Big-Bucks Bachelor Page 8
Instead she pried her hands apart from where she’d been clutching them in her lap and lifted one to cover his large hand. She worked her fingertips beneath his palm. Her hands were far from smooth, but the rough ridges on his palm from calluses and scars reminded her of the hard shell Jack had encased himself in, and how difficult it would be for anyone to crack through.
If only she had more confidence in her ability to do it.
But just as she gave being his partner in the vet clinic her all, she’d give him her all in convincing the town he was off limits to marriage and or money-minded women. Despite the cost to her heart. She couldn’t afford not to.
She squeezed his hand to show what she couldn’t express with words, and he turned to look at her. His eyes were troubled. A look she’d never seen from him before. She squeezed again and gave him a small, understanding smile.
He responded by leaning in and giving her another quick, light kiss on the lips. It was clearly a kiss of thanks, nothing more, but it struck Melinda straight through the heart. Her eyes burned in a prelude to tears, so she looked quickly away. She couldn’t add to his troubles by revealing how much he affected her.
The reality of Jack’s physical attention, no matter what the motivation, was so much worse to bear than she’d imagined, because it was so much better than the fantasies she’d entertained these past months.
Heaven help her if she wasn’t strong enough to handle the loss when he eventually walked away.
Chapter Six
Jack hesitated as he stood on Mel’s little concrete front porch preparing to knock on the shiny finish of the door, painted blue to match the trim on the boxy white house. They’d decided after lunch that, since it was Friday, they should be seen out together that night. The movies seemed the logical choice.
While Pop’s Movie Theater, which happened to be right next door to their vet clinic, didn’t usually run films until they’d been out for a while, and one of its two screens was patched with duct tape, it was still a popular destination for the dating crowd. The crowd Jack hadn’t ever been a part of in this town.
Though he didn’t mind in the least the idea of watching a movie with Melinda, he couldn’t shake the sense of betrayal he’d harbored all day after Henry Faulkner had expressed his approval of Jack’s supposed engagement.
Henry, and Stella to some extent, was one of the few people who understood why Jack was choosing to live his life the way he was, who knew from firsthand experience how he felt. How often had Henry sat in Dean’s barbershop and convinced Jack that the empty, hollow feeling that consumed him the minute he walked through his door at home was mourning? That nothing would make it go away, so he might as well embrace it?
Henry and Stella had lost their partners in life and had decided to continue on alone.
Jack had thought for sure that he’d be forced to pull Henry aside and tell him the truth about the engagement because he’d assumed Henry would disapprove. Or at the very least, want to talk to Jack about his decision and make certain he knew what he was doing. But Henry hadn’t. Just the opposite. He’d wholeheartedly approved of the engagement, wishing them all the best. Jack felt more than a little deserted by Henry.
If everyone was so damn eager for him to move on, he certainly should. To another town. A town that didn’t hold so many memories of the life he was supposed to have had.
Jack set his jaw and rapped his knuckles on the door. Inside, a dog started barking excitedly and a bird of some sort squawked. Then he heard what sounded like someone running back and forth. A cat yeowled in pain and Melinda cried out. The dog’s bark grew more excited. Jack could hear her talking to the animals, and although he couldn’t make out her words, he could tell she was shushing the dog and soothing the cat.
Melinda yanked open the door, holding a large white cat tucked against her with one hand. She released the doorknob to make a grab for what turned out to be a black, brown and white three-legged shepherd mix.
He knew she’d had a rabies shot to administer not much more than a half hour ago, but she’d changed yet again into black jeans and a snug, ribbed, white turtleneck that drew his attention to her full breasts like her pajamas had.
Damn. Life with Melinda had been much easier before the fact that she had incredible breasts registered with him. He cleared his throat and yanked his gaze upward.
She had her hair down, something he’d only seen that one other time. Now it was dry, and her long, dark blond curls made her look like a mermaid, or vestal virgin, or something. And it had the same hardening, heating effect on him as her breasts had.
