One Summer in Santa Fe (9 page)

Was she going to regret her time with Taylor? Should she continue to see him outside a professional relationship? What the hell was she going to do when it was time to seek a new assignment in a few weeks? San Francisco had been home for the first twenty years of her life, but it hadn’t been home for so long, she doubted that she’d want to go there again on a permanent basis. Though her aunt still lived there, Elizabeth was in
Phoenix and who knew where she’d end up after school? Santa Fe was a wonderful place with a diverse culture that called to Piper. She could live here if she wanted. Most hospitals were happy to hire travelers on a permanent basis.

Pulling up her company’s Web site, she searched their database for other assignments. She’d been just about everywhere she wanted to go, so there weren’t too many places of interest left, and she didn’t need to take assignments for money anymore. She had the option of taking a job she loved in a place she wanted to be.

The images on the Web site were designed to be exciting. People who were skiing, at the beach, climbing mountains or fishing in a lake. Those were all things that had enticed her into travel nursing, but after eight years of it, she was ready to settle down. Somewhere. She sighed and left the Web site. Her restless feet had calmed over the years and so many assignments. Now she just wasn’t in a big hurry to go anywhere. She had time.

Now that Elizabeth was going to be living her own life, Piper could live her own, too, couldn’t she? Too much of the last eight years had been spent on other people, and it was time Piper spent some time on herself.

Cruising over to another Web site, she indulged in one of her favorite pastimes that she could take anywhere: shopping.

Taylor pulled into his driveway just as Alex’s cousins returned with him. He’d taken Piper home and lingered in the doorway with her almost too long. The feel, the smell, the look of her made him want to touch her, to kiss her, and to take her down the hall and show her once again how much he desired her. They were both mature
adults, right? They could enjoy each other without strings tangling things up. At least that’s how he’d always played it and he didn’t see a need to change that philosophy now.

“Uncle T.!” Alex yelled from the other car and bounded across the driveway with his backpack bouncing along behind him. “Where were you?”

“I just took Piper home.”

“Oh, man. Did you go climbing without me?” he asked, obviously disappointed.

“No, no. We just went out to eat since we missed the picnic yesterday.”

“Oh. Well, that’s okay, then. I didn’t want you to go climbing again without me. I’m your new partner now, right?”

“I’d never think of it, Alex.” He held out his hand and Alex slapped him some palm. Even though the thought of taking Alex climbing again made him shudder. “Why don’t you say goodbye, and we’ll go inside?”

Alex collected his belongings from the car and waved. “I’ll see you on Friday,” he said.

“What’s Friday?” Taylor asked.

“They want me to come for a sleepover. It’s Elliot’s birthday. Is that okay?”

Taylor thought. “Sure. I don’t see why not. Does your mom let you sleep over?”

Alex shrugged. “Sure. Sometimes they come to our house, too.”

“Then I don’t see any problem.” As they walked into the house, he thought of Piper. Might be the perfect time to take her on a proper date, too. He’d have to check and see what the Opera House had going on that night.

T
HE
next week of Piper’s assignment flew swiftly by as Piper and Taylor immersed themselves in their work. There was little time for much else at the moment—work came first for both of them.

E-mails continued to come in from Piper’s sister, but they were vague, leaving Piper feeling strangely disconnected. She felt their bond as sisters slipping and wished that it was different between them. But as Elizabeth found her way in the world, Piper knew that she would have to let go of her sister the way she should. She just hadn’t realized how difficult it was going to be. They had been through some rough times together and their relationship was closer than that of most sisters. Piper sometimes felt as if she was losing her best friend.

Resisting the urge to call every day under the guise of checking in became harder and harder. Piper had been thrust into the deep end of life at age twenty. There had been no choices, no options except to take on the responsibility of her sister. Handing her sister over to the state to raise had been unthinkable. It had been a responsibility that she had sometimes endured, sometimes relished, sometimes wondered why, oh, why, their lives had been changed so dramatically. Though she had
missed out on some of life’s challenges and learning about herself in her early twenties, she’d grown up hard and fast with the death of her parents. Her relationship with her sister was one that she had always loved, even through the changing seasons of Elizabeth’s life. Now that relationship was changing once again and slipping away from her.

Piper was just sitting down to an unappealing-looking sandwich when Taylor entered the employee lounge. She paused and took a look at him as her heart raced at the surprise of seeing him there. Even in scrubs, there was no mistaking he was a man of power. He didn’t need a suit for that. Masculinity and energy flowed off him in the simple scrubs, and Piper tingled as if it reached her from across the room, making her promptly forget about the e-mail from her sister. And her lunch.

“It’s Wednesday,” Taylor said with expectation in his eyes.

She thought a second, as if that was supposed to mean something to her, and she tried to make her suddenly dry mouth work right. “Okay. Did I miss something about Wednesday?”

“Put down the sandwich, and no one gets hurt. It’s green chile cheese fries day.”

“Right. I forgot.” She put her sandwich down as her mouth watered in anticipation. Before coming to New Mexico she’d never eaten green chile, and now she craved it like some life-sustaining substance. “You’re going for some, I take it?”

