Ghostly Liaison (3 page)

“So what happened back there?” he asked.

She kept her head down. “A car got too close and I overcompensated.”

“Is there a reason you were riding a bike in the rain?”

“Well… I don’t have a car and I thought it would take too long to walk.”

Okay, so it wasn’t his business. She didn’t know him so why should she open up? He wouldn’t mind getting to know her, though. Some strange urge to protect her had come over him after they’d touched.

The ride was going to be too short. Normally, he’d catch at least three red lights. Today, they were all green. Was someone playing games with him? He even drove five miles under the speed limit and yet he still arrived at the vet’s in record time. He drove around the back and parked. Barnaby looked up and whined.

“It’s okay, boy,” he said. “We’re not here for you.”

“Someone doesn’t like the vet, huh?” She patted him on the back. “Can’t say I blame you. I don’t care for doctors, either.” She gazed at Rob and smiled. “Thanks for the ride.” She opened the door and hopped out of the truck.

“Wait,” he said to the closed door. Why hadn’t he asked for her name? Calling her “hey you” didn’t seem right. Regardless, she’d already entered the building. Damn, she was fast.

Barnaby looked at him beseechingly, as if saying, “You idiot, you’re letting her go?”

No, he wasn’t letting her go. Not that fast, anyway. He opened the window a crack, letting in some of the rain. The seat would most likely be wet by the time he returned, but so what?

“Stay,” he said as he climbed out of the truck. The dog had no problem following that command and sat back on his haunches.

Rob pulled her bicycle out of the back and jogged over to the building. After leaning the bike against the wall and making sure it wouldn’t fall over, he helped himself inside.

He’d never come in this way, he’d always used the front entrance. A round table with chairs inhabited the middle of the room and a refrigerator stood at the end of a counter containing a coffeepot and microwave. The coffee aroma nearly masked the antiseptic smell the place always held.

His breath caught in his throat. She stood by the coat rack, her long-sleeve T-shirt clinging to her breasts like a second skin. Rain had always been a nuisance, costing his business time and money, but if he could see her like this every day, rain would be welcomed.

Kate appeared from the hallway wearing a white lab coat over casual attire. “Bridget, what the hell happened to you? And what are you doing here, Rob?”

This was Bridget? He’d heard about her accident. She wasn’t anything like he’d expected. He’d assumed she was disfigured, or something worse. Not a vibrant, beautiful, woman.

“I fell off my bike and Rob was kind enough to stop.”

Oh yes, her bike. “Yeah, about that. I put it out by the door. Is that okay? Or I could take it to get repaired.” Then he’d have a real excuse to visit her again.

Bridget grimaced in embarrassment. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. The door’s fine. I can take care of it. You’ve done enough. Thank you.”

Damn. He’d have to figure out another way.

“You fell off your bike?” Kate grasped Bridget’s shoulders and turned her around in an examination. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Bridget shrugged free. “I’m fine. The bike is in worse shape.” She picked up her backpack. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go in the back and clean up. Thanks again for the ride, Rob.”

“No problem. Glad I could help.”

She turned and walked away, showing a fine ass, too. But she favored her left leg. Maybe she’d gotten hurt more than she would admit.

“Rob?”

He tore his gaze from Bridget. Kate stared at him with hands on her hips.

Shit
. Caught red-handed. He played it innocent and smiled. “Yes, Kate?”

She curled a finger her way. “Follow me.”

She led him to her office, a small room with a desk and not much else. A computer monitor took most of the desk space. She closed the door behind Rob and remained standing, probably because she couldn’t offer him a chair.

He figured she would chastise him for staring at Bridget’s ass. Or worse, her breasts. But damn, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the woman.

“Is Charlie’s house still empty?” Kate asked.

He certainly hadn’t expected her to talk about the house. “Considering I haven’t fixed it up yet, yeah.”

“You need a house sitter while you fix it up?”

