Baby, Drive South

7

Nikki maintained her composure on the trek back to her room by concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. But Porter Armstrong’s stinging remark reverberated in her head, resurrecting old insecurities and self-doubt her ex-fiancé’s betrayal had reinforced.

It hurt to be rejected, darn it.

The women were settling into the rambling boardinghouse. Smiling faces passed by and happy feet skipped up and down the stairs. Chatter filled every corner, billowed by bursts of laughter and squeals of delight. But the merriment grated on Nikki’s raw nerves—everyone seemed so happy to be here…and she’d never felt more alone.

“Dr. Salinger,” called a shrill voice behind her. “Dr. Salinger!”

Rachel Hutchins. Nikki turned and forced a smile up at the towering blonde. “Yes?”

Rachel was holding her pug, Nigel. The wrinkly dark-faced pooch looked uncomfortable, as if he were being squeezed. “How is Porter?” the woman asked, her doe eyes welling with concern.

Nikki pursed her mouth. “He’ll live. It’s only a broken leg.”

“Will he be bedridden?” Rachel looked hopeful.

“Not unless he wants to be,” Nikki chirped. “When I left him, he was getting around pretty well on crutches.” Nikki turned to go, but Rachel refused to be mollified.

“Is he in a lot of pain?”

She turned back, her ire flaring. “You’ll have to ask him.”

“Oh, I will,” Rachel promised in a singsongy voice. “He’s very handsome, isn’t he?”

Exasperated, Nikki lifted her hands. “I didn’t notice.”

Rachel tilted her head. “Really? Gosh, Dr. Salinger, your boyfriend back in Broadway did a horrible, lowdown thing to toss you aside for a stripper, but you shouldn’t let it sour you on men altogether.”

Nikki bit down on the inside of her cheek. “Fiancé.”

“Pardon me?”

“He was my fiancé,” Nikki said evenly.

“Ouch—even worse.”

Nikki closed her eyes, but when she opened them, the woman and dog were still there. “I’m tired, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to my room.” She turned and started climbing the stairs. Her feet felt like bricks.

“The men are having a barbecue to welcome us to Sweetness,” Rachel said behind her.

“I think I’ll pass,” Nikki replied over her shoulder.

“Do you suppose Porter will need my help getting there?”

Nikki rolled her eyes, but didn’t turn back. “Sounds like a plan.” At the top of the stairs, she veered toward her room at the end of the hall.

“Dr. Salinger?”

Nikki sighed, then turned back and leaned on the railing. “Yes, Rachel?”

“Do you like it here?”

Surprisingly, the woman seemed pensive, as if Nikki’s response actually mattered. The dog yelped, and Rachel loosened her grip.

“I…don’t know yet.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Nikki turned back toward her room and pressed her lips together. It looked as if Rachel and Porter Armstrong would be the first couple to pair off. Granted, they did seem suited to each other in terms of physical beauty…and tact.

She wished them well.

As Nikki passed other rooms, she was appalled to find most of the doors standing open. Inside, women were sprawled on the beds and floors, painting toenails and doing each other’s hair. Had everyone regressed to college dorm behavior?

“Hey, Dr. Salinger,” called Traci Miles, one of the women who’d ridden down in the van with Nikki. She was smearing something gooey on a seated woman’s eyebrow. “Want me to wax your brows?” Traci pressed a white strip of cloth to the goo, then ripped it off. The woman in the chair grimaced in pain.

“Um…no, thanks,” Nikki said. All the way down the hall came offers for hair highlighting, makeup air-brushing and manicures. She declined as graciously as she could, considering how alien all that girly stuff was to her. She self-consciously touched her never-plucked eyebrows and bare face and curled under her stubby fingernails. She was the only woman in the building with a medical degree…so why did she feel lacking?

By the time Nikki closed the door to her own room and leaned against it, she had made a decision.

She was leaving Sweetness.

She’d wait until everyone had left for the barbecue, then make her escape to avoid any drama. She’d leave a note for the Armstrong brothers, and by the time anyone noticed she was gone—probably tomorrow sometime—she’d be back in Broadway. She wondered if she could get her old job back at the family medical practice…and if the apartment she’d rented after moving out of Darren’s house was still available.

