Georgia On My Mind (19 page)

“Is meeting the family within the boundaries of light and fun?”

He decided not to remind her that they had just stepped way outside the boundaries of light and fun. “You already know Ben, Ian, and Rosie.”

“True.”

“There’re only three more brothers, a couple of sisters-in-law, two nieces, and a nephew. Plus my parents, of course, but they’re in
Florida
, so you’re safe on that front.”

“Since there’s no parental involvement, I’ll go.”

He caressed her face. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”

She nodded. “Thanks for listening.”

“Any time, sweetheart.” He took her hand to help her up. “Let’s go see what’s so funny.”

Inside, they found Ben and Tess in the living room.

“Oh my God, you guys, check this out,” Ben said, his eyes dancing with mirth. “We’re playing dirty-word Scrabble. You won’t believe how filthy innocent Nurse Tess is!”

As Tess blushed, Nathan took a peek at the board. His eyes almost popped out of his head. “Whose is
that
?”

“Hers!” Ben said, laughing. “She’s downright smutty! I love it.”

“He challenged me,” Tess said as she added e-d to fuck. “What was I supposed to do? Twelve more points, please.”

“How do you figure?”

“Double letter.”

Ben shook his head. “I surrender. You win. Your mind is much dirtier than mine.”

“Not possible,” Nathan murmured and was surprised when Ben laughed rather than lashing out. “I’m heading home. Do you want a lift?”

Ben glanced at Tess, who was putting away the game. “Can you give me a minute?”

“Sure.” Nathan hooked an arm around Georgie to lead her into the kitchen, where he maneuvered her back against the counter. “Ben wants to kiss her. So while he’s doing that, why don’t we figure out a way to waste a few minutes?”

She caressed his chest. “I feel like we’re back in high school.”

“Fun, isn’t it?” he asked as he kissed her neck.

“Uh-huh. I wonder how Cat’s date with Ian went.”

“I’m sure you’ll hear all about it in the morning, and then you can tell me. Now kiss me, will ya?”

On the third floor, Ian pressed his ear to the door. “Sounds like they’re having a freaking party down there,” he grumbled.

Amused, Cat watched him pace. “Come back to bed.”

“Does this room have a fire escape? I might need it.”

“You can’t spend the night?”

“I’ve got to get home to Rosie.”

Her smile faded.

“Come on, Cat.” He sat on the edge of the bed and laced his fingers through hers. “You know I have a daughter. I have to get home to her, even though I’d love to spend the night with you.”

“I suppose that’s something. At least you want to.”

“You could always sneak over to my house after the sitter leaves,” he cajoled as he skimmed his lips over her collarbone.

“And have to be out by when?”

“Six?” he said with a sheepish grin.

“As appealing as that sounds, I have to say no thanks.”

“So where do we go from here? I want to see you again.”

“You want to see me
naked
again.”

“That, too.”

“What if that was all I wanted?”

“Sex only?”

“I just got out of a big, hairy deal. That’s why I’m living here right now. I’m regrouping.”

“So let me get this straight—the hottest babe I’ve ever met, with whom I’ve already had three rounds of what was easily the best sex of my life—wants a sex-only relationship?”

Laughing, she nodded.

“Let me think about it.”

“
Seriously?
”

“I’m done. Yes. Deal.”

“Shouldn’t we shake on it or something?”

“Something.” He brought his lips down on hers. “Definitely something.”

After she put the game away, Tess returned to the sofa to sit next to Ben. “This was fun,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to think less of me now that you know about my dirty mind?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong, Ben?”

“I used to be smooth . . . with women. But I’m sitting here dying to kiss you, and I seem to have forgotten all my moves.”

He looked so lost and so forlorn that Tess’s heart went out to him—a dangerous thing for a woman who had sworn off men. Shifting to her knees, she moved carefully to straddle him without putting any weight on his injured leg. “Does anything hurt?”

“Not my leg, if that’s what you mean.”

Smiling, she guided his arms around her and let her lips hover close to his. “Is it coming back to you yet?” she whispered.

“Starting to.”

She brushed her lips over his.

His hand slid up her back to cup her head. “Tess.” He kept the kiss gentle and undemanding, almost as if he was afraid to ask for too much.

