Brainy and the Beast (13 page)

I took a sip of my Killian’s. “Yeah. Exactly. North Shore.” Tucking myself into the corner, I propped one arm along the back of the booth. “You live in Lake Forest. You drive a car that’s straight out of an old spy movie. You work for the biggest company in northeastern Illinois.” I lifted my own nose in salute. “A little highbrow for guys like me.”

“Oh, I don’t know. You seem able to keep up with me.”

That was definitely innuendo. The spark in his eyes was a dead giveaway, not that I needed it. The fact that he licked his lips as he said it was clue enough for me.

I shook my head. “Doc. Be careful. This
is
a family restaurant, you know.” I was dying to reach out and touch him.

He looked around. “Yes, it does seem to be. But we’re just talking, aren’t we?” One eyebrow arched.

“So far.” Yeah. Right. And my dick wasn’t twitching at all. Not.

Stefan came back with the wine, and I relaxed, sipping my beer and watching the show. Some people at the tables nearby were eyeing us, and I chuckled. We even got to place our orders with the manager, which amused me again. Then we were alone once more.

“And I happen to like classic movies.”

I wrinkled my brow. “What?”

“I like old movies.” Henry reached for a roll.

Not me. “I don’t go for the old stuff. I like the ones with lots of special effects, lots of action. Have you seen
Unstoppable?
Or the newest
Star Trek
movie?”

“I haven’t seen any
Star Trek
movie. Or the first one you mentioned.”

“Doc. Doc. We’ve got to get you into the twenty-first century.” The soft dinner rolls were still steaming and were so tasty. The Paddock was known for them. I buttered one myself.

“Well, I will admit to one guilty pleasure.”

“This I’ve got to hear.” I propped my elbows on the table.

“TNT.”

Dynamite? “Huh?”

“You know.” Henry gestured with the hand holding the last bite of his roll. “The television channel.” He smiled when I nodded. “It has some good shows. I find myself following their plot lines and tuning in regularly.”

“You wouldn’t by chance be a fan of
The Closer
, would you?” That would be too funny.

“I
love
that show!” He suddenly looked animated. Younger.

“Seriously.” My dad and Henry had the same taste in television? “Who knew? You’re just a regular guy, ain’t ya?”

Henry pursed his lips, staring for a second. “Are you having a joke at my expense?” He got distant all of a sudden.

“What? No! No.” Had I stuck my foot in my mouth again?

“You seemed to be amused, and not in a nice way.”

“God. No.” I could feel my face burning. “I was just laughing because you and my dad are crazy about the same TV show, that’s all.”

He eased back in his chair, considering me. “Ah.”

I breathed deeply, disturbed that his reaction had bothered me so much. It shouldn’t have, should it?

“I’m sorry. I may have a tendency to overreact sometimes. My…parents… Well, my family has never understood my need for escape from academia and research. I guess I continue to carry some of that along with me.”

“Escape?”

Henry nodded his thanks as his salad was delivered. The waiter set my clam chowder in front of me, and I picked up my spoon.

“Yes.” For the first time since I’d met him, Henry looked a little unsure of himself. “My life has been wrapped up in robotics and engineering for a very long time. Even when I was younger, in school, my family expected me to dedicate myself solely to my education and not allow myself to be distracted.”

“How old are you?” I’d guessed late thirties, but I wasn’t sure.

“Forty-one.” He speared a tomato.

“So you weren’t allowed to be just a kid?”

Now he had a serious look on his face. “I would say that there was no time for that. Pursuit of my undergrad and then graduate degrees was far more important than any distractions. I didn’t mind, really.” He took another bite, then shook his head. “I’m not sure why I’m telling you this.”

I wasn’t sure either. I searched for something to say to bridge the sudden, awkward pause. “My dad pretty much let me roam free. To his regret.”

The subject was obviously a good choice, as Henry relaxed, looking faintly amused. “To his regret? What do you mean?”

I made a face. “Well, there were quite a few times he was called down to my high school, let me tell you.” And now I was following in his footsteps.

“Ah, you do strike me as quite a scrapper. So you got into fights, I presume?”

