Charleston with a Clever Cougar: A Dance with Danger Mystery #6 (11 page)

“But I didn’t tell Doug about the incident at
the shop. Neither did Daisy. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, Cady.”
As she spoke, Doc moved his chair closer to me, leaning on the back
of my chair, whispering comments in my ear.

“She has a lot of friends in the area,
Carole. Maybe one of her political friends contacted her.”

“Maybe.” Carole seemed to consider the
possibility. “I’m sure you’re right. It’s nothing. It’s just that
Daisy said her father wants to change the custody. I’m not sure I
can afford another legal battle, Cady.”

“Perhaps it won’t come to that,” I suggested
gently. “The mediator said you needed your kids with you.”

“I know. I thought this was all settled. Why
would Doug want to change things now?”

“What does Daisy want to do?”

“She says she’ll go, but she’d rather not
have to see Mimi.”

“There’s your answer.”

“Mimi won’t take no for an answer, Cady. She
told me she must insist on it, because what happens to Daisy
affects her life, too.” Doc’s eyebrows shot up when he heard that.
I thought it was a little aggressive on the part of Doug’s wife.
Even as the stepmother, she still acted like she needed to throw
her weight around. This wasn’t a woman interested in building a
relationship with Doug’s children. But she seemed to be up to
something specific for Friday night. I was suddenly relieved that
Doc was right beside me, especially since I knew what Carole did
not, that Mimi was willing to murder her stepdaughter.

“In what way is Mimi affected?” Carole
pressed on. “If you ask me, Mimi’s got everything she wanted. I
think they’re having money problems. Maybe Doug thinks if he has
the kids with him, it will save him money, especially now that they
have the triplets. But that’s just too damn bad. They have two
incomes, Cady. And Doug
chose
to leave me. He
chose
to marry Mimi. They
hired
the surrogate to carry the
triplets. It’s not like they’ve been swamped by bad luck.”

I heard the unspoken truth hanging in the
air. If anyone had had bad luck, it was Carole. She wanted
desperately to be cured of her cancer. And she would have been
quite content to stay married to Doug, to keep her family intact.
That’s not how it worked out for her. I could understand her
bitterness and disappointment. Doug had made some really bad
decisions, climbing into that hole of his own accord. He squandered
the decisions he made without thought for the people damaged by the
result, while Carole’s choices were much more limited. Live or die.
Fight or give up. Life really wasn’t fair, was it?

“You know we’re all here for you,” I repeated
into the phone, all too aware of Doc’s mouth right by my ear.
“Whatever happens, you can count on us.”

“Thanks,” she said softly. There was a long
pause and I thought I heard a sniff on the other end. Or it could
have been a sob.

“You okay?”

“Sure. I’m probably worrying about nothing.
You might not understand this, but my kids are everything to me,
Cady. I don’t know what I would do if I lost them.”

“I do understand the importance of family.
You won’t lose them, Carole. I promise you that. Daisy wants to be
with you and she’s old enough to choose that for herself.” Those
were my words. Doc leaned back and nodded approvingly. “And as for
Dylan, he needs to be with his mother and grandparents. If Doug
hadn’t hooked up with Mimi and moved so far away, the kids could
have had their dad involved in their lives. If Doug was smart, he’d
move back here and be available for his kids.”

“He changed so much since he met Mimi.” There
was a wistful note in her voice that was hard to ignore. I thought
about what she was saying. It was true. He really had gone from
being Mr. Reliable to being a selfish jerk. It was as if Mimi
brought out the worst in him. She was so determined to be a
politician -- the Board of Ed was her first stepping stone. Having
a husband who was an assistant superintendent of schools was a lot
more impressive than having a husband who was the principal of
Miller Elementary. I wondered if Mimi’s ambitions ever overwhelmed
Doug. “It just makes me so sad. I never thought I would wind up
like this.”

“I know, babe.”

“It’s just so unfair.”

“Well, it is what it is. Maybe it’s time to
build a new life for Carole, and leave Doug to wallow in the bed he
made for himself. If I might just change the subject for a moment,
what’s with you and Karl Schindler? He seems to have the hots for
you.”

“Nonsense. You’re just trying to make me
forget about Doug.” I heard the doubt in Carole’s voice and burst
out laughing.

