When Least Expected (9 page)

“How recently?”

“Almost seven months.” She sighed. “I know what you're thinking. Seven months isn't recent. My friends keep telling me that, but it feels better to say I'm recently divorced. As if that's the reason I haven't
gotten back out there
yet. I don't even have the surgeon-with-no-time excuse.” She laughed.

“I make it sound worse than it is so beautiful women will feel bad for me.” He laughed. “The truth is, it's bad right now because I'm at the hospital. If I can get hired at a private surgical center, I would have more normal hours and I could have a life.”

“Why haven't you done that?”

“Well, it takes time to work up a résumé and go on interviews.”

“That would be a catch twenty-two.”

“Yes. Thanks for pointing that out,” he said with a smile.

They talked easily. Her irritation with Ian subsided, and she was able to laugh and smile and have a good time.

“So would you let me buy you coffee at a real coffee shop because you were kind enough to switch appointments with me and save my day?” he asked.

“Honestly, it's no problem. I don't mind,” she said, holding up her hand to brush off his admiration.

“See, I was attempting to use gratitude as a way of making a date with you,” he explained.

“Oh.” She smiled. “I told you I wasn't good at this.”

“Yeah, I'm beginning to believe you.” They laughed together. “The thing is, I might not be able to do anything more than a quick coffee, because it's embarrassing to have to leave during a real dinner. I don't get to meet people, and you seem really nice. So I'm asking for coffee because that's what I'm capable of right now, and I'd really like to remember what having a life feels like.”

She felt the same way. It would be nice to have coffee and not think of sticky buns, men's T-shirts, or sex on countertops. “I'm off again tomorrow. I could meet you for coffee whenever you're free. I don't have much of a life, so I'm not sure if I'm going to be much help in that respect.”

“It would be nice to have a conversation with someone that doesn't revolve around cutting someone open and removing or fixing an organ.”

“I could probably handle that, though some days after being with high school students I think about removing organs.” He laughed at her joke, and she allowed herself a moment to appreciate still being able to make a man laugh.

They exchanged numbers as the clerk called him to come to the counter for his car.

“So I'll call you for coffee at some point tomorrow,” he verified.

“Sounds good.” She was still smiling as he left.

As she watched him walk away, she realized this was the best she'd felt since being with Ian at the cabin. It seemed unlikely it would go anywhere because he was a workaholic with no time, but it still counted as a date. She watched his ass, thinking about the possibilities.

 

She met Kelly later that day. Kelly looked at her oddly as soon as she walked into the house.

“What's all this?” Kelly said, pointing at Lexi.

“What's what?” Lex asked, looking down at her outfit.

“You're smiling.”

“Oh. I have a date tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is Wednesday,” she said with a laugh.

“So? It's a coffee date. But I'm kind of excited about it.” She told Kelly what she knew about Jeremy. Then she started to worry. “Don't tell Ian about this, okay?”

“Why would you care if I told Ian? You're supposed to want to rub his nose in it. Seriously, Lex, do I have to get you a book on how to deal with this?” Kelly rolled her eyes.

“I know how much it sucked when I found out about Meeghan. I know he probably wouldn't even care, but just don't say anything. Promise me.”

“Fine. Whatever.” She looked away.

“I'm sorry,” Lexi offered with a frown. As much as Kelly wanted Lexi to move on, it seemed she wasn't doing well with the idea now that it was finally happening.

“Don't you be sorry. I'll get over it. I really thought that eventually. . .” Kelly shook her head. “Never mind. It doesn't matter. I'm happy for you. Really.”

“Thanks.”

“Now tell me about his ass.”

“It's very nice.” Lexi laughed. She wasn't sure what would come of this, but she hoped it would take some of the pain away, and put her on a path of healing.

 

Ian wasn't sure if it was stupidity or his subconscious messing with him.

As soon as he walked into the coffee shop where Meeghan worked, he remembered this place was off-limits.

