Priceless (10 page)

“Where were you?” Tony asked.

“I’ve had one crisis after another today,” she told him. “But that’s no excuse. I should have been here.”

“Mack wasn’t here, either.”

She regarded Tony with surprise. Since she had seen Mack, she’d assumed Tony would have, too. “Mack hasn’t been by all day?”

“Not once,” Tony confirmed. “He said he’d be here, too.”

That made no sense at all. Mack had been in the
hospital most of the morning. She sighed as she realized that he’d spent the better part of that time with her. “If Mack said he’d be here, then he’ll be here,” she reassured Tony. “He’s never once broken his word to you, has he?”

“No.” Tony gave her a curious look. “Do you like Mack?”

“He’s been a wonderful friend to you,” she responded carefully.

“But do
you
like him?” Tony pressed. Before she could respond, he added, “I think maybe he likes you.”

Beth had to fight a grin at the latest round of matchmaking. She’d been warned about Tony’s interest in her relationship with Mack, but even so, the questions surprised her.

“I was kinda hoping he’d fall for my mom,” Tony admitted. “That would be so awesome, but he hardly gives her a second look. If he can’t be my stepdad, then it would be really great if he was with you, Dr. Beth. You’re way prettier than those flashy babes with him in those pictures in the paper. You’re real, you know what I mean?”

She laughed at the compliment. “Thanks, Tony. I appreciate the loyalty, but I don’t think I can compete with a supermodel.”

“Sure you can,” a much deeper voice chimed in.

Beth whirled around to find Mack in the doorway, a grin on his face. “How long have you been eavesdropping?” she asked testily.

“Long enough to hear my pal Tony here trying to set us up again.” He gave her an impudent look. “So, how about it, Doc? You want to have dinner tonight with my aunt?”

Beth gaped at him. He was inviting her to Destiny’s? “Maybe we should discuss this outside.”

“Just say yes, Dr. Beth,” Tony encouraged. “It’s not every day you get asked out by a guy like Mighty Mack.”

“I’ll say,” she muttered, then forced a smile for Tony’s benefit. “Could I see you in the hallway for a moment, Mack?”

Mack winked at Tony. “I hope she’s not going to turn me down. Rejection really sucks, you know.”

Tony nodded knowingly.

Beth rolled her eyes at the pair of them. In the hallway, she frowned at Mack. “Why did you put me on the spot in front of Tony?”

“Because Destiny invited us for tonight, and I told her I’d have an answer for her in an hour. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to track you down once you got away from Tony’s room. Besides, what’s the big deal? Hearing me ask you out obviously made his day.”

“That’s what worries me. Tony has expectations for us now. And your aunt?” She shook her head. “Are you really sure you want to do this?”

“Truthfully, it was my idea,” he admitted.

She regarded him with surprise. “You’re willingly going to subject yourself and me to your aunt’s matchmaking? I thought you said she was like some sort of grand master manipulator. Why would you want to put ideas into her head?”

“The ideas are already there,” Mack pointed out.

Beth thought back to her private dinner with Destiny and knew he was right. “Then how do you see this helping?”

“It might not. It might be a terrible mistake.”

“Well, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy about tonight,” she said irritably. “I think I’ll pass.”

“And let Destiny think you’re a coward? Or worse, convince her that you’re already emotionally involved with me and trying to fight it?”

She regarded him blankly. “Huh? That’s too convoluted even for me.”

“Not for Destiny.” Mack insisted. “I’m telling you, if you say no, it will open up a huge can of worms. This way we get the dreaded meeting over with. She might even conclude that we’re a very bad match.”

Suddenly Beth got it. She wasn’t sure she liked it, but she understood exactly what Mack was up to. He was looking for an out, and he was hoping his beloved aunt would provide it by finding fault with Beth after all. If Destiny found Beth to be an unsuitable match for a Carlton, Mack would use that valued opinion to let himself off the hook.

She looked Mack directly in the eye. “Okay, here’s what I’m hearing. You want Destiny to decide I’m wrong for you, so you can give yourself permission to stop seeing me,” she said.