Since she was only a few hours from Atlanta, Nikki toyed with the idea of driving there to take her chances in the sprawling metropolis. But she still had some friends in Broadway, like Amy Bradshaw, a yoga partner and Southern girl whom Nikki had hoped would come with them to Sweetness. Amy hadn’t even considered leaving her civil engineering job to relocate, but had asked Nikki to stay in touch.

On impulse, Nikki went to her purse and rummaged for her cell phone to call Amy—maybe she would have some words of advice, something wise and…Southern that would help Nikki see things from a different perspective.

But at the “No Service” message on her phone screen, Nikki dropped her head and released a strangled cry of frustration. The fact that she couldn’t reach anyone in the outside world was a sure sign she needed to leave this no-cow town, pronto.

Thank goodness she hadn’t fully unpacked yet, she thought as she moved to the one open suitcase on her bed. She refolded the clothes she’d worn earlier and placed them on top, then began to gather the toiletries she’d used. Her movements were furtive, which was ridiculous, she realized. It wasn’t as if she was doing anything wrong. In fact, she was correcting a mistake. Coming here made her realize how good she’d had it in Broadway. And if she went back, no one could say Darren Rocha’s public disposal of her had humiliated her so much she’d had to leave.

Even though it was true.

She was so deep in thought, a knock startled her. With her heart thumping, Nikki made her way to the door and, in deference to her nearly repacked suitcase on the bed, opened it only a crack. She didn’t want to tip off any of the women that she was leaving.

Only it wasn’t a woman on the other side.

“Hi,” Porter Armstrong said with a pained smile. His cobalt-blue eyes were a little hazy, and he was leaning heavily on his crutches. He had, she noticed, found a shirt—a pale blue T-shirt that stretched agreeably across his biceps and shoulders.

Nikki’s pulse picked up. “Is something wrong, Mr. Armstrong?”

“Nope. I came to talk to you. Can I—er, may I come in?”

She shifted uncomfortably in the three-inch wide opening, trying to shield the suitcase from his view. “I’d rather you didn’t. Did you come up the stairs on your crutches?”

“Thought it would be good practice.” Then he made a rueful noise. “Guess I didn’t realize how much it would take out of me.”

Nikki felt contrite, then opened the door and waved him inside. But she left the door open as he settled himself, of all places, on her bed next to her suitcase.

An acrid aroma filtered into her lungs. “What’s that smell?”

“Oh.” He grinned. “It’s wintergreen oil. Doc Riley says it’s good for swelling and pain.”

After she’d given him legitimate medical care, he’d sought a second opinion from the resident aromatherapist? Nikki set her jaw. “So are the prescription medications I gave you.”

“I know, but the oil can’t hurt, can it?”

Nikki dabbed at the corners of her watering eyes. “Only the sensibilities of the people who have to be around you.”

His eyes danced. “I grow on people, kind of like this smell.”

Beyond frustrated by his mere presence, Nikki folded her arms. “What’s on your mind, Mr. Armstrong?”

He surveyed the full suitcase on her bed, then took in the one sitting next to her empty closet. “Going somewhere?”

She bristled. “I just haven’t unpacked yet. I’ve been busy, if you recall.”

He nodded. “Sorry about that. I really appreciate you patching me up, little lady doc.”

“I took an oath to ‘patch people up.’ You didn’t have to come all the way up here to thank me, Mr. Armstrong.”

He was glancing all around. “Nice room. Do you like it?”

She wet her lips. “Yes.”

“Any complaints?”

“Hot water would be nice.”

He looked offended. “There should be plenty of hot water.”

“Well, there wasn’t a drop when I took a shower.”

He pushed to his feet and hobbled to the bathroom on his crutches. “Are you sure? Did you turn the knob to the left?”

Nikki stuck her tongue into her cheek as he invaded what was supposed to be a private space. “You mean toward the big red ‘H’? Yes, I figured that one out.”

But he apparently didn’t believe her because he opened the glass shower door, reached in and turned on the water, twisting the knob all the way to the left. He leaned on one crutch, and stuck his large hand under the stream. Unbidden, Nikki’s thoughts went to being naked in the shower with this man. She gave herself a mental shake, and congratulated herself for making the decision to leave. The last thing she needed was a crush on a gorgeous man who made her feel bad about herself.

His frown deepened. “I calculated carefully for how many and the right size of water heaters to install. Up to two women in a room times ten gallons of water.”

“Ten gallons of water?” she asked, confused.

