Nerds on Fire (29 page)

He shook his head. “I can’t tell you.
Not until I tell her.” Rylan bundled her back into her car, moving
before she had time to balk. “Thanks for stopping by Chrissy, but
my feelings for you are long gone. Go find yourself a man who loves
you and who you love. It’s an incredible feeling.”

With a goodbye thump on her car roof,
he hopped back into his car and took off. Around the side of the
house to the garages, he pulled his car into the bay he used and
lowered the door. Then he sat in his car in the darkened garage and
made some very definite plans for his future.

“
Hopefully Nina approves of
them,” he murmured because she played a starring role.

Chapter 28

When her alarm clock pealed the next morning, it
blasted through a delicious dream that involved her wearing a
gorgeous white gown, and Mark ensconced in a matching formal black
suit. There were flowers, beautiful singing, and laughter and then
her alarm shattered the mood. She rubbed her eyes as the vestiges
of the amazing dream escaped.

With a sigh, she wrestled her way out
of bed and padded into her bathroom. The dream had been wonderful,
magical, everything a woman could ever wish for. Was it a wedding?
Or just a wonderful ball where she got to be the belle? Since this
had never happened before, Trixi relished the lighthearted
bubbliness still coursing through her before she picked up her
hairbrush and prepared for battle.

After she dressed and her hair
appeared mostly presentable, she made her way downstairs. The
enticing scent of coffee greeted her as she descended. Waiting for
her at the bottom, blue-green eyes drinking her in stood her new
boyfriend.

She returned his interest, astonished
she could call this man hers. Deciding to take this opportunity in
both hands and hold tight, Trixi smiled at him before she stepped
right into his arms. He caught her close and spun her in a circle
before setting her on her feet.

His lips descended and she rose on
tiptoe to meet them. This man was beyond delicious. She could kiss
him for the rest of her life.

Her thought broke them
apart as she stared up at him in wonderment and then fear.
Where had that come from?

The rest of her
life
a little voice disdained in the back
of her mind. They had only just started dating.
Let’s give this a
little
more time
, the snarky
voice advised. A perfectly acceptable warning, since otherwise
she’d start planning that celebration she woke up to.

“
How are you this morning?”
he asked. They turned toward the kitchen.

“
I’m wonderful.” She was
more than wonderful even, but there was no sense in scaring him
off.

His lips quirked. “I am too. Imagine
that.” Mark bent to kiss her again.

She was probably shining brighter than
a surgical lamp, but still, it was a fabulous day. They arrived in
the kitchen at the same time the coffee stopped brewing. “Perfect
timing.” His eyes gleamed.

“
I imagine you’re known for
it,” she teased.

He didn’t appear to mind. Instead, his
eyes made a leisurely inspection of her face and she was charmed by
the admiration in their depths. She probably could grow accustomed
to this novelty.

“
Good morning.” Gran swept
into the kitchen.

“
Good morning.” She
chirped, while Mark answered with more dignity.

Gran’s discerning eyes swept over her,
and Trixi was certain her grandparent saw all, but didn’t comment.
Was she thankful for or upset by Gran’s restraint? Since Trixi
couldn’t decide, she wandered to the range where she tugged
breakfast out of the simmering oven.

The cereal, spices, and fruit cast a
fragrant air into the kitchen when she lifted the lid. A quick stir
and it was ready. Gran poured the coffee, Mark set the table, and
just a few little things needed to be added to the table. They were
soon seated and enjoying the meal.

It was while they cleaned up afterward
that Gran finally pounced. Mark left to grab his briefcase when
Gran sent her a knowing look.

“
I see he finally made his
move,” she announced as though they were discussing the brisk
weather outside.

Pausing in the act of adding another
bowl to the dishwasher, Trixi’s mind blanked. “What?”

Gran’s smile was all knowing.
“Sweetheart, it’s as apparent as your cute little nose that he’s
interested in you.”

“
Why didn’t I know?” Trixi
possessed enough presence of mind to stuff the bowl in with the
others.

What her grandmother said made no
sense.

“
I could tell from the
moment I met him that young man was interested in you.” Gran nodded
her regal head in satisfaction. “Has discernment, your
man.”

“
Discernment.” She stared
at the spatula in her hand with no idea what to do with
it.

Gran plucked the utensil from her
unresisting grasp and popped it into the silverware rack. “Oh yes,
most definitely.”

“
Most definitely what?”
Mark reentered the kitchen, work bag in hand. He patted his pockets
before nodding in satisfaction.

Trixi was amazed by him all over
again. His lips curled up, and then they fastened on hers. Her arms
crept around his neck and Gran laughed. “Like I said, discernment.
Now you two take yourselves off to work or you’ll be
late.”

Gran’s affectionate order split them
so Trixi scurried into the mudroom for her bag. Then she had to
rush back into the kitchen to grab their lunches. “I almost forgot
these.”

“
Right.” Gran beamed at her
before she smiled a completely different smile. “I’m happy for you,
love.”

“
I am too.” Trixi hurried
after Mark who had opened the garage door and started the
car.

She placed their bags in the back and
then clambered in beside him.

“
Do we have
everything?”

“
I have no idea.” Their
gazes met and caught.

“
You’re the most
distracting female on earth,” he muttered.

His simple statement sent a heady zing
through her veins. “Right back at you.” She reached for his hand.
His curled around hers in a proprietary grasp she
adored.

How had she gotten so
lucky?

