Way to Her Heart (4 page)

“So where are you going? What are you going to wear?” Alexis was eager for every detail as she finished styling Sherri’s chic bob.

“I’m not sure. He said it was a surprise. We’re going after Sydney’s dance recital so whatever I wear to that is what I’ll have on. And that’s that,” she said airily.

Alexis looked mildly frustrated. “This isn’t fair. You stayed all up in my business when I was dating Jared and you won’t even toss me a crumb about Lucas, my own brother-in-law. How selfish can you be?”

Sherri grinned unrepentantly. “Pretty darned selfish, I freely admit it. Yes, I did get all up in your Kool-Aid when you were dating Jared, and I got all in Emily’s business with Todd, but that was different.”

“How was that different? Lean back so I can take a weed whacker to those shrubs over your eyes,” Alexis ordered.

“It was different because I was being the voice of reason for you two. Y’all were in love and you needed an objective viewpoint from a concerned and loving friend. It’s not like that with me and Lucas. We’re just two friends enjoying each other’s company
. Ouch!
”

“Don’t be a baby—you’ve had your eyebrows waxed before,” Alexis scolded.

“It never hurt like that,” Sherri protested. “You did that on purpose to get information out of me, but I keep telling you—there is none. We’ll probably go get something to eat after the recital and that’ll be the end of it.”

Alexis opened her mouth to let her friend in on the fact that Lucas was after something much more than a casual friendship, but she prudently changed her mind. When Sherri figured it out for herself they’d have plenty to talk about. Then she’d get to be the voice of reason for her intelligent but unaware friend. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she finished Sherri’s brows.

* * *

The dance recital had been a smashing success, mostly because of the adorable little dancers in their clever costumes but partly because Lucas had contributed the refreshments. He’d arranged for a vast array of canapés and desserts to be delivered from Seven-Seventeen, the fine dining restaurant owned by the brothers VanBuren, and he had also provided staff to set up, serve and clean up afterward. He’d made quite an impression on the dance moms—and not just for his generosity. Several of the women in attendance had given him the once-over, devouring him with their eyes.

Sherri had overheard one of the older dancers ask Sydney if he was her mom’s boyfriend and Sydney had answered “yes,” which was both endearing and alarming to Sherri. She was going to have to have a little chat with her daughter soon, that much was obvious. But for now, she was just going to enjoy the evening.

It was off to a great start. When Lucas came to pick her up at her condo promptly at nine, he was not only looking and smelling good, but he’d also brought her a big green plant. He’d insisted on picking her up at her condo rather than having her follow him to the site of their outing.

“When I take a lady out, I pick her up and bring her home. I know it’s old school, but that’s how I roll. You don’t mind, do you?”

When he looked down at her with his long-lashed eyes sparkling and his ridiculously sexy smile, she couldn’t think of a single reason to protest the arrangement. She’d driven home from the dance studio in minutes and even changed clothes, taking off the coffee-colored slacks and matching blouse she’d worn. Now she was wearing a hot orange tank dress made of a supple rayon knit fabric that showed off her slender figure and her legs. Because he was much taller than she was, she could wear her bronze strappy sandals with the four-inch heels and not worry about towering over him; she still barely reached his shoulder.

Sherri never wore a lot of makeup, but she’d added a little blush and lipstick, along with another coat of mascara and a bit of smoky eye shadow. A pair of big gold hoop earrings and an armful of Indian bangle bracelets in gold with bright pops of color completed her ensemble. When she saw the smile on Lucas’s face, she was glad she’d made the effort. He’d changed clothes, too, she noticed. He was now wearing a pair of dark slacks and a really nice shirt that brought out his green eyes nicely. It was her turn to smile as she held out her hands for the plant.

“Lucas, this is a beautiful ficus,” she said. “It’s so sweet of you.”

He ignored her outstretched hands and took the big plant over to the window, placing it gently on the floor. “It’s heavier than it looks,” he said. “And you look gorgeous, by the way.”

“Thank you. I was just thinking the same about you,” she answered with a smile.

