chapter 3
DELPHI SIDESTEPPED THE GROUP of people hotfooting it toward the plane, smiling and waving at the man behind her. She would forget about him, or at the least, ignore him, his twinkling brown eyes and charming prattle, as well as the zing of sexual awareness that had arrowed through her when she touched him. Now that they were out of the airplane’s close confines, she’d go her way and he could go his.
She looked around as she walked across the expanse separating the landing strip from the office, soaking in her surroundings. She’d been so intent on getting away from where she was that she hadn’t thought too hard about where she was going.
There was a freshness here that seemed more marked than Atlanta. The sky appeared bluer, the clouds punctuating it whiter. The air was cleaner. She swatted at her arm. And holy hell, the mosquitoes were bigger—much bigger.
Stepping into the airstrip office, the scent of wood, coffee and cookies greeted her even before the person at the desk did. The woman stood, a welcoming smile wreathing her face and lighting her eyes. Medium-length blondish-gray hair, blue eyes, mid-to-late fifties, pressed jeans and a flannel shirt trimmed in lace, she had to be Merrilee Swenson, the founder and town mayor. Skye had told Delphi all about Merrilee.
She took Delphi’s hand in hers. “Welcome to Good Riddance, Delphi, where you get to leave behind what ails you. I’m Merrilee.” Yep, she’d known it. “Skye is swamped so she couldn’t be here to meet you. But we’re going to get you over to the clinic right after we get you settled.”
It was impossible not to smile back at this warm woman. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Now, honey, I don’t want you to worry, but there’s been a little snag in getting your cabin ready.” When they’d spoken earlier, she had told her they’d house her in a little cabin near the clinic. “You’ll find that happens here and we just have to go with it. But we should have you in there by next week. In the meantime, you’ll be in one of the rooms upstairs.” At this point, it didn’t matter to Delphi where she stayed. As long as she had a bed and could close the door on the world for a while, she’d be happy. “Right next door, through that door in fact—” she gestured to a door on the right-hand wall “—is Gus’s Restaurant and Bar. We’ll comp your meals until you’re in your own place. We really appreciate you coming here to help us out.”
Merrilee Swenson finally paused to take a breath and Delphi chuckled—really chuckled for what felt like the first time in months. “That all sounds good. I’m glad to be here.” She hadn’t realized just how ready she had been for a change.
Before Merrilee could respond, the back door opened and the group she’d passed on her way out piled into the room, Lars in tow.
Merrilee beamed at him. “Lars, it’s so good to see you again.” She closed the gap and they exchanged a hug.
Merrilee turned to Delphi. “Let’s get you introduced around.”
“Everyone, this is Delphi Reynolds. Delphi’s helping us out for a couple of months while we find a replacement for Nelson’s replacement. And as for this motley crew...” She turned to Delphi. “Of course you’ve met Lars.”
Delphi smiled and nodded but avoided eye contact with the disconcerting man. “Well, this is Liam, his twin.” She touched the shoulder of a man who bore a striking resemblance to Lars, but wasn’t as big and broad. “Liam runs a survival training camp north of here.”
“I’m the older brother by five minutes,” he said with a slight smile and a firm handshake.
Delphi laughed. “I see.” Liam was nice but he wasn’t as handsome—or sexy—as his younger-by-five-minutes brother.
Merrilee indicated the woman at Liam’s side. “And this is Tansy Wellington, the bride-to-be. Tansy’s a love guru.”
Tansy was a petite, curvy brunette with happy eyes behind black-rimmed specs.
“Love guru?” Delphi said, intrigued.
“I write a column, a blog, and my first book just came out. I give relationship advice.”
A day late and a dollar short—she could’ve used some of that half a year ago. Dear Tansy, My boss is obsessed with me. Please advise. Delphi kept her smile firmly affixed. “Wow, impressive.”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s fun. Nice to meet you.” She also had a nice, firm handshake. Handshakes said something about people, at least in Delphi’s book they did.
Merrilee nodded toward a woman with shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair and glasses. She was even shorter than Tansy. “This is the mother of the groom and my sister-in-law, Janie Reinhardt.”