He nodded, then gestured to the fixtures. “We installed low-flow shower heads that deliver about eight gallons of water for a five-minute shower. I used ten gallons in the calculations to make sure there would be enough hot water for a hundred showers in a short period of time.”

He looked so proud of himself Nikki almost hated to burst his bubble. But when she could no longer hold it in, she laughed into her hand.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“I don’t know any woman who takes a five-minute shower.”

“Really?” He looked panicked, and in the space of a few seconds, Nikki realized how clueless this ladies’ man was about ladies. Obviously he had no sisters and had never been married, had never cohabitated with a girlfriend…and apparently, had never even taken a shower with a woman.

“Really,” she said, unable to hide her amusement.

He scratched his head. “This isn’t good.”

Nikki almost felt sorry for him…but didn’t. “Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” She didn’t add she wouldn’t be around to observe the outcome. Nikki walked back to the main room and stood next to the open door, hoping he would follow. He did, slowly, navigating around the woven throw rugs on the bare wood floors. Every time he swung his body forward on the crutches, the thick muscles in his arms contracted.

Nikki had to avert her gaze.

He stopped next to her bed and leaned over, then used the rubber tip of his crutch to lift the muslin bed skirt. “Is your pussycat hiding?” he asked, craning his neck.

Nikki crossed her arms. “Goodbye, Mr. Armstrong.”

The hallway was filled with the sounds of the women leaving their rooms, presumably for the barbecue. Their voices were high-pitched, punctuated with giggles and the click-clack of sandals and high heels.

Porter glanced toward the hallway, then back to her with those piercing blue eyes. “Actually, doc, I came to ask if you’d walk down to the barbecue with me. I’m sorry for the things I said earlier—it was a bad joke. I’m really not such a terrible guy once you get to know me.”

Nikki hesitated, allowing her imagination to indulge in the fantasy of spending the evening “getting to know” Porter Armstrong. Any red-blooded woman would relish being in the company of this big, good-looking Southern boy for a few hours, and she was human. And the intensity of his kiss still teased her mouth like a mischievous shadow. But warning bells sounded in her head. That kiss hadn’t been intended for her—her mouth had simply been within reach. And she’d heard the man’s unflattering opinion of her when he thought she wasn’t listening. Her relationship with Darren had taught her to beware of charming kisses and the men attached to them…and Porter Armstrong had confirmed that lesson.

Reminded of her resolve to leave, Nikki lifted her chin. “No, thank you.”

Porter’s smile fell. He seemed to be at loose ends, obviously unaccustomed to being turned down, especially—she speculated—by someone who looked like her. It was probably more common for women to melt into a puddle of ooze at his feet. “Oh…okay.”

Suddenly Rachel Hutchins appeared in the doorway, with Nigel at her feet at the end of a pink leash. The woman was stunningly sexy in a short denim skirt and tight yellow T-shirt, her golden hair flowing around her shoulders. “I thought I heard your voice, Porter. What are you doing up here?” Her voice had a suspicious lilt. Even Nigel glanced back and forth between Porter and Nikki.

“Mr. Armstrong was checking the hot water in my bathroom,” Nikki said quickly.

“Oh, it’s perfect in my room,” Rachel gushed. “I took the longest, hottest shower. It was amazing.”

Porter seemed mesmerized. And since even Nikki was visualizing Rachel standing naked under a spray of steaming water, she could only imagine where his mind had gone.

“Rachel,” Nikki said brightly to interrupt the uncomfortable moment, “Mr. Armstrong is heading to the barbecue—maybe you could walk with him to make sure he doesn’t fall?”

Rachel beamed. “I’d be happy to.”

Porter took one swinging step forward, then looked back to Nikki, as if he suddenly remembered she was there. “Come with us, doc.”

“Maybe later,” she lied, shutting the door to move him along. He looked as if he might protest, but she succeeded in shepherding him into the hall and closed the door on the happy couple. Nikki stood with her ear to the door and listened until the thump, thump of his crutches meeting the floor faded. Rachel’s tinkling laughter reached back and curled under the door, mocking Nikki. I’m just like you…only prettier.

Nikki indulged a barb of envy, then sat down and penned a note to the Armstrong brothers saying she’d decided Sweetness wasn’t for her after all, and propped it on the table. When silence settled over the house, she gathered both pieces of luggage, opened the bedroom door and stuck out her head to make sure all was quiet. When she was convinced she was alone in the house, she carried her suitcases into the hall, closed the door and stole downstairs.

