Just for the Summer Page 3

She laughed, then stood and turned to Matt with a scowl. “You can call me Ms. Sullivan.”

  “I’d still like to talk…Ms. Sullivan.” The deep way he drawled out her name made her rethink her previous statement. Maybe he shouldn’t call her anything at all.

  “Come on, Dad, or we’ll be late.” Sam tugged on Matt’s arm.

  “Yeah, okay, bud. I’m coming.”

  “Another time, Sheriff.” Dani turned and headed toward the checkout.

  …

  Later that night, Matt stood outside Dani’s bungalow debating the wisdom of his visit. It was probably past the time for a social call, but a few lights were on inside, and he still owed her an apology.

  He was about to knock on her screen door when someone inside turned on a bluesy jazz tune and proceeded to belt out the most horrendous attempt at singing he’d ever heard. An injured, screeching cat would sound better than the noise coming from the cottage. He needed to put the neighbors out of their misery and maybe save Dani from a noise complaint.

  He rapped on the door. Thankfully, the warbling stopped. He tugged on his ears. The outside light came on, and a second later Dani stepped onto the screened-in porch. Her gait faltered a bit when she looked at him.

  He looked right back. Couldn’t help but check out her incredibly short white shorts and the black tank top that hugged her breasts and revealed enough cleavage to make him forget his own name. Ahh, now he remembered. Matt The Degenerate Reagan.

  “I know it’s late,” he said. “I saw the light, figured you were still awake.”

  She moved in front of the door. “What’s going on, Sheriff? Did I break the law?” She placed one hand on either side of the frame. “You here to frisk me?”

  His pulse hiked up a notch at the image. He rubbed his itchy palms on his jeans.

  She leaned in until her nose was an inch away from the screen that separated them. Her voice deepened until it came out a sexy rasp. “Or are you going to haul out your cuffs?”

  Breathing turned difficult as an erotic slideshow played in his head. Smart-mouthed Ms. Sullivan handcuffed to… He gave himself a mental kick in the head. Time to snap out of it. He was here to apologize, not dig himself in deeper.

  They spent a moment focused on each other, the crickets chirping in the background as if gossiping among themselves. If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d caught a flicker of amusement in her big brown eyes. He loved a woman with a sense of humor. And the way she’d talked with Sam at the video store revealed a nurturing side that appealed to Matt.

  Big time.

  But he shouldn’t be feeling a thing toward Ms. Sullivan. She would be gone in a few short months. Plus someday when he settled down again, he wanted the girl next door. Someone sweet, wholesome, and uncomplicated. Somehow he didn’t think this woman fit into any of those categories. Unfortunately, that realization didn’t squelch the desire to touch and explore.

  “I’d like to talk to you. Can I come in?”

  She paused, and for a second he thought she might turn him away. But then with a flip of her fingers, she unlocked the catch on the screen door and pushed it open in invitation.

  On the porch, the flicker of candlelight drew his attention to a coffee table arranged between two love seats. Smooth jazz drifted from the kitchen. “Am I interrupting anything?”

  “Only my rendition of ‘Fever.’”

  She was alone. His breathing slowed at the realization. “Yeah, I caught a bit of that. It was…unbelievable.”

  She flashed him a grin like she was sharing a secret. “I sound just like Celine Dion when I’m in the shower.”

  He could imagine. “Something to look forward to.”

  She threw him what he guessed was an in-your-dreams expression, then headed toward the kitchen. “I’ve got to check my muffins.” He followed her through the porch into the main cottage. She motioned to a ladder-back chair covered in light green-and-white checked fabric. “Have a seat.”

  A huge white candle in the center of the kitchen table blocked his view when she bent before the oven, so he pushed it aside. The only electric light came from the vent hood above the stove, and it backlit her hair, giving it golden highlights.

  He cleared his throat. “I’ve heard about your awesome muffins.”

