Satin Sheets and Strawberries (9 page)

Just then the door opened. Logan looked up as Josh, dressed in borrowed sweats, walked in carrying a tray with two cups of hot cocoa and a thermos. He was silent, but his eyes were wide.

"Kelli, quick tell Josh I’m behaving," Logan said.

Kelli looked over her shoulder at her friend and softly smiled. "He’s right, Josh. He’s behaving like a perfect gentleman."

"He’s in his underwear," roared Josh.She gave Logan an amused glance. "I’ve seen men wear less at the beach, and besides they’re a conversation piece."

Josh stood there for several seconds holding the tray. He had been concerned about her, when all the time she was frolicking with a partially clad man in her bathtub. The color was back in her cheeks, and her jeans were on, so he guessed he’d let Logan live. "I’ll just leave this here," he said, as he placed the tray on the toilet lid. "I’ll tell Ruth you both are fine, and will be down in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Josh," Logan and Kelli said in unison.

"You’re welcome. I’ll see you in a couple of minutes." As Josh left, he purposely left the door open a few inches.

"I don’t think he likes me," Logan said, as he handed a steaming cup to Kelli. He had noticed that the door was ajar, but that was fine with him. He wasn’t planning a big seduction scene. The shower was for purely medical purposes.

"He’s acting like my older brother again. He does that quite a lot."

Logan watched as she took a hesitant sip of cocoa and licked the foam off her lips. The pink camisole she wore was soaking wet, transparent, and clinging to her breasts. Her dusky nipples were clearly outlined and the heat in the bathroom seemed to be rising. "Hasn’t he ever seen you take a bath with a man before?" he joked, trying to relieve the tension he felt.

With a saucy grin, Kelli finished her cocoa and studied the man next to her. He was now turned sideways with his feet dangling out of the tub. His hair was slicked back and a nonchalant smile curved his lips as he drank. A light feathering of hair covered his chest and legs, his ridiculous shorts covered the essentials.

Logan felt her curious glance and forced himself to relax. When her eyes locked in on his lollipops, he shifted position and reached for the thermos. "Do you want another?"

Kelli held out her cup for a refill. "Thanks." She took a sip of the hot liquid and placed her cup on the edge of the tub. "I want to thank you for being there today. I’m not sure how you got there, but thanks."

"You’re welcome." Logan gently lifted her chin and placed a tender kiss on her surprised mouth. "Sometimes a person needs help. It doesn’t make them weaker, just more human."

"Logan, I do ask for help when I need it. Going into the creek to help Josh was something I had to do."

"Why?"

"I wouldn’t let some childish fear of a legless lizard get the best of me."

"You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met." His anger slowly faded as he gazed at a single drop of water that was slowly trailing down her cheek. It hung on the edge of her delicate jaw, before gathering strength and rapidly descending her throat, only to disappear in her softly rounded cleavage.

She backed away from the intense look in his eyes. "Why don’t I go wait in the hall while you finish taking a proper shower?"

A gentleman would have insisted that she go first. But a gentleman wouldn’t be in his condition. "Sounds great to me."

She stood up, allowing the water to run off her jeans and drip on the floor. Just then, an ungodly ruckus broke out in the hall. Ruth shrieked; Henry yelled; Tinkerbell barked; and it sounded suspiciously like Josh was laughing. Kelli looked with horror at the door. She knew what was about to happen, but she was powerless to stop it. Tinkerbell burst through the door and in one flying leap landed in the tub. Kelli lost her balance and landed on top of him with a splash. Tinkerbell’s pink tongue lovingly licked the water from Kelli’s resigned face as she tried to sit up again.

Logan took a deep breath. There was no way he would ever be able to father a child. No way. Gingerly he lifted Tinkerbell’s rear paw from a very sensitive area. He forced a carefree smile, noticing the curious group of onlookers standing in the doorway. With a push he removed the muddy, hairy rump from in front of his nose. "Life doesn’t get any better than this," he said.

#

When Kelli was clean and dry, she descended the steps just as Ruth announced, "I’m going to scrub the floor."

Kelli sneezed loudly and dramatically and walked sluggishly into the kitchen. "I think I’ve caught a cold."

