Josie Day Is Coming Home (10 page)

“Hey.” Luke lunged forward. “Stop right
there. Are you trying to mangle the other ankle, too?”

He held out his arms. Josie regarded him mulishly.

“You’re
not
carrying me out of here.”

“Until you get a pair of crutches, I am.”

“Wow, Josie. What a perfect gentleman. I think this
one’s a keeper!” Nancy beamed. She leaned conspiratorially toward him.
“Let me ask you something, Luke. Do you rent or own? Have you ever
considered lakefront property? It never fails to appreciate in value, you
know.”

“Mom!” Poised on the edge of the examining table,
Josie speared her mother with an aggravated look. “What are you doing
here, anyway? You weren’t even supposed to know I was in town.”

Nancy lifted her chin. Luke recognized the stubborn gesture.
It had to be genetic.

“One of my clients heard you were back in town while
she was IM-ing the members of her son’s after-school playgroup,” Nancy
said with dignity. “Apparently, little Andrew Toureno’s mother was in the
waiting room when you came in.”

Josie raised her eyebrows.

“Donovan’s Corner is not the back of beyond, dear. We
have the Internet now. Haven’t you seen my Realtor web page?”

Josie shrugged. “I’m not an Internet person, Mom. You
know I don’t like computers.”

“Hmmm. Yes, that’s right. Brainpower never was your
strong suit. Well. We can’t all be good at everything, can we?” Brightly,
Nancy patted her daughter on the knee. “I’ll just have to show you my Web
site when we get home, then.”

“Uhhh—”

“Of
course
you’ll be staying with your father
and me until you’re recovered. I positively insist.”

Josie’s panicked gaze slid to Luke. She must have viewed him
as the lesser of two evils, because her decision was immediate.

“Steady, there, Incredible Hulk. I’m coming your
way.”

She all but leaped into Luke’s arms. He caught her with a
grunt, then waited while she grabbed her purse, her abandoned rainbow sandal,
and a sheaf of doctor’s instructions. He liked holding her. She didn’t squeal
or pretend she might be crushing him or catch him in a stranglehold. She just
held on, trusting he would carry her safely.

“We’re out of here,” she announced. “Mush,
Hulk.”

Great. He was getting sappy. She was getting bossy.

But he couldn’t leave her to fend for herself. Especially
not when her accident had been partly his fault. Luke headed for the door.

“Good idea,” Nancy said, nodding from beside it.
“You carrying her, I mean. Josie
definitely
shouldn’t walk until we
get a pair of crutches at the drugstore.” With evident approval, she led
the way out of the examining room. “My car is parked on the left side of
the parking lot, Luke. It’s a special zone for chamber of commerce members
only.” She spared him a proud over-the-shoulder glance as she tottered in
the lead, showing how pleased she was to be among Donovan’s Corner’s finest
businesses. “Follow me. I’ll show you the way.”

They stopped beside a shiny white Cadillac, a few years old
but obviously well cared for. The driver’s-side door sported a huge magnetized
Sunshine Realty advertisement. From its center, Nancy Day’s cheerful,
makeup-spackled face beamed back at them.

“Well, here we are!”

“I see you’re still driving the pimpmobile,” Josie
said.

“My clients are all terribly impressed with this car.
They
love
riding in it when I show houses.”

“That’s because they’re hoping to get lucky in the back
seat. It’s as big as my bedroom in Vegas.”

Nancy pursed her lips. She gave Luke one of those
Kids.
What can you do?
looks.

“Luke, I’ll just get in and roll down the backseat
window. You can shove Josie in that way. All right?”

He chuckled. Josie whapped him.

“Very funny, Mom. Tell you what. We’ve got my car. I’ll
just meet you at your house, okay?”

Nancy looked skeptical. Josie plowed onward anyway.

“My convertible’s parked right over there. Luke was
nice enough to drive me here. I’ll give him directions.”

After a few more minutes’ persuasion, Nancy got in her car.
Wearing an uncertain look, she leaned out the window. She frowned at Josie.
“Twenty minutes. Not an instant more. After that, I’m sending out a search
party.”

Unconcerned, Josie waved. “See ya’! Love you!”

Nancy pulled out. Luke watched as she zoomed out of the
special parking zone, then maneuvered her way into the light traffic. Five
minutes later he was behind the wheel of Josie’s crappy Chevy, ready to do the
same.