When she let her tongue wander into his mouth, he went still for an instant before he responded in kind.

He pulled her tighter against him, bringing her into direct contact with his erection.

“Ben,” she gasped.

“Hmm?”

“I think you’ve got your moves back.”

His lips were soft against her neck. “Thank God.”

“Nathan’s waiting for you,” she said as she clung to him.

“How much you want to bet he’s found a way to kill some time?”

Tess smiled and shifted her face in search of his lips.

He held nothing back this time, and when they finally resurfaced, Tess was light-headed and breathless.

“Are you working tomorrow?”

She shook her head.

“There’s a cookout at my brother’s. Want to go with me?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation, relieved to know she would see him again soon. “I’d like that.”

“I like
you
, Nurse Tess. A whole lot.”

“I like you, too, Bennett Caldwell. A whole lot.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before he kissed her again.

“Are there other moves?” she asked in a saucy whisper. “Besides these?”

He growled against her ear. “This is nothing.”

A bolt of heat and anticipation traveled straight to her core, making her tremble in his arms. “Maybe sometime you could show me some of the others?” His smile faded, only slightly, but she noticed it.

Sliding his hands up and down her back, he said, “I’d better go. Nate’s waiting.”

Stung by his sudden withdrawal, she moved off his lap.

He reached for his cane and pushed himself to his feet with a grimace. Once he had gotten his balance, he extended his hand and helped her up. Keeping his firm grip on her hand, he touched a light kiss to her lips. Their eyes met, and in his she saw longing and desire and fear—of what she couldn’t be sure.

“See you tomorrow?” he asked.

“Okay.” Whatever he was worried about, she’d find a way to get it out of him.

After Nathan and Ben left, Georgie joined Tess in the living room. “You seemed to be having fun.”

“I was.” Tess’s face softened into a dreamy expression. “He’s lovely.”

“
Tess has a boyfriend
,” Georgie sang.

“
So does Georgie
,” Tess retorted.

“It’s starting to seem that way, isn’t it?”

“You know, it wouldn’t break my heart if you decided to stay here.”

Georgie fiddled with the fringe on one of the sofa pillows. “My mother wanted me to move back here. For years she’s been after me to come home where I belong. How can I do that now that she’s not here anymore?”

“She wanted you to be happy.”

“I guess,” Georgie said with a shrug. “But I haven’t even known him a week. I can’t reorder my whole life for a man I just met—even if I like him more than I’ve ever liked any guy. That goes against everything I believe in.”

“How do you feel when you’re with him?”

“Safe,” Georgie said without hesitation. “Amused, off balance, frustrated.”

Tess chuckled. “Anything else?”

“Adored,” Georgie said softly. “He makes me feel adored. I’ve never had that before.”

“Georgie,” Tess sighed. “How can you walk away from that without seeing it through?”

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to get involved with him in the first place! I don’t feel capable of any other big decisions right now.” She glanced over at Tess. “I told him. About the test.”

“And what did he say?”

“All the right things,” Georgie conceded.

“See?”

“What’s going on?” Cat asked from the doorway. She was dressed in only a bathrobe.

“What’re you doing here?” Georgie asked. “I thought you were working.”

“I had a headache after dinner, so I called in sick.”

“I thought I heard you up there earlier,” Tess said.

“How was dinner?” Georgie asked.

“Fine,” Cat replied.

Georgie eyed her suspiciously. “Just ‘fine’?”

“Uh-huh,” Cat said, diverting her eyes.

“
Oh my God
,” Georgie said in a scandalized whisper.

“What?” Tess asked, alarmed.

Georgie never took her eyes off Cat. “You did the deed.”

“I did not!”

Georgie sucked in a sharp breath. “You are
so
totally
lying
!” She couldn’t believe it was possible, but right before her eyes, Cat Kelly blushed. “Oh, you dirty,
dirty
girl,” she said, tossing Cat’s words back at her.

Tess had apparently been rendered speechless until she said, “How was it?”

Cat dissolved into one of the big easy chairs. “So,
so
good.”

Georgie cracked up. “You’re
such
a hypocrite.”

“I know! Just shut up about it, will you?”

“Where is he now?” Tess asked.

“Probably on the fire escape. He needs to go home, but he didn’t want you guys to know he was here.”