With her color high and her big brown eyes even more noticeable than usual, she looked exactly like a young woman ready for a date. Warning bells sounded in his head, but he shrugged them off. Melinda was not like those other women, after a man simply because he had a fat bankroll. She was too focused on proving herself as a vet to be thinking about a relationship. She was playing her part, that was all.
With the dog under control and no longer barking, just wagging its tail and trying to lick Jack despite being two feet away, Melinda looked up and flashed him a smile. “Hey, Jack. Come on in.” She backed out of the way.
While he had suggested she take a look at this house when she’d been looking for something to rent after she’d accepted his partnership offer, he’d never visited her here. Never had cause to. Feeling more than a little strange about taking this step into her private life, he came inside. “Sorry to create such a commotion.”
“It wasn’t you. I was running around trying to get my act together and I stepped on Mr. Booger, here.” She gave the cat, his tail twitching irritably and his yellow-green eyes glaring, a quick snuggle and a murmured apology then set him down next to a fat, black-and-gray tabby on the back of the overstuffed, dark brown couch that she’d used to separate the small, cozy living room from the entryway. “He insists on weaving between my feet when I’m walking around. It’s the only assertiveness he ever shows. I’ve tripped over him or stepped on him enough, you’d think he’d learn.”
Thinking that being nuzzled by a woman like Melinda wouldn’t be such a bad fate, Jack said, “He probably figures your attention is worth the risk.”
She shrugged, but her delicate mouth curled up and her expression softened as she gave the cat one last stroke. Turning her attention to the other cat, who was asleep despite the commotion, she said, “I’m a little embarrassed to tell you who this guy is. But I guarantee he was named long before I knew you.”
Jack looked over the large, raggedy-eared, black-and-gray striped cat. “Let me guess. His name is Jack.”
“One-Eyed Jack, to be precise.”
At the sound of his name, the cat did indeed open only one eye to see what he might be getting. The lids of the other eye had been sewn shut. A bisecting scar gave proof of the necessity.
Jack ran his thumb gently over the big cat’s scar. “Cat fight?”
She nodded. “Pretty sure. And no one in the neighborhood where he was found would claim him. I call him One-Eye now, to avoid any confusion.”
A little disconcerted over being confused with a cat, Jack nodded mutely.
“This fellow here,” she squatted next to the dog, who finally stopped pulling on his collar now that he was certain he’d get attention, “is Pete.”
“As in Three-Legged Pete?”
She grinned and shook her head. “As in Peg-Leg Pete. Not that he has a peg, per say, but…” She gently lifted what was left of the mutt’s left hind leg. “I left him as much as I could for balance.” Standing, she ruffled the dog’s think fur and let him come say hello.
Jack automatically dropped to one knee and ran his hands over the dog, noting several lumps and irregularities. “A car?”
She nodded again. “Really did a number on him. But he’s a stubborn cuss. Refused to die. Sadly, his owners didn’t want him afterward. They didn’t want to deal with his recovery, so he came to live with me. Pete was my first rescue.”
She laughed, a very feminine sound that stirred something very male in him. “Only when absolutely necessary. Fortunately, it hasn’t been necessary since I’ve been here in Jester.” She led him over to the cages.
Jack approached the cage containing the motleyest looking guinea pig he’d ever seen. It was only sporadically covered with tuffs of white-and-brown hair, but on closer inspection he could see that the exposed skin looked scarred and there was evidence of other damage. His mood sobered and he reflexively clenched his fist. “A blow torch?”
Her smile faded and her velvety brown eyes hardened. “Barbecue. Some stupid teenagers bought her just for that. Thank goodness for nosy neighbors.” She stuck her finger through the cage and gently scratched the guinea pig’s cheek. It made soft little squeaks of pleasure. “Her name is Marshmallow.”