“You’re crazy,” he said just a little too quickly and vehemently.

“Am I?” she asked doubtfully. “Mack, if you’re scared, I understand. If you want to call it quits, the way you’re used to doing about now in a relationship, I understand that, too. Nobody’s forcing you to be with me, certainly not me. I’m not exactly deliriously jumping up and down with joy at what’s going on between us, either.”

Mack frowned at that. “I’m not looking for an easy out,” he claimed again.

“Aren’t you? There’s an attraction going on here,
but attractions come and go. They’re not necessarily permanent. Instead of getting all panicky about the future, we both need to go with the flow or just get out now before things get complicated. I’m not going to freak out on you. I have enough self-confidence to weather your rejection. Heck, I won’t even lump myself in with all those other women you dumped when you got scared.”

She was about to go on, doing her best to let him off the hook and avoid the impending disaster, when he leaned down and covered her mouth with his own. Her words immediately died in her throat, and every sensible thought flew from her head.

When he finally pulled away, she stared at him through dazed eyes. “What was that for?”

“It was the only way I could think of to shut you up. You were thinking too much. Stop trying to guess what I’m feeling. If I don’t know, you can’t possibly know. We’re still at the early stages of this thing.”

Beth couldn’t seem to drag herself back from the impact of that kiss to absorb what he was saying. Instead, she told him stiffly, “Kissing me outside of my patient’s room where anyone could be passing by is inappropriate.”

“Sorry.”

She studied his expression for so much as a hint of sincere regret, but there was nothing. If anything, he looked a little smug at having rattled her.

His attitude, the conversation, the whole stupid dinner—it was all too much. She whirled around. “I have to go,” she said, already striding away.

“Pick you up at six-thirty,” he called after her.

“No.”

“Be ready.”

“I am not going to dinner.”

“Sure you are.”

She turned around and marched right back until she was in his face. If necessary, she would shout and make a total scene until he got the message.

“I am not going to dinner at your aunt’s,” she announced very firmly.

He studied her intently, then nodded. “Okay.”

She faltered at his acquiescence. For some reason that irked her even more than his assumption that she would fall in with his plans. “Maybe I will go, after all.”

“Okay.” He looked as if he was struggling to bite back a grin.

“But I’ll meet you there.”

He frowned, but nodded. “Okay. I’ll give you the address.”

“No need,” she said blithely, beaming at him. “I’ve been there.”

He stared at her as if she’d announced a familiarity with the direct route to Mars. “When in the hell did you visit my aunt?”

“Weeks ago,” she said.

“Before she sent me over here to meet Tony?” he asked suspiciously.

“No, after. Well, later that same day, to be precise. Your aunt has impeccable timing. She called me minutes after you left.”

“She never said anything,” he said, half to himself. He stared at Beth. “Neither did you.”

“I’m sure your aunt doesn’t run all of her social engagements past you,” Beth told him. “And just so you know, I have no intention of doing that, either.”

He shook his head. “Good to know.”

“See you at seven,” Beth told him. “Maybe I’ll call Destiny and see if she’d mind if I bring a date.”

“You do and he’s a dead man,” Mack said grimly.

Beth laughed. Once again she had made Mighty Mack Carlton jealous. Damn, but that felt good. She glanced at his fierce expression and concluded it might be wise not to test him too often, though.

She reached up and patted his cheek. “Okay then, it’s just you and me, pal.”

“I am not your
pal
. You can get over that idea right now.”

“Oh? Then how would you describe yourself?”

“I’m the man you’re currently driving stark raving mad,” he said. Suddenly a grin spread across his face. “Of course, if you play your cards right over dinner, I can be driving you a little crazy by ten.”

She nodded slowly. “A fascinating prospect,” she noted. “I’ll definitely keep it in mind.”

He pressed another hard, sizzling kiss to her mouth, then released her. “Just a little something to tide you over,” he said.

He was whistling when he walked back into Tony’s room. Beth waited until the door was firmly shut behind him before sagging against the wall. The arrogant, impossible man had once again made her knees weak. She could only pray he never figured out just how easily he could accomplish that. Then again, given how well he understood women, he probably already knew.