“Are you and Brian having problems? I mean, I know the guy can be an ass sometimes…”

She snorted. “He may be an ass, but he’s my ass and I love him very much. No, I was thinking about Bridget. She’s living with her parents and I know she’s looking to move out. Problem is, she doesn’t have a lot of money right now. I thought since the house is nearby, maybe you could use her to house sit. That way she’s out from under her mother’s watchful eye and she won’t have a long commute to work. What do you say?”

“I don’t know. Like I said, the house is a mess. There’s a hole in the bathroom wall.”

“How the hell did that happen?”

He shrugged. “Who knows? I think they were high on something.” How else could he explain finding a chair embedded in the wall? Apparently, good credit did not make a good tenant. And they’d had the nerve to ask for their deposit back.

“I tell you, she won’t care,” Kate said. “If she agrees, can you do this?”

Could he? Hell, if Bridget did house sit, he’d see her more often. Hmm, not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all.

Kate smacked him in the shoulder. “Stop it. She’s off-limits.”

His heart sank at her words. “She has a boyfriend?”

“No. But she’s in a vulnerable state. Let her get her life together first, okay?”

Rob smiled. All right. No boyfriend.

She smacked him again. “Did you hear what I said? Off-limits.”

He rubbed his arm and sighed. “Fine, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. That satisfy you?”

“Thank you. You’re going to make her day. I just know you will.”

He didn’t know about Bridget’s day, but his was certainly looking brighter.

* * * *

Bridget ran a comb through her hair, working out the knots. Each pull exacerbated the ache in her head. A headache that had disappeared in Rob’s presence. Wonder why that was? Guess hormones trumped craziness. Whatever, the headache returned. Not even the blessedly warm—although brief—shower had relieved it any.

She walked to the grooming station and borrowed a blow-dryer. Soon her hair was dry and she pulled it into a ponytail. Returning to the break room ready to face the day, she found Kate and Rob sitting at the table drinking coffee. Bridget had been sure Rob would have left by now, but something inside of her was glad he stayed.

With his coat off, he was quite a vision. Even though he wore a flannel shirt, his biceps filled the sleeves quite nicely. And his shoulders were wider than wide. Well, he owned a construction company, so what did she expect? Then again, he could be management. If he was, he must be the hands-on kind. An office worker didn’t normally sport calluses like he had. And he’d lifted her bike as if it weighed nothing.

Hell’s bells. The last thing she needed was to fall for a hunk like Rob. Maybe he was full of himself. Maybe he looked at himself in the mirror every chance he got. Yeah, that was the ticket. Staying away from someone like that would be easy.

Rob turned his head and spotted her. A slow smile spread across his face and her heart melted at the sight.

Dammit, dammit, no! Conceited. He was conceited. She must stick with the plan.

Kate waved her over. “Come sit down.”

Bridget grabbed a cup and poured herself some of the dark brew—with her requirement of cream and sugar—before sitting. She picked a chair closer to Kate and as far away from Rob as possible. “What’s up?”

“Rob needs some help, and I think you’re the perfect person to do it. His sister passed away about six months ago and left him her house. He needs to fix the place up before he can rent it. How’d you like to be his house sitter? If after he’s finished, you wish to remain living there, he’ll be glad to rent the place to you. What do you say?”

Bridget had been staring at Kate as she rambled on. When Kate had mentioned Rob’s sister passing, Bridget glanced at Rob. There was great sadness in his eyes. Shit, shit, and double shit. Conceited persons didn’t care for others, and he had clearly cared for his sister.

“Why me?”

“Because I know how badly you want to move out of your parents’ home. Oh, and the house is around the corner.”

Around the corner? As in walking distance? And free? Let’s not forget that! So what if she had the hots for Rob. That was her problem, not his.

“I should warn you,” Rob said. “The house is a mess. The plumbing works, but there are holes—”

“I’ll do it,” Bridget blurted. “When can I move in? Oh wait, I don’t have any furniture.”

Kate laughed. “I believe it’s furnished. Right, Rob?”

“Most of the furniture’s intact, yes.”

Bridget smiled. Her life was turning for the better. Finally. And she’d only had to fall off her bike for it to tumble into place.

Rob stood and grabbed his slicker from the rack. “How about I pick you up after work and take you to the place? Let you see it before you make any decisions. Okay?”