Georgie glanced at Tess. “Perhaps he fears we might be tempted to tell his brothers?”

“Something like that,” Cat grumbled.

Tess giggled. “Your dirty secret is safe with us.”

“Can I tell him the coast is clear? You guys won’t say anything to him, will you?”

Georgie wanted to make her suffer—oh, how she wanted some suffering. “We’ll do our best to refrain from comment.”

“I hope you’re enjoying this,” Cat said with a scowl.

“I’m having a blast. You, Tess?”

“Totally.”

Flipping them the bird, Cat left the room.

Georgie and Tess collapsed into hysterics.

“You’re next,” Georgie said.

“No way,” Tess said. “Unlike you two, I have some self-control.”

“It seems no one’s safe from the potent
Caldwell
charm.”

Georgie was stunned when Tess’s eyes flooded with real tears. “What?”

Tess shook her head.

Georgie got up and moved next to her friend on the sofa. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just . . . I’m so happy here,” she said softly. “I love it all—you and Cat, and as silly as it is, I love that we’re dating brothers—adorable, charming,
sexy
brothers. I love my job and this house. I love that I feel safe here and that tomorrow I’m going to a cookout with Ben. Nothing special, but it’s something I haven’t done in so long, and I’m looking forward to it. I can’t tell you the last time I looked forward to anything.”

Deeply moved, Georgie said, “Why didn’t you leave him sooner, Tess?”

“I couldn’t. He controlled everything, and I was terrified of him.”

“What about your family? Surely, they would’ve helped you.”

Her smile was sad and ironic. “He was a partner in my father’s law firm. My family didn’t believe me.”

Georgie saw Ian sneak out the front door but didn’t take her eyes off Tess. “So how did you finally get away?”

“I ended up in the hospital with broken ribs that he told the doctors I’d gotten in a surfing accident.” She snorted bitterly. “I’ve never been on a surfboard in my life.”

Cat slipped into the room and took a seat without interrupting Tess.

“That was the first time he broke something. I knew if I went home with him that eventually he’d kill me. So I walked away from the hospital in the middle of the night, took a taxi across town to the hospital where I worked and got the thousand dollars I’d managed to stash in my locker along with a few photos and personal items. I took Amtrak to
Rhode Island
and shook like a leaf the whole way. I did private-duty work while I went through the process to legally—and privately—change my name and apply for a license.”

“You walked away with the shirt on your back,” Cat said, incredulous.

“I certainly didn’t want any reminders of the seven years I’d spent as his punching bag.”

“You were so brave, honey,” Georgie said, reaching out to hug her.

“I’m still so ashamed, though,” Tess whispered, “that I let him treat me that way for so long. What kind of self-respecting woman puts up with that?”

“You were terrorized, Tess.” Cat moved to Tess’s other side. “Nothing about it was your fault.”

“I kept thinking if I was different somehow—if I kept a cleaner house, or made him fancy meals, or dressed the way he wanted me to or did what he wanted . . . in bed. I thought if I did those things, then maybe I wouldn’t make him so mad.”

“He ought to be in jail,” Cat growled.

“Cat’s right,” Georgie said. “Let me tell Nathan about this. He’ll know how to help.”

“I don’t need help. Not now. I was very careful. There’s nothing to lead him here.”

“But still, if Nathan knew, maybe—”

Tess stopped her with a hand to Georgie’s arm. “I’m finally free, Georgie. I want to be free to enjoy what’s happening with Ben. I just want to be normal for once. If you tell Nathan, he’ll get the police involved, and I’ll lose my happy new life. I’ll have reason to be afraid again.”

“He’d take care of you. You know he would.”

“Yes, he would, but I still don’t want you to tell him. Promise me you won’t.”

Georgie glanced at Cat, who tilted her head toward Tess as if to say they had to respect her wishes.

“I won’t tell him,” Georgie said. “Unless something changes and I get the sense you’re in danger. If that happens, I won’t hesitate to tell him.”

“I guess I can live with that.” Tess reached out a hand to each of her roommates. “We haven’t known each other long, but I love you guys. I really, really do.”

“Right back atcha,” Cat said gruffly.

Georgie nodded in agreement.

A call from Ali woke Georgie early the next morning.

“I can’t believe Joe called you!” Ali said. “I told him not to.”

