Changing Lanes (The Lone Stars Book 3) (13 page)

Things were moving too fast. She didn’t move fast—never moved fast. For the love of God it had taken her two years to decide on a sofa, and she was barely ever home to sit on it. And here Devon was doing nice things for her and her friends. She’d wanted to spice up her boring life, but this was more…so much more. Sure, she’d wanted to be reckless, by skydiving or having an affair with a hot guy, but this was moving into emotional recklessness. That was so much scarier than physical recklessness. She liked Devon… a lot. She hadn’t known him very long, but every time she saw him, her heart beat a little faster and her mood lightened. Smiling was easy around him. It hit her like a ton of bricks.

She could love him.

Little black dots danced in front of her eyes and she grabbed the nearest table for support. Her rational mind told her that either she was having a panic attack or her blood sugar had plummeted. She sat down hard in a plastic chair. When was the last time she’d eaten? Not this morning … last night? No breakfast and a three–mile swim—bad combination.

She could love him…was growing more attached to him everyday. That scared the crap out of her. She hadn’t loved anyone romantically since DJ. Love hurt too much. DJ had proven that to her. She tamped down her flight response—neither fight nor flight seemed like an appropriate response right about now.

“Are you okay?” Devon knelt in front of her. “Your face is kinda gray looking.”

“Low blood sugar. I didn’t have time for breakfast. Can you grab me a banana?” Here she was telling her patients to eat regularly and she didn’t practice what she preached.

Devon was back with a banana and a bottle of water. He knelt down in front of her, peeled the banana, and handed it to her. “Here.”

Her hands shook ever so slightly. Laney ate the banana without looking at him. This was embarrassing. Here he was doing something special for her and she nearly swooned like a heroine in a regency romance novel. Why did the realization that she was developing feelings for Devon make her nauseated? Did it make other people nauseated? She needed to research love and nausea. Maybe it was normal.

“Thanks.”

“You need to take care of yourself.” He tunneled his fingers through his hair. The look on his face clearly conveyed that he was frightened for her. He was certainly more emotionally invested in whatever it was that they had started. That was unnerving.

“I’m good now.” Her head was no longer spinning from loss of blood flow and her stomach no longer growled. She stood and smiled at him. “Thanks for the birthday party. I wish I could stay longer, but I’ll have to eat and run.”

She had several more patients to see in the office and then hospital rounds.

“Okay, sit back down, I’ll make you a plate and bring your present over.” He held a hand out for her to sit. “Be right back.”

He’d gotten her a present too? That made her uncomfortable. What if it was something expensive? Hopefully, it was something small.

Her eyes followed Devon. He walked over to where a small group of pajama clad kids were huddled around something. He snaked in between the kids, said something that made everyone laugh, and bent down. When he stood and turned around, Laney’s breath caught in her throat.

Devon was holding a squirming puppy with a big red bow around its neck. Her heart melted … well not really, it was just dopamine flooding her brain and increasing her heart rate, but it didn’t matter. For as long as she could remember, she’d wanted a puppy. How had he known?

She shouldn’t accept it. She didn’t have time for a puppy. She bit her lip. She wanted to hold the squirming bundle so badly. Holding out her hands like a child waiting for her next Christmas present, her legs vibrated with anticipation.

No one had ever given her such a wonderful gift. Devon seemed to know her…understand her better than she did herself.

Devon placed the dog in her lap and the little thing, took one look at her, licked the side of her face, curled in a ball, and fell asleep.

Devon patted the sleeping bundle. “She’s an English bulldog. Very good with kids and hypoallergenic. I was thinking you could take her to work with you. Bulldogs are good with children, and they’re real sturdy so they can handle playing even with rough kids.” He cocked his head to the left. “I know dogs are a lot of work, but she’s smart.”

She snored lightly.

“I can see that.” Laney picked up the sleeping dog, tucked her into her shoulder like a baby, and gave in to the love she already felt for the dog. So she could feel love. That was good. “What’s her name?”

“She doesn’t have one. Lara wants to call her Kisses. I already introduced her, and they hit it off. Lara says that she’s available to babysit any time you’d like.”