Absurdly proud of his view of me, I grinned. “You could say that. I wasn’t too smart in the beginning. But when I figured out that the dickhead jocks wouldn’t leave me alone if I ignored them, I went to my dad and asked if I could get martial arts training. I had to talk him into it, but once he said yes, there was no holding me back.”

“Did you grow up around here?”

“Kind of. My family had a house in Waukegan. It was kind of nice growing up there, but it’s pretty much gangbanger central in some parts now. Too bad. My mom and dad had this great old house not too far from the lake. My dad sold it a couple of years ago when—”

“When?” The light spilling from the lantern gleamed on his caramel-colored hair as he tilted his head.

My eyes were drawn to it. Then my gaze drifted over his facial features. That long, straight nose was kind of sexy. I don’t know if thinking that made me weird, but it was true. “Huh?”

He smiled. “Your father sold your house when?”

“When he moved in with me.”
Shit
. “Um. I really didn’t mean to tell you that.” I took refuge in my soup, which thank God was good.

Watching me as he chewed, Henry took a moment to respond. “Why? Why should that be a big deal?”

I mumbled into my bowl. “Because I’m thirty-six years old, and I live with my dad.”

“You said he moved in with you. I believe there’s a difference in perspective there.”

“I guess.”

“Does it have to do with his health?”

I snorted softly. “No. He’s healthy as a horse. That is, I
think
he needs to watch his cholesterol. Well, actually, I’m not sure because he won’t tell me what the doctor said a week or two ago. But I think he’s pretty good.” I shrugged, giving it up. “My bitch of a sister dumped her kid on me, and when that happened, I asked my dad to come live with us. There was no way I could take care of Grant and run the business.”

“I see.”

Our burgers were delivered then, and there was a pause in the conversation as we fixed them with lettuce, tomato, and the works. Not too much onion, though. I grinned to myself at that, then watched as Henry tried to figure out how to eat the giant burger.

“You just have to kind of manhandle it.” I demonstrated, getting a good grasp on the monster. “See?”

He spared me a look. “Ah, yes. One of your many talents—manhandling.”

I sputtered for a minute before joining him in laughter. “You’re a funny guy, Doc.”

“You’re probably the only person who thinks that.”

“Well, take it from me. You’re funny. And hot.” I took a big bite before I could say anything else, such as,
Let’s get out of here and go hit it like bunnies
. Damn it. This was the last time I’d bring Henry to a family restaurant.

He stopped with the burger a couple of inches from his mouth. “Thank you.” His voice was serious, but still there was that gleam in his eye again. “I can assure you, I’m thinking the same about you.”

I squirmed a little on the booth seat, frowning at him. He had to stop talking like that. Finally, I shrugged with a grin, and both of us settled in to eat the burgers.

We did justice to the rest of the meal, even if we did hurry it along somewhat. There wasn’t much conversation, as if we both knew we wanted to be somewhere else pretty quick.

I had to remind myself to be a good host. “You want some dessert or coffee?” I really wanted him to say no.

When he pressed his lips together like he was thinking about the question, I wanted to pop him one over the ear.

“Your face is a dead giveaway, Nicholas.”

“Huh?”

“It’s fine. I don’t need dessert.” He rubbed a finger along his chin. “At least, not the kind I can get here.”

“Thank God. I mean, are you sure?”

When he just chuckled and shook his head, I waved for our waiter, mimicking signing a check. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to rush you.”

“Not at all. It’s very flattering.”

I was holding my hand out for the bill when he said that, and the waiter had to smack it into my hand to get my attention. I shoved my credit card in without looking, just to get rid of the guy.

“You should always check your bill, you know. There could be a mistake on it.”

“Yeah? Well tonight, I’m not going to worry about that. I just want to get out of here.” I ran my eyes over what I could see of him. The cashmere looked good on him, for sure, and the suede coat he’d worn over it had made him look mouthwatering. I’d had to keep my tongue in my mouth as I’d followed him into the restaurant earlier.

He obligingly picked up his coat and started to shrug it on at my comment. “By all means. Let’s get going.”

I took care of the credit card slip quickly, then shoved to my feet. I jerked my head at the entrance. “Okay. After you.” Walking behind him, I yanked on my own coat, my heart starting to beat faster. In about twenty minutes, we’d be back at his house, and I could be all over that. The fact that I was really starting to like the guy was gravy, right?

