”—he shrugged—“you’ve been Sparky for as long as I can remember. Since the Knights of Columbus Annual Fourth of July Festival back in…gosh, how long ago was it?”
She prepared to brush the question away, but Tyler spoke up. “Twenty-two years. You were six, right Doc?”
Shock that he remembered the details of the incident nearly overshadowed her annoyance. Why in God’s name did he have to have such perfect recollection of something she’d prefer to leave long forgotten? “Right. Six. Hardly a fair age to be saddled with a lifelong nickname.”
“Well, you did burn down the bandstand,” Roger pointed out with an apologetic smile.
“Blame Budweiser and Earl Rawley, who should have used better judgment, considering the man owns a pub. What kind of maniac hands a six-year-old a sparkler and then lights it? Small wonder I freaked out. Thank God nobody was hurt.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘nobody,’” Roger objected. “I think your dad blew a vessel. I’d never seen anyone so mad before.”
Yeah, he’d been angry. What Roger probably didn’t appreciate, being only six at the time and from a family where no one ever raised their voice in anger, was that she’d been as much the target of her father’s temper as Earl. Her little accident had forced him to actually deal with his daughter instead of pretending she didn’t exist. A quick glance assured her Tyler knew. Sympathy—or worse, pity—clouded his eyes.
A fistful of muscle relaxants couldn’t have stopped her spine from stiffening. Granted, Frank would never nominate her for daughter of the year, but now that she was back in Bluelick, she planned on forging some kind of adult relationship with him. In the meantime, she had a pretty good life, if she did say so herself. She set high goals for herself and worked hard to attain them. No pity necessary.
In her haste to close the topic, she replied more brusquely than she intended. “The whole incident serves as a perfect example of what happens when liquor, lame-ass judgment, and dangerous toys come together. Speaking of which”—she cocked an eyebrow at Tyler—“how’re you doing this morning?”
Roger cleared his throat and eyed them both speculatively. “I get the distinct impression I’m missing something interesting. Unfortunately, I’ve got a game with my dad at the club in ten minutes, so I’ve got to go. Tyler, always a pleasure. Ellie, let’s catch up real soon.”
See you? Call me? Potential farewells flashed through her mind as he ambled out of the coffee shop, but before she could settle on one, Tyler draped an arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear.
“I’m doing fine, and so is my lame ass. Thanks for asking.”
She shivered and told herself his breath tickling her ear caused the reaction, rather than the unbidden memory of his lips plastered to hers last night during his little “aptitude test.” She couldn’t deny that the image of his sculpted backside elicited tingles in some highly personal places. Goodness, she felt wilder already. Then again, she’d always been a quick study, particularly when the instructor inspired her interest in the subject. Apparently, Tyler inspired.
Unsure of her next move, she
fell back on manners. “I noticed the garbage fairy cleaned up my porch. You didn’t have to do that. You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”