True Love's Fire: A Red Hot Valentine Story (Hell Yeah!) (16 page)

CHAPTER EIGHT

I wrote your love upon my heart

Where it could not be erased

I promise to honor you, cherish you

All of my days

I will keep you safe

Lia spent another day with Scott, mostly in bed. She discovered he was a bit ticklish, and he discovered she was a lot ticklish—especially behind her knees. “Did you know you have a birthmark back here?” He was studying her body like he was mapping it for further exploration.

She tried to look, twisting around and holding her leg up in the air, which exposed other areas for his scrutiny. “What does it look like?”

“An armadillo, I think.”

“All I see is a splotch.” She giggled, realizing he had totally lost interest, as he was now kissing a path that would eventually lead to her clit—if she was lucky.

She was lucky.

In so many ways.

Scott couldn’t seem to get enough of her and she knew she felt the same. Lia never thought she’d ever be so loved in her life. He took her to his office, introducing her to Susie, whom Lia discovered wasn’t nearly as intimidating as she feared. In the early afternoon, she received a call from Mona, “Hello?”

“You’re never going to believe it. Never going to believe it.”

“What?” Whatever it was, Mona was excited.

“
Dixie Days
is up for country song of the year. You may win a Grammy!”

Lia’s heart jumped in her chest. “We-ll...we-ll,” she stuttered. “It’s an honor to be nominated.”

“Nominated, yes, but it would be bodacious to win!” Lia met Scott’s eye. He could tell something big was afoot. She listened to Mona celebrate for a few more moments, then she hung up.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Lia threw herself in his arms. “I’m up for a Grammy!”

Could life be any better?

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered. His soft, heartfelt words sealed the deal for her when she realized that his approval and his praise was worth far more to her than any award could ever be.

“That means everything,” she said. And she meant it.

They met Jordan for dinner and drinks and he made her feel totally at ease. Jordan was an architect, and he told her about a new building he had designed, a community center which would showcase several new innovations to reduce its environmental impact. “Green buildings are the up and coming thing. I’m designing one for Chancellor Industries.” He looked at Scott. “I’ll have to introduce you to Kyle Chancellor. Now, that’s a character.”

Lia loved to watch Scott when he was having a good time. He was totally relaxed, had a look on his face of absolute contentment. There was never more than a few moments that he wasn’t touching her in some way, finding her hand under the table, rubbing her back, brushing her hair from her shoulder. He made her feel as if she belonged. There was no way she could miss the fact that every female in the restaurant had their eyes on him. Why shouldn’t they? The man was drop dead sexy. And he was hers. The idea was mind-boggling.

“Scott, long time no see.” A sultry feminine voice stole her peace of mind. She turned to see a gorgeous woman standing far too close to Scott. Her hand rested on his shoulder, and she appeared to know him very well. “I’ve missed you. How was your little trip to the Ozarks? Did you hook up with any mountain girls?” Her laughter rang through the restaurant. “Do they wear their hair in pigtails and chew tobacco? Do they have all of their teeth?”

Lia studied her plate with great interest.

“Sandy, what a surprise.” Scott hoped she realized he hadn’t said it was a welcome surprise. “I had a wonderful time. The trip changed my life. May I introduce you to Lia Houston, my girlfriend. Lia this is Sandy Pruitt.”

Sandy bristled at the unbalanced introduction. “Miss Houston.” She extended her hand “Scott where did you find this interesting companion?”

“Miss Pruitt.” Lia briefly took her hand. “How nice to meet you.”

“Lia is a songwriter. She composes all of Cabe Allen’s work. Turn your television to his special on Valentine’s evening and hear her music, if you happen to be dateless, that is.”

Sandy’s mouth tightened. “I’m never dateless.” She sneered at Lia.

“Oh.” Scott looked around. “Introduce me to your escort. I’d love to buy both of you a drink.”

“That won’t be necessary. We have plans.” She gave them all a sneer and abruptly left their table, making her way to the front.

“I don’t believe there was an escort,” Jordan muttered behind his napkin. Looking at Lia, he smiled. “I’m very impressed by your accomplishments. You can be certain that I’ll be watching Allen’s special.”

“Lia has been nominated for a Grammy.” The pride and love in his voice thrilled Lia.

“Congratulations!” Lia answered his questions about the particulars.

“Are you going to go?”

“Go where?” His question took her by surprise.

“To the award’s show. To accept your Grammy.”

