14 Valentine Place (12 page)

“What if I win? What’s my prize?” she asked.

“You’re absolved from your nursemaid duties for the rest of the weekend.” He extended his left hand over the chessboard. “Do we have a deal?”

It was a wager she couldn’t refuse. To not have to spend any more time helping him would be a great relief. And as for him taking her to dinner…she doubted that he’d be able to beat her. She may have had trouble figuring out what it was she wanted to do with her life, but if there was one thing that didn’t confuse her it was the game of chess.

She placed her hand in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “Deal.”

Maddie thought it would only be a matter of minutes before she had his king in check. She was wrong. He’d improved since the last time she’d played him and she realized she was going to have to plan her strategy carefully.

Whenever he’d capture one of her pieces, he’d look at her in a way that made Maddie feel as if there was
more at stake than a dinner and nursing duties. The longer they played, the more intense his gaze became.

She knew he was trying to unnerve her, to get her to forget logic and resort to emotion. She remembered the techniques her uncle had taught her, thought of the practice she’d had at school. Only this wasn’t a school match and Dylan was no boy. He was a man who was looking at her in a very provocative way—as if this wasn’t about capturing her king but about capturing her.

“You’re not playing fairly,” she said as he removed one of her bishops from the chessboard.

He shot her an innocent look. “Why do you say that?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”

Again, the look of guilelessness was in place. “Doing? I’m sitting here quietly waiting for you to make your next move.”

No, he was trying to make her squirm by using the tactics of seduction. “You think I can’t tell when a man undresses me with his eyes?”

He clicked his tongue in amusement. “Maddie, Maddie. What would my mother say if she were here?”

“That I’m right. She’d probably say you’re looking at me as if I were that king piece and you were that queen.” She pointed to his queen and her king.

He smiled devilishly. “Shouldn’t I be the king and you the queen?”

She moved her knight into position and said with a sly smile, “Check.”

His mouth popped open, as if he were surprised and
she felt a moment of triumph. It was short-lived, however, for a slow smile spread across his face as he moved his queen. “Checkmate.”

She frowned. He couldn’t have! She was certain she’d had a foolproof strategy. He continued to stare at her smugly as she mentally replayed the last few moves, trying to figure out what she had done wrong. All the while she could feel his eyes on her.

“Want a rematch?” he asked.

“No, thank you,” she said, scrambling to her feet. “It’s getting late. Krystal will be home soon and she’ll want to cook dinner for you.”

“Does that mean I don’t get to take you out to dinner tonight?”

She shoved her hands to her hips. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, but we’re in the middle of a snowstorm. Nothing’s happening on those city streets.”

“Then how will Krystal get home?”

“By bus. They manage to get through in any kind of weather,” she told him, sounding like a commercial for mass transit.

But when Krystal phoned, Maddie discovered her housemate wasn’t on her way home. She was at the hospital with a co-worker, relieved to hear that classes at the dance studio had been canceled and Maddie was at home.

“Shannon got this really bad pain in her side and couldn’t drive herself to the emergency room, so I had to drive her here. The roads are awful! Anyway, she’s with the doctor right now.”

“Is she going to be all right?” Maddie asked.

“They think it’s her appendix. That’s why I
called—to tell you I won’t be home to make dinner for Dylan. I’m waiting here until Shannon’s sister gets here from Fergus Falls.”

“When do you think you’ll be home?”

“Gosh, I’m not sure. I’ll call you when I know more, okay? You will make sure that Dylan has something to eat, won’t you? I wouldn’t want to disappoint Leonie.”

“I’ll take care of it,” she said, casting a glance at the subject of their conversation.

As soon as she’d hung up the phone, Dylan looked at her. “She’s going to be late?”

Maddie nodded, then gave him a brief explanation as to why.

“I guess that means I can collect on our wager after all, can’t I? Where should we go for dinner?”

Maddie could see he was determined to collect his prize, yet she wasn’t about to give in easily. “We can’t go out in the snow. Krystal said driving is terrible.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t walk somewhere. Unless things have changed, there’ll be a pub open over on Snelling Avenue, snow or no snow.”