  He received an eye roll for his comment. She grabbed a pot holder, cracked open the oven door, and bent again. When her shorts rode up in back, Matt was treated to a fantastic view of toned, tan legs. Not to mention her exquisite behind. He knew perfection when he saw it. God help him, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

  “There’s a trick to the perfect muffins,” she said. “They need to be firm with just a small amount of give when you touch them. If they’re not overbaked, they’ll be fluffy and moist. Just the thought of eating one will make your mouth water.”

  Touching? Getting firm? Moist? Couldn’t she talk about something else? “When you left the parking lot at the video store, I noticed your taillight is out. I thought I should mention it so you don’t get pulled over.”

  With a sigh, Dani removed the muffins then shut off the oven. “My car’s a lemon.” She tossed the two flowery red oven mitts onto the counter. “I swear it’s been in the shop more than it’s been on the road.”

  “Stop in at the Mobil station in town. Ask for Pete. He’ll fix you right up.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  While Dani fussed over the muffins, he surveyed his surroundings. This was the first time he’d been inside. Looking at the color scheme and the furnishings, no wonder Jack wanted to redecorate after completion of the upstairs renovation. The place reminded him of a dollhouse his little sister had when she was a kid.

  The rooms were tiny, the walls the color of mint ice cream, and everything else was white and frilly. He felt like the proverbial bull in a china shop. “I’ve never seen a more girlie-looking place in all my life.”

  Dani laughed as she took a seat at the table. “This is nothing. You should see my bedroom.”

  “I plan to.” He watched in amusement as her eyebrows shot halfway up her forehead. She crossed her arms over her chest. It took all his willpower not to take in what he knew would be award-winning cleavage.

  She gave him a knowing look. “Hope you don’t think you’re getting me into bed, Sheriff.”

  He smiled to cover his lie. “Wouldn’t dream of it. After the repairs are done upstairs, I’m helping Jack repaint the inside of the cottage—your bedroom included.”

  She blushed so hard, he was afraid she might develop heat stroke. “I knew that.”

  “Right.”

  Dani played with a few strands of hair that had escaped from the mess on top of her head. “So what brings you by? Other than to talk muffins and bedrooms?”

  “I want to apologize.”

  She playfully slapped a hand on the table. “You should—the movie you recommended sucked.”

  …

  “No, for being an ass.” Matt smiled, but the emotion never made its way to his eyes. Dani guessed she was about to see his serious side. Between the oven and her hormones, the temperature in the kitchen rivaled the inside of a pressure cooker. “Why don’t we sit outside?”

  She plucked up the candle from the kitchen table and took it to the porch. After placing it on a wicker end table, she motioned for Matt to sit on the love seat while she took the rocking chair to his left. She sat in silence, waiting for him to say something.

  He scratched his jaw, and his fingers rasped against the whiskers that were well past a five o’clock shadow. He seemed almost nervous. “The thing is, I’ve been under a lot of stress lately. I’m in a new job. The hours are erratic. My mother recently moved in with Sam and me. Plus, I’ve been—”

  “Horny?”

  She was awarded enough of a smile to bring out his dimples. Those alone could resuscitate a dead woman.

  “I’m a guy. We spend most of our lives in that condition.” He sighed and raked a hand through his short hair and focused his attention on Dani.
“Look. The bottom line is, I could’ve been more professional in my office. So, sorry.”

  “Can you still fix my parking ticket?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. Sure.”

  The fact that he’d made a special trip to apologize stepped up her impression of him a degree. At this rate, she’d be madly in love by the end of the week. Better to be grateful that her son had Matt for a role model…and then remember that he was Sam’s father and well out of reach.

  Since he was being honest with her, Dani wondered if she should level with him. Reveal her identity. Problem was, she couldn’t imagine any way that would end well.

  “Thanks for what you told Sam at the video store. I wasn’t sure what to say to keep him calm.”

  Now here she was in familiar territory. “I always try to be upfront with my patients. If I sugarcoat things or I’m vague, they lose their trust in me.”

  Matt smiled. “We think alike, Ms. Sullivan. It’s all about honesty and trust.”

  Though his words sucked all the comfort from her, she returned his smile and hoped she could maintain her silence at least until it was time to go.