It was way too late to duck back out and pretend he'd never been there at all. She'd already seen him, and the hope on her face as she came out from around the counter made him want to wretch.

Was this his fate? Was he put on this earth for the sole purpose of meeting nice girls and hurting them?

“Hi, Ian,” Meeghan said as she turned back to the counter and told the other worker she was taking a break.

“Hey.”

“I'll get you your coffee; have a seat.”

He sat at a table by the front window so he could look out and wish he was out there instead of in here. He drummed his fingers nervously on the table until she came over.

She set his cup down and then slid into the seat across from him.

“What brings you by?” she asked with a tilt of her head.

What could he say? That he was so caught up in thinking about his ex-wife that he forgot Meeghan worked here and walked in completely by accident?

Surely he couldn't say that.

“I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd say hi.”

“Just hi?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He nodded, confirming that it was only to say hi.

She pouted. “You know, you never really told me why you broke up with me. I mean, if I did something, maybe—”

“No. It wasn't you. It was totally me. I thought I was ready for a relationship, but I'm not. I'm sorry.”

“But it was so sudden. One minute you're taking me to a family tragedy and the next you're breaking up with me.”

“I know. I'm sorry.” All he could do was apologize. Over and over again.

“Did your ex-wife tell you I said something to her?” She raised one brow speculatively. “Because if she did, she probably blew it way out of proportion.”

“Alexis didn't say anything, but my sister did mention something to me about it.”

“Kelly likes your ex more than me,” she spat.

He liked his ex-wife more than her, too. Way more. Again, he couldn't say that.

“It doesn't matter. That's not why I broke it off. It's just not the right time.”

“But you'll let me know when it is?” she asked.

Before he could come up with an answer, his phone rang. He checked the screen to see a number that gave him hope. “I'm sorry. I have to take this.” He stood up to leave, knowing at some point he needed to deal with Meeghan. They didn't have a future together. He needed to tell her. It was the right thing to do. But surely while she was working was not the right time.

“Okay. Thanks for stopping by,” she said with another big, hopeful smile.

He walked out to the sidewalk and answered the phone.

“Mr. Montgomery, it's Eric from Hassani Art Restorers. Your painting is ready.”

“Excellent. I'll be right there to pick it up.”

He had a reason to see Lexi again. Now he needed to take the next step in getting his life together. He'd put it off long enough, but it was time to get help.

 

He pulled into the parking lot and stared at the building for a long moment before getting out. Once inside, he started feeling the panic.

This person was going to want him to talk about his
issues
. He was going to have to be honest if he wanted it to work. This doctor would know he had problems being alone, and that he wasn't perfect.

Two things he never wanted anyone to know.

“Ian?” the woman said as she walked into the lobby.

“Yes.”

“Come on back and we'll get started.” Despite her pleasant tone and pretty smile, he felt like she was an instrument of doom sent to earth for the sole purpose of torturing him.

He was surprised to find her office was a disaster. Boxes sat on the floor in front of her desk. Her shelves were empty.

“I'm sorry for the mess. My office is being redone. I just found out today that I'm going to be without an office for the next three weeks.” She frowned, while he felt a short thrill. That meant he wouldn't have to come back to see her for three weeks.

Except it would put him behind on getting his life together.

“So what do you think your problem is?” she asked, getting right to it. Her question almost sounded like a challenge. As if whatever he said was going to be wrong, and she was going to use the information to figure out what was really wrong with him.

“I hear a lot about people who get married too soon. They find out later that they made a mistake.”

“And you think you did this with your ex-wife? You got married before you were ready?”

Ian shook his head slowly.

“No. I got divorced before I was ready.”

Ian spent the next hour spilling everything. He wasn't prepared to tell her all his gory secrets, but they all came out in a rush. How he hated being alone, how he hated not being able to fix things so Lexi could be happy again. How he felt like she would hate him one day, and he thought it would be better to get it over with than to wait for it to happen. He even went into his relationship with Meeghan, and how he'd chosen someone he had nothing in common with as a way to keep her at a distance, as well as to punish himself.