He glanced at Josie. She sat awkwardly in the passenger
seat, frowning at her ankle.

“So, which way to your Mom’s house?”

“That way.” She pointed.

He looked. “That’s the freeway on-ramp. She didn’t go
that way.”

“I know. I’m going back to Blue Moon to get my stuff,
then I’m going home to Las Vegas. There’s nothing wrong with my right foot, and
this isn’t a stick shift. I can drive.”

“But—” Confused, he gestured in the direction her
mother had gone. “Your mom thinks you’re going to her house.”

“No.” Josie waved off the idea as though she’d
never suggested it. “It’s easier this way. Trust me.”

He couldn’t believe it. “You’re going to ditch your own
mother?”

“It’s…not like that.” Biting her lip, she seemed
to consider telling him something. Then, “It’s complicated. You wouldn’t
understand.”

Luke studied her. “I see why some people aren’t
thrilled you’re back in town.”

“What’s
that
supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. Just that you never seem to do what you say
you’re going to do.”

“Like…?”

“Go to your mom’s. Ice your ankle. Put up flyers.”
He paused, examining her stony profile. “Start a dance school.”

She crossed her arms. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know you shouldn’t drive with an ankle the size of a
prizewinning heifer.”

“Awww.” She batted her eyelashes. “You
country boys and your sweet talk.”

If she only knew. Doggedly, he added, “I know you
shouldn’t go so long between tune-ups.” He jutted his chin toward the
Chevy’s front end. “That’s why your engine sounds like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like it’s begging for mercy.”

“Oh, so now you’re a handyman
and
a
mechanic?”

“Yes.” He ignored her surprised look. He was used
to it. Staring her down, he prepared for his big finish. “I know you
shouldn’t let those busybodies run you out of town like this.”

Her defiant gaze met his. “Nobody’s running me out of
town.
I
decided to leave.”

“Okay. If you say so.” Luke drummed his fingertips
on the steering wheel. He shrugged. “But this looks a lot like running
away to me. That must be what happened the last time you lived in Donovan’s
Corner, too.”

The temperature in the car dropped at least twenty degrees.

“Look. Either drive me to Blue Moon or get out of the
car so I can do it myself.”

He glanced at her. Despite Josie’s expression of bravado and
her air of rebelliousness, she looked like hell. Or at least as close to it as
a va-va-voom redheaded showgirl could get—pale-faced, shook up, and definitely
in no condition to drive. He’d wanted her to leave, but not like this.

“Twenty-four to forty-eight hours,” he said.

“What?”

“That’s how long the doctor said you’re supposed to
recuperate. That’s how long you’re staying. At Blue Moon.”

“Oh, puhleeze. Make me.”

“If that’s how you want it.” Luke put the car in
drive, then backed out. He was done arguing with her. “Consider yourself
officially kidnapped.”

Chapter Six

Being officially kidnapped wasn’t that bad.

Not that Josie would’ve admitted it. Luke’s simplified
small-town “wisdom” had added insult to injury (“running her out
of town”…ha!), and his know-it-all approach to how she should handle her
sprained ankle had irritated her to no end.

Who did he think he was, anyway? The guru of Donovan’s
Corner? He was a hunk, sure. But when it came to her, he was way off base. Way,
way
off base. Josie was sure of it.

As a dancer, she’d had injuries before. She knew how to
handle them—with rest and then retraining. As a former Donovan’s Corner
resident, she’d had her share of run-ins with the town’s stuffier citizens. She
knew how to handle them, too—by getting the heck out of Dodge. No dance school
dream was worth being judged at every turn.

But apparently her humiliating so-called homecoming had worn
her down. Because when it came to the whole “kidnapping” scheme,
Josie didn’t quite protest as much as she wanted to.

Luke confiscated her car keys. He refused to move her boxes
of stuff back to her convertible. He insisted on taking care of her for at
least twenty-four hours. And Josie? She decided she really didn’t have that
much choice. After all, she’d been officially kidnapped.

There were probably worse things than being held in the grip
of an idiotically appealing, macho handyman-mechanic, she told herself.
Especially one who seemed stubbornly intent on pampering her until she
recovered.