She must have nodded. He smiled at her and left.

Kate placed an arm around Bridget’s shoulders. “You ready to start work now?”

Bridget’s heart was near bursting. She hugged her cousin. “Thank you, Kate. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Hey, it’s the least I can do for my favorite cousin. Now, let me show you where everything is kept before the patients start showing up.”

Oh yes, patients. The furry kind. Bridget could handle that.

When Kate had said the house was right around the corner, she wasn’t kidding.

True to his word, Rob, accompanied by Barnaby, picked up Bridget and her poor, deformed bike. It took him longer to make the two left turns than it did to drive down the street. Third house on the left, he pulled into the short driveway.

The rain had finally abated, so she didn’t need an umbrella upon exiting the truck, though Barnaby dashed to the front door as if a tornado was on his heels.

The neighborhood reminded her of the one she’d grown up in. Small houses, built forty to fifty years ago, all contained the same basic floor plan and consisted of brick and siding. Big, climbable trees dotted the landscape—every lot had at least one.

The windows on Rob’s home sported fake shutters, painted to match the dark brick and contrast against the cream-colored siding. The yard was small, but well cared for, the grass a lush green. From the outside, the house seemed perfect.

Rob stepped up to the small, covered porch. “Remember, I warned you.” He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Ladies first.”

The dog ignored his statement and barged into the house. Rob laughed, but made no effort to give her room to pass, forcing her to brush up against him as she entered the home. Man, he smelled good, like cut wood. Hell, he probably worked with it all day. Sitting in the truck with Barnaby between them had been bearable. Now with no barrier, her heart leaped. Would she be able to have a business relationship with someone who sparked such desire?

She stepped into the living room and took a deep breath. Much better. She would just keep her distance. It was the only logical solution. Even if the house sported a hole in the roof, she would probably live here, which would make him her sort-of landlord. Better to think of him in a business manner than a romantic one. Better for her heart, anyway.

Because who would be interested in someone who hallucinated?

What little light shone through the clouds came through the big picture window. No walking naked in this room. Not until she got some curtains.

A beautiful stone fireplace adorned the end of the room, but the brass-trimmed doors hung askew, as if someone had tried pulling them free. Who in their right mind would do such a thing?

The wood paneling covering the wall across from the window and surrounding the fireplace would look impressive if big chunks weren’t missing. Whoever lived here last had some serious issues. Hopefully not with Rob. “Are you a bad landlord?”

He chuckled. “I didn’t think so. But then, I’ve never been one before. Surprisingly, the couch and love seat are fine and I believe the TV still works. All I have is the digital converter, so if you want more than that, you’ll have to get cable or satellite.”

Television was the least of her worries. She hadn’t watched much since coming home from the hospital.

Rob shut the door. “The kitchen is all electric. I have the pots and dishes in some boxes at home. I can bring them if you need them.”

For someone who didn’t do a whole lot of cooking, the small galley kitchen was just the right size. Better yet, it included a microwave. Perfect. The window over the sink and the sliding glass door in the dining nook both looked out into the backyard. More uncovered portals to the open world. “Did the place ever have curtains?” she asked.

“Yes. You don’t want to know what shape I found those in. I guess I should get those replaced.”

“No, don’t bother. I can get some. It’s the least I can do, since you’re letting me live here rent-free.” She gazed out the back door. The yard was fenced in—
yay!
—and a cement patio extended from the house. A tall circular deck utilized most of the room in the backyard. Dare she hope?

Barnaby pressed his nose against the glass and whined, as if reading her mind.

“Can I?” she asked, while holding the door handle.

“Sure, go ahead. The gate’s closed.”

She unlatched the lock and slid the door. The dog squeezed through before she had a chance to open it all the way. “Must be a squirrel or something out there.” She stepped outside and examined the deck further, confirming her suspicions. “You have a pool!”

The redwood deck surrounding the covered aboveground pool made it appear built-in. Stairs on the side led to the top. She was dreaming. Who in their right mind would have someone live here rent-free? She could almost kiss those stupid tenants.