Laney held the dog out in front of her. “Are you a Kisses?”

One eye opened regarded her sleepily, and then shut again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” What on earth was she going to do with a dog today? Maybe tomorrow she could arrange to bring her to work, but she had nowhere to keep her today.

“Let me get you a plate.” He made his way to a long row of tables that held aluminum foil covered pans of food. Did he make all this food? If so, when had he done it? He’d made the food for last night too. He must have been up all night cooking. Wow, when he threw a party, he went all out. A weariness over his abundant generosity picked at her. Kisses stirred, licked Laney’s neck, and then wiggled back into a comfy spot and went back to sleep.

“Can I hold your dog?” A little boy in fire truck pajamas shyly walked over. She didn’t recognize him, and he didn’t have an IV. He must be here for some sort of treatment.

“You bet.” She handed the puppy to him.

“I gotta dog named Scout at home. He sleeps with me.” He was maybe seven.

“Where are your parents?” Laney looked around.

“My mom died and my dad’s at work.” He petted Kisses. “He comes to stay with me at night.”

Another lonely kid.

“Josh, it’s time for your medicine.” A scrub clad female walked over. Laney recognized her as the nurse on the transplant team. Doris or Dorothy.

So Josh had recently gotten a transplant. His color was good, and he was up and around. Children were little miracles, they could be sick one minute, but give them new liver or kidney and they were up and about the next day.

“What room are you in?” Laney took the puppy from him.

“Four seventeen.” His blue eyes glanced up.

“How about if I bring Kisses by later. Think you could babysit her for me?”

His face lit up. “Sure.”

He patted Kisses one more time, turned toward the door and the waiting Doris, and went with her.

In giving her Kisses, Devon had given her the means to brighten many a child’s day. That was an even bigger gift. She should do something for him … but what? Without a doubt, she was the world’s worst gift giver. Her teammates understood that for Christmas and their birthdays, they were going to get something they’d have to return. In fact, it had turned into a little game where she went out of her way to buy something so awful that most of the time they couldn’t figure out what it was. Laney was the best white elephant gift giver in the world.

Devon returned with a plate with half a smoked chicken and three kinds of potato salad. “Mom and I are trying out different potato salad recipes for the restaurant. Tell me which one you like best.”

She smiled. He was a good businessman. He’d turned her birthday lunch into marketing and market research—cunning and practical. Devon had game.

“Thanks.” She was so ravenous, she could have picked the chicken up by the leg and gone all caveman on it, but instead she used a knife and fork. She handed Kisses to Devon who tucked the puppy in his arm football style.

“I have a confession to make.” Devon petted the squirming puppy. “Originally, I bought the puppy for Lara.” He threw a hand up. “I didn’t re–gift her… but well I thought you could share her. I was going to buy two puppies but my mom wouldn’t let me. Kisses could stay with her during the day or something like that. A kid needs a puppy. Households with pets have been proven to be healthier and happier. And sixty–three percent of all American households have a pet.”

He’d done his research and was proving his case. As if she needed proof.

Laney looked around. “Where is Lara?”

“She’s upstairs. Her treatment took a lot out of her.” Devon glanced at his watch. “When I left her fifteen minutes ago, she was sleeping. She wanted to sleep with Kisses, but well …”

“Let me guess, your mom sweet–talked Alan into letting her keep a puppy in the hospital.” Laney was amazed by just what Sweet Louise could get away with.

“Sweet–Talk is my mother’s middle name.” He smiled to himself. “She’s sewing matching blankets and dog beds as we speak. She sends her love, but she won’t leave Lara’s side.”

“Your mother is a special lady.” And he was special too.

“That’s putting it nicely. We both know “special” is code for crazy.” Devon watched every move she made. It was both unnerving and comforting. He was into her…got her. “I have something else for you … that I got before the puppy.”

“Another present? Really, we don’t know each other that well. I hope it’s something small.” She didn’t want to sound too negative, but she needed to set some boundaries. He needed limits. They both did. She didn’t do whirlwind romances; in fact, she didn’t fully understand the concept. Wasn’t a whirlwind like a mini tornado? What did emotional attachment have to do with tornadoes?