“Yep. Wanna come?” he asked, and took a step forward, the light in his eyes mischievous.

“You look like you’re up to something. You’ve ruined me for all other fries, you know. Nothing even com
pares.” Probably ruined her for all other men, too. No comparison there, either.

“It happens.”

“I supposed you planned that.” She wrapped her nothing lunch back up and tossed it in the garbage can. No comparison.

“Let’s go.”

After settling with a steaming pile of French fries, covered in green chile sauce liberally sprinkled with shredded Cheddar cheese, Taylor finally relaxed. There was something about green chile, it didn’t matter in what form, that kept him going. Maybe it was more symbolic of home than anything else in his life. Something he somehow needed and had not realized.

Small talk related to work and cases they had shared in the ER. Then the awkward silence that he’d hoped to avoid ensued. “So how’s your sister doing in school?” he asked.

“Fine, I think.” Piper frowned and chomped a fry in half.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing, and she’s just engaged in school, but her e-mails are short and don’t say much. Totally unlike her. She usually runs off at the fingers.” She shrugged and picked up another fry. “I think I’m feeling a little left out of her life now that’s she’s old enough to have one.” She gave half a laugh and shook her head.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure she’d just caught up in school. First semesters can be overwhelming, especially if she isn’t used to being away from home.”

Piper nodded and looked at him. The questions in her eyes reflected the same questions he felt inside. What was going on between them now that they had made love? Usually, the women he became involved with wanted nothing more from him than the use of his body
on a temporary basis. That suited him just fine, too. No strings was how he led his life, with the exception of his work. But now that he and Piper had connected, he was starting to re-evaluate that philosophy. Thoughts of her had intruded his life for days now, and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Being attached to a woman for more than the short term had never happened to him. But, hey, he was all about taking chances. Why not take one more? If things didn’t work between Piper and himself, he could always revert to the way things had been before she’d shown up. Either way it was win-win for both of them. He leaned forward a little and spoke softly to her. “What are you doing Friday night?”

She thought for a second. “Nothing. Why?”

“I’d like you to go out with me,” he said. And he did. Surprising himself at how strongly he wanted her to say yes. She was only going to be in Santa Fe for a few weeks, so he had to pursue her now if he was going to. They could have a great time together, then she’d be off again. No complications for him, so it was perfect. “Get dressed up. A real date.”

Hesitation flared up inside Piper. Wasn’t this just like her former boyfriend? Swept her up with fancy dinners and mysterious dates, only to dump her at the last minute? Taylor was just substituting green chile for French cuisine. But the sincerity in Taylor’s eyes made her pause. If she mistrusted every man, she’d be stuck in the past, and she definitely didn’t want to live there again. The first time around hadn’t been that great and definitely wasn’t worth repeating. Lesson learned. Move on.

“I’d like that. Where do you want to go?” Despite her reservations, anticipation hummed through her. This was going to be fun. Something that had been sorely lacking in her life for a long time. Why not reach out
and take the fun, the short term, the inspirational that Taylor offered? Just because it wasn’t her norm, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t have some fun.

“It’s a surprise, but dress up. It’s going to be snazzy.”

The corners of her lips curved upward as if she liked the idea of a surprise, and if they hadn’t been in the middle of the cafeteria, he’d have pulled her to him and explored those lips thoroughly. Oh, yes. Friday night was going to be good for both of them. Time to spend together, time to explore each other afterward. Though having Alex around as a buffer between them sometimes was a good thing, sometimes being alone with a woman had its benefits, too.

“Sounds great. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up at six, we’ll have dinner, then go.”

Just then the paging system overhead called him back to the ER, and Piper didn’t see him the rest of the day.

When she arrived home on Friday night, she raced to the shower, peeling her scrubs off as she went. Dashing by the phone, she noticed a message flashing on the answering-machine, but decided to get ready before checking it.

As she scrubbed the day off her skin, she stopped as the water dripped over her face. What if that had been Taylor calling, canceling their date? Just like Derek. She didn’t want to get dressed up if he’d had to cancel. Just like Derek. Damn. Memories of the past tried to squeeze in, and she pushed them back where they belonged. Just like Derek. She grabbed a towel and ran out to the answering-machine, pushed the button and listened. It was from Elizabeth, who wanted to talk.
Later.
She ran back to the shower to finish getting ready, relieved that it hadn’t been Taylor canceling. She’d been looking forward to this night more than she’d wanted to admit.

She had just patted her hair into place and slipped into black heels when the doorbell rang. Heart thrumming in anticipation, she opened the door.

Her mouth about dropped open and the breath in her throat froze. Taylor stood there in a black suit, holding a single rose. Warmth rose up within her and tears nearly flooded her eyes at the sweet gesture. “Oh. Hello.” Breathe in. Breathe out. Don’t faint.

He stepped forward, nearly overwhelming her in the small confines of the apartment. He’d never looked so good and heat pulsed in small waves from somewhere behind her heart. He was doing no good for her resolve to keep it casual between them.