M
ack paced around Destiny’s den like a caged tiger. Where the devil was Beth? He’d called the hospital an hour ago and been told that she’d left at five-thirty. He’d assumed she’d gone home to change, especially since her blouse had been stained with some god-awful orange stuff, but how long did it take for a woman to put on a new outfit and drive across the bridge into Alexandria? He was surprisingly inexperienced when it came to knowing such things, which just proved how little he’d ever discovered about the personal habits and idiosyncrasies of the many women he’d dated.

It was nearly seven-thirty now. For a woman as punctual as Beth tried to be, running a half hour late or more was totally out of character.

“Will you sit down, please?” Destiny said, her exasperation evident. “You’re giving me a headache. Beth said she’ll be here, and I’m sure she will be.”

“She was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago.”

“Darling, I’m sure she wouldn’t stand you up.”

Mack took note of the distinction, implying that
he
was the only one with any cause for worry. Besides, he wasn’t so sure Destiny was right about Beth not ditching him at the last minute. It would be just like her to do something so completely unpredictable to annoy him. He hadn’t guessed about that perverse streak in her until that conversation they’d had in the hallway this afternoon. He was still trying to decide how he felt about it, especially that belated revelation about her prior meeting with Destiny.

“She wasn’t that enthused about coming,” he admitted in what had to be the most massive understatement he’d ever uttered.

Destiny regarded him solemnly. “But she has very lovely manners, Mack. She might not contact you if you’ve somehow offended her, but she would call me if she intended to cancel.”

He scowled at the suggestion that he was somehow at fault. “I didn’t offend her. And how would you know about her manners?” he asked. Then, without waiting for a response he added, “Oh, yes, that would be because of the cozy little dinner you two shared not long ago, the dinner you neglected to mention when we spoke earlier today.”

Destiny regarded him with surprise. “She told you about that?”

“Gloated about it, in fact,” he said, then added sourly, “I thought it was great that someone finally thought to bring me into the loop.”

Destiny’s expression grew thoughtful. “Isn’t that interesting?”

“What’s so blasted interesting about her finally
’fessing up to the fact that the two of you were sneaking around behind my back? For all I know, you’ve been in cahoots with her for months. This little admission could be the tip of the iceberg.”

His aunt frowned at him. “Don’t be melodramatic, darling. It was dinner, nothing more. It’s not as if we hatched some plot to reel you in. You’re obviously a man who makes up his own mind about these things. You don’t believe I would set a trap for you, do you?”

He scowled right back at her. “Oh, please. I learned a long time ago never to underestimate you. You might not be successful at setting me up with a woman I’d walk down the aisle, but you’re not above trying.”

“Do you think Beth is so spineless that she would go along with a scheme of mine?”

He considered that and knew it was unlikely. If there was one thing he was certain of it was that Beth had a very strong sense of herself. Spineless was the last thing she was. Heaven knew, she didn’t hesitate to tell him what was on her mind. He doubted she’d be any less forthcoming with Destiny. If his aunt had approached her about Mack, Beth most likely would have laughed in her face.

“No,” he finally conceded to Destiny.

“You know, Mack, I’m a little surprised you decided to go through with dinner tonight once you found out about my previous meeting with Beth. Since you obviously see a conspiracy around every corner where I’m concerned, is there some particular reason you chose not to back out?”

He had a pretty good idea what she was driving at, but he decided to give her the satisfaction of making her point. “Such as?”

“Are you looking for some evidence that Beth doesn’t fit in here?”

He started to deny it, but Destiny knew him too well. Besides, Beth had had the exact same suspicion. Obviously, these two people, who knew him better than most, could see straight through him.

“It crossed my mind that she might come to that conclusion,” he conceded eventually.

“And then what?” Destiny kept her gaze on his face while she awaited his reply. When he said nothing, she asked, “Surely you weren’t hoping that she’d dump you?” At his continued silence, she regarded him incredulously. “That’s exactly what you were hoping, isn’t it?”

“It’s not like I’m this incredible prize,” he said defensively, “especially for a woman who hopes to marry and have a family.”

