Have Baby, Need Beau (3 page)

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Authors: Rita Herron

Tags: #Romance, #Physicians, #Fiction, #Contemporary, #General

BOOK: Have Baby, Need Beau
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I wish for you happiness and true love, and a man who will be your equal and give you all the joy a partner can give.

Love you always,

Grammy Rose

 

Mimi blinked back tears, her heart contracting. She’d always been the misfit child, the one who got in trouble. Hannah had been the responsible, studious one, the one everyone admired.

“What’s wrong?” Seth asked.

Perceptive shrink, wasn’t he? “Nothing,” Mimi said, unable to voice how much the letter meant to her.

“Then why are you crying?”

“I’m not.”

Seth shook his head as if irritated. “Why do women always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Get angry or upset, then claim nothing’s wrong when a guy expresses concern.”

“Maybe because it’s none of your business.”

Seth’s mouth tightened. “Sorry. I was only trying to be nice.”

“Or trying to analyze me, sneaky shrink-style.”

He shot her a dark look. “I’m not a sneaky anything. Why are you so paranoid about psychiatrists, anyway?”

“There you go analyzing again. Must be a habit.”

“I’m not analyzing you, Mimi. Like I said, I was only trying to be your friend.”

Mimi shrugged. “Sorry. I guess I took it the wrong way. Must be that whole Mars-Venus thing.”

“I guess.” A small smile tugged at Seth’s mouth. “There’s a hotel over there. I’m going to stop.”

“I’ll wait in the car.” Mimi gestured toward her bridesmaid’s dress.

“Right. It might look a little odd.”

Several cars filled the lot as Mimi toyed with the letter, rereading the heartfelt words while she waited.

Seth returned with a scowl on his face. “No rooms.”

Mimi patted his arm. “Don’t worry, Seth, we’ll find something.”

His blue eyes flickered with doubt, but Mimi believed in the value of optimism. He continued down the winding mountain. She searched for a music station on the radio, but every station focused on the weather, only adding to the mounting tension.

Thirty minutes later, Mimi’s optimism had faded along with the visibility and any hope the blizzard would let up. Seth had tried a small motor lodge, a bed-and-breakfast and one place with a purple door and orange lights that Mimi had negated on sight—it looked a little seedy and was in a bad section of town. Finally they veered toward the apple houses near Ellijay. Seth clenched his jaw so tight she expected to hear bone grinding any minute. A few miles later, Mimi spotted a large well-known hotel, the Magnolia Manor.

“There have to be rooms here,” she said, pointing to the long drive.

“Let’s hope. I’m low on gas now and the highway’s closed.” Seth steered the car up the drive at a turtle’s pace and parked in front of the sprawling hotel. He returned minutes later with a tight expression on his face.

“Don’t tell me this big place doesn’t have any rooms.”

He held up his index finger. “No, they have one.”

“That’s great.”

“Just one.”

“What?”

“Just one room, as in a
single
one.”

Mimi’s stomach sank as Seth’s meaning hit her.

They would have to share.

* * *

Seth knew he should offer to sleep in the car and let Mimi have the room to herself, But the idea of spending the night in the frigid temperatures was not appealing.

Mimi’s face registered surprise, then indecision, and for a moment, worry. “Look, Mimi, I can sleep on the floor if you want. You know Hannah and I were… What I’m trying to say here is … er—”

“I know you’re safe,” Mimi said matter-of-factly. “Believe me, Seth, I’m not worried.”

Seth bristled, wondering why she thought he was safe.

“I hope the bar’s open. Maybe we can get a drink and relax. You must be stiff from driving.”

“Um, yeah. I saw a bar in the lobby.” His shoulders
were
aching from the tense maneuvers down the mountain. And Mimi’s perfume had made him slightly dizzy. And
stiff
.

“I hope there’s a gift shop, too. I need a toothbrush and something to sleep in. I have to get out of this silly bridesmaid dress.”

Seth stifled the images her comment brought to mind. Helping Mimi out of the dress and her sleeping in his arms … ridiculous. He didn’t even like her. Did he?

“Let’s do it,” Mimi said.

He nearly jumped out of his shoes. “Do it?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” She hiked up her dress, revealing those beautiful legs of hers, and yanked at the neck of the dress, which had slipped lower as the evening had worn on.