Lia laughed. “I probably won’t win, and I haven’t thought about it.” She looked at Scott. “I don’t think I’d feel comfortable. I’d stick out like a sore thumb. I’m a little too country to mix with Hollywood.”

“Nonsense.” Scott dismissed her fears with a wave. “You’re perfect. And you’d stick out in the crowd, but only because you’d be the most stunning woman there.”

Jordan smiled at them. “He’s right, Lia. Of all the women Scott has dated, you’re the only keeper. He’s a lucky man.”

Her heart was full. On the ride home, she sat close to him on the old-fashioned bench seat, her head on his shoulder. “See.” He laid his cheek on her hair. “You fit into my world just fine. A perfect fit.”

Maybe he was right. “I want to believe that,” she said honestly.

“Believe it. You can take it to the bank. What I feel for you isn’t going to change. You complete me, Houston.” Scott almost asked Lia to marry him at that moment, but he didn’t. He didn’t have a ring and he wanted his proposal to be special.

“I need to go home.”

Scott’s stomach was tied up in knots. “Okay.” This didn’t mean anything. Of course, she’d have to go back to Arkansas, if only to pack. “What’s your plans? You know I don’t want you to be alone on Ladygrey. Do you want me to go with you?”

“No.” She kissed his cheek. “I want to go back and face the music. Try to follow the lead I have on my father and go to that town festival with my head held high. And I won’t stay at the cabin, for now. I’ll rent a hotel room in Harrison. I’ll call you when I get there.”

“After you’ve taken care of whatever it is, you’ll come back? To me?”

“Scott, are you sure? Do you really know who I am? Do you really think this is going to work?” She offered the questions as a gift. His happiness was her main concern.

“I know you’re the woman I love.” Saying it out loud was like having a burden lifted from his soul. “I’ll give you until February 14
th
. Make up your mind if you want to be with me. I want you in my life every day. I want you in my bed every night.”

She offered him a smile that gave him hope. “I’ll give it some serious thought, Walker.”

“You do that, Houston. ‘Cause the next time I see you, I’m going to ask you to be my Valentine.”

*  *  *

Leaving him was the hardest thing she’d ever done. But tying up the loose ends of her life was the only way she could step into a future with Scott. She clung to him for a long time, he held her tight, so tight she could scarcely breathe. “Be careful. And call me every hour.”

Lia giggled between tears. “That would be annoying.”

“I want you to annoy me. It makes me happy.” He peppered kisses all over her face and neck. As he helped them into his truck, Scott even kissed Elvis and that made her happier than if he’d given her a diamond necklace. Of course…a diamond ring wasn’t a bad idea.

He followed her truck down the drive and then he walked out in the road, in the same position he’d been standing when she arrived. Lia held up her hand. This wasn’t goodbye. This was ‘till we meet again’. She kept him in sight, in her rear view mirror until he disappeared.

Lia hadn’t said this to Scott, but there was no question in her mind about loving him. And she had the perfect way to let him know. As she drove, she began to compose a song,
True Love’s Fire
. The words seemed to pour from her heart. She pulled over north of Waco and set her phone to record, then she began to sing.”
You looked at me and saw someone worth loving.

I looked at you and saw my reason to live.

By the time she reached Little Rock, the song had written itself. Now, all she had to do was convince Cade to sing it.

*  *  *

She called, bless her heart, or Scott wouldn’t have been able to survive. There were times he couldn’t take the calls, but he always returned them as soon as he could. “Hey, doll. How are you? Where are you?”

“I’m good. I’m sitting outside the geology building of the Little Rock branch of the University of Arkansas, too scared to go in.”

“What’s going on?”

“My father is inside that building and I’m afraid he’ll take one look at me and tell me to jump in the Mississippi.”

“Oh, baby, he’ll take one look at you and fall in love, just like I did.”

“I love you.” It was the first time she’d said the words.

Scott groaned. “I want to hold you so much.”

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“Don’t be. March in there and tell him who you are. If he’s a smart man, he’ll recognize the wonderful gift that you are. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t deserve you. And besides, you’ve got me. I adore you. All you have to do is say the word, and I will be there to get you. I am invested in you ten million percent.”

“I love you.” She said it again. “Thank you.”

“I love you. Let me know what happens.”