“Good morning to you, too.” Georgie choked back a yawn and stretched. “I take it you’re feeling better.”

“I’m fine. I told him that, but Joe got all crazy because I couldn’t stop crying. It’s the only meltdown I’ve had since I made the decision. I think I should be allowed one major freak out over this whole thing.”

“Of course you are. He was upset, Al. Don’t be mad with him for calling me. He needed to talk to someone who knows what’s going on.”

“I’m not mad. I’m just ready for the whole thing to be done with.”

“It will be. Soon enough.”

“Yeah. Can we please talk about something else? How are you?”

“Hanging in there,” she said with another big yawn. “You’ll never guess who I’ve been seeing.”

“What about Doug?”

“Over. The day after you left, the same day I met Jogger Guy.”

“No way. No
freaking
way!”

“Yes way.” Georgie told her sister the PG version of the story, and when she finished, Ali was silent. “Hello? Still there?”

“He’s the one, Georgie,” she said softly.

Georgie laughed. “You and Cat. Have you been talking to her?”

“Does he know? About the test and the gene and everything?”

“I told him last night.”

“And?”

“He said it doesn’t matter. That my life is more important than my breasts.”

“Marry him.”

“Okay, I’ll get right on that.”

“Are you going to have the test?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“Well, that’s progress anyway. How’s the sex?”

“Alison!”

“What? Don’t tell me you haven’t slept with him after the way you lusted over him for weeks.”

Thinking of that first night with Nathan, Georgie felt her cheeks burn. “It’s great.”

“Marry him!”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Ali. Give me a call before you go in the hospital this week?”

“Only if you promise me you’re going to marry this sexy detective who cares more about you than your breasts.”

“
Bye
, Ali.” Georgie closed her cell phone and dragged herself out of bed to go do an errand she couldn’t put off any longer.

She brought a stack of boxes back to the house and went straight upstairs before she could talk herself out of the task she had planned for the morning. Georgie knew her practical, organized mother would object to her clothes collecting dust when someone could be using them.

As she emptied the dresser, Georgie found a crocheted handkerchief that reminded her of the elderly widow who had lived next door to them when Georgie and Ali were little. Mrs. Marchant had complained about the lack of activities for seniors—not to mention the dearth of opportunities to meet single men “of a certain age.” Nancy Quinn had seen a need and had done something about it by founding the center.

Georgie admired that quality in her mother and had struggled to live up to it. At first she had felt guilty about pursuing a career that combined her love of fashion with the aptitude for marketing she had honed through a variety of summer jobs at the boutiques in
Newport
. When held up against her mother’s many accomplishments—accomplishments that had real meaning to real people—Georgie had worried that her choices were shallow in comparison. Her mother, however, had encouraged Georgie to follow her passion. “You’ve got a lot of years to work,”
Nancy
had said. “You’ve got to love what you do.”

And Georgie did love it. She loved the challenge and the process involved in presenting clothing, jewelry, shoes, and accessories in a way that enticed and seduced. She loved the brainstorming sessions with her high-spirited, creative team, the drawings, colors, fabrics, textures, and smells. Somehow she had to figure out a way to get her career back on track.

Working quickly and trying hard not to think about what she was doing, Georgie plowed through her mother’s clothes. She divided them into piles of what she wanted to keep for herself and Ali, things to be donated and others to be thrown away. Georgie contemplated a dress that had gone out of style twenty years ago. Curling up her lip with distaste, she mumbled, “What was she thinking holding on to this?”

In the back of the closet, she found a pile of clothes she had sent her mother from Davidson’s, many of them still with the tags attached. Not surprised by the discovery, she laughed. Try as she might, Georgie had never had much luck in upgrading her mother’s fashion sense. Jeans and T-shirts had been the mainstays of
Nancy
’s wardrobe.

When Georgie finished going through the clothes, she turned to the desk and sorted paperwork, some bills she hadn’t noticed on an earlier mission, correspondence involving the center and a pile of old pictures. The clothes, the hats, the white gloves, and the cat-eye glasses made her smile. In the bottom right-hand drawer, she found a packet of papers tied with a pink ribbon. Curious, Georgie untied the ribbon and gasped at what she found—every letter she had written to her mother during her freshman year of college.