Texas Tango: Texas Montgomery Mavericks, Book 2 (21 page)

As general rule, Friday afternoons at the Whispering Springs Medical Clinic were kept open for completing medical charts, returning patient calls and emergencies. Lucky for them, the Friday afternoon of the dinner party was dead. No emergencies. No long-winded patient calls. At three, both Lydia and Caroline headed out leaving instructions with the staff to call if there were any problems. The day was beautiful, if a little hot. A bright sun and cerulean-blue sky met them as they walked out the back door of the clinic into the parking lot.

“What a gorgeous day,” Caroline said. She drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Just wonderful. Nothing but minor problems all day. Is it not the most perfect Friday?”

Lydia stretched her arms over her head and twisted at her waist. “Yep. Perfect. Now let’s get out of here before we get stuck talking to some old person about their latest hemorrhoid problem.”

Caroline laughed. “You must have had Stephen Francis in today.”

Lydia shook her head with a laugh. “How did you ever guess?”

“Hey. Question. Olivia said not to bring anything tonight.”

“Right, so?”

“So, what are you taking?”

Lydia chuckled. “You know me too well. I thought a bottle wine, maybe some champagne to celebrate their new house. You?”

Caroline couldn’t tell her that alcohol was out of Olivia’s diet for the next few months, so she just nodded. “That sounds good. I think I’ll run by that new nursery and check out their plants. Maybe a cactus or some other type of houseplant.”

Lydia snorted. “A cactus. Yeah, that’s the right plant for Olivia. She never remembers to water. See you later.” She waved as she headed off for the small SUV she drove.

As Caroline’s hand touched the Porsche car door, her phone began ringing. For half a second, she considered letting it go to voice mail. However, she was on-call so that wasn’t really an option, but the day had been just too perfect to ruin it with a late-minute patient call. She sighed and looked at the screen. Her heart kicked her chest when she saw the name on the readout. She punched the green answer button and steadied her voice.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey, yourself.”

“How are you?” Her heart raced at the rumble of his voice. She hadn’t talked to Travis in a few days as he’d been in Arkansas to ship some new mares to his ranch. She tilted the phone up away from her mouth and nose and prayed he wouldn’t hear how rapid her breathing had become.

“Good, although I’ll admit my bed’s a little empty these days.”

She drew in a sharp breath. “Travis—”

“No, that’s okay. You made it clear that you wanted to go home. Anyway, I was calling about tonight.”

“Tonight?” She felt her brows draw down into a frown. “What about it?”

“How do you want to play it?”

“Play what?”

“Us.”

“What about us?” She opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. “There is no us.” Saying that made her heart ache. She had to keep reminding herself of that painful fact.

“I’m fully aware of that, Caroline.” She heard him give a long exhale. “Sorry. Been a bear of a day. What I meant was that we might let my family know we’re…friends.”

“Friends.” She repeated the word. Friends. Yep. That’s what they were…friends. “Sure. Whatever, Travis. They know we’re friends.”

“My mom’s pretty sensitive. She might pick up something’s different in our…friendship.”

Caroline blew out a loud sigh. “Good Lord, Travis. You’re not that irresistible. I’m sure I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.” She said the words, but they were all lies. He was that irresistible. She would love to run her hands over his rock-hard chest. Feel his large fingers touching her. Enjoy the bliss of the neck and back massages he’d given her while lying on his soft sheets.

His responding chuckle sent chills skittering down her spine.

“Well, gee thanks. Good to know you find me so resistible.” He chuckled again. “Okay. Next topic. Tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow night?” she asked as though she could forget the End of Summer dance at the WSCC. Like that day hadn’t been circled on her calendar and in her mind.

What Caroline would never confess to him was that she’d headed into Dallas the previous weekend to pick up a dress designed to take his breath away and knock his socks off. Step one: Get the dress. Mission accomplished. Step two: Knock his socks off. She’d have to wait and see on that one.

“The dance. At the club.” He chuckled. “Don’t pretend you don’t remember.”

Playing it cool, she replied, “Oh right. The dance. Is that this weekend? It totally skipped my mind.” Lying wasn’t one of her strengths. She figured he could hear right through it.

“Yeah. Tomorrow. I know I sort of forced you into saying you’d go. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It wasn’t like you had any say on whether or not to be my date for the dance, especially after Elsie Belle decided it was her place to tell everybody I was bringing you. But you don’t have to. Really. I’ll understand if you want to back out.”

Was he trying to give her an out, a way to gracefully extricate herself from a date she’d never agreed to?

Or was he trying to give himself an out? Would he rather go with someone else?

After so much close time together, had he spent all the time he wanted with her and was now trying to distance himself back to where they’d been before the insane fake wedding and the fabulous sex? Sometimes the direct approach was the best, and she decided this was one of those times.

“Color me a tad confused, Travis. Are you asking if I want out of the date or are you trying to tell me that you want out of the date? If you don’t want to go or if you don’t want to take me, that’s fine. Just say so. My mind-reading skills appear to be a little rusty.”

“What? No, no. I don’t think I’m making myself very clear.” His chuckle sounded a little nervous. “It’s sort of a tradition for the Montgomery clan to attend this dance each year as a family. The money raised is for a good cause and the family wants to show full public support. But to tell you the truth, I haven’t gone the last few years.”

“Too many single women hitting on you?”

He snorted. “Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, Olivia told me you were coming to dinner tonight. With all the Montgomerys tonight and then again tomorrow night at the dance, I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be overdosed on all that Montgomery charm. That could be a real Montgomery overdose for some people.”

To Caroline, the big family, all the members being together and supportive sounded downright wonderful. However, she was still a little confused on exactly how to respond. “So, are you saying that if I still want to go to the dance you’ll take me?”

“Exactly.”