“Oh, my God! You didn’t notice how he looked
at you?”

“No way,” she scoffed.

“Carole, if you don’t believe me, ask
Darlene. And by the way, you need to get out and about more. Karl
wasn’t the only guy checking you out at the shop.”

“You mean that dishy Ross Gelber?”

“Ross Gelber? No, he wasn’t one of the guys I
was thinking of, but since you mention it, I think I’ve made my
point. You’re selling yourself short. Men can’t find you attractive
if they can’t find you.” That last sentence was Doc’s, and even as
I said it, I got the point. Carole and I had a lot more in common
than I realized. We both hid ourselves away to avoid letting any
man break through the barriers that protected our hearts.

“Thanks, Cady. You’re a good friend. And
speaking of men, have you seen the way Doc looks at you? The man is
smitten, if you ask me.” Doc leaned back in his chair as I
scrambled to silence the speaker phone function, but I wasn’t in
time. “You should make a play for him. He’s pretty hot.”

“On that note,” I groaned, rolling my eyes,
“I’ll say good night. Call me if you need me.”

“Oh, I get it,” laughed Carole, “he’s there
with you now, isn’t he? Daisy said he followed you home. Well,
well, well!”

“Good night, Carole.”

“Good night, Cady. Don’t do anything I
wouldn’t do.”

“Oh, lordy!”

Chapter Eleven --

Doc’s arms were crossed as he sat there,
observing my discomfort. Discombobulated by his attention, I rose
and got busy collecting the remains of our dinner. He didn’t say
anything as I started to clear the table -- he just kept on
watching my every move. I was surprised he didn’t get up to help
me, but then I realized I was doing just fine on my own. I loaded
the dishes into the sink to scrape the food down the disposal and
rinse them before putting them into the five-year-old,
less-than-efficient dishwasher. Finally, he made his move and his
point.

“Why is the idea of dating me such a
repellent idea?” he growled from across the room.

“I’m sorry?” I looked up at him from the
kitchen sink. He got up out of his chair and took a seat at the
counter opposite where I stood. Arms crossed defiantly, determined
to have it out with me, he started pushing all my buttons, trying
to locate one that would yield to him.

“You were pretty quick to shoot down the idea
of us dating. Why? Am I too hideous for you?” That gnome face was
set into a grim scowl.

“When did I shoot the idea down?” I asked.
“And I’ll point out that you weren’t the one making the comment
that we should date, Carole was.”

“So, if I asked you out, you would go?” Why
did I feel like a zookeeper who was about to get thrown in with the
wild cats? Hungry wild cats. Ravenous, in fact. Wild cats in a
cage, ready to tear me to pieces. I had to tread carefully.

“Are you asking me out?”

“Should I?” There was that snarl again.

“We don’t know each other very well,” I
countered, trying to figure out how to tame the beast that roared.
Doc looked at me like I was the doe in his sights and he was
getting ready to spring for the kill.

“Is that a yes or a no?” Doc was angry. There
was no escaping that reality. The longer he sat, the more steam
seemed to build up in that pressure cooker mind of his.

“You’re asking me to make a decision?” I
finished loading the plates in and started on the glasses, dragging
my feet as I tried to analyze the situation.

“Which is it?” There was something in his
tone that really disturbed me. I thought I heard an ultimatum. And
the second I looked up at him, I recognized it in his eyes. There
was no turning back.

“Right this minute?” I turned off the
faucet.

“Yes. And stop stalling. Make a decision or
I’ll make it for you.” For one millisecond, I hesitated. I tried to
wrap my brain around the idea of Doc as a lover, not just a friend.
Dare I risk it? What if it didn’t work out? There was definitely
something about him that I found appealing. He made me feel safe
when he was around, like we’d work out any problem that popped up
in our way. I was getting used to having him in my life and I liked
it. He challenged me in ways no one had before. I felt like I could
be myself, warts and all. But at the same time, he was a difficult
man. He did not suffer fools easily. He was pricklier than a
porcupine. He was argumentative, even cantankerous. But in his own
way, Doc was a healer; he wasn’t afraid to cauterize a wound,
especially an infected one. In the short time I had been spent with
him, I had confronted a very difficult past with new eyes, new
insight.

