That Dating Thing (4 page)

The colonel had some explaining to do.

Which would have to wait. A commercial blared on TV, not quite drowning out the snuffling snores from the man on the couch. Spotting Elliott, Pippin lost focus and started in his direction, but returned to heel at the snap of Rylee’s fingers. She was anxious enough to consider stomping over to Elliott herself, to poke him awake and demand some answers. She ignored the urge, continuing into the kitchen where Sil’s flour-coated hands wrestled a large ball of dough on the table.

For Pippin, Elliott’s presence was a curiosity. Sil’s was a temptation he couldn’t resist. He paid no attention to Rylee’s signal to halt, his large paws scrabbling for purchase on the hardwood floor as he leapt for Sil. Rylee popped his leash. Startled by the unexpected pressure at his neck, he halted then stood quivering. To her satisfaction, he followed Belle’s example and dropped to his haunches at her command. She extended her hand, palm down, and both dogs dropped to the floor.

“Good dogs,” she praised, showing her palm. “Stay.”

“Impressive.” Sil eyed Pippin. “He would have been jumping and licking a couple of days ago.”

“He’s smart, but emotionally motivated, so I’ll say this as serenely as possible.” Rylee propped her hands on her hips. “What the hell was all of that about earlier? Elliott almost drowned himself in his soup to avoid telling his son you’re his wife. What’s going on, Sil?”

“Hush,” Sil scolded, her eyes darting in Elliott’s direction.

“He’s out cold.” Rylee snorted. “The building could collapse and he wouldn’t notice.”

“His pain pills have kicked in.”

“Uh-huh.” Rylee went to the refrigerator. She pulled out a pitcher of sweet tea, setting it on the table with a thump. “And you’re not going to distract me by reminding me he’s hurt. How could he do that to you, and why would you let him?”

Sil grimaced, resting her hands on the makings of her biscuits. “That’s not how it is, Rylee.”

“Really? Then explain, because I don’t understand.”

“Elliott simply wanted to tell Coop about us in private. When he showed up like that, Elliott got a bit flustered and didn’t know what to say.”

“Didn’t know what to say?” Rylee spread her hands. “How about, hey, son, meet your new step-momma?”

At her sharp tone, Pippin whined. Before he could scramble to his feet, Rylee firmly commanded, “Pippin, stay.”

The whining increased and indecision shown in his gaze, which snapped back and forth between her and Sil. “Stay,” she repeated.

He dropped his head to his paws with a mutinous look.

Rylee turned her arched brows on Sil, who sighed.

“It’s complicated.”

“Why? I know you said they have issues, but they seemed to get along okay to me. Why would Elliott assume Coop would have a problem learning you’d married?”

“Any problem Coop might have wouldn’t be with me, specifically, but with the situation.” Silvia grabbed a hand towel to wipe her hands, and then used the damp cloth to cover the ball of biscuit dough. “Coop was just a boy when his mother left. After the divorce…well, Elliott didn’t handle things very well. A lot of women came and went out of that little boy’s life, Rylee. Being a man and a soldier on the move more often than not, Elliott didn’t recognize what the constant upheaval was doing to Cooper. His womanizing caused a rift between them. The relationship is still on the shaky side.”

Rylee knew all about father-child conflicts and, in her opinion, holding onto them was a complete waste of energy. She snorted. “So…what? You’re going to keep your marriage a secret from him? Because I have to tell you, Sil, that sounds like a badly written sitcom to me. Cooper Reed isn’t a little boy anymore. What does Elliott think he’ll do when he finds out you’re married, throw a temper tantrum?”

Sil grinned. “Nothing so dramatic.” She plucked two glasses from the cabinet and brought them to the table for the tea. “From what I understand, discussions between them can sometimes get a little dicey. Elliott, bless his heart, wanted to spare me the experience. He called Coop after you’d both left and explained the situation.” She sat down, leaning back in the chair with her glass. “Which is a pure shame, if you ask me. There is nothing I would have enjoyed more than watching two such
fine
looking specimens go toe-to-toe over little old me.”

Rylee couldn’t help but snicker as she dropped into a chair. That was Sil. Men delighted her, even when they behaved like pre-pubescent idiots. And though Rylee would never admit it, Elliott’s and Coop’s altercation was something she wouldn’t have minded seeing herself. As Sil so bluntly pointed out, the Reed men were yummy.