“Hello, yourself.” He held out a hand, and she took it. With a quick move of his arm, he spun her around. “You look fabulous, Piper,” he said as his gaze devoured her.

Smoothing the luxurious satin fabric down over her hips, she smiled her thanks and blushed at the compliment. She did feel fabulous. More indulgence she hadn’t allowed herself. “So do you.”

“Let’s go.”

“Are you going to tell me where?” she asked as he escorted her to the car.

“Dinner first, then the surprise.”

“Okay. I’m yours.”

Taylor picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, his eyes full of silken secrets and passionate promises. “Alex is at a sleepover tonight.”

A tingle of desire swept over her at the thought of having Taylor to herself for an entire night. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips. “That sounds fun. The cousins again?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“They certainly come in handy now and then.”

After a fabulous dinner of New Mexican cuisine, Taylor drove to a familiar-looking place. With the summer twilight as a backdrop, Piper recognized the lights up ahead.

“We’re going to the opera?” she asked, and sat straight up in her seat, her eyes wide, bubbles of surprise shooting through her like champagne.

“We’re going to the opera. I promise it won’t cross your eyes, though.”

“What is it? What is it?” she asked, eager as a child, and patted him on the arm.

“
Mama Mia.
”

“Oh!” She flopped back against her seat.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like that? I know it’s a musical, not an opera, but—”

“Oh, yes. I’ve been wanting to see that for ages, but I’ve never been in the right city at the right time.”

“Then I’m glad I picked this show.” He found a parking place, then turned to face her.

“Thank you, Taylor.” She stroked his cheek and tried not to be too overwhelmed that he had chosen this evening for her. No one had so gone out of their way to treat her in such a very long time. What a sweet gesture. She gave a mental sigh as she looked at Taylor. Wasn’t it time she did something, took some time, for herself? Putting her life on hold for eight years was long enough.

He popped a quick kiss on her cheek. “You’re welcome.” Although going out of his way to take someone on such a special night wasn’t something he usually did, this seemed the right thing for Piper. And surprising himself, Taylor wanted to do it. They might not have much time together as her contract lasted only six weeks, they could have a good time while she was here
and then say their goodbyes. There was no harm in that. They were adults, they could deal with it.

After the show, on the way home, Piper’s cell phone rang. After a few seconds, she gripped it in her hand. “What?” She sat upright in the seat, intently focused on the conversation. “No, no, no. You can’t do that, Elizabeth. I won’t allow it.”

A horrified gasp sprang from her throat. “What do you mean, ‘I don’t have the right’? I have the right because I’m your sister, and I’m paying for your school and—”

Piper snapped the phone shut and stared straight ahead, trying to collect her thoughts and settle her breathing, embarrassed that Taylor had witnessed the exchange.

“You hung up on her?” Taylor asked.

“Uh, no. Other way around.”

“Something you want to share?” he asked.

The sound of his voice was so gentle that tears tried to prick her eyes, but she resisted the urge to play the delicate female. She was tougher than that, and she’d figure this out. Somehow. “I can’t believe she’s doing this.” Piper tucked her phone into her purse and clutched it in her lap. “She’s ruining everything I worked for.”

“How?”

“She’s leaving school for a man! She’s only twenty years old. How can she do that?” Piper covered her face in her hands, the joy of the evening gone in an instant.

Taylor turned the car into her apartment complex and parked in front of her building. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” He let the question hang. “This was rather unexpected, I take it.”

“Yes, it is.” Piper unbuckled her seat belt, but didn’t get out of the car. “Why don’t you come up, and I’ll make some coffee?”

Taylor followed her into the apartment and watched as she puttered around the kitchen in her evening gown. This fretful woman wasn’t the Piper he knew, but he wanted to help her. Even if it just meant listening. Something new for him, but he was game to try. Too many times he’d bolted at the first sign of feminine emotions. He didn’t need them, didn’t want them, and he damned sure wasn’t going to play games. But this time was different. He couldn’t just walk away from her. Piper had helped him out when he’d needed it. He could help her out a little tonight without giving himself a hernia. “Why don’t you go change, and then we’ll have coffee?” He nudged her away from the sink to finish the job himself.

“But…”

Wide blue eyes filled with distress, worry, and something else, maybe relief. He turned her and gave her a little push toward her bedroom. “Go. I know my way around a coffeepot.” But not his way around a woman’s tears. Those unnerved him in an instant. He’d rather have an ER full of hostile patients than one upset woman on his hands. That was enough to make any determined bachelor run for the hills.

“You’re still in your suit.” Piper’s eyes were bruised looking and defeated. “You probably ought to go home. I’m not good company in any case. I’m sorry. This was a bad idea.”

“It’s okay. I always carry spare sweats in my car. I’ll change, too, then we’ll talk.”

Minutes later, both back in casual attire, Piper poured large steaming mugs of coffee for both of them. Curling herself into a corner of the couch and tucking her bare feet beneath her, she waited for Taylor to join her. “This wasn’t the ending of the night I had hoped for.”