He thought about it for a minute. “Well, it’s smaller than some things and larger than others.”

“That’s not comforting.” Now was not the time or place to get into the limits talk. “Am I going to be shocked?”

He smiled. “Probably.”

After finishing the chicken, she tasted each of the potato salads. All were wonderful, but one was extra special. “I like this one.” With her fork, she pointed to the slightly yellow–i–er one with chopped up bits of boiled egg.

“That’s my favorite too, but mom says that it’s not fancy enough.” Devon rolled his eyes. “We differ on what we want in a restaurant.”

“I’m sure you’ll work it out.”

“Have you met my mother?” Devon shook his head. “She’s not big on compromise. She’s more of a her way or the highway kind of person.”

“That explains where you get it.” She took a small bite of potato salad. It didn’t matter what the obstacle, he’d mow it down to get what he wanted.

“So you see me as uncompromising? That’s funny. I don’t see myself like that.” He didn’t seem angry, merely thoughtful.

“Neither does your mother.” Laney grinned and patted his hand. “Okay, now show me the present that’s probably going to shock me. Just so you know, I have a high shock tolerance. It better be impressive.”

More than likely she would make him return the gift, but it would be interesting to see exactly what he’d come up with. Kisses was the best gift she’d ever gotten. Let’s see if he could top that.

“Let’s take Kisses for a walk outside. That’s where your present is.” He set the dog on the floor, pulled a pink leash out of his coat pocket, and clipped it to her collar. “She’s not real good on the leash yet.”

Kisses bit at the leash, growled, and then ran around in a circle chasing it.

“She’s just seven weeks old. She’ll get better.” Devon gently pulled her on the leash. “I hope.”

“I’ll take her to puppy school.” She glanced down at Kisses whose tongue was lolling out the left side of her mouth as she played the leash game. Laney stood.

Devon settled his hand at the small of her back and guided her out the door, down the hallway, and into the lobby. Kisses tried to keep up, but ended up lying down at the entrance to the hospital and shot them a look that said “I’m not going any further and you can’t make me.” The puppy was breathing hard.

“Poor thing.” Laney scooped her up. “Her little legs have to work four times as hard as ours.”

Kisses licked her face, and Laney could swear she smiled. Not well versed in canine anatomy, she couldn’t say if it was possible or not, but she was choosing to believe that it was.

Laney stepped outside and shaded her eyes with her hand. Right in front of the hospital, double–parked, was a brand new, dark blue Mustang convertible with a huge red ribbon on the hood.

It was the car that she’d always secretly wanted.

She almost dropped Kisses and then looked around incase this wasn’t her present and it was for someone else.

Devon smiled from ear to ear as he took on the roll of car salesman. He walked around the car. “It’s called deep impact blue and is almost the color of your eyes. It has four hundred and thirty–five horse power and four hundred pounds of torque.”

Laney couldn’t claim to have been speechless ever before this moment. She had no words. Just like the puppy, she’d always wanted a Mustang convertible, but she couldn’t keep it. It was too expensive of a gift to take from someone she hardly knew. How had he reached into her mind and pulled out two of the things she’d always wanted, but wouldn’t allow herself to have?

“It has Bluetooth everything, SYNC, and a kickass sound system. This car practically drives itself.” He waved a hand grandly game show hostess style to indicate the interior. “The leather is so soft you feel like you’re sitting on a cloud.”

The longer she stared at it, the more confused she became. She was starting to have feelings for him, but he clearly had stronger ones for her. She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of something to say.

Why couldn’t they have a normal relationship beginning? He wanted to jump into things like they had been a couple for years. It was a lot of pressure. True, her parents hadn’t been the best role models when it came to relationships, but Devon’s buying her expensive presents didn’t feel right.

“I can’t accept it.” She was quiet but firm. “It’s too much too soon.”

It felt like way too much too soon. What were his motives for giving her this gift? In her mind, it came with strings—nothing was without strings. She didn’t understand the rules. When had their relationship or whatever they had moved to grand gestures?

The boyish grin in his face crumbled. “I want you to have it.”