“It’s actually Dr. Reinhardt. I’m a professor of sociology.” She shook Delphi’s hand as if it was a chore to make contact. “And I prefer Jane.”
“Sorry,” Merrilee said, “I’m just used to—”
“I know my brother insists on using that childish name.”
“Nice to meet you,” Delphi said. So, maybe Lars wasn’t too far wrong about his mother. She certainly wasn’t warm and fuzzy.
“And this is Dirk Swenson, the boys’ cousin,” Merrilee said, continuing the introductions. Delphi shot a quick glance at the arrogant Lars, smirking at Merrilee’s designation of him as a boy. He grinned and winked at her. Really, that man... “Dirk is also Liam’s second-in-command at the training camp.”
While Lars and Liam weren’t small by any means, Dirk stood a good two inches taller and probably outweighed Lars by thirty pounds. “Pleased to meet you.”
She was beginning to sound like a parrot. There was no way she’d ever remember all of these names.
Dirk’s hand engulfed Delphi’s, but she noticed he was careful not to exert too much pressure. She pegged him as a gentle giant kind of guy.
“Pleased to meet you, as well,” she said.
“And last, but definitely not least, is my better half, Janie...I mean, Jane’s brother, and the guys’ uncle, Bull Swenson.”
Bull bore a striking resemblance to Jane and, to a lesser extent, Dirk. Although he stood a full head shorter than the other men in the group, it didn’t matter. Bull Swenson had a presence about him. The medical professional in Delphi immediately noted the scars on his neck. They looked old and painfully gained. There was a story there.
“Hello.”
Before she wrapped up the introductions, Merrilee motioned to the two older gentlemen who sat in rocking chairs across the room. They flanked a chess set. “That’s Dwight Simmons on your left and Jefferson Monroe to your right.”
Both men nodded in her direction. In the midst of the meet-and-greet, Delphi couldn’t shake her awareness of Lars Reinhardt. It was as if a part of her attention was stuck on him. She’d done her damnedest to ignore him on the plane and now when she had all of these people tugging at her attention, a part of her was still caught up in him. He was a man who simply couldn’t be ignored.
“Don’t worry, honey, we’re not going to quiz you on names anytime soon,” Merrilee said and then chuckled. “Now let’s get y’all settled upstairs. Lars is in room three and, Delphi, you’re in four.” Merrilee patted her hand. “You’re closest to the bathroom.”
“Thank you.” Delphi spoke automatically but her brain remained stuck on the idea of having him in the room next to her. A shiver raced through her.
“And of course you’re invited to the wedding,” Tansy said, beaming. “The whole town will be there. Now that you’re a part of Good Riddance, of course we want you to come, as well.”
“Absolutely,” Merrilee chimed in. “It’s a great way for you to meet everyone. And it’ll just plain out be fun.”
Delphi didn’t dare look at Lars. She didn’t have to. She could feel his smirk. It was one thing to turn him down, but how did you tell a bride-to-be you didn’t want to have anything to do with her big day?
She frantically searched for an excuse. It wasn’t as if she could say she had another commitment. There was nothing to do here and no one to do it with, not with everyone planning to attend the nuptials.
She grabbed on to the universal female out. Smiling weakly she demurred, “I didn’t pack anything suitable—”
“Pshaw.” Merrilee cut her off, waving her hand as if brushing aside the matter. “You’ll see a little bit of everything there. There’ll be plenty of blue jeans, shorts and everything in between.”
Lars spoke up. “I already invited her.”
Merrilee gave a little clap. “Perfect. Now you both have an escort.”
Just shoot her.
It looked as if she was going to a wedding—with Lars Reinhardt—unless she developed a headache. Although the very thought of sharing a room next to him already gave her a headache.
And, unfortunately, a bit of a thrill.
* * *
LARS CLIMBED THE STAIRS leading to the rooms above the airstrip, bringing up the rear behind Merrilee and Delphi. Blondie had a cute little butt. He’d noticed when she deplaned ahead of him and it was impossible not to notice now. Her tush was trim and cute, just like the rest of her.