“Time’s up,” he announced, shoving his
counter stool back quickly as he stood. “It’s been great knowing
you, Cady. Have a nice life.” In six strides he was at the hall
closet by the front door.

“Doc, wait!” Panic filled my brain and I
hurried after him. He was already pulling on his coat. “Doc,
please!”

“What?” he responded gruffly.

“It’s not what you think,” I answered. How
did I explain this?

“Oh? I’m not the most hideous creature on the
planet?”

“I...I don’t want to lose you as a
friend...if it doesn’t work out. You...you get me, Doc. The real
me. Not the one I show to the world.” I started crying. Don’t ask
me why. I’m not really sure. I’m not normally given to a display of
tears. But at that very moment, there was a big ball of pain lodged
in my throat, and all I could think of was that if I let him walk
out the door without telling him why I hesitated, I would never see
him again. And suddenly I knew I couldn’t bear that. “If...if we
date and for some reason it doesn’t work out, it would...it
would...break my heart.”

For the first time in my life, I admitted my
need for a man, my real need. Not for a partner in bed. Not for
someone to waltz into my life with flowers and candy. For a man who
was as imperfect as the day was long, who cut to the chase because
it was the fastest way to get to where he was going. I was filled
with doubts, about me, about Doc, about us, but I knew I couldn’t
risk losing him.

“Please, Doc.”

He stood there, swamped by his oversized
raincoat, those dark-framed glasses perched on his nose. Hardly the
epitome of the swashbuckling hero. Hardly a Hollywood heartthrob. I
had never wanted a man more.

“So, you’re saying yes?” He just wasn’t going
to let it go. He was going to make me say it, commit to it. As I
struggled to answer, I knew that. All I had to do was say yes and
he would be happy. But if I said yes, what would happen to me? His
hand reached for the door in exasperation.

“Yes!” It was out in a short burst of air,
draining my lungs so quickly, I gulped for more oxygen as my knees
went weak.

“Well, now that we have that established,
I’ll say good night, Cady. Pick you up tomorrow, bright and early.”
Before I could say a word, he leaned over, kissed me hard on the
mouth, and went out the door without another word, leaving me spent
on the threshold, wet tears still on my cheeks.

For the first time in several nights, I slept
soundly. And when I awoke, my first thought was of Doc. I wondered
what it would feel like to have his hands on me. To feel him
touching every part of me. Would his lovemaking be as abrupt and
rough as his conversations? Would it be a never-ending challenge?
He certainly wasn’t the kind of guy to swamp me with gifts or sweep
me off my feet with prose. Doc was too straightforward for that.
But maybe that was exactly what I needed. I thought back to
Stephen. He was the antithesis of Doc, full of flowing conversation
about everything under the sun, on the constant prowl for the next
great gourmet find, embracing the luxuries of life with real gusto,
even when that meant bouncing from bed to bed. Doc was such a
measured guy, who inserted himself so totally into the equation
that there was no way to ignore his presence. He was what he was
and he wasn’t going to apologize for it or beg for the opportunity.
That’s what made him so appealing. It was his strength. Stephen
couldn’t commit to anything other than himself if his life depended
on it. Doc was all about his word as bond. Stephen was the yacht
that set sail without a final destination in mind, letting tide and
current steer the course. Doc was the rescuing lifeboat that cut
through choppy storm waters and aimed for shore with a
determination to overcome the odds. Stephen was the nonchalant bon
vivant who wanted to experience life’s excitement, who put a lot of
time and energy into the act of seduction. The who was less
important than the what, the where, the when and the how. Doc was
the healer, the shaman who saw through the mask of bravado and went
right to the heart of the matter. He wanted what he wanted. It was
all about people, but Doc’s standards were pretty high, as were his
expectations. Two very different men. Stephen had been a pleasure
trip, nothing more. I always knew we would eventually part. I even
counted on it. When the party was over, both of us would move on.
But Doc was a commitment. He wasn’t afraid to do battle. He
wouldn’t try to charm me or win me over with sweet nothings uttered
in my ear. He would push and poke and prod me on my way, but he
would be there by my side on the entire journey, come hell or high
water.