He jerked his brain back to reality. She meant for them to take the room, not do it. Obviously Mimi didn’t find him attractive, another stomp on his wounded ego.

She preferred rough types like that jailbird ex-boyfriend of hers, guys with tattoos who probably drove motorcycles and had ungodly piercing of assorted body parts—the exact opposite of him.

Which was perfect.
He didn’t want Mimi to be attracted to him. Even if she was the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. She wanted to be a belly dancer, for God’s sake. And he was a respected psychiatrist. She probably needed to lie on his couch and let him analyze her erratic behavior.

Not lie on his couch and have him analyze her in the physical sense.

He locked the car and followed her, grateful to see the open bar and determined to steer his thoughts back on track. He’d simply reacted to Mimi’s comment. First Hannah had dumped him, then her sister had insulted his male prowess. And Mimi’s exotic perfume, which had driven him crazy for the past half hour, probably had some chemical in it that had affected his brain cells. It was a wonder the pheromones hadn’t asphyxiated him.

Reminding himself he’d felt sorry for Mimi earlier, that he’d planned to offer her a shoulder to lean on if she was still upset over her boyfriend’s deception, he straightened his tie and followed her. Yep, he’d put on his counseling hat and consider the evening with her as a job.

So they’d share a room later as friends—no,
acquaintances
—it was no big deal. No one but the two of them would ever know they’d been stranded together. And it was for
only
one night.

What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter 3

«
^
»

M
imi studied the frown on Seth’s face as they settled on stools in the crowded bar. Was he pining for Hannah? Thinking about their lost wedding night? Wishing he was in the honeymoon suite with Hannah, instead of here with her?

Stupid question. Of course he did.

“What would you like?” Seth asked.

“Huh?”

“To drink?”

Mimi noticed the bartender watching her, one elbow propped on the gleaming countertop. Soft music flowed from the speakers, an Eric Clapton tune filling the room. Suddenly self-conscious in the wrinkled dress, Mimi yanked the bodice up a notch. Unfortunately the movement drew attention to the drooping neckline, instead of diverting it.

Seth sent the bartender a dark scowl. Mimi considered ordering a fancy drink, something sophisticated, but she refused to put on airs for Seth Broadhurst or any man. “Give me a light beer. Whatever you have on draft is fine.”

The bartender’s sideways grin irritated her while one of Seth’s dark-blond eyebrows rose.

“And you, sir?”

Seth tapped his fingers on the counter. “Scotch on the rocks.”

His gold-and-black-onyx ring flickered in the overhead light. A class ring from Harvard. “Figures.”

“What?”

She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud. “I said it figures you’d drink scotch.
Probably
the expensive stuff.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having class, Mimi.”

Mimi indicated her beer. “Are you implying I don’t?”

“No. Don’t be so sensitive. You’re analyzing everything I say, turning it into something it’s not.”

Regret pulled at Mimi. She was supposed to cheer him up. After all, he’d been nice to her the day Joey had been arrested. “I’m sorry, Seth. You deserve to drink whatever you want. I know it’s been a bad day.”

He seemed confused. “Why do you say that?”

“Well, er … watching Hannah marry someone else had to be hard.”

The bartender handed him his drink, and he stared soulfully into the dark liquid, as if it held the answers to his problems. “I’m fine.”

Mimi lifted her mug and took a small sip. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Seth. I saw your face the day Hannah called off your wedding. And today…”

He met her gaze. “What about today?”

“Seeing Hannah marry someone else so soon after your breakup, well, you haven’t had time to get over her. After all, you two dated a long time, and she’s so great.”

He nodded. “Yes, Hannah is a great lady. I want her to be happy, Mimi. I told her that.”

“You deserve to be happy, too.” Mimi patted his arm sympathetically. “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone else, Seth. Just don’t let Hannah ruin you for another woman.”

“Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know. Hannah’s a hard act to follow. I love her to death, but I’ve lived in her shadow all my life.”

“Ahh.”

“What does that mean?”

“Sibling rivalry.”

“We’re not rivals, so don’t start that shrink stuff again. We’re best friends.”

Seth sipped his drink. “So you’re not jealous of her?”

“Of course not. I’m proud of Hannah.”