“I…” she began, trying to think up an excuse as to why she couldn’t have dinner with him. Nothing came to mind.

“Come on, Maddie. Humor me. It’s been a long time since I’ve walked anywhere in snow.” When she still hesitated, he added, “I’m going to have to collect on that bet sooner or later. Why not get it out of the way tonight?”

She knew he was right, yet Garret’s words echoed
in her head. Just before Dylan had come home he’d told Maddie, “The only thing Dylan takes seriously is his work. Mom likes to think it’s just a matter of time before he settles down, but I know my brother. When it comes to women, he’s like a kid who collects sea-shells on the beach—always looking for the next one.”

Not that it mattered to Maddie. She had no plans to become the next seashell. Nor was she under any illusions as to why he wanted to have dinner with her. He was simply tired of being cooped up in the house. He’d made that perfectly clear and she’d seen the advertisements for nightclubs circled in the newspaper. All he was looking for was to be with people, to have some
excitement.

It was that last part that made her wary. She wondered just what kind of excitement he expected to find having dinner with her.

She didn’t want to admit it, but it was that very thought that had her saying, “All right. I’ll go with you, but I need to change my clothes. Shall I meet you down here in say, half an hour?”

His eyes gleamed at her acceptance. “Half an hour will be fine. You’ll have a good time, Maddie. I promise.”

CHAPTER SIX

Dear Leonie: There’s this really cute guy who’s been coming on to me. I’m not interested in him because I’m dating this really nice guy who’s more my type. The problem is my roommate likes the really cute guy and the thought of her with him is making me crazy. What’s wrong with me?

Signed: Really Confused

Leonie says: Are you sure you don’t like the really cute guy?

W
HEN
M
ADDIE CAME BACK
downstairs she had changed into a pink vee-neck sweater and a pair of black slacks. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders.

“You look good.” Dylan hadn’t intended to compliment her. She’d made it clear that she only thought of him as the landlady’s son.

“Thanks.” She looked uneasy and quickly reached for her jacket, which hung on the coat tree. “Are you sure you want to do this? The snow’s going to be deep.”

“I think I can handle a little snow,” he said, bending to slip his feet into the work boots he’d worn earlier.

But it was more than a little snow, he discovered, as they walked the short distance to Snelling Avenue. By the time they reached the pub, Dylan’s pant legs were wet and his fingers were a bit numb. He welcomed the warmth that greeted them as they stepped inside.

“I can see no one’s taking the weather advisory seriously,” he commented, surveying the crowded restaurant. “I’m not sure there are any vacant booths.”

“I think there’s one in the back,” said a passing waitress who’d heard his comment. She directed them to a high-backed booth in a corner that was far away from the noise of the bar. It had leather seats and a wooden table that had a candle burning inside an amber glass centerpiece.

Dylan helped Maddie as she shrugged out of her coat, then hung it on a hook on the side of the booth. He watched her slide across the bench seat and wished he could slip in beside her. Nothing in her body language told him she’d appreciate such a gesture.

He removed his jacket and hung it next to her coat, then sat down. She looked so beautiful in the dim candlelight, with her cheeks rosy from the cold, that he found it difficult to take his eyes off her.

She was staring at him, too, but for another reason.

“Your ears are red,” she told him.

“It’s cold out there, in case you hadn’t noticed,” he said in good humor.

“I bet you wish you were back in Saint Martin.”

“No, I’m glad I’m right here.” It was the truth. He liked being with her.

She raised an eyebrow. “You’d rather be in an Irish
pub in Saint Paul in the middle of a blizzard than in the fresh air on a beachfront restaurant in the Caribbean?”

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “The air out there is fresh.”

“Yes, and if it keeps snowing at the rate it is, we might know all of these people quite well before the night’s over,” she noted with a quirky smile.

“I guess there are worst places to be stranded than in a pub.”

She didn’t need to comment because a waitress arrived. When Maddie asked for a Killian’s Red, Dylan said, “Make that two.”

As soon as the waitress had gone, he picked up one of the menus and asked, “What do you recommend?”

“I like the corned beef and cabbage, but they also make wonderful potato-leek soup.”

