That Summer Night (Callaways #6) (10 page)

"Got it."

"It's not that I don't like you," she said a moment later. "And obviously I'm attracted to you."

"Obviously," he said dryly.

"But this can't happen again."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I don't even know you."

"You don't have to know someone to want them."

"I do. I have to know them. Or at least I did." She rubbed her temple. "I'm…confused."

"Well, don't sweat it. Nothing happened. You're still the good girl." He grabbed the notebook off the coffee table and stood up. "I'm going to head out."

She got to her feet. "You're still going to meet Robert on Sunday, right?"

"I'm considering it."

"Why can't you give me a straight answer?"

"That is my answer. Robert gave me three days to figure out if I want to meet him, and I'm going to take all the time that I have." He handed her his phone. "Put in your number in case I need to call you." Then he grabbed her phone off the table and put in his number.

After putting her number into his contacts, she handed it back to him, and said, "Will you let me know if you're not going to meet Robert, because if you don’t want to help him, then I will. You can give me the notebook and tell me where to go."

"I'll let you know." There was no way in hell he was going to let Shayla go off on some suicide mission to save his brother.

"I mean it, Reid."

"I believe you." He lowered his head and gave her a quick kiss. It was a brief connection but it packed a big jolt. He smiled at her startled expression. "You can think it's never going to happen again, but I wouldn't bet on it."

"Goodbye, Reid."

"See you later," he said, his words barely getting out before she slammed the door behind him.

Chapter Eight

Shayla took a cold shower, feeling frustrated and angry, not just with Reid, but also with herself. Why couldn't she let go once in a while? Why did she have to worry so much about every little thing? She hated being the good girl. She'd heard that sneering comment more than once in her life. Not that Reid had been sneering. No, he'd been more amused and a little bewildered, as if he hadn't run into too many women who said no.

And why would he? He was attractive, sexy, strong, powerful, and he'd aroused feelings in her she'd only imagined feeling.

If Kari hadn't walked in, she would have had sex with him, and it probably would have been amazing.

But it was better this way. Smarter. Safer. Being with him would only complicate her life more, and she already had her hands full with one Becker brother. How could she handle both of them?

Shivering, she stepped out of the shower and dried off. Then she threw on shorts and a tank top and went into the kitchen where she found Kari making scrambled eggs.

Judging by the amusement and curiosity in Kari's eyes, she was going to have some questions to answer.

"So…" Kari said, flipping the eggs over with a spatula. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone. Who is the hot guy? And why did you let him leave? I hope it wasn't because of me, because heaven knows you could use some sex in your life. You've been all work and no play for a long time." She paused. "By the way, do you want some eggs? I made too many."

"Yes, I would like some eggs. I actually feel hungry for the first time in a while."

Kari gave her a teasing look. "Sex will do that."

"We didn't have sex," she muttered.

"Why not? Was it because I came home? Damn, my timing sucks."

"No, your timing was perfect. That wasn't a date, Kari. That was Robert's brother. We were talking about Robert late into the night, and we fell asleep on the couch. When we woke up we were a little disoriented."

"And completely hot for each other," Kari put in with a knowing gleam in her eyes. "That guy is really Robert's brother? Robert Becker, the skinny, pale doctor who looks like he hasn't ever seen a gym?"

She frowned. "Robert is not unattractive."

"Well, no, that's true. He's handsome, but he's not
that
guy. What's his name? What does he do besides look hot?"

"His name is Reid, and he's a soldier, or he used to be. He got injured several months ago and was discharged from the Army."

Kari nodded. "That makes sense. He looks like a man whose body could be a weapon." She grinned. "A weapon of love."

Shayla rolled her eyes. "You're bad."

"And I can't believe you really stopped in the middle of whatever you were doing and kicked him out."

She sighed. "I know. I'm crazy."

"Certifiable."

Turning away from Kari, she grabbed the loaf of bread and put two pieces in the toaster. While she was waiting for it to toast, she got some butter out of the refrigerator.