He was exhausted by the time he was done. He hadn't had an ugly, tear-filled breakthrough, but he had definitely put enough out there so Dr. Younger knew what a mess he was.

“I don't want to put off your next appointment,” she said as she looked around her office. “I have some clients who meet me at the diner nearby. It's not as private, but—”

“Yes! That would be great.” She smiled. She looked too young to be a doctor, but she seemed to know her stuff. “To be honest, walking into your office scares the shit out of me.”

She smiled. “It's not uncommon. No matter how much I'm spending to make my office feel comfortable for my patients, some people prefer a more casual meeting place.”

He left with a new appointment and some homework.

S
he was a nervous wreck as she walked into the café for her coffee date with Jeremy.

He gave her a big smile that immediately made her feel special. She could tell he was genuinely happy to see her and she relaxed slightly.

They talked the whole time. No awkward silences.

They shared their tragic tales of matrimonial doom. She left out the part where she'd hooked up with her ex just weeks before meeting Jeremy. His wife and their two-year-old daughter lived in Maryland so he rarely got to see her. He'd grown up in Ohio, and he absolutely loved Italian food. What man didn't?

They had a whole two hours before they were interrupted by his phone.

“I have to go,” he said sadly.

“I guessed that from the pout,” she said, loving the pout. It made him look sexy for some reason.

“I was having a nice time. I hate when this happens. I'm sorry.”

“You warned me. I had a nice time, too. I'd be happy to have more coffee with you when you're not elbows deep in a patient,” she joked.

“You'd really be okay with that? Just coffee?”

“It's a nice place to start.”

They planned another coffee for the next week. And that date went just as well, though they only had forty-five minutes before his phone rang. Kelly just happened to stop by so Lex introduced them. Of course Kelly also needed to give her approval. Two thumbs-up behind his back when she left was pretty good.

By the next date, later that week, Lexi was starting to want a little more than coffee here and there, but she wasn't sure how much more he had to offer. He was very open about the fact that his life was ruled by emergency splenectomies.

“So I guess I'll see you for coffee whenever you have time?” she asked with hope in her voice before he had to leave. Stupid hope.

“Alexis.” The pout was back. Why did she find it so damn sexy? “I have a great time having coffee with you for the few stolen minutes I get away from my job. But you see how things are with me. I'd like to be with you again, but honestly, I can't see anyone signing up for this long term. I can't expect that to be enough for you. My wife couldn't handle it. I know it will be better one day, but I'll probably have at least another year of this before I get established enough that someone will want to sign me on to a private practice.” His honesty made him more appealing. Instead of scaring her away, as he seemed determined to do, he was actually becoming more endearing. Go figure.

“I'm going to be making ravioli on Saturday. It's an all-day thing. I make them from scratch and then freeze them. If you'd like to come over to help, I could use the company. You could even take some with you, and then you could have a real dinner sometime. If you needed to leave, it wouldn't be like we were at a restaurant. No pressure.”

“No pressure?” he whispered. “I don't know what that feels like.”

“Stop over on Saturday when you get a minute so you can find out.”

“I'll do that.” He leaned over and kissed her.

It happened so fast she didn't see it coming. It wasn't long enough for her to get a good feel for his technique, but it wasn't bad. She tried desperately not to compare him to Ian but failed.

“So I'll see you on Saturday. Any time?” he repeated.

“Yep. Any time.”

“Is it all right if I call you when I get a free minute?” he asked.

“That would be nice.”

“I'm looking forward to Saturday, and not just because of the ravioli,” he said as he threw some cash on the table and left.

“I have a date,” she told Roslyn the next day as they sat outside for lunch.

“It's about time.”

“Thank you for that. Your encouragement astounds me.”

“Blah, blah. I have to be encouraging to those little monsters. I can tell you how it really is.”