Ruth’s reaction was exactly as Kelli expected. With a quickness that was surprising for her age, Ruth replaced the bucket and scrub brush and rushed to Kelli. Her wrinkled hands caressed Kelli’s cheeks and she pressed against her forehead. "You don’t feel hot, but you do look peaked."

Kelli hid her grimace. It was one thing to be sick and look peaked, but it was entirely different to be healthy and have someone say you look like hell. In a little girl’s voice, guaranteed to win over grandmothers, she asked, "Do we have any soup?"

Ruth helped Kelli to a chair. "You sit right down. I’ll fix you a nice cup of tea with honey. Then I’ll work on dinner."

"Thanks," Kelli murmured softly. Then she glanced at the three men sitting at the table. Henry looked relieved, Josh was amused, and Logan looked angry. "Henry, did the kids go home?" Kelli asked.

"Yes, they said they’ll be back next weekend."

"Great. Josh, what about the log? How much damage did it do?"

Josh was dressed in a pair of Logan’s sweats now, but his hair was still damp. "None. It jammed about ten feet from where we lost it. Logan and I went back out to check. It’s solid. We are going to wait until the boots dry out before we remove it."

Ruth placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Kelli and gave the men a reproachful glare. "No more business today. Can’t you see that Kelli isn’t feeling well?" She smiled a motherly smile as she handed Kelli a jar of honey. "Now you drink this up and then go lie down on the sofa for a while. I’ll wake you when dinner’s ready."

As Kelli sipped her tea Josh made a speedy exit, saying he didn’t want to catch any germs. Henry agreed to help Ruth chop up vegetables. Logan continued to glare at her.

After placing her empty cup on the counter, she went into the living room, curled up on the worn couch, and closed her eyes.

#

The room was dark, except for the glow from the wood stove. Silently, Kelli studied the man squatting in front of the stove. Logan was bathed in the illuminating firelight and he quietly fed a log to the flames. His light brown hair gleamed and the deep tan of his skin shone in the heat. His faded jeans stretched across his thighs as he balanced on the balls of his feet. He was beautiful. A man who could laugh at himself, dive into a creek to save a damsel in distress, and also hold the power to break her heart. Logan heard Kelli sigh softly. He turned around. "I always seem to be around when you’re waking up."

She kicked off the afghan covering her. "Is that a nice way of saying I sleep too much?"

He placed the last log into the stove and closed its door. The room was plunged into darkness. "No, on the contrary, I think you don’t sleep enough."

"Some days I would have to agree with you. What time is it?"

"Time to eat the soup Aunt Ruth made especially for you. It’s simmering on the back burner of the stove."

Kelli noticed the sarcastic note in his voice as he walked into the kitchen. He was right to be a bit miffed. She had tricked Ruth into making the soup—but Kelli had her reasons. Tomorrow she would have another talk with Ruth. It was time to tell Logan the truth, only it wasn’t her story to tell.

#

Logan sat up in bed, alert. Something had awakened him. Voices. Burglars? He never had liked Kelli leaving the doors unlocked. He slipped from under the blankets and reached for his jeans. Almost as an afterthought he pulled on socks and a sweatshirt. Hell, if he had to chase a crook at three in the morning, he wanted to be dressed for it.

He quietly opened his bedroom door and glanced down the stairs. Nothing. The living room was dark. A small night-light burned at the top of the steps showing Kelli’s door was closed and the bathroom unoccupied. More annoyed than fearful he made his way down the stairs, across the living room, and toward the kitchen.

He pressed his ear against the closed door. Not voices; a voice. Kelli’s voice to be precise. He quietly cracked the door and peered in. The sight that greeted him surprised, amused, and confused him. All four chairs were stacked on the kitchen table, along with the throw rugs. Cobweb was on top of the refrigerator, Mustardseed was curled up under the chairs, and Moth was playing with Kelli’s toes. Kelli knelt in the middle of the floor scrubbing the linoleum. She was lecturing the cats on the subject of men.

"Men, who in the blue blazes needs them," she told them. "I was doing perfectly fine here alone. Then he marches in here and starts judging me! I’m doing him a favor, but do I get any thanks? No! I have to sit through dinner listening to him expound about how much work Ruth put into making the soup, just for me."