“You’re staring at my ass.” He whispered the words right before he walked through the vestibule.

When I pushed open the outer door, I moved right into his personal space. “Damned right I am.” I bumped his chest lightly and quickly moved away, heading for my car. I was not going to risk any of the macho farm boys around there giving us a hard time. I’d had my share of that, and I wasn’t interested in any tonight.

We were quiet on the way back to his house. The headlights of passing cars illuminated the inside of the Volvo, and I caught glimpses of his face. Henry looked serious as he stared through the windshield, like he was working differential calculus or something in his head. But when he turned and caught me watching him, I could see the fire in his eyes. Oh, no. He wasn’t pushing math problems around in that brain. Uh-uh. “You look like a tiger I saw at the zoo once, Doc. In fact, I think I can see your fangs.”

A knowing look settled on his face. “You can, can you?” He lifted one corner of his lips and ran his tongue over his incisor.

I shivered as a thrill went through me, settling in my balls. “Oh, you are something else.” I stepped on the gas, and the Volvo responded. We raced south on Highway 41, and I kept an eye out for state troopers. I really didn’t want to get pulled over tonight of all nights.

My phone rang as I pulled up to the light at Route 120. I flipped open my Motorola, concerned when I saw my home number on the digital display. “It’s my dad.” I pushed the Talk button. “Dad?”

“Uncle Nick?”

Shit
. “What’s wrong?” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Henry turn to face me.

“Uncle Nick.” There was a slight sob in my nephew’s voice. “Grandpa doesn’t look so good.”

“I’m telling you, it’s just heartburn.” My dad’s voice wasn’t sounding so FM disc jockey right now. He sounded tired and cranky—and old.

“Dad. Come on.” I’d been trying to get him out of the kitchen chair and into my car since I’d run in the back door fifteen minutes ago. The stubborn bastard wouldn’t let me take him to the hospital.

“You’re probably right that it’s heartburn, Mr. Shelton.”

“See? That’s what I said.” My dad subsided in the chair again.

“What?” I turned to look at Henry, wondering why he was saying that. I needed my dad to get out of the chair and into my car. My dinner date had been standing by quietly while I’d argued with my old man. Now, when I was pretty sure my dad was wavering, Henry had to open his mouth.

He moved closer to my dad. “It’s most likely heartburn. Usually is in a case like this. It’s only when people have high cholesterol and weight issues”—he glanced down at the beer belly my dad had been growing the last few years—“when people, usually men, have their hearts just give up on them. They’ll feel a pain in the arm”—Henry pointed to his own left arm—“then there’s tightness in the chest.”

My dad’s eyes widened, and he stared at Henry.

“When you feel that tightness, it’s your heart stopping its rhythm and struggling to find it again. The next thing you know, you’ll feel dizzy or nauseous.”

“Henry. What are you doing?” I was getting a little weirded out myself. I darted my eyes back to my dad in time to see him rub a hand over his belly.

Henry went on, his voice methodical. “Your heartbeat will speed up. You’ll be short of breath. Your skin will turn bluish gray.”

He was scaring the shit out of my dad. And me. “Henry, will you please knock it off?” The man might be a mental giant, but he had about as much finesse as a bull in a china shop. “You’re—”

“No.” That was my dad again. “He’s right, Nick. Help me out of this chair, will you?” He still looked spooked, but unbelievably, he had a twisted smile on his face. “Your friend here knows how to play the game, doesn’t he?”

My head swiveled between the two of them, and I even looked over at Grant to see if he knew what was going on. My nephew still appeared frightened, and he clutched my dad’s jacket to his chest. He’d been holding it like that since I’d first come home.

“Dad. What—”

“I think your friend here has me scared straight. That was your intent, wasn’t it, son?” He slowly pushed himself to his feet.

Henry lurched forward to lend a hand, standing on the other side and helping me ease my father upward. “I’m sorry, Mr. Shelton. I could tell Nicholas was very worried, and it seemed the quickest way to get you to go to the hospital.” He looked uncomfortable for a moment. “I wasn’t sure it would work, if you want to know the truth.”

Giving Henry a look, my dad held out his hand to Grant, motioning for his jacket. “That didn’t stop you very long, did it?” His voice was breathy, his words slow. “You a doctor or something?”