She brought home to him just how long it had been since he’d enjoyed the company of a woman. Of course, it had been a damn long time since he’d been on leave, too. But it wasn’t as if Delphi was simply handy and convenient. She’d tripped his trigger switch the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Instant attraction was a potent thing.
She’d pulled out the “nothing to wear” excuse but if she really hadn’t wanted to go with him, she’d have invented some fictitious boyfriend back home or some other chick excuse. He’d been around enough women to know the fairer gender didn’t go anywhere with a man if they really didn’t want to.
Carrying Delphi’s luggage—he hadn’t taken no for an answer—he continued up the stairs until they turned right and traversed the short hallway.
“Here ya go, Lars.” Merrilee opened the door and he walked in. Merrilee lowered her voice. “I thought you’d rest easier if you knew that we put your mother at the new bed-and-breakfast at the other end of town. We figured it might work out better that way and Alyce could use the business.”
“Good call.” He put down one of Delphi’s suitcases and slid his duffel bag off his shoulder, dropping it on the bed.
The room was pretty much the way he remembered it sixteen—wait, it was more like seventeen or eighteen—years ago, when they’d come to visit one summer. It was old-fashioned and welcoming. Log walls, flannel and lace curtains, a braided rug against the wooden floor and a quilt thrown over the bed.
He picked up her suitcase again. “It’s still nice.”
Merrilee smiled. “You’re a sweetie.” She walked next door and he followed with the luggage. “And here you are, Delphi. I hope you find it comfortable.”
“It’s lovely.” The expression on her face tugged at something undefined inside him, something he hadn’t even known was there. It was as if she found the room comforting.
He noticed a door in the wall. Closed and locked now, it connected their rooms.
This was working out well enough. He couldn’t have requested a better setup.
* * *
DELPHI PATTED HER FACE dry and quickly touched up her makeup, which was minimal anyway. She’d traded her travel clothes for a pair of casual black slacks and a nylon/spandex top. She’d probably be overdressed but she wasn’t comfortable showing up at the clinic in jeans, at least not the first time.
She gazed longingly at the claw-foot tub. It practically begged for a long soak with bath salts and bubbles, her leaning against Lars’s chest, nestled between his thighs, his kisses against her neck, his hands on her—
No, no and no. There, it was living proof that he was trouble. She’d met him on the plane, he’d carried up her suitcases...and she was already fantasizing about an erotic bath experience with him. She’d never experienced this kind of chemistry—the heat, the anticipation she felt around him.
Work. She needed to focus on work. She was here for R&R—résumé and reputation repair.
Gathering her stuff, she opened the bathroom door. Lars stood leaning casually against the wall outside, his shaving kit tucked under one arm. A guilty flush engulfed her face but she reassured herself he had no way of knowing she’d just been thinking about sharing some naughty tub time with him.
“Oh,” she said. She felt breathless, flustered. “It’s all yours.”
She stepped into the dimly lit passageway and stopped when she was even with him. There was no reason in the world that she couldn’t just keep moving. There was room to pass. Her bedroom was four, maybe five steps away. Her brain said go. Her body said stay.
The smoldering heat in his eyes rooted her. His warmth, his energy tugged at her like an invisible cord.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted a hot shower,” he said, “or a hot meal first. The shower won out.” Would you like to scrub my back?
“The tub is great. Well, it looks great.” I was thinking about you.
“Sweet.” His glance dropped to her lips and it was almost as if she could feel him touching her, tracing the curve of her mouth.
“You look nice,” he said. His low voice slid over her like a caress.
He looked dark and sexy, with stubble shadowing his jaw and those faint lines radiating from his eyes. Her breath seemed stuck in her throat, her feet glued to the floorboards. She must be more tired than she thought to be so shaken by a compliment. She found her voice, if not the full measure of her wits. “Thanks.”
He shifted slightly on his feet, pushing away from the wall. Her heart pounded against her ribs and she curled her fingers into her palm. Tension, anticipation, desire thickened the air and flowed through her. She swayed slightly.
Lars raised his hand, reaching for her. It was a measured, controlled movement that matched the look in his eyes, part question, part challenge. He had signaled his intent. Now it was her move. He gave her time to advance, retreat or stand her ground. She stood.