The smiles continued as the evening progressed. First they went to a restaurant called Sweet Tea and 3 Sides. It was a barbecue joint that had some of the best food in town. As soon as they walked in the door people were calling her name, waving at her and, in a few cases, coming up to give her a hug. After they were seated, Lucas began laughing softly.

“What’s so funny?” Sherri asked.

“I was laughing at myself because I wasn’t sure you’d like this place, but ever since we came in the door it’s like being with a celebrity. Do you know everybody in Columbia?”

Sherri grinned as she shook her head. “I don’t know everybody in Columbia, but I do treat a lot of children so a lot of people know me as Dr. Sherri. I have my regular practice and I work at the free clinic, too. And more to the point, I love barbecue. I love to eat it, but I don’t like to grill, so I’m here at least twice a month,” she told him.

Just then their server arrived with menus and big glasses of sweet tea. After greeting Lucas, the young woman asked if he wanted to look at the menu or if he’d be having what Dr. Sherri was having. Sherri laughed sheepishly. “Okay, so maybe I’m in here more than twice a month. Like almost every weekend,” she admitted. “But the food is so good, I can’t resist.”

After placing their orders, Lucas reached across the table to take her hand. “You don’t have to explain. I’m a fiend for good barbecue and, luckily, I like to grill so I’ll make some for you whenever you want. And I agree that the food here is excellent. I’ve eaten here several times.”

They chatted companionably over dinner and shared a big portion of blackberry cobbler for dessert. She looked so animated and pretty that Lucas asked what she was thinking about.

“I was thinking that this is the best date ever,” she told him before licking the last of the cobbler off her spoon. “If I’d known how much fun this was I would have started dating a while ago.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Lucas countered. “I’m glad I’m the one you allowed to have the pleasure of your company. And I hope you aren’t tired because I have something else planned for us.”

She didn’t have to wait long to find out what he had in mind. After taking care of their check and leaving a generous tip for their server, Lucas started driving them to a club. He turned to Sherri as he drove and said, “I hope you like music.” She assured him that she did. “Good, because the place we’re going to has some of the best blues I’ve ever heard.”

The name of the club was Night Flight. The music was great; a singer who sounded just like the late Katie Webster was performing. Between sets a DJ played a mix of blues standards and jazz and when Lucas asked if she wanted to dance, Sherri gladly accepted. She used to love to dance, but she didn’t get to do it very often except in her Zumba class or when she and Sydney were playing with the Wii. Dancing with Lucas was a totally different experience. Feeling his big arms wrapped around her as they moved to the music was really, really nice. She loved the way he smelled and the warmth of his body. She relaxed into his strong, muscular arms and everything dropped away from her consciousness, everything except the way her body felt pressed against his.

When the song ended she felt slightly disoriented for a moment. She didn’t want to let go of the feeling of being surrounded by Lucas, but once the music stopped she had no choice in the matter. Back at their table she sipped her ginger ale and looked at Lucas, really looked at him, examining every bit of his face. He gave her a slow smile and leaned over so that she could hear him over the music and loud talking. With his lips touching her earlobe, he said, “You’re looking at me awfully hard. Do I scare you or something?”

A sensation she hadn’t felt since the night Sydney was conceived washed over her like the spray of a warm, gentle shower. She held perfectly still so he wouldn’t see her trembling. “That would be ‘or something,’” she murmured. This time her lips brushed against his ear because it was the only way he’d be able to hear her soft voice.

An odd expression raced across his face, replaced almost immediately by a big grin. “Let’s get out of here so we can talk about it. Is that okay with you?”

She nodded and he rose to hold her chair. As they left Night Flight, her hand slid into his like they’d been holding hands for years. They drove to her condo in relative silence, although the idea was that they were supposed to be talking. In a short time they arrived in her gated complex, and he once again opened her door for her and took her hand as they walked to the house. If he’d been expecting her to give him a demure and chaste thank-you and good-night in the doorway, Lucas was mistaken. Sherri calmly opened the door and invited him in, saying she’d make iced coffee. And just like that, the two of them were alone in the house, together.

Chapter 4

Lucas couldn’t believe his good fortune. This was what he’d wanted ever since he’d first seen Sherri back in February at his brother’s wedding. He was alone with Sherri and could start the enjoyable process of getting to know her. It had taken weeks of anticipation, repeated invitations and a study guide provided by her brilliant daughter. Sydney was the one who’d told him that her mother loved barbecue, live music and green plants. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands in the half bath off the living room.