Moving stealthily, Nikki exited through the front door, crossed the shadowed porch and hurried in the direction of her extended van.

Darkness was settling quickly. A light high on a pole in front of the boardinghouse illuminated fluttering moths and guided her footsteps to the side of the road. Then she picked her way down the row of vehicles to her van. Insects chanted in rounds, the noises swelling, then falling away to build again. The unbearable heat of the summer day had given way to a breezy evening. She attributed the wide swing in the temperature to their altitude.

She swallowed hard at the thought of descending the mountain road with nothing more than her headlights and the glow of the three-quarter moon to guide her. Maybe she should wait until morning….

Across the road and beyond a tree line, voices, music and the radiance of a fire indicated the barbecue was getting underway. The good-time sounds pulled at her, but the suitcases in her hands propelled her forward. If she waited until morning, there would be confrontations, explanations, excuses…drama she didn’t want or need.

Especially when it came to a certain pair of cobalt-blue eyes.

After loading her suitcases in the back, Nikki climbed into the driver’s seat that was uncomfortably warm from the build-up of the day’s heat. She zoomed down the window to let the stale air escape.

In the side mirror, the amazing watercolor sunset was melting onto a distant mountain range. Nikki paused a few seconds to drink in the matchless scenery. If this town ever took root, it would blossom in the most glorious of surroundings.

Then, nursing a tiny pang of regret, she started the engine, turned the van around and pulled away.

8

From a rocking chair in the shadows of the porch, Porter observed Dr. Salinger pulling away in her long van. Damn it, Marcus and Kendall had been right about her hightailing it back north at the first chance. Sneaking out when everyone was preoccupied, without so much as a “nice to know you.”

Truth be known, his feelings were a little hurt.

Porter pulled at his chin and waited, counting off the seconds the way he and his brothers used to do when they were little, trying to figure out how far away storms were by measuring the time lapse between a flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder. One Mississippi…two Mississippi…three Mississippi…

The van’s brake lights came on before four Mississippi, then the engine sputtered and died.

Porter positioned his crutches and pushed to his feet. His leg was aching from crawling under the van to disconnect the fuel pump, but it was a quick way to safely disable the vehicle.

Marcus had charged him with keeping the little lady doc here. He hadn’t specified the methods had to be aboveboard.

The van slammed into Park, and the sound of the engine trying to crank floated on the evening breeze. By the time Porter reached the driver’s door, Dr. Salinger was banging on the steering wheel and cursing like a longshoreman.

“What’s up, doc?”

She startled and screamed, then turned her head to look at him through the open window. “You scared me to death!”

He grinned. “Sorry about that. Going some where?”

She opened her mouth, then seemed to cast about for a plausible explanation. “I…was just…exploring.”

He craned his neck to look over her shoulder into the backseat. “With your suitcases?”

She looked away, then back, and lifted her hands. “Okay, you got me. I was leaving.”

“I guess we didn’t make a very good first impression,” he conceded. He was struck by the perfection of her profile in the low lighting. The woman had exquisite bone structure. She was really quite pretty…not sexy by any stretch of the imagination, but pretty.

“I shouldn’t have come here in the first place,” she said quietly. “I…I don’t belong here.”

No surprise, he thought, Sweetness wasn’t good enough for her and her medical degree. “So you’re going back home?”

Her small hands tightened on the wheel. “If I can get out of here. I don’t know what’s wrong with the van.” She peered at the dashboard. “The gas tank is almost full and I bought a new battery a couple of weeks ago.”

“Let me take a look under the hood,” Porter offered magnanimously. “Do you have a flashlight?”

She rummaged in the glove compartment and came up with one. “Can I help?”

“Uh, no. Stay inside in case I need you to turn the key.”

He hobbled to the front of the vehicle, then made a big production of lifting the hood and putting the hood’s prop arm in place. He pinged the light around, pretending to inspect various pieces and parts, but craned in the direction of the barbecue site with longing. The voices and music were louder, beckoning. Damn, all those hot, single women were being sociable and he was stuck trying to convince the one woman who wanted to leave Sweetness to stay.

“Try turning it over now,” he called idly.

She did, but of course, deprived of fuel, the engine didn’t catch.

He tapped the flashlight on an engine support, then called, “Again.”