“So, what was the verdict?” Rylee picked up her glass. “Did the hunky lawyer pitch a fit when he found out his daddy got married?”

“Hunky?” Sil parroted, slapping her fingertips over the shocked little “oh” she formed with her lips. She chuckled when Rylee frowned. “Sugar, it warms my heart that you noticed. You’re far too oblivious when it comes to men.”

“Not oblivious,” Rylee corrected. “Busy.”

Rylee’s infrequent dating, or more precisely, the reason behind her
disinterest
in dating, was one of her aunt’s favorite subjects. When Sil cast a cautious glance in Elliott’s direction, Rylee knew they were about to revisit the issue.

“A real man wouldn’t give a damn who your daddy is. If you don’t bother to look, you won’t ever find him.”

“What are you talking about? I look. I went on a date three weeks ago.”

“You went to
dinner
three weeks ago, and took on two new students the very next day so you’d be too busy to give the man a second opportunity to learn more about you.”

“Please.” Rylee scowled. “He stared at my boobs the entire meal. On the cab ride home, he actually had the balls to announce he was about to give me the best orgasm of my life. He’s lucky I didn’t make sure
he
never had another orgasm in
his
life.” She shook her head. “What’s with guys who consider a steak and a glass of wine foreplay?”

Sil laughed.

“Besides, I let a guy learn more about me once and look how that worked out.”

Sil’s laugh died on a disgusted frown. “Marcus Perry is a mama’s boy and his mama is an overbearing, ignorant bitch.”

Rylee agreed with the assessment of her ex-fiancé
and
his mother, but that didn’t change the facts. When your father was famous for bilking thousands of people out of billions of dollars, people tended to paint you with the same brush, deserved or not.

“Face it, Sil, once people learn I’m Ponzi Pete’s little girl, my innocence doesn’t matter. Keeping my true identity a secret from strangers is one thing, but I’m uncomfortable with the idea of developing a relationship with a guy while lying by omission.”

Sil reached across the table to cover Rylee’s hand. “Just as people are wrong for equating you with your daddy, you are wrong to equate all men with that weasel Marcus.”

“Even if that was what I was doing, and I’m not saying it is,” Rylee added quickly. “I already feel like a one-armed juggler. Between the dogs and Adam’s House, a man is the last thing I need in my life.”

“You love the dogs.” Sil waved off her argument. “As for Adam’s House, Brian could run the Foundation’s projects with his eyes closed.”

Sil had a point. The dogs were a joy and Brian Hurley was more suited to his chosen work than any man Rylee knew. Not only did Brian have the talent to handle the foundation’s projects, he’d loved her cousin Adam like a brother, just as Rylee had. Growing up next door, Brian was Adam’s friend long before Rylee came to live with her aunt and cousin, and like them, Brian welcomed Rylee into his life with open arms. To hear Sil tell it, Rylee, Adam, and Brian grew to adulthood exploring the streets of Jackson, Mississippi like the three musketeers.

Life changed with Adam’s death, but Brian’s friendship eased the grief. And when Rylee suggested he help grow the foundation named for the man they’d all loved, he jumped at the opportunity. Under his guidance, the foundation’s projects were flourishing, putting Rylee’s unwanted inheritance to good use.

She had been stunned the morning of her twenty-fifth birthday to receive a visit from an attorney representing the estate of Agnes Pierce. Her uber-rich maternal grandmother hadn’t approved of Peter Morris, and had cut Rylee’s mother out of her life long before Rylee was born. Rylee had never even met the woman, so learning she was the recipient of Agnes’s estate was a shock.

She immediately knew she couldn’t keep the hefty inheritance. Ponzi Pete’s victims would scream bloody murder if they discovered his only child was suddenly worth thirty million. Besides, wealth, or more precisely the pursuit of wealth, had destroyed her family.

Upon receipt of the inheritance, Rylee chose River View, the smallest of the old warehouse buildings included in Agnes’ bequest, to make her home. She contracted Brian to do the rehab, with the idea of offering the remaining units to returning vets, in honor of the sacrifice Adam and so many others had made.

River View turned out even better than she envisioned, and the experience was so rewarding she couldn’t help thinking
why stop there
? With Brian’s assistance, they could turn Agnes’ remaining warehouses into affordable housing units for dozens more deserving vets.