“She gets sad when flowers die, Uncle Lucas. She likes big green plants. We have a lot of them in our condo, so if you want to bring her something, make it a plant. Like a ficus tree—she really likes those.”

He owed Sydney big-time for the heads-up, he reflected. Sherri seemed to have enjoyed their evening, both the restaurant and the club, although Lucas was particularly happy with the latter. Holding her close to his body while they danced had been arousing in the extreme and he couldn’t wait to do it again. The fact that she’d invited him to come in instead of bolting from him at the door was also a good sign. He dried his hands on the guest towel and went to join Sherri in the kitchen. The sound of the late Percy Mayfield’s voice floated from her stereo speakers and created the perfect ambience for the night.

Once again he noted that she was a beautiful woman, totally striking even though she was just making tall glasses of iced coffee in her bare feet. Lucas loved a woman who could be herself in front of him; something as simple as taking off her fancy sandals to reveal her long sexy feet was a turn-on for him.

“Are you sure I can’t help you with anything?” he asked as he seated himself at the long counter to watch her in action.

“I’m positive. The coffee is already in the refrigerator,” she confessed. “I’m rather addicted to it and after I drink my morning cup I refrigerate it so I can have iced coffee in the evening. All I have to do is put a little cream and sugar and some coffee ice cubes and voilà, it’s all done. You don’t mind sugar in your coffee, do you?”

“It’s fine,” he assured her. “I like my coffee sweet. The ice cubes are a clever idea.”

She didn’t answer for a moment while she mixed cream and sugar, which she had put into a shaker jar, into the coffee. As she shook it up she told him it wasn’t her own idea. “I saw them do it on the Food Network or I got it out of a magazine or something. But I love using them. They keep your drink cold without making it watery.” She filled two tall glasses with the ice and poured the drinks. Placing them on a tray with a plate of mocha brownies, she turned to him and suggested they go to the living room.

Lucas got up to carry the tray and soon they were seated on her comfortable taupe sofa with the refreshments within easy reach on the coffee table. He took a sip of his drink and smiled his approval. “What else did you put in here? It’s delicious.”

“Some of your sister-in-law’s homemade vanilla bean liqueur. Alexis is really clever about that kind of thing.”

“Alexis is a gem,” Lucas agreed. “But I don’t want to talk about her.”

“Okay. So what do you want to talk about?”

Lucas put his glass on the tray and held out his hand to Sherri. “I want to talk about you,” he said. “The more I’m around you, the less I seem to know about you. I want to know you better. A lot better.”

Sherri’s eyes widened as she took in what he’d just said. “We do know each other, Lucas. I know that you have two brothers, Jared and your twin, Damon. I know that you have two sisters, Tamara and Camilla. Tamara is a doctor and Camilla is a commercial interior designer who specializes in restaurants. I know your parents and your grandmother. You’re not exactly a mystery to me, Lucas.”

As she was talking, she put her glass down next to his and placed her hand in the one he was holding out to her. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Yeah, you have a lot of information about me. I can only assume that you’ve been talking to my grandmother, because nothing is a secret with her.”

Sherri laughed and admitted that most of her intel actually came from Alexis. “She’s very chatty and she’s told me quite a bit about the VanBuren family. But Ms. Delilah is no slouch either. When she found out that I don’t have a man in my life she asked me if I preferred women,” she said with a wicked grin.

“That’s her to a tee.” Lucas laughed. “What comes up comes out with her—she doesn’t hold anything back. So, you know a lot about me, but I don’t know nearly as much about you. I know you’re a pediatrician, that you and Emily and Alexis are lifelong friends and that you have an amazing, engaging little girl. But aside from that I know nothing. Alexis might talk about my family in general, but she doesn’t talk about you.”

“God bless her,” Sherri said wryly. “If she ever decided to run her mouth she could bury me because she knows everything there is to know about me.” Her fingers were tracing patterns on Lucas’s palm, very lightly, but with just enough pressure to start his temperature soaring. It felt good to have her touching him.