He was probably afraid Tallulah would fire him if Josie
reported the terrible condition of the place. Or maybe his conscience was
butting in because of the unrepaired-floor fiasco—something Josie couldn’t
quite hold a grudge about, given how nice he’d been about helping her.

She sighed, then turned her face toward the enormous stone
fireplace. Savoring the warmth of the blaze Luke had kindled for her, she
decided it didn’t make much difference either way. When she
really
wanted to leave, she’d find a way to do just that. Tomorrow. Or maybe the next day.
For sure.

Honestly. It wasn’t as if she wanted to stick around to
indulge some kind of schoolgirl crush on him, or anything.

“Hey,” Luke said by way of greeting as he entered
the living room at Blue Moon—aka, Josie’s detention center. “You haven’t
crawled out the back door and hitchhiked back to Las Vegas. I’m stunned.”

“I stuck around for the view.” She admired his
arms, sinewy and perfectly tanned. Then his broad, T-shirted shoulders.
Shoulders like those belonged on one of those Greek statues in a museum—or in
the bed of a nice woman who’d appreciate them. “It’s a nice view.”

“Yeah. Flattery will get you everywhere. At least with
me.” He shot her a dazzling grin. “But I’m still not giving back your
car keys. You’re in no condition to drive yet.”

“So you’ve said. Once or twenty times.” She waved
away the idea. “I’m just saying, you’re not exactly what I expected in a
handyman.
Especially
a Donovan’s Corner handyman.”

“What do you mean?”

She examined him.
Let me count the ways
.

“Well, for one thing, you’ve got all your teeth.”

His grin widened, proving her right.

“For another, you’re reasonably open-minded. Unlike
some
people in this town, you don’t jump to conclusions. Much.”

As though considering that, he frowned at the items he’d
brought—a two-liter bottle of Seven-Up, a package of Ding Dongs, and a deck of
playing cards. He set them on the coffee table, then sucked in a deep breath.

“Wait, are you about to jump to a conclusion?” she
asked, pretending to be horrified. “Don’t do it!”

Luke wasn’t deterred by her joke. “That’s the second—or
twentieth—time you’ve said something like that about this place.” In the
middle of opening the Ding Dongs, he regarded her curiously. “If you hate
it here so much, why did you come back?”

“I dunno. Maybe I’ve got something to prove.”
Josie blinked, surprised. Where had
that
come from? “Or maybe I
just wanted a cheeseburger at Frank’s. Nobody makes them like that
anymore.”

Luke gave her a skeptical look.

“Come on. I’m
kidding
. What could I possibly
have to prove to these old busybodies? Who cares what they think?”

He still looked unconvinced. Damn it.

“Besides, it’s not every day a girl inherits a mansion
of her very own. I got itchy. I
had
to check it out. Haven’t you ever
wanted to do that? Just chuck everything and take off to do something
completely unlikely?”

A strange expression crossed his face. Josie guessed he
had—or he’d wanted to. She wondered which.

“If you mean learn to samba,” Luke said,
“then, no.”

Disappointed, Josie made a face. “No, I don’t mean
‘learn to samba.’” She felt sure Luke had been about to reveal
something—something important. Something that had nothing to do with sambaing,
and everything to do with
him
.

The truth was, despite her resolve to bail out on Blue Moon,
she couldn’t deny a certain attraction to the place. And to its caretaker. Luke
was interesting, if a little too laid-back in the repairing-the-mansion
department. He was gorgeous, if a little too mysterious. He was often funny,
occasionally puzzling, and always gallant. Really, Luke had more going for him
than the last four men she’d dated in Las Vegas had.

Besides, let’s face it. She was as susceptible to that
devilish grin of his as the next girl was. Maybe even more, since
“devilish” generally promised “break-the-rules bad boy”—her
favorite kind of guy.

 Hmmm. Josie watched as Luke poked at the fire, sending
sparks up the chimney. Now that she no longer planned to keep Blue Moon, there
might be sparks happening of an entirely different kind. Luke wasn’t off-limits
anymore. She wasn’t going to be his boss, and he wasn’t going to be her
handyman. That meant things were looking up. And here she was, with twenty-one
and a half hours to kill. Doctor’s orders.

“I meant something
really
unlikely,” she
prompted. “Like taking up skydiving or driving cross-country with nothing
but a guitar and a Chihuahua.”