Never one to think small, Sil pointed out how others might agree with the sentiment and the concept of The Adam’s House Foundation was born.

Figuring out the legalities took some doing, but Rylee’s anonymous contribution got things off the ground. Because of her father’s notoriety, Rylee kept her name out of foundation business, but no detail escaped her notice, and ultimately, she had the final say when it came to Adam’s House’s interests. To the world, however, Silvia was the force behind the mission, and Brian Hurly was the muscle.

“Speaking of Brian.” Rylee noted the time on her watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to meet him in twenty minutes to check out a building he has his eye on.”

Having reached the limit of his juvenile attention span, Pippin was up and scrambling across the room the moment Rylee shifted in her chair to rise. He dove for Sil, who laughed and blocked his approach. Once she convinced him to sit properly, she turned a raised brow on Rylee.

“This conversation isn’t finished.”

Rylee laughed mirthlessly, reaching for Pippin’s dangling leash. “It never is.”

Sil patted Pippin’s head before rising. “You’re too precious, inside and out, to let your father’s legacy hold you back from building a full life.”

“Well, you’ll have to keep your fairy-godmother wand on idle for now. I’ve got work to do.”

Rylee called Belle to heel and headed for the living room.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” Sil called to her back. “We’re expecting you for dinner tomorrow night. A family thing. Brian will be here.” She paused before adding in a satisfied drawl, “And the hunky lawyer will be here, too.”

Chapter Four

The sidewalk teamed with lunch hour activity, crowded with people eager to take advantage of the perfect summer day. A good test for Pippin, Rylee brought both dogs along for the twenty-minute walk. Though his enthusiasm for the swirling throng tested Pippin’s focus several times, he did well. Rylee wasn’t surprised. Since coming to the academy two weeks ago, he proved both intelligent and eager to please. In fact, except for that disaster the other day with Elliott and Sil, which hadn’t been the dog’s fault, he responded to Rylee’s intensified instruction like a willing student. It was time to bring in his owners.

She had some concerns with the Wilsons. While Bob Wilson remained indifferent to the family pet, Pippin intimidated Bob’s wife Emily. Neither of them appeared capable, or willing, to project pack-leader status, which meant nothing but trouble considering Pippin’s size. Unless the couple changed their behavior, no one would be happy. If that were the case, they would be better off finding Pippin another home—and getting themselves a cat. She planned to tell them just that and hoped the warning would sink in.

Rounding the corner onto Center Street, she spotted Brian’s lanky six-foot frame. Affecting his typical, lazy slouch, he leaned against a rail fence enclosing a small courtyard. Behind him, a large brick warehouse sat back from the street. Legs crossed at the ankles, he held a cell phone to his ear. A denim work-shirt rode his wide shoulders and chest, the sleeves rolled to the elbows, and a dusty smudge marred one thigh of his Khaki slacks. Scuffed work boots covered his large feet.

At her approach, he straightened and ended the call, slipping the phone into his pocket. A pair of aviator sunglasses hid his pale blue eyes and the sunlight brought out golden streaks in his mop of dark blond hair.

“I thought we were meeting the owner of the building.” Rylee said in greeting. She directed the dogs to sit.

“He’s late. And so are you.”

“Couldn’t be helped. Sil has her wand out again. I got away as quickly as I could.”

White teeth flashed when he smiled. “You too? She tried to set me up with the meter maid who wrote her a ticket last week.”

“What happened to…Karen? Last I heard you two were hot and heavy.”

“She got pissed when she found out I’d been to a Yankee’s game last week.”

“Doesn’t share your enthusiasm for the boys of summer, huh?”

“She doesn’t share my enthusiasm for cheering on the boys while in the company of another woman.”

“Wow. I didn’t realize she was so shallow. What a bitch.” Rylee offered the dry commiseration, crossing her arms. “You’re better off without her.”

He shrugged off the sarcasm. “Hey, Lucy tempted me with box seats. What can I say? I’m weak.”

“What you are is a slut, and if Sil’s trying to fix you up with meter maids it’s your own fault. I refuse to feel sorry for you, especially since diffusing her matchmaking will take some of the pressure off of me.”

They shared a grin.

She studied the two-story, brick structure. “So, this is it?”