Jack choked on a halfway-appalled laugh. “I suppose that, too, is appropriate.”
Pointing at the next cage which held a small greenish-yellow parakeet, she said, “This little guy made the mistake of trying to steal a nut before his owner was done cracking it with the nutcracker. Lost part of his beak in the process. His name is—”
“Let me guess. Pecker?”
“No! It’s Pistachio.”
“I thought pistachios came already cracked?”
“Not all of them. Plus he’s sort of the color of pistachio pudding.” She made kissing sounds at the bird, who responded in kind.
The sight of her puckered lips sent a crazy zing through his stomach and the pleasure her humor brought him made him warm. Trying his best to ignore this new awareness of her, Jack said, “No wonder you don’t feel the need to hang around Main Street during your off hours. You have plenty of friends right here.”
“Oh, these aren’t all of them. I also have two pygmy goats and three rabbits out back. But I won’t make you meet them. I don’t want you to mess up your spankin’ footwear.”
Jack glanced down at his boots. Despite the snow and ice, for God only knew what reason, he’d put on his dress cowboy boots. People were sure to believe he was serious about Melinda when they caught sight of him wearing these. A guy didn’t put on his good boots for just any female. And from what he’d learned so far tonight, Melinda was far from being just any female.
Don’t forget you’re leaving, Big-Bucks.
He shrugged off the reminder and waved her concern away.
She went to the little, round oak table in the dining nook off the kitchen where she’d set her keys and lifted her coat off the back of one of the chairs. “And we should probably get going so we don’t miss the beginning of the movie.”
“The curiosity will kill me, though, if you don’t tell me the names of the rest of your animals and the reasons for them.”
She sighed. “All right. But I’m beginning to think you’re making fun of me.”
“Me? Never. I happen to know what tools you have at your disposal and what their uses are.”
She grinned wickedly at him. “A good pair of snips do give a girl a certain amount of power, don’t they?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He went to her and took the coat from her hands and held it up for her to slide into. “So tell me the names of the rest of your animals. All of which, I’m assuming, were also rescued?”
She eyed him and her coat for a second then turned to slip her arms in. He normally stood a head taller than her, but with the added height from his cowboy boot heels, he really towered over her. He still caught a whiff of the citrus-scented shampoo she used, and he couldn’t help bending down a bit to really get a noseful. She reminded him of his last trip to Florida to visit his folks. Nothing but sunshine and orange trees. A place to visit, but not stay.
“Yes, they—” She glanced back at him, obviously surprised to find him so close, and he had to pretend he was bent toward her to simply help her get her coat on easier. He didn’t want her to think that he expected more from her than what she’d agreed to. He settled the coat on her shoulders and stepped back.
She looked away, then continued. “They were in need of a good home. The two goats are named Willie Bite and Betty Won’t.” She held up a hand before he could open his mouth. “Trust me, you’ll know within two seconds of being near them which one is Willie. He took one too many chunks out of his owner’s backside and wore out their welcome. The bunnies are Thump, Bump and Roll. They were tossed out of car while in a sack.”
“As if I didn’t know it before, I’m now certain you’ve got a good heart. Plus you apparently have quite the talent for finding a little humor in some pretty grim situations.”
“It was the animals who chose not to give up. I just give them the love they deserve. And now you know why I needed to find a practice to work at in a fairly rural area. Let me unlatch Pete’s doggie door so he can go out if he needs to, and check everyone’s food and water, then we can get going.”
Jack watched her walk through the kitchen to a utility room, wondering about this new side of his partner. He’d known she loved animals. As a vet, that was a given. But he never would have expected this angel-of-mercy side of her. She took in wounded creatures and gave them the love and care they needed. He admired the hell out of that.
Especially considering not all wounded animals could be saved. How many had she adopted into her heart only to lose them anyway? He knew too well how much loving could cost someone. It was a risk he refused to ever take again. But Melinda had clearly been willing to take it over and over again. She had courage, that’s for sure, and he admired that also.