Caroline dropped her head back on the car-seat headrest. What she really wanted to know was…did he really want to go with her or did he simply feel an obligation because of Elsie Belle’s blabber mouth? She couldn’t ask him of course, because he’d certainly assure her he wanted to take her and it had nothing to do with being painted into a corner by a jealous admirer. So it really was up to her. Did she want to go to a major country-club dance on the arm of the most handsome but least available bachelor in the county? Who was she kidding?

“Of course I want to go. I’m looking forward to it.”

She heard him suck in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Great. Me too.”

“Great,” she repeated and grimaced. They sounded like teenagers…all giddy that the other had agreed to a date.

“I guess I’ll see you tonight then,” he said.

“Absolutely.”

As she was pulling her phone away from her ear to hang up, she heard him call her name. She pressed the phone back to her head and said, “What did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted me to drive you to Olivia and Mitch’s place tonight.”

She smiled. “Talk about going out of your way for someone.” She chuckled. “Thanks for offering, but I’m on call tonight. Probably won’t need to come back to town, but I’ll need my own car just in case. Speaking of which, I swear I’m going to buy a new car soon and get your Porsche back to you. It’s just…”

“Too fun to give up?”

She laughed. “Something like that.”

“Okay then. I’ll see you tonight. Oh, and, Caroline?”

“Yes?”

“Think about a stay-over at my place after the dance tomorrow night.”

Her cheeks hurt from the wide grin on her face. “I’ll think about it.”

She clicked off her phone and dropped it into her purse.

Maybe she should call Leslie or Pat and check on Noah. It’d been a couple of days since she’d talked to him. Was it too much to hope things were going a little better? Probably.

She sighed. Damn. Today had been such a nice day so far, and she was in such a fabulous mood after talking to Travis and she was going to a good news celebration dinner. Call her selfish, but she didn’t want to spoil her good mood by hearing about the latest trouble her brother had gotten himself into. She’d call tomorrow. She promised. Just let her have one day of peace and happiness. There was always tomorrow to face reality.

Chapter Twelve

“Turn left.”

Caroline followed the female metallic voice of the GPS and turned left, passed under an archway and drove down a curved paved driveway until she came to a grouping of trucks and cars parked in a circle drive in front of a white-columned two-story estate. White-wicker rockers on the porch moved in the early evening breeze. Hanging baskets overflowing with bright red and yellow flowers swayed as though playing tag with each other. A black and white dog raced from the back of the house followed by a dark-haired little boy. She smiled and opened her door.

“Hi, Adam.”

The boy skid to a stop and stared at her. His head tilted to one side as though trying to remember if he knew her.

“I’m Dr. Graham, remember me? You came to see me when you fell and hurt your head while playing.”

About a month before, Adam had been swinging on a weight bar in Olivia’s gym after repeatedly being told not to. The hot gym had led to sweaty palms and to a crash to the floor and a big bump over his eye. There had been no real damage and just enough pain to convince him not to do that again.

He gave her a gap-tooth grin. “I remember.”

“Looks like you lost something since I last saw you.”

He stuck his tongue in the gap between his teeth. “My toof.”

“I see that. Did the tooth fairy come?”

He nodded his head vigorously. “Yep. Gave me a dollar.”

She smiled. The tooth fairy was paying more these days than when she was six. Inflation got them all. “Got big plans for all that money?”

He nodded again. “Gonna buy me a horse.”

She laughed. “You sound like a man with a plan.” The dog ran over to her. “Who’s this?”

“Daisy.”

When the dog heard her name, she began jumping and barking and running around Adam. In response, he started yelling and running so the dog would chase him. After a minute, the front door opened.

“Adam! What in the…oh, Caroline. I didn’t know you’d arrived. I’m so glad you could make it.” Olivia Montgomery stood in her doorway, a dishtowel thrown over her left shoulder.

“I love the welcoming committee.”

Olivia laughed. “Yes, well, my committee is enthusiastic but noisy. Still driving Travis’s car, I see.”

Caroline grinned. “I know. My brain says it’s time to buy a new car and give Travis his car back, but my wild side says ‘no way, man. Let’s keep it’.”

“I think I agree with your wild child. Keep it until he makes you give it back. C’mon in.” She turned toward the side of the house. “Adam. Take Daisy to the backyard to play please.” She looked back at Caroline. “We’re so far off the road I’m not worried about cars, but I feel better when I can see both of them from the kitchen window.”

“Am I the last one here?”

“Still waiting on Travis. He called to say he was on the way.”

The mention of Travis’s name sent the tutu-attired hippos whirling in her stomach. No, sir. No butterflies for her. She had full-grown stomping hippos dancing around inside, accompanied by shaking hands on the outside.

She followed Olivia into a sunlit foyer. The sound of people talking and laughing filtered from a room off to the right. Olivia tilted her head in that direction. “Mitch’s man cave.”

Caroline grinned. “No kidding. Let me guess. It has a sixty-inch flat screen and overstuffed chairs.”

“And you’d be wrong.”

“What? How?”

“It has an eighty-inch flat screen. You’d be right about the overstuffed chairs.”

Caroline laughed. “So what can I do to help you with dinner?”

“Follow me.”

She followed Olivia toward the back of the house, the sound of female voices getting louder the nearer they got to the rear. They moved into a bright, stainless-steel kitchen with green and gray granite countertops. Lydia stood with Travis’s mother, Jackie, and a woman Caroline didn’t know.

Olivia took her arm and led her over to the unfamiliar woman. “Caroline, this is Mitch’s mother Sylvia Landry. Sylvia, this is Dr. Caroline Graham. She’s been here working with Lydia at the medical clinic for about a year and a half.” She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. “But she’s leaving us at the end of the year. See if you can get any good blackmail material out of her so we can force her to stay.”