Her heart thunking against her ribs so hard she could swear she heard it, she awaited his touch. His nearness warmed her cheek, a precursor to the feathering of his fingers against her skin. His touch, so gentle, so light, melted her inside. Tilting her face up to his with his finger beneath her chin, Lars brushed his lips against hers in the lightest of kisses. It was so tantalizing, so sweet, so inflaming. She leaned into him and returned his gossamer kiss.
He cupped the back of her neck with his big hand as he deepened the kiss. It was tentative, yet sure, as contradictory and intriguing as the man himself.
He broke the kiss and dropped his hand back to his side. Magic seemed to enfold them, join them, in the hallway even after they were no longer touching. She felt suspended in the air, in that moment.
“Let’s get a move on.” A man’s strident voice from downstairs pierced the air. Delphi’s feet were once again firmly on the ground.
She took a step toward her room and Lars moved toward the bathroom.
“I’ll catch you later,” he said.
She knew how he meant it, but it held a ring of warning that what had transpired between them wasn’t finished. It would be revisited...and taken further.
“Not if I can help it,” she said with a breathless, only kind-of-teasing note.
Lars turned, a decidedly wicked grin quirking his lips. “Blondie, make no mistake about it. I will definitely catch you later. But I always practice catch and release.”
“But what if I don’t want to be caught?”
He laughed. “What if you don’t want to be released?”
Arrogant. “I can’t imagine that particular scenario.”
He laughed once again, winked at her and closed the bathroom door.
Delphi turned on her heel and marched to her room, torn between exasperation and infatuation. She closed her bedroom door and leaned against it.
What if she didn’t want to be released? That wink?
Little did he know that she’d returned his kiss to satisfy her curiosity and nothing more. Now her curiosity was satisfied, but was she? She still simply wanted to be left alone. Didn’t she?
* * *
“WOULD YOU LIKE someone to walk you down to the clinic?” Merrilee asked.
“Thanks, but I’d prefer to just go at my own pace and get a feel for the town.” Delphi had dropped her clothes on the bed and hurried downstairs when she heard the water running in the claw-foot tub next door. She’d put her shift away later. She didn’t want to think about Lars stripping down in the next room. She didn’t want to think about him naked...and if she stayed a minute longer, it would be inevitable. Actually, it was already too late—those had been the very thoughts chasing through her head as she’d hurried down the hall and stairs. Her mind had painted a picture of broad shoulders, muscular chest, a sprinkling of hair narrowing as it arrowed over a flat belly to a package that did him proud. Perhaps if she put enough distance between her and him, she could get the image out of her head. She could leave that kiss behind, as well. But she needed a few minutes in the fresh air alone to collect herself. She didn’t want to have to make small talk with anyone right now.
“I understand,” Merrilee said. Delphi sincerely hoped not, but Merrilee had a way of looking at you as if she could see past the facade and know what was really going on. “Out the front door and take a left. You can’t miss it.”
Delphi stepped out into the mild afternoon. Despite the sun, a cool breeze sifted through her hair and against her skin. She started down the sidewalk, noting that most of the vehicles driving by were older-model trucks or SUVs. She only saw one car and it was a station wagon. All of the vehicles bore a dulling coat of dust.
Skye had summed up the town as a place that met simple needs. There was no Starbucks. No dry cleaners. No car dealerships. A single street ran through the center of town, with businesses flanking either side of the unpaved roadway. A sign on the front window across the street caught her eye—Curl’s Taxidermy/Barber Shop/Mortuary. Wow, talk about one-stop shopping.
She passed a shop that billed itself as a video rental/screening room/internet café. Additionally there was a dry goods store, a bank, a shop with a collection of snowmobiles and other machinery with a sign advertising small-engine repair, a hardware store and in the distance a large log building with a sign proclaiming it the community center. The newer business additions were in the opposite direction, at the other end of town.
A few minutes later, she finally arrived at the Health Center. Through the large plate-glass window, the waiting room was jam-packed. How in the world could this many people be sick in such a small place? Skye had told her that sometimes she only saw three people in a day. But now, it looked as if half the town’s population was crammed into the office.
Was there an epidemic unfolding? An outbreak of sorts? She opened the door and stepped inside, a bell jangling overhead.
