Brown Eyed Girl (16 page)

“
At least ya’ll had someone. Do you ever see her?”

“
No, she moved back up to Washington State after Drake went off to college. Once she got there, she met up with an old flame from high school who was a widower, and they got married. His first wife died of cancer and they’d never had children.” Tiffany shook her head slowly. “Melinda couldn’t have kids, either, and it’s so sad because she’s a natural mother. We speak at least once a month and we email back and forth. But, she has her own life now.” She released a long sigh. “There are times I miss her so much.”

Red stretched, flexing his long back and arms. “The coffee should be ready by now. You want some?”

“
I’d love some.”

“
Actually, since I’ve moved into this place, I’ve started swimming when I can’t sleep. You didn’t happen to bring a swimsuit did you?” he asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

“
That’s not exactly something I thought about when you told me to pack a bag.”

He grabbed two cups out of the cabinet and poured coffee in each one of them and handed her one.

She thanked him and took a sip. “That’s good coffee. You know, I won’t know what to do with myself after today. Catch up on some reading, I guess.”

“
Romance novels?” he asked smugly.

“
Medical journals,” she answered. “Have to keep up with the changing times. Today’s new procedure is tomorrow’s old news.”

“
Huh, sounds interesting,” he said, with a grimace.

“
About as interesting to you as the articles in that Forbes magazine looked to me,” she added.

Red laughed as he sat down across from her. “I guess you’re right. I’m impressed with your medical skills, Doc. You’re young to have the excellent reputation you have.”

Tiffany sipped her coffee. “I love learning about new procedures in orthopedic surgery. It’s exciting when someone develops a way to change people’s lives for the better. Twenty years ago, Jackson’s leg would have been amputated and fit with a less than perfect prosthesis. Today, he’s walking around fit and healthy because of a device that someone took a chance at developing. It’s fascinating.”

Red placed his cup on the table. “That’s how I feel about investment opportunities. I love the research involved—studying the demographics of each particular area—knowing what it takes to create a successful business before you open. The kind of club that may work in Lafayette may not work here in Lake Coburn, so adjustments have to be made.”

Red brought the paper inside and they sipped their coffee while scanning different sections of the paper.

Tiffany lifted one corner of the curtain to stare out into the darkness of the stark, winter morning. “It sure is dark out there. I don’t think I’ll be running anytime soon,” she said.

“
You sure you don’t want to go for a swim instead of a run?”

“
Not without a suit...my skinny dipping days are over.”

“
You’ve never skinny dipped in your life,” he snorted.

“
I have so,” she shot back.

“
Was that before or after the tattoo?”

She frowned in concentration. “Both.”

Red’s mouth fell open. “I’m shocked.”

“
Don’t be, I was alone before the tattoo and with a bunch of girls after the tattoo. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

Red raised an eyebrow. “A girl orgy? Tell me more.”

Tiffany laughed. “So you can conjure up an image?”

“
Absolutely.”

“
Well, sorry to bust your bubble again, but it was a bachelorette party when I was in college and I believe both your sisters were there, too.”

“
Nuh-uh...My sisters would
never
do anything like that!” he said, grinning at her. “Did they see the tattoo?”

Tiffany chuckled. “Ask them, if you have the nerve.”

Red shot her a look over his shoulder on the way to the pool house. “Oh, I’ve got the nerve.”

Chapter 7

Lured by the promise of seeing Red in swimming trunks and nothing else, Tiffany’s resistance lasted a full ten minutes before she walked quietly into the warm air of the building. She watched him swim for a minute, appreciating the athleticism of his long, smooth strokes.

She curled up on a lounge chair with her cup of coffee, and began to flip through the photograph album. She stopped at the photos of him as a toddler, amazed at the resemblance between him and his nephew, Conner. Conner’s hair was a little lighter, but the facial features were so alike it was uncanny.
A little bit of McAllister apparently goes a long way.

She skimmed over the photos, and soon she was ogling the ‘Mr. Universe’ shots of him again. She peeked over the top of the book and closed it. Why admire a photo when she had the real thing in front of her? After moving to a spot where she could observe him, Tiffany discovered that Red moved as gracefully in the water as he did on the dance floor. She watched his upper torso muscles flex as muscular arms sliced through water with graceful precision, while powerful legs propelled him forward.

He noticed her and treaded water for a few seconds before swimming to the edge to rest his arms on the pool’s ledge.

“
I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, unable to tear her gaze from the bulk of shoulders protruding from the water.

“
It’s too late. I’ve already lost track of my laps.”

“
I’ll go back in the house so you can finish,” she said.

“
Don’t go...I’ve done enough for today.” He pulled himself out of the pool by his powerful arms.

“
I’m impressed, McAllister; you’re not even that winded.”

He grabbed his towel. “You should’ve seen me two weeks ago. I’ve adjusted.”

She gazed, entranced, as he dried himself with the towel. “Are you glad you moved here?”

“
Oh yeah,” he said, grinning down at her. “I love it here.”

Tiffany tore her gaze from the alluring sight of him, and forced herself to walk away. “What about the club in Lafayette? Isn’t it going to be a hassle driving back and forth?”

“
I hired good people to manage it, but I still go every day. When this club opens, I’ll divide my time equally between the two.”

Tiffany walked leisurely around the room. “Lake Coburn’s half the size of Lafayette. Won’t you miss all that action?”

Red snorted, “What action? I went to the club then I went home. I spent most of my day stuck in traffic.”