“Oh, please, this is no time for false modesty,” his aunt said, dismissing the comment as ridiculous. “Besides, has Beth said anything about getting married?”

“No.”

“Is she ready to start a family?”

“She hasn’t mentioned it, no.”

“Then aren’t you jumping ahead a bit prematurely?” She regarded him intently. “Or is that the point? Are you the one who’s beginning to think about marriage?” Amusement sparkled in her eyes. “Oh my,” she said happily. “No wonder you’re terrified and looking for the fastest exit. Even worse, since you’re not sure you’ll take it, you’re obviously hoping to push Beth through it.”

Mack’s head was spinning from Destiny’s convoluted logic. He couldn’t cope with that and his concern over Beth’s whereabouts at the same time. “Maybe I
should call her cell phone. She could be stuck in traffic.”

“Avoiding the question won’t make it go away,” Destiny chided. “And if she were stuck in traffic, don’t you think she’d call?”

“Do you have an answer for everything?” he grumbled.

Destiny smiled happily. “I like to think so,” she said as the doorbell rang. “Why don’t you get that, Mack? And try to wipe that scowl off your face before you get there. You don’t want to scare the woman to death before she even crosses the threshold.” Her smile spread. “Or do you?”

When he reached the front door, his temper was still simmering, though whether his irritation was directed toward his impossible aunt or Beth was hard to say. He flung open the door, took one look at Beth’s disheveled appearance and immediately forgot all about his lousy mood.

“What on earth happened to you?” he demanded, noting that before she’d ruined them, her clothes were very feminine and flattering compared to the tailored look he’d grown accustomed to. She’d really made an effort for tonight’s dinner.

“Flat tire,” she said succinctly.

Judging from the grease all over her, she had changed it herself. “Didn’t it occur to you to call a garage or me?”

She gave him an impatient look. “I know how to change a tire. I figured it would be faster to do it myself than to wait for a tow truck to get there in the middle of rush hour. I should have gone back home to change again, but I was already so late, I decided I’d better come on over.”

Still not reassured, he studied her from head to toe. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?”

She rolled her eyes and held out her arms for his inspection. “See, no blood. No bruises. Just grease. Do you suppose I could use a bathroom to clean up?”

“Come with me,” he said, and led the way toward the kitchen instead. “The soap in the bathroom isn’t going to do it. Ben used to have a snazzy little car he worked on in the garage. Believe me, this house is no stranger to grease and oil. There’s bound to be something in the garage we can use to get off the worst of this, though I’m not sure anything will help with the clothes.”

She glanced down at her flowery silk dress and groaned. “This was brand-new.”

Mack shook his head. She could have seriously injured herself wrestling with the damn tire and she was worried about her dress. “I’ll buy you another one,” he said impatiently.

She regarded him with a withering glance. “I can buy another dress myself.”

“But that doesn’t solve the immediate problem.” He handed her some rags and a can of cleanser. “You get started on the grease and oil and I’ll speak to Destiny. I’m sure she has something you can put on. You’re about the same size. I’ll be right back to show you where the downstairs powder room is.”

Once he’d explained the problem to his aunt, Destiny immediately hurried off to find something suitable in her closet. When she returned, Mack started to take the clothes from her, but she brushed him off. “You don’t get to help her undress in my house.”

He chuckled at the unexpected display of propriety.
“I would have thought you’d be inclined to encourage me to do just that.”

She frowned at him. “You can check the oven and make sure dinner isn’t burning. Turn it down to low.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And Mack…”

“Yes?”

She gave him a warm, reassuring smile. “I told you she wouldn’t stand you up.”

He sighed, not even attempting to hide how relieved he’d been to realize that for himself.

Beth kept touching the fine fabric of the cardigan Destiny had given her to slip on over a sleeveless silk top. She was amazed at what a difference there was in the quality from her usual wardrobe. She’d always believed it was ridiculous to spend a fortune on clothes, but now she understood why people who had the money did just that. She was fairly certain she never wanted to take this off.

“I think you should keep the sweater,” Destiny said, regarding her with amusement. “That soft pink color is very becoming on you. Don’t you agree, Mack?”