  Chapter Three

  Early the next morning, Matt stood at his kitchen window drinking a cup of coffee. Sam had an appointment with the doctor followed by a visit to the lab to have blood drawn. The doc had indicated this was all routine, but Sam had never had blood drawn before. Anxiety gnawed at his gut.

  Matt’s mother walked in and headed for the refrigerator. “You’re up early for your day off. You and Sam going fishing this morning?”

  Matt tossed his remaining coffee down the drain. He turned from the sink to give his mother a peck on the cheek when she moved past him, inhaling the same flowery perfume she’d worn for as long as Matt could remember. “Morning, Mom. We’re fishing later on. Sam’s got a doctor’s appointment first.”

  “Is he sick? If you’d told me, I could have—”

  “Just his yearly checkup. Everything’s fine.”

  His mother opened the fridge and removed an armload of food. “I just need to fatten him up a bit.” She carried everything to the counter next to the stove. Behind her back, Matt studied the ceiling. He took a deep, silent breath. The answer to every problem was food—and lots of it—according to his mother.

  He had to tamp down her efforts before she made a breakfast big enough to feed the neighborhood. “I’ve already eaten, and Sam’s not supposed to eat before his blood is drawn.”

  Shifting away from the stove, she placed a hand on her hip and pointed a spatula in Matt’s direction. “How ridiculous. Breakfast is important. I’ll fix him some eggs, bacon, and home fries to give him a good start on the day.”

  A good lead into high cholesterol, too, but Matt figured he should keep his mouth shut. They’d battled about food since her arrival. “Just make something for yourself, Mom. Dr. Cooper said it’s important that Sam not have any food past midnight last night, or the test will be inaccurate. We’ll stop for breakfast after his appointment.”

  His mother released an exaggerated sigh in resignation. “Fine.” She switched on the small kitchen TV to what he knew was her favorite morning news show. Matt took a seat at the table to wait for Sam.

  A few minutes later, Sam entered the room. He yawned, scratched his head, and plunked down in a chair. “Do we still get to go to the cookout tonight?”

  “Yeah, we’re going.”

  “So we’ll get to see Dani?”

  “Sure.” Sam flashed a big smile. Seemed like his boy might have a crush. “You seem smitten with Ms. Sullivan, bud. What’s up with that?”

  “What’s smitten mean?”

  “It means you like her a lot.”

  “I do. She calls me ‘honey.’ Nobody’s ever called me that before.”

  Matt imagined her calling him honey, too—or baby—in her raspy, seductive voice. And what would it be like to have those golden-brown eyes filled with passion and aimed at him? A car horn interrupted Matt’s daydreams before his imagination could go into the danger zone.

  Matt’s mother lowered the sound on the TV. “You seem to be spending a lot of time at the bungalows lately.”

  “I offered to help Jack with renovations on my days off, and Sam loves to hang out at the lake.” Although with Ms. Sullivan’s arrival, Matt thought about spending even more time there. “One of the cottages got hit hard from the spring storm. After I replace the roof, Jack wants to remodel.”

  “According to the women at the hair salon, there’s a new young nurse in town for the summer. They say she’s staying at the bungalows.” His mom gave Matt an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle.

  Matt stood, the wooden chair scratching against the linoleum floor. He planted his hands on his hips and stared down at his shoes while the morning show’s theme song filled the kitchen. She was his mother and he’d been raised to be respectful, no matter how frustrated he was. “Don’t. I know that look in your eye, and I know what you and your friends are capable of. You’re not going to bring her a Welcome to Lake Bliss casserole and you’re sure as hell not going to invite her over here for dinner.”

  “I just want to help. You’re the one who keeps talking about needing a wife.”

  He’d love to have a wife. He believed in the ideology of marriage, of the intimacy of sharing your life with one special person. He wanted to find a woman who’d be a good mother. Someone to go through the ups and downs that life dished out. Someone to make love to late at night.

  His mind wandered to Ms. Sullivan—Dani. Since their first meeting, he’d spent a ridiculous amount of time wondering about her sassy mouth, her luscious body. Was she single? Didn’t matter, he reminded himself. She wasn’t wife or mother material. She was a temporary woman. Just like his ex-wife.