"So what's the latest on Robert?" Kari asked. "What brought his brother over here?"

She couldn't tell Kari about Robert's phone call. "Reid is concerned that no one has talked to Robert in over a week."

Kari scooped the eggs out on to two plates. "You don't think he's still in Colombia, do you?"

"I don't know where he is." That much was the truth.

"I wish you'd tell me what happened down there. I read what I could find on the Internet, and the hospital gossip mill has been churning like crazy, but I don't know that anyone who wasn't there knows the truth." Kari gave Shayla a pointed look. "Do you feel like talking yet?"

"I really don't," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. When you're ready, I'm here, or at least a phone call away. I don't know if you remember, since you've been out of it lately, but I'm leaving this afternoon to spend some time with my new niece while my sister recovers from surgery."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'll be back Wednesday at the latest, maybe Tuesday night, depending on how things go." She set the plates down on the small kitchen table. "Is the toast ready?"

"It is," she said, buttering the bread.

She was both sorry and somewhat relieved that Kari would be out of town for a few days. It was hard to spend time with her best friend and roommate without telling her what was going on. But she didn't want to break her promise to Robert, nor did she want to get Kari involved in whatever was going on.

She carried the toast to the table and sat down across from Kari. "I hope your sister will be all right."

"She's going to be fine, but the appendectomy and C-section were not the uneventful birth she was hoping for. While her husband is wonderfully supportive, he needs to take care of their oldest child, so it's Kari to the rescue."

Shayla smiled, knowing that there wasn't much Kari wouldn't do for a friend or a relative.

"So tomorrow is the wedding, right?" Kari asked.

"Yes, but the events begin today. We're meeting for a final dress fitting and lunch."

"No rehearsal dinner?"

"No. Ria said she doesn't need to practice walking down an aisle, and Drew was very happy with that decision."

"I'll bet. I'm actually surprised they're even having a wedding. From what I know of Ria, she seems to be a free spirit."

Shayla nodded. Her future sister-in-law definitely marched to her own beat, which Shayla really liked. "Ria is doing the big wedding for Megan. She really wanted to be a bridesmaid in a formal ceremony, and Ria and Drew want her to feel like she's part of it, that she's not losing yet another family."

Megan was actually Ria's niece and had only come to live with Ria after she'd lost he parents.

"Didn't Megan just graduate from high school?" Kari asked, munching on her toast.

"Yes, she's going to college in the fall, although she's doing an internship or something this summer, so she'll be leaving for Los Angeles on Monday while Ria and Drew take off on their honeymoon."

"So your brother doesn't have to be much of a stepdad; Megan is pretty much grown."

"She is, but I can tell that Drew loves her a lot. Seeing him with Megan makes me realize that he is going to be a great dad."

"Are they planning to have kids right away?"

She shrugged. "Who knows? Drew is the last person to share his plans, and Ria is pretty tight-lipped as well. But I know my mom would love to have a few more grandchildren."

"And you're certainly not helping with that," Kari teased.

"Hey, I'm the youngest. There are other people in front of me who should be feeling the pressure."

"Like your oldest brother, Burke. I do not understand why that man is still single."

"He had his heart broken when his fiancée died."

"That was like four years ago, wasn't it?"

"Everyone grieves in their own time. But I hope that Burke can find someone else to love."

"It's not that easy to find the right person," Kari said, a more somber note in her gaze.

Shayla studied her friend, whose usually happy smile now appeared to be strained. "Has something happened between you and Paul?" she asked, referring to the medical resident Kari had been seeing the past few months.

"Not really, but our schedules haven't been meshing very well. We can't seem to make time for each other and that's not a good thing."

"So make time when you come back next week. I think Paul is a good guy."

"He is a good guy, but is he good for me? That's what I don't know."

"You'll figure it out."

"I will." She set down her fork. "So I have to ask a question."

"Okay," Shayla said warily.

"Did you kick Reid out because you have feelings for his brother?"