“And how is it? Am I stupid for trying to date a surgeon who's way too busy to offer anything serious?”

“No. You don't need anything serious at this point. You need to get out there and have some fun. Prove to yourself that there's life after Ian Flippin' Montgomery.”

“I guess so.” Roslyn's words made sense, but Lexi couldn't imagine letting anyone else touch her the way Ian had. She didn't know if she could ever give herself to someone like that again.

“Besides, he's a surgeon so you can use guilt to get him to buy you stuff. Maybe you can score a new car,” Roz joked.

“I don't need a new car. I just had mine serviced,” Lex said, still proud of herself for taking care of something without Ian's help.

“Just have fun. Be open to anything and see where it goes.”

“Okay,” she said. “I guess I can do that.”

By Saturday, she was a mess.

Why had she invited him to her house? The house where she and Ian had lived together. It was still filled with her ex-husband's things. Their things. It looked like a shrine to their failed marriage.

It was too late to do anything about it.

By seven that evening, she thought maybe she had worried about nothing. She hadn't heard from Jeremy all day.

She was rolling out another batch of dough when the doorbell rang. She wiped her hands on her apron and went to answer it.

Jeremy was standing at her door, smiling and holding flowers.

“I made it.
And
I brought flowers,” he told her excitedly. “I even talked someone else into taking my calls. Now I'll only be bothered if he's already called in and they still need someone. This is officially a date.”

“Good, then I have free labor for an unlimited amount of time?”

“Put me to work.” He glanced around the kitchen as she put the flowers in some water. “You're really rocking that apron, I have to say.” She looked over her shoulder to see his smoldering look as it moved up and down her body. She wasn't really prepared for this acceleration in their relationship, but she had to admit she was interested.

“Thank you. I have one for you, too.”

As she slipped the apron over his neck, he leaned down and kissed her. This one wasn't quick. It was long and slow and amazing. She almost didn't notice that his chin was lower than Ian's. Or that he wasn't quite as wide across the shoulders. Almost.

When he released her, he let out a deep breath.

“No pressure feels really good,” he said.

“Turn around. I'll tie you up,” she teased.

“Ooh. Kinky. I like it.” They laughed together.

She swatted him on the butt and they got to work. She let him work the dough while she mixed up a batch of spinach and cheese. They talked and flirted and had a great time. She had music playing in the background. He couldn't sing worth a damn, but he was obviously having fun.

“So is there any way you might be willing to take a chance with me?” he asked while keeping his eyes on the dough he was cutting.

“I sure don't have any better prospects at the moment,” she told him with a shrug.

“You're perfect.” He laughed and grabbed her to kiss her again. He didn't care that he was getting dough in her hair, and she didn't mind either if it meant she got to kiss him. He didn't kiss like Ian, but that didn't mean it wasn't good. It was just different. She needed to embrace different if she was ever going to have a future with anyone.

When he picked her up and set her on the counter, a memory of the cabin and sticky buns flashed in her mind, causing her to twitch.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“No. No.” She pulled him back to her lips, wanting to work through it. Jeremy was here. He wanted her. He was available. Well, to some degree.

She'd been told she needed to go with it and have fun.

She couldn't remember fun ever making her so tense before.

They were about six seconds from moving into the bedroom when the doorbell rang.

Her brows creased as she tried to figure out who it could be.

“I'll be right back, and you'd better have all that dough cut. I don't want to be doing this all night,” she hinted as she patted his butt again.

“Yes, ma'am.” He mock saluted her, getting flour on his forehead.

She laughed as she went to the door and opened it.

Ian.

Shit.

 

He wasn't sure why Lexi had parked her car outside. She normally parked it in the garage. As he went to look in the window of the garage door, he remembered it wasn't his business to be looking in her windows. If she didn't want to use the garage, that was her prerogative.

He was just glad he'd finally caught her while she was at home. He'd been over three other times with this blasted painting and every time she'd been away.

He rang the bell while holding out the painting nervously.