“
So how is the new romance
going?” Johnny asked when they met up at the coffee pot between
their units.

Trixi nearly sent her coffee down the
wrong tube.

“
I hear your dad is pretty
crazy about Nina McCormick.”

Oh,
them
. Thank goodness he was asking
about her dad and Nina. Her relationship with Mark was so new, she
was afraid to mention it. Like if she talked about her love life,
it would disappear in a poof of unrealized dreams and
hopes.

“
Yes, he’s dating her. They
both seem happy.”

Johnny sipped the fragrant brew from
the travel mug she bought him to celebrate his new job here. “She’s
a nice lady.”

“
Yes, we think she’s
perfect for him.” She grinned. “Apparently he agrees because he
seems taken with her.”

“
Is their relationship
going too fast?” He scrawled his name across the bottom of several
forms.

His question made her
pause. “I don’t know. They’re both mature adults. They both have
kids and jobs and houses
—
you know,
responsibilities.”

“
Yes. I would think both of
them know not to go too crazy.”

“
I think he is crazy about
her.”

“
Does she know he’s rich?”
Johnny leaned against the counter, looking for all the world like
the prosperous heart specialist he was.

“
If he’s taken her home,
then she should have a pretty good idea.”

He laughed. “Yes, his new home is
pretty spectacular.”

“
You and Aunt Miriam would
do just as well in Wintermyer.”

“
Your father told us the
same. We know we always have a home with him or you. But we really
like our new house. It’s exactly what we wanted.”

“
I’m glad.”

He straightened from the counter.
“Now, I hear you have a new roommate.”

“
I have two new roommates.”
She caught his eye. “Not including Gran.”

“
Two? I only heard about
one. The male surgeon.”

“
He’s a neurosurgeon, yes.
But there’s a surgical nurse here who plans to rent the carriage
house apartment.”

“
Good. It will bring in a
nice income for you.”

“
Yes, Gran insists on
paying rent, Mark insists on doing so, and of course Lauren expects
to pay as well.”

“
You’re a landlady.” He
chuckled when she tried to swat him.

There was no denying her new position
though. A woman who provided homes for other people. It was nice to
provide for others, and be rewarded for it.

“
Yes, and I think I’ll like
it.”

“
So tell me about this
neurosurgeon. I hear he’s the wunderkind of surgery.”

Trixi rolled her eyes at her facetious
uncle and tossed her disposable coffee cup. “He’s a neurosurgeon
and he lives with me and Gran.” She made certain to not tell him
anything new.

Johnny managed to wrap an arm around
her neck, but fortunately, his nurse popped her head around the
doorway to inform him he had a patient waiting. “Hah,” Trixi
teased. It was time for her to return to work as well.

“
Don’t think this
conversation is finished yet, niece-o-mine.”

She set about thinking up creative
ways to thwart his best efforts.

“
Where are we going?” Nina
was laughing, which was good because he had plans for
her.

“
We’re having supper at my
house tonight.”

“
I see.” Her easy
acceptance of this made his heart trip a beat.

“
I hope you don’t mind not
going out?”

“
Of course I don’t mind,”
Nina scoffed. “You have one of the best cooks in town. Her food is
better than most big city chefs.”

“
My exact thought. I like
her cooking better than some of the restaurants we visit.” He
shrugged as he drove them to his house.

They had dropped her car off at her
place, and he convinced her to pack a bag to spend the weekend with
him. There was plenty of room, and plenty of staff to act as
chaperons. Besides, the guest suite he decided to offer her was
downstairs and his rooms were upstairs. Her visit would therefore
remain platonic.

“
Do you have plans for this
weekend?”

Nothing other than to
convince you that you belong in my home and need to marry
me
. He didn’t voice his thought out loud,
but wished he could.

Instead, he sent her a laughing look.
“Nothing other than enjoying ourselves.” It was too soon to ask her
to marry him.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt her
to see how very well she fit into his home. How well she
hopefully
fit into his
home. His help already liked and respected her, far more than they
had Chrissy. Nina was also kind and gracious, the perfect mistress
for Wintermyer Hall.

The perfect woman for him.

“
Johnny called me on his
way home from work,” Gran announced that evening at supper. “He
asked about your dad’s romance, but then he also asked about
yours
.”

When both Mark and Gran looked
pointedly at her, Trixi offered them her most charming
smile.

“
She’s not going to tell
us.” Mark shook his head.

“
No.” Gran tapped her lips.
“I wonder why not.”

“
You know, that’s a good
question.” They eyed her with quizzical expressions, but Trixi was
so happy to be in a relationship with Mark not much could burst the
bubbles spreading happiness through her veins.

Gran turned to Mark. “Johnny wanted to
know all about you.”

“
I have plenty of rellys
who would be thrilled to answer that question for him.”

“
I told him you’re a hard
working young man who has set his eyes on Trixi.”

Trixi choked. Mark obligingly tapped
her back. “And?” he prompted Gran, although his attention remained
on her wheezing attempts to force the liquid out of her
lungs.

“
He mentioned something
about a background check.”

“
Did you remind him that
her father has probably already done one?”

Trixi sputtered. Mark tapped her back
again.

“
Of course Rylan did. I
never even thought of him doing it, but I should have.” Gran nodded
and then resumed eating. “I’ll call Johnny after supper and tell
him to call Rylan.”

“
Then he won’t have to go
to the bother.” Mark shrugged.