He glanced around her little house. Her furnishings and decorating weren’t what he’d expected, either. She was so focused on her work that he’d thought her home would reflect that, also. That there would be less homey, decorator like touches such as the rich-looking tan drapes hanging from wrought-iron rings on a matching rod, or the inviting, overstuffed couch and armchair covered in a dark brown fabric that begged to be plopped down on with a beer and the remote.
And in true girly fashion, there were candles, accent pillows, throw blankets and mail-order catalogs everywhere. The tables looked antique, but not the hand-me-down sort, more like found treasures.
Framed photos hung on the walls, none professionally taken. A smiling older woman with familiar looking big brown eyes standing at a picket fence next to a dour looking slender man with short, curly blond hair. A little girl with a riot of blond ringlets grinned from ear to ear as she sat perched atop a huge hog.
She did know from pigs.
Yet there was so much more to her than he’d originally thought. More to admire, more to like.
Uh-oh.
She came back through the kitchen freeing her hair out from beneath her coat. Once she had it pulled out, she released her hair, and it cascaded down onto her shoulders in a mass of dark gold curls. Jack’s mouth went dry.
Okay, so now he knew why he’d put his good cowboy boots on. And he doubted he’d have any trouble thinking of her as Melinda instead of Mel from now on.
EVEN THOUGH the two movies showing at Pop’s Movie Theater were probably already available on video somewhere, there wasn’t much to do in Jester on a wintry Friday night, so Jack and Melinda had plenty of witnesses to their date. He played it up by holding her gloved hand as they waited in the thankfully short line to buy their tickets, accepting congratulations right and left.
He couldn’t tell if it was the icy wind or embarrassment that kept Melinda’s cheeks a becoming rosy red. And he couldn’t believe that he’d never really noticed just how pretty she was, especially with her hair down and blowing around her face like a gorgeous golden cloud.
She finally asked, “What?” because he kept glancing at her.
He mumbled something incoherent and headed straight for the refreshment counter.
Having forgotten how much great junk food was available at the movies, Jack lo
aded up on popcorn, candy and soda pop, much to Melinda’s obvious amusement. Despite plenty of offers of seats from those who undoubtedly wanted to be close enough to see if any shenanigans went on between the town’s vets, he and Melinda settled into seats a little off from center of the theater. In unspoken agreement they chose ones with enough space around them that they could talk without being overheard.
Unfortunately, the movie they’d decided to see was being shown on the screen with the duct tape-patched tear. But the action film wouldn’t make them as uncomfortable with their situation as the romantic comedy playing on the undamaged screen would have. Though neither one had actually expressed the sentiment, it was obvious by how quickly that film was rejected by them both despite its better reviews.
Once they figured out who would hold what snacks, Jack slumped down in his seat, purposefully leaning toward Melinda so they looked snuggled up like a couple of teenagers. That should put the doubters at ease.
After swallowing a mouthful of buttered popcorn, he said, “You know, this isn’t too bad.”
“No, it’s not. As long as nothing good happens right about there.” She pointed a red licorice stick at the duct tape.
Her sense of humor sparked a long-dormant playfulness in him. “You mean, right…there?” He threw a piece of popcorn at the screen, well over the heads of the few people in front of them.
She gasped and slipped down in her seat as if to hide. “Jack!”
The other moviegoers chuckled. “Hey, Doc! You’d best settle down there,” someone joked in a mock voice of authority.
Jack played along and whined, “Aah, man.”
Pleasantly surprised by how much he was enjoying himself, he propped his arm on their shared armrest and noticed how Melinda moved hers off the moment they made contact. She seemed more than a little self-conscious. He figured that even without his popcorn throwing, they were the topic of more than a few whispered conversations going on around them in the partially filled theater, but he was surprised it affected her so. He shouldn’t be. Melinda was a shy, quiet woman. And their relationship was fake.