It was while they were going over the menu choices that someone called out, “Well, for goodness’ sake. Look who’s here.”

Both Maddie and Dylan turned at the sound of a woman’s voice. Approaching the booth was a gray-haired woman, a grin on her face, a balding man at her side.

Maddie smiled in recognition. “Hi, Elaine.”

The woman tugged on the arm of the gentleman at her side and said, “This is the girl I told you about, Leo—the one who’s organizing our prom night at the co-op.” Then she looked at Dylan and said, “Finally I get to meet your beau. You must be Jeffrey. I have to tell you, I think the world of your Maddie. She’s
the best,” she said, casting an affectionate grin at Maddie, who shifted uneasily.

“Elaine, this isn’t Jeffrey.”

The older woman covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my, I’m sorry. I just thought…forgive me,” she said contritely to Dylan.

“No problem.” He rose to his feet. “I’m Dylan Donovan. I’d offer you my hand but, as you can see, it’s out of commission.” He pointed to the sling.

Elaine expressed her sympathy and concern, which had Maddie adding, “He’s recovering from shoulder surgery, which is why we’re here. Dylan’s mother is my landlady and she’s out of town so I’m playing Florence Nightingale.”

“How sweet of you,” the older woman said, giving Maddie’s arm a pat.

While the four of them made small talk, it was obvious to Dylan that Maddie was trying to dispel any notion Elaine might have that they were anything but casual acquaintances. Several times she mentioned his mother’s absence and her role as nurse for the weekend. She looked relieved when the waitress returned with their beers and Elaine and her husband said goodbye.

When they’d gone, Dylan asked, “So what is this prom day at the co-op?”

“It’s a fund-raising event the store is sponsoring this spring. Employees dress up in old prom dresses and formal attire in an effort to raise money and donations for the emergency food shelves,” she explained, then took a sip of her beer.

“And you’ll be wearing one of your old prom dresses?”

“Not one of mine. They’re long gone, but Elaine found one for me at a consignment shop.”

“She’s a good friend of yours?”

“More of a professional acquaintance. She’s one of the founding members of the co-op.”

“Who obviously hasn’t met your Jeffrey. I’m not sure she believed that I was your landlady’s son.”

Maddie shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not like we’re on a date and didn’t want anyone to see us together.”

No, it wasn’t exactly a date, but Dylan found himself wishing that Maddie was having dinner with him because she wanted to be with him, not because she’d lost a wager. He didn’t want to be an obligation to her, yet that was exactly how she saw their time together and it bothered him.

“Your Jeffrey has nothing to worry about from me. I don’t make it a habit of going after other men’s women—no matter how tempting.” And she was definitely a temptation, especially the way her tight pink sweater clung to her curves.

“I wish you wouldn’t call him
my
Jeffrey. People aren’t possessions.”

“Ah, so it’s that kind of a relationship, is it?”

“What kind?”

“Politically correct.”

“It has nothing to do with being politically correct. It has to do with respect.”

“Is that what you think?”

“Yes. There’s no place for possessiveness in a healthy relationship,” she stated firmly.

“You really believe that?”

“Yes. Obviously you don’t.” She made it sound as if it were a defect in his personality.

“Maddie, the very nature of physical attraction demands that people regard each other in a possessive way.” As he said the words he wondered if she’d ever had the kind of physical relationship that made one want to possess another’s heart and soul.

“I disagree. Love isn’t possessive.”

“Who said anything about love? I’m talking about physical attraction.”

“Look, it really doesn’t matter, does it?” The impatience in her voice told him she was uncomfortable with the topic of discussion. Her next words confirmed it. “We’ve already established we’re not on a date here, we’re just having dinner. Maybe we should talk about something else.”

He didn’t want to. He wanted to ask her about her relationship with Jeffrey, but he could see it was a subject she didn’t want to discuss with him. Instead he asked, “Have you ever lived anywhere but North Dakota and Minnesota?”

The fingers wrapped around her glass relaxed their grip. “Yes. I was in a traveling theater production before I moved here. Every six weeks we moved on to a different city. I saw a lot of the United States during those two years.”