Tiffany cringed. “I hated driving in Houston. Drake is the only reason I’ll have to go, now.”

“
What kind of law does your brother practice?” he asked.

“
Corporate, but he was telling me he hasn’t been feeling very satisfied with it the last year or so. He says his conscience has been bothering him lately.”

“
What does he do for that to happen?”

“
Nothing illegal, but his firm works mainly for a large corporation that buys out companies, and people sometimes lose their jobs.”

“
Takeovers,” he said.

“
What?”

“
You said his firm ‘buys out’ companies, but in truth, what they probably do is ‘take over’ the company by secretly buying stock when it goes public. Your brother’s a shark.”

“
No, he’s not,” she said defensively.

“
I’m not judging him, Doc. That’s just another name for lawyers. Haven’t you ever heard that old joke “Why don’t sharks bite lawyers?”

“
Apparently not, what’s the punch line?”

“
Professional courtesy.” He chuckled as she rolled her eyes. “It’s a testament to his good character that he’s got a guilty conscience about it.”

“
He said he’s been having trouble sleeping lately…imagine that,” she said.

“
Yeah, imagine that.”

<>

Around six-thirty the eastern sky began to show a little pink on the horizon and Tiffany told him she was ready for her run.

“
Are you going to want breakfast when you get back?”

“
It depends, what are you going to feed me?”

“
Oatmeal.” He laughed at the face she made. “Eggs and bacon?”

“
Much better,” she said.

“
Grits and toast?” he asked.

“
Grits…instead of toast.”

“
You’re going to make me work, aren’t you?”

She chuckled. “I’ll help you if you wait until I get back.”

“
Oh, hell, no! You’re the guest here. My mom would skin me alive if she found out I made you do any of the cooking,” Red told her.

“
But I like to cook, and I won’t tell her.”

“
Next time,” he said, hoping like hell there’d be plenty of next times.

“
Okay, I’m going to change into my running gear; I did think to pack that.” They walked back into the house.

Red changed quickly and went into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast, glancing up as Tiffany walked by wearing her
gear
...faded jogging pants, an old L.S.U. sweatshirt, and some running shoes. His surprise at her get up must have shown on his face.

“
What?” she asked. “I don’t need to look good to run. I’m about to get all sweaty,” she said.

He laughed at her. “You won’t sweat, it’s too cold out there.”

“
It’s
cool
out there, and believe me, I’ll sweat.” She gathered her curls in a pony tail holder.

“
See, when your hair is pulled up away from your face you look like a teenager.
That’s
why I thought you couldn’t have been a doctor.”

She adjusted her pony tail, tsking at his comment. “Let it go, Red—I’ve forgiven you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Go run, smart ass! Get all stinky and sweaty.”

“
I said sweaty, I didn’t say anything about stinky,” she said, making a face at him. “Do you happen to know how far it is to the end of the driveway?”

“
No, but I know it’s a mile and a half to the intersection of highway 101. How far do you usually run?”

“
Three miles, so that’s perfect. By the way, I’ll be famished when I get back,” she said, winking at him on her way out the door.

Red watched her from the window as she did some serious stretching to warm up. She put her earphones in her ear, checked her watch then began running at a quick pace. He watched her until she got about half way down his driveway before losing sight of her.

“
Damn, I’m pathetic,” he mumbled as he hurried to his kitchen, wanting to make sure she came back to a good breakfast.

Twenty minutes later, he found himself perched in front of the same window, watching as she neared the house, still running at the same quick pace. She ran into the yard, slowing, and eventually jogging in place to cool down. He returned to the stove, waiting until she came back into the kitchen.

“
What is that, about a seven minute mile?” he asked, when she joined him. “Not bad. Are you training for a five-k race?”

“
No…I just run…to relieve stress,” she said taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. She poured herself a glass of tap water and took a long swig. Setting the glass down, she pulled off her sweatshirt to reveal a bright pink tank top underneath.

“
Breakfast is ready.” He handed her a plate then showed her various pans filled with scrambled eggs, grits, and crispy bacon. “Want more coffee? I also have orange juice.”

“
Got milk?” she asked, grinning as she filled her plate.

“
Sure do.” He poured a glass and handed it to her.

Red fixed himself a plate and sat down next to her as they ate for a few seconds in silence. Finally he said, “I have to admit, Doc, knowing that you came from money, you surprise me.”

“
Yeah, but you know the rest of the story too. Drake and I would gladly have given up the money to grow up with parents like yours. Please don’t fault me for that.”

“
Oh, I believe you; and I can’t fault you for anything except waiting as long as you did to cut Tanner loose.”

She shrugged, but remained silent and continued to eat.

Red cringed. “I’m sorry, Doc. That was rude of me.”

“
It’s no big deal,” Tiffany admitted. “It’s the truth. I never thought I was the kind of woman that felt like she had to have a man around to be happy, but maybe I am.”

“
Well,” he drawled, “maybe it’s not a question of having a man, but having the
right
man.”

“
Well sure,” she agreed. “But how are you going to know who’s right unless you go out there and take a chance? When’s the last time
you
took a chance on a relationship, Mr. ‘night club owner’?”

“
It’s been a while,” he admitted.

“
Have you ever been in love?”

“
No, the closest I’ve ever come was Katrina Boudreaux in the tenth grade.”
Until now
. “A year and a half ago, an old friend and I tried to date exclusively. It only took three months to figure out that wasn’t going anywhere. We ended it mutually and went our separate ways. Since then, just a couple of…,” his voice trailed off.