As if someone had pressed a mute button, the room instantly quieted. All eyes trained on Delphi. A man, his long black hair pulled back in a queue, stepped forward. This had to be Nelson, the guy starting med school. A serene smile tilted his mouth and lit his dark eyes. “Hi, I’m Nelson Sisnuket, and you must be Delphi.”
“I am.” They shook hands while the waiting room looked on like theatergoers enthralled in a stage production. “I’m so pleased to meet you.”
“Not nearly as pleased as I am to see you. It was getting down to the wire.”
A murmur rippled through the patients and then they resumed their conversations.
Delphi and Nelson walked in unison toward the desk situated next to the short hallway. It was the first medical office she’d ever been in where there was no door that closed off the hallway leading to the exam rooms and the doctor’s office.
“Bull’s installing a door next week,” he said.
“Oh, okay.” Either she was incredibly transparent or Nelson was a little psychic. It was kind of freaky.
“I saw you looking at the hallway,” he said with a smile. “Skye’s been waiting for you, but she just couldn’t get away.”
Delphi glanced around the crowded waiting room. “No kidding. I take it this isn’t typical.”
“It’s because I’m only here until next week. Change, even good change, throws people off. How about the quick tour while Skye finishes up with Norris?”
“Sure. Sounds good to me.”
Two exam rooms, a supply closet, a bathroom and Skye’s office comprised the back. The equipment and furniture were obviously dated. Delphi heard the murmur of Skye’s voice from behind the closed exam room door.
“Want to wait in here or would you rather go back up front? I need to get back to it.”
“How about I wait in here and then I’ll join you up front after I see Skye.”
“That works.”
The room looked as if it had been furnished with military salvage furniture from World War II. She sat in a barrel-backed wooden chair and waited. It was rather nice to be back in a medical office, even one that had taken a step back in time. Back in a familiar environment, her mind drifted.
Lars. The smoky look in his eyes, his taste, his touch. The thought of him climbing into that claw-foot tub naked, her scrubbing his back, him pulling her in with him, clothes and all...
She tried redirecting her thoughts, but he kept inserting himself in them. He was handsome and sexy in a worn, rugged way. The kind of guy her dad would call a man’s man, which fit with his marine background.
Mercifully Skye opened the door and entered the office, dispelling all fantasies of Lars. Other than sporadic email updates, they hadn’t seen each other in several years. They exchanged a quick hug.
“You look fantastic!” Delphi said, stepping back and taking a good look at her friend. And Skye did. Her long red curly hair, which had almost always been straightened and subdued into a fairly severe chignon, was now pulled back into a simple ponytail at the nape of her neck, allowing tendrils to curl around her face. But her sparkling eyes were the most telling. Obviously Good Riddance and/or being married agreed with her.
“Thanks. I like it here. Actually, I love it here. I’m happy doing what I’m doing and my husband is beyond wonderful, so no complaints.” That answered that—it was a combination of man and place.
Skye studied Delphi. “Your hair looks great. When did you cut it?”
“When I accepted your offer.”
“It looks good. You look good.” Voices sounded in the hall outside. Nelson was obviously bringing back another patient. “How was the trip?”
“Long but uneventful.” Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Lars was an event. “No problems.” Even if he was a bit of a problem to her peace of mind.
“Don’t let the crowd in the waiting room scare you. Everybody is here because Nelson’s leaving. And I’d better get back to it or we’re never going to get out of here today. Do you want to spend about forty-five minutes with Nelson going over how things are organized and then get settled in at the bed-and-breakfast? And how about dinner at our house tonight? We’ll get takeout at Gus’s—that’s the restaurant attached to the airstrip. It’s the only restaurant in town. I’d make something, but I don’t cook on a good day—” she waved toward the waiting room “—and this isn’t a particularly good day. We can eat there but people will be curious about you and I know you have to be tired. Besides, I’d really like for you to see our house.”
“That sounds good. I can’t wait to see your place.”
“Dalton and I will drop by for you around 6:45, if that’s okay.”
“Perfect. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
Once again, Lars flashed through her brain. “So am I.”
And oddly enough, she was.