“Okay, I’ll call you in a while.” She hung up and he sat and stared at the phone. Her father, he couldn’t imagine what she was going through. Thoughts of his dad filled his mind. What would he think about his life? About Lia? He and his mom would love her, there was no doubt in his mind. Now, he had to find the perfect rock to put on her finger. A rock beautiful enough and special enough to show her exactly what she meant to him. As he walked down the hall to his next patient, a thought occurred to him. A rock. Hmmmm. Damn! Why hadn’t he thought of that before? Just as soon as he got a minute, he was going to call Aron McCoy. There was a little job he needed him to do.

The patient was a football player who’d received a harsh blow to the head. Scott had ordered an MRI, and the results were waiting for him at his office. He hoped to high heavens it was good news. He could certainly use some.

Angela Robbins had called him at home the night before and her speech was beginning to garble, she was substituting words incorrectly. It broke his heart. If she continued on this path, his prayer was that her child would recognize the absolute sacrifice his mother had made to give him life.

Entering his office, he saw the young man, a strapping, tall figure who sat by someone who had to be his father. A large bruise was on his cheek, but other than that, he looked fine. One of the lucky ones. “Barrett, come with me.” He shook the other man’s hand.

“I’m Barrett’s father, Corbin Dorsey.” They stood and followed Scott in. Susie handed him the test results.

“Have a seat and let me see what’s going on.” He offered them something to drink. They refused, so he poured himself a cup. “I understand you were knocked out and taken to the emergency room last night.”

“Yea, I was tackled. He hit me hard.”

“I’m working with another neurosurgeon to try and force a redesign of the helmets worn by players. It’s my opinion that more cushion and better placed cushion could save lives. Players are bigger and faster than ever, hits happen even if there are penalties for them. And it’s not just incidences like yours where you’re knocked out, that causes the damage. Repeated blows can be equally devastating.”

“Should I pull him from the team?” his father asked and the boy straightened up in alarm.

“No, Dad!”

“Hold on, let’s look.” Scott sat down and viewed the findings. Turning on his laptop, he took a look at the images. “There doesn’t seem to be any great cause for concern at this time, but I can’t emphasize the risk enough.” Scott went on to explain about chronic traumatic
encephalopathy
and the dangers of repeated injuries. He also discussed the higher than ever incidences of deaths. “If the head gear is redesigned and the leagues change their attitude toward the game and its violent tendencies, maybe we could save lives. There’s also the need for special equipment on the field, ways to treat players until help arrives.”

By the time he was finished with Barrett, Scott didn’t know if he would be playing ball again. “Oh, well,” he told Susie, “I have to call them like I see them.”

“And you do that very well,” she assured him.

“Where’s the best place to buy an engagement ring in the city?”

“Oh, snap!” She looked at him with delight. “There’s only one place, Eliza Page.”

“Then, that’s where I’ll be.”

“My hero.” She sighed.

*  *  *

Lia stood at the back of the auditorium and listened to Randall Roberts teach. He was Dr. Roberts. The more she stared, the more she realized she looked like him! Her mother and grandmother were blondes and she had dark brown hair. They’d had blue eyes and she had green. Dr. Roberts looked enough like her to be…her father. She couldn’t help but smile. He was speaking of tsunamis and giant earthquakes. What fascinating discussions they could have! She waited until class was over, sitting quietly in a seat on the back row. He hadn’t noticed her. There was probably a hundred and twenty students in the class. After the bell had rung and everyone began to file out, she made her way down the steps, drawing near to him. He was erasing his notes off the blackboard. When he became aware of her presence, he turned. “Hey, office hours are from two to four, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If it’s an emergency, leave me a voice mail. I have another class across campus.”

“Oh, all right, thank you, I’ll make an appointment, I’m not a student.”

He turned to look at her. “Who are you?” Then he stared. And stared. “Do I know you?”

“No.” Lia shook her head. She was trembling. “I’m Lia Houston. Analia’s daughter. I think you’re my dad.”

“My God.” His mouth dropped open and he ran a hand through his hair.

“I don’t have any proof, but I—”

“I don’t need any.” He gave a short laugh. “You’re the mirror image of my sister.” His eyes ran over her face and then he held out his arms. “I never knew.”

Lia went to him, letting him hold her. “Mother said you didn’t know, but she never told me anything at all. I found out from someone else. Her name is Rosamund Latham now.”

Randall stepped back, holding on to her hand. “I don’t remember that name. It’s been a long time.” He sent a text message. “Let my sub know to cover my class.” He pulled out two chairs. “We have some talking to do. You see, I left because I was engaged. I never meant to go so far with your mother, but I was young and it was a mistake.”