  …

  The merciless barking of a dog crept into Dani’s murky brain. Who in their right mind wouldn’t shut up a yapping animal? She shoved her silky sleep mask up her forehead. The bright sunlight caused her to squint in order to catch a glimpse of the clock.

  Ten. She groaned. Between thinking about Sam and lusting over Matt, she’d had a hard time falling asleep last night. She’d finally settled down around five.

  When knocking accompanied the barking, Dani dragged herself out of bed, then shuffled through the cottage. Wasn’t the lake supposed to be a quiet, peaceful place? Maybe investing in earplugs would be the way to go.

  She opened the wooden door leading to the screened-in porch and took a deep breath. The air was still humid from last night’s rain and tinged with the fresh scent of pine trees. With hands on hips, she walked to the screen door to check out the commotion. There sat a long-haired, black-and-white dog, tail thumping as if impatient to be let inside. Next to the dog stood Sam, fishing pole in hand, his focus shifting between Dani and the dog.

  Her other guest was Matt in faded blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt that hugged his broad chest. He wore a hint of a smile that messed with her breathing. Hard to say what he was thinking. His focus shifted, sliding down her body, stopping here and there along the way, reminding her that she was clad in a thin pink tank top and cotton boxers. She grabbed the sweatshirt she’d flung across a patio chair, stuffed her arms in the sleeves, and zipped it halfway up her neck.

  “Morning, Dani,” Sam said.

  “Hi, honey.”

  He gave Matt a grin that made her think they were in cahoots together.

  Matt looked at Dani. “Is he yours?”

  Her stomach dropped like she’d just plummeted ten floors in an elevator. She tried to keep the expression on her face neutral. What had happened? Why would he suddenly think Sam was hers? But when Matt ran a hand across the dog’s head, she realized he was talking about the animal, and her heart resumed a normal rhythm. She cleared her throat. “No. I’ve never seen him before.”

  “He isn’t wearing a collar, Dad.” Sam gave Matt a hopeful expression, the unspoken question obvious—could they keep him?

  “He might belong to one of
the guests. We’ll ask around.”

  “Can I take him to the beach?”

  Matt glanced down by the water. Dani followed his line of vision to see Rachel and her boys talking to a few guests.

  “Sure. Ask if anyone knows the owner.” As Sam took off running with the dog at his heels, Matt called, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Dani unlatched the screen door and held it open. He stepped inside the porch, followed her into the kitchen. She started the mini-coffeemaker before shifting around to face him. He stood so close, she could see the texture of his clean-shaven skin. He looked good and smelled even better.

  “Seems like the day’s started without you, Ms. Sullivan.” His gaze lingered on the top of her head before he took hold of the sleep mask. As he slipped it off, his finger grazed her cheek.

  She nudged his hand away. “I was up late. Couldn’t fall asleep.”

  “If you want to go back to bed,” he said, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “I could tuck you in.”

  As he talked, his lips brushed the sensitive skin below her ear. His denim-clad knee played against her bare leg when he stepped back. Her heart beat in a maniacal rhythm, and a throbbing started low in her belly. Why did every encounter with him feel like foreplay? “I’m sure you’re probably quite good at tucking.”

  He leaned back, gave her an absurdly sexy smile. “I have a fair amount of experience.”

  Her head told her to keep her mouth shut. Instead, she lowered her voice a notch. “It’s been a while since I’ve been…tucked.”

  His laugh was a deep, rich sound. She loved a man with a sense of humor.

  “I like you, Ms. Sullivan.” When he retreated a few steps, she had the wildest urge to yank on his shirt to tug him closer. “You ever gonna let me call you by your first name?”

  “I’ll give it some thought. Is that what you want?”

  He leaned his head close to Dani’s. “I don’t think you’re ready to hear about the things I want.”

  …

  A flash of desire shot through her eyes, and Matt wondered if there was ever a time when she didn’t look sexy. Even when she’d first answered the door, her hair every which way and that ridiculous sleep mask on her head, she’d been a knockout. She was only here for the summer, but he wasn’t averse to getting to know her better during her stay.