Should he hold it out like a peace offering?

Should he apologize for blowing off her text right away or work himself into it?

She opened the door, and he was stunned.

Her hair was up in the clip. She had flour and dough in her hair, as well as on her apron and shirt. She looked adorable, and he decided he wanted to kiss her right then and apologize later, but she was looking at him with a strange expression.

Surprise and . . . guilt maybe?

Guilt?

She looked over her shoulder toward the kitchen, and he followed her gaze to see a man in their kitchen wearing an apron. He was also covered in flour and dough.

Ian glanced back out to the driveway and realized it wasn't her car. It was one like hers, but the wheels were different, and there was a hospital parking pass hanging from the mirror.

What the hell?

“Hi, Ian. What are you doing here?” she asked. The look of guilt was slowly being replaced by defiance as she crossed her arms impassively.

What was he doing here? It was
his
house and she was
his
wife. What was this asshole doing there in
their
kitchen helping her make ravioli? That was his fucking job.

Thankfully, he didn't actually say any of that. He was at least that smart. Though how he had let this happen proved he was an idiot, at least on some level.

When she turned to introduce them, he saw flour down her back and a hand print on her ass. He wanted to rip the guy into tiny pieces.

“Ian, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Ian.”

“Hi, Ian!” The peckerhead gave Ian a wave and held up his messy hands as an excuse for why he couldn't shake his hand. The guy smiled at Ian like he didn't have a care in the world that Ian was there.

He must feel secure.

How had Ian let this happen?

He swallowed and held out the painting.

“I got this back and thought I'd drop it off.”

“Oh. Thanks. How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing, Lex. It was partly my fault it fell. I'm the one who dropped you.”
And then had sex with you multiple times.
Had she forgotten about that?

“Well, I appreciate you bringing it over,” she said, as if to dismiss him.

Instead, he walked into the kitchen to look at the mess.

“Ravioli?” Ian said, though it was quite obvious that was what they were making. Well, that and letting this asshole paw her.

“Yeah.” Lexi seemed uncomfortable. That made two of them.

“She made it sound like an easy way to get free food,” Peckerhead commented with an easy smile. “I think I've been tricked.”

God, Ian hated this guy. Was this what it felt like for Lexi to see him with Meeghan? It was horrible. How had he done this to her and not realized it was worse than swallowing shards of broken glass and then drinking rubbing alcohol?

“Your efforts will be rewarded,” she told him with a smile. Why the hell was she smiling at this guy? Then she turned to Ian. “Oh, some mail came for you the other day. It's just alumni stuff. Hold on, I'll get it.” She flitted off to the study while he stood there watching the handprint.

He turned to face peckerhead.

“What do you do?” Ian asked. Just being conversational.

He held up a knife. “Surgeon.”

Crap. He wasn't a loser.

“Alexis says you're a computer programmer?”
Alexis?
Nobody called her by her real name. Did this guy think he was special?

“Yeah,” Ian answered the question while clenching his fingers into fists.

“So you get to work from home?”

“Yes.”

“Sweet gig.” Ian wanted to beat the piss out of Jeremy. It should be
his
handprint on her ass. It should be
him
wearing the apron and helping with the ravioli. “You okay?” Jeremy asked, noticing his hands still clenched into fists.

“I'm not sure.” His throat was so dry.

Jeremy's eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh. Is this the first time—oh. Sorry, man.” He sounded genuinely compassionate, and that just made Ian hate him more.

“Here it is. I would have mailed it to you, but they're just asking for money so I didn't think you would be in a hurry to get it,” Lexi said as she walked back into the kitchen with two envelopes, holding them out to him.

Ian had to focus on the task of opening his fingers and taking the mail from her.

“Thanks. I need to get going. I have someone waiting.” He had no one waiting. Was he trying to make her jealous? What was he? Twelve?

“Did you want to take some ravioli? We have plenty,” she offered as peckerhead tilted his head. He didn't seem so secure now. Good.