“Me, too. Hannah and I are friends.” He sipped his drink. “You looked a little uncomfortable today, too, Mimi. Has Joey ruined
you
for another guy? Is that the reason you’re against marriage?”

Mimi shrugged. “Like Grammy said, he was just a passing fancy.”

Seth chuckled. “Easy come, easy go?”

“Something like that.” Mimi traced a finger along the rim of her mug. “Although he did ask me to wait for him while he was in prison.”

Seth’s incredulous look made her laugh. “But you refused because you can’t wait that long?”

“No, if I really loved someone, I could wait.” She shuddered as Joey’s arrest replayed in her mind. The humiliation. Her father’s face on screen, the police, Joey holding Hannah at gunpoint. “He deceived me. My gosh, Seth, he cheated Dad and threatened Hannah. If anything had happened to them…”

“Your father and Hannah don’t blame you.” Seth covered her hand with his. His hand looked huge, but it felt warm, almost electric, sending strange sensations skittering up Mimi’s spine. Feelings she didn’t recognize.

“You do know that, don’t you?” He tipped up her chin with his thumb.

“Yes, but I feel so stupid. I should have seen through Joey, done something to stop him—”

“Don’t blame yourself, Mimi. Joey was a con artist. A pro. This wasn’t the first time he’d deceived people.”

“I still wish I’d caught on to his game.”

“So what did you say when he asked you to wait for him?”

“To dream on.”

Seth ran his knuckles over her cheek, his smile oddly tender. “Good for you. You can do better than him.”

Mimi hesitated, studying him. “You really think so?”

Seth released her and turned his gaze back to his drink. Odd how cold she suddenly felt, as if losing that touch was important. Must be the chill from her damp dress.

“Sure,” Seth said in a throaty voice. “He was a criminal. You’re hardworking and honest and…”

“And what?”

“And beautiful.”

Mimi almost choked on her drink. “You don’t make that sound like a compliment.”

“Beauty’s great.” Seth angled his head toward her. “As long as you have goals to go along with the looks.”

“I have goals,” Mimi said. “I told you I want to be an actress.”

“Right.”

Mimi’s temper rose. “Okay, so I’m not a brain surgeon or a lawyer and I don’t have a degree in anything, but I do have ambition. And I’m not settling for some two-bit loser like Joey again.” Mimi glanced around the cozy bar. “I realize now that our relationship was just … physical.”

A muscle ticked in Seth’s jaw as if talking about physical intimacy made him uncomfortable. He obviously didn’t specialize in sex therapy. “So, you know what you want in a guy next time?” he asked.

Mimi stewed over that question. “Maybe. Sort of.”

“You don’t sound sure.”

“I’m sure of the qualities I
don’t
want.” Suddenly suspicious he might be using one of his psychiatrist tricks to lure her into spilling her secrets, she turned the tables on him. “What about you? What do you want in a relationship?”

“Someone to complement my lifestyle.” His hand tightened around his drink. Mimi watched his throat muscles work as he finished the drink, tension humming through the air. Boy, he had a nice neck, tanned and muscular.

She had to forget about his neck. “Let me guess. That would be someone steady, settled, a homemaker or another doctor, someone who’ll fit into your routine?”

“You make me sound dull.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“I meant you’re dependable, steady, stable.”

“You don’t make those sound like compliments.”

“No, they’re great qualities. Just predictable.”

He cleared his throat. “I’m not always predictable.”

“Oh, yeah.” Mimi let her gaze travel the length of him. “I bet you eat the same thing for breakfast every day. Get up at the exact same time every morning, even on weekends. Never go anywhere without your pocket calendar. Have sex once a week, Saturday night,
11:00 p.m.
, right after the news. You wear those old-fashioned white briefs, and you wouldn’t be caught dead without an undershirt.”

“Is that what Hannah told you?”

“Hannah never talked about your love life or underwear. She was always pretty private.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

“I’m right though, aren’t I?”

“I refuse to talk about my love life with you.” He squared his shoulders, his cheeks slightly red. “And as far as my underwear is concerned, you looked when that hope chest tore my pats.”

“I didn’t have to look,” Mimi said softly. She patted his arm, surprised at the rock-hard muscles bunching beneath his suit. “It’s all right to have a routine as long as you don’t forget how to have fun, too.”

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