Mack nodded distractedly. He’d been in an odd mood ever since Beth’s arrival. She couldn’t quite pin down what was wrong. He’d been so anxious for her to come tonight and he’d looked so relieved when he’d opened the door. He’d looked even more relieved when he’d assured himself that she wasn’t hurt. It had been some time, though, since he’d entered into the dinner conversation.

Not that it had made things awkward. Destiny was perfectly capable of keeping the talk lively. She
had a million and one questions about Tony and about Beth’s work.

“Mack tells me he’s going to fund a research project,” Destiny said eventually. “I hope you’ll accept a donation from me, as well.”

Beth stared at her, overcome with gratitude. “That’s very generous of you,” she said when she’d gathered her composure. “I know you already give quite a bit to the hospital. Are you sure you want to do more?”

“Absolutely. As soon as you have your proposal put together, Mack and I will sit down and discuss the details with our attorneys. Carlton Industries will participate, as well. Your research should be quite adequately funded.”

“Did I hear some mention of the family company in connection with giving away money?” Richard asked, walking into the dining room with his wife just as it was time for dessert.

“Yes,” Destiny said. “And no penny-pinching, either. Beth’s work is important.”

“Are you sure you’re not just trying to buy her for Mack?” he teased.

The comment drew an immediate rebuke from the petite woman accompanying him.

“What?” Richard asked. “It’s not as if Destiny is above such a thing.”

“I don’t need anyone buying a woman for me,” Mack countered indignantly. “If anything I usually have more than I can handle.”

“None of them appropriate,” Destiny retorted.

Richard’s wife gave Beth a commiserating look. “Don’t mind them. I’ve been really looking forward to meeting you,” Melanie said.

Surprised that Melanie Carlton even knew about her, Beth merely said, “Oh?”

“I wanted to express my heartfelt sympathy.”

“Sympathy?” Beth asked, puzzled.

Melanie directed an impudent look toward Destiny. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re the latest target of the Carlton steamroller. If it gets to be too much for you, give me a call. I’ll be sure to give you my number. I may not be able to save you, but we can discuss a few evasive maneuvers.”

Beth regarded Richard’s wife with an immediate sense of camaraderie. “Been there, done that?” she inquired.

“In spades,” Melanie said, casting another pointed look toward Destiny.

“I really don’t see that you have a thing to complain about,” Destiny said, a glint of amusement in her eyes proving that Melanie’s teasing hadn’t offended her.

“Not now,” Melanie agreed, linking her arm through Richard’s. “It all turned out rather well in the end, once we caved in and did what Destiny had wanted all along.”

Mack had remained silent, his expression gloomy, during most of this exchange, but he finally frowned at his brother. “So, what brings you by tonight? Did you just have a sudden impulse while driving by?”

Richard grinned. “Actually we were invited for dessert.”

“Really?” Mack said, frowning at his aunt. “Which part of just the three of us did you not understand, Destiny?”

“It’s my home,” she chided. “I’m entitled to include your brother and his wife, if I so choose. I thought it was time they had a chance to meet Beth.”

Mack gave her a wry look. “Then Richard didn’t mention that he’d taken the bait you tossed out weeks ago? He came scurrying right over to the hospital to meet her. I would have thought he’d give you a full report long before now.”

Destiny looked genuinely surprised. “Really? What brought that on? Surely not some casual remark I might have made.”

“He came to gloat,” Mack said before his brother could speak. “Seems he’d figured out you were up to your eyeballs in planning my life and wanted to see for himself how it was working out.”

Beth turned to Melanie. “Was it this bad with you?”

“Worse,” Melanie said with heartfelt sincerity. “Richard was the first part of Destiny’s grand scheme. She really had something to prove with us.”

Beth buried her face in her hands. She’d had no idea things were going to spin this far out of control so quickly. She finally drew in a deep breath and looked up. “I think it’s time for me to get back to the hospital.”

“I agree,” Mack said at once, practically knocking over his chair in his eagerness.

“You don’t need to come,” she told him. “I have my own car, remember?”