She pointed the scrub brush at Cobweb. "Was there anything else I could have done? No. I did the only thing I could think of at the spur of the moment, and not one word of thanks. That’s a man for you. I’m telling you, Cobweb, if you know what’s good for you, stay away from Moth. He’s no good for you. He goes out carousing for days at a time. His markings are on half the cats in this county and all he has to do is bat those emerald-green eyes and you’re a goner." She moved to attack another stretch of floor, dragging Moth, who was hanging on to her sock, behind her. "It’s disgusting the power they have just because of a lazy strut and a flashy tail."

Logan cleared his throat. "My, my, what have we here? Could this be a magical fairy doing the mysterious cleaning?"

Kelli jerked around, spilling half the bucket of soapy water on the floor. With a colorful oath she quickly started to sop up the excess liquid. She cast a vicious glance over her shoulder. "If you ever scare me again like that, I’ll—"

"Yes?" She wrang out the rag again, and snapped, "I’ll starch every pair of skivvies you own."

He managed to keep a straight face. "I’ll take heed of your threat and try to be careful in the future." When she didn’t smile, he asked, "What are you doing?"

She scrubbed at a grease mark. "What does it look like?"

"Scrubbing the floor."

She glanced sarcastically at Mustardseed. "Give the man a blue ribbon. You can tell he didn’t fall off a turnip truck."

Logan came into the room and squatted beside her. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a red band, and she wore a baggy red sweatshirt. "You’re upset about something," he said.

She continued to scrub a wide path in the linoleum. "I get like this when I’m forced to eat dinner and guilt at the same time."

He moved back, out of her reach. "Mind explaining?"

Kelli knew the time had come, was past due in fact. He had the right to know about Ruth. Except it wasn’t her business to tell him. Ruth had kept the secret from him for eight years. Now was the time to pay the piper. With a frustrated gesture, she dropped the brush into the bucket and looked at Logan. "I’m sorry, I can’t. I promise you, by Monday morning you will have your answer."

"Monday?" She nodded. "Are you going to tell me?"

In a serious tone she said, "If need be."

Logan looked around the kitchen and noticed the gleam to the cabinet doors and the sparkle to the counter. Kelli had been one busy woman tonight. He read fatigue and honesty in her large gray eyes. He could wait until Monday. "Okay. No more questions till then."

"Thanks."

"If you have another bucket, I’ll get the mud I tracked through the living room and up the stairs."

Kelli finally smiled. She rose gracefully, picked up Moth, and filled another bucket with hot water and cleaner. She was tired and wanted to go to bed. It had been a hard day. Before she’d come downstairs to clean, she had sat at the desk in her bedroom trying to balance Fairyland’s books. Balancing the national budget would have been easier.

She handed Logan the bucket. "There’s one condition. Tomorrow morning, don’t mention this little episode."

"My lips are sealed until Monday." As he headed out of the kitchen he said to himself, "Only till Monday."

Logan glanced at the slip of paper Kelli had given him and reread the address. He was at the right place. Sweat broke out on his brow. The brass plate affixed to the front door of the grand Victorian building read JAMES B. YOUNG, M.D.-SPECIALIST IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. With a sense of dread he pushed open the door and entered the waiting room.

When the door opened, Kelli looked up from a magazine. Logan was on time. He paused at the door, uncertain, until he spotted her. She admired the picture he created as he walked across the room. He looked sporty and casual. But when he reached her, she saw the anxiety on his face. She tried to reassure him with a smile.

She placed the magazine back on the end table, and gently took his hand. "They’re expecting us."

Logan felt the warmth of Kelli’s fingers entwine with his cold hand as he followed her to the receptionist’s desk. In a low voice he asked, "Who’s expecting us, and why?"

Kelli gave his hand an encouraging squeeze as the receptionist looked up and smiled. "You must be Ruth’s nephew, Logan Sinclair. Kelli has already explained everything to us. If you would just follow me, I’m sure your aunt and Dr. Young will be along shortly."

Logan felt Kelli try to pull away, and he gripped her hand tighter. He followed the receptionist down the hall, dragging Kelli behind him.

When he and Kelli were alone in the doctor’s private office, Logan snapped at her. "What in the hell is going on? Is there something wrong with Aunt Ruth? Where is she? Why wasn’t I told until now?" He dragged his free hand through his hair and glared at her. "Say something, dammit."