She looked at Kari in astonishment. "Of course not. I don't have feelings for Robert."

"Really? Are you sure? You've always been pretty close. He has looked out for you for years. And now he's divorced."

"I've never felt that way about Robert. I care about him as a friend and I look up to him and respect him, but that's all."

"If you say so."

"You don't sound convinced. Does anyone else think that Robert and I—"

"Have hooked up?" Kari finished. "Sure, lots of people. You know how gossipy the hospital staff can be."

"I can't believe it."

"Don't worry about it."

"I don't want anyone to think I've used Robert to get ahead."

"No one thinks that. It's not like anyone else wanted to go to Colombia. Most everyone thought you were crazy or maybe crazy in love with Robert."

"I went to Colombia, because I wanted the global health experience and a chance to work on a drug trial that might one day benefit my grandmother. The fact that Robert was running the trial was secondary."

"Okay, sorry. I didn't mean to get you all worked up."

"I hate it when people gossip about me. It's been happening my whole life. I was always the odd girl out."

"That's because you're a genius," Kari said matter-of-factly. "But that's a good thing. When people are sick, they want the smartest person in the room to be diagnosing them." She got up and took her plate to the sink. "I'm going to sleep for a few hours before I catch my plane."

"Have a good trip."

Kari paused in the doorway. "You know I don't like to give advice."

"And you know I don't like to take it," Shayla said pointedly. "I grew up the youngest of eight kids. I've had two parents and seven siblings telling me what to do every day of my life."

"Then don't take this as advice. Think of it as a comment, an observation."

"Fine, say what you want to say."

"Sex doesn't always have to mean something. Sometimes you can just have a good time."

"That's your big observation? I've been watching you have fun, casual sex for years. I'm very aware that sex doesn't have to mean something."

"And I've been watching you study and work for the same amount of time, Shayla. I get that you're an overachiever. You have to be perfect. You have to be the best. That makes you a great doctor. But there's more to life, and sometimes I think you forget that."

"I haven't forgotten, but we're so close to the end. One more year of residency, and we're done. It's been a long haul. I don't want to mess it up now."

"You won't mess it up. You're great. Everyone thinks so."

She used to think so, too, but her confidence was shaken now. She couldn't tell Kari that. She could only smile and say, "I'll think about your advice."

Kari smiled back. "My advice is actually
not
to think. Just live a little."

* * *

After leaving Shayla's apartment, Reid drove home feeling more emotion than he had in a very long time. He was pissed off at himself for a lot of reasons, starting with not going home the night before, then for letting down his guard when it came to his family, and most of all for not finishing what he'd started with Shayla. Not that he'd had a choice. As soon as her roommate walked in on them, it was over. Shayla had immediately lost the delicious lazy blur of sleep and her brain had gone into overdrive, coming up with a million reasons why they should not have sex.

He couldn't deny that all those reasons weren't valid, but that didn't make them easier to take. He should be grateful she'd stopped things, but gratitude was not the emotion he was feeling. Maybe that would come later when he had a chance to regroup and realize he'd probably had a narrow escape from a hookup that would have been filled with all kinds of emotional consequences that he did not want.

Once he got home, he took a long shower, dressed and poured himself a bowl of cereal, adding in some bananas and blueberries. Then he sat down in front of his computer. While he ate, he ran a search on his brother's name as well as Colombia and drug trials. A list of articles came up, and he skimmed through them. He wasn't as interested in the medical aspects of the trial as he was in the raid on the clinic.

As Shayla had said, there were several news reports on the incident, but none of them were particularly detailed or enlightening. Colombia was a violent country with numerous drug cartels fighting for power, and raids on medical clinics were not uncommon, despite the fact that many of the people in the remote villages were desperate for some kind of health care.

Despite what he read, his gut told him that the assault on Robert's clinic was not just a random grab for drugs and turf, because if that were the case, why would Robert be in hiding? Why would he tell Shayla that he was in danger? Why would he want a notebook of illustrations?