Convincing Lina: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Book 2) (13 page)

“I’m so proud of you, baby. Go on to the car. I’ll be there in a minute.” Her mother said all the right words, but she had the look of a woman who was handed a life sentence. Lina couldn’t shake the feeling that an irrevocable change had taken place.

Chapter 9

Wednesday was a breeze compared to the Monday she and Gideon had experienced. The last patient left Gideon’s office twenty minutes ago, but the man remained behind closed doors in his office. There was a part of her that wanted to wait until he came out of his office. She wanted to see him. Technically, she was still true to the man fast. But the past seventy-two hours had changed the nature of their relationship forever. He was a friend. He watched over her, supported her, and held her hand when she didn’t know that’s what she needed. Their relationship had a foundation other than physical intimacy. She wanted to share herself with Gideon, but she knew he would still be there for her if she didn’t. It was liberating to know she did have a choice. He wouldn’t walk away because she hadn’t slept with him. Her inner naughty nurse whispered,
take him
, every time Lina glanced in his direction.
 

She completed her nursing entry for the last group therapy session, logged off the computer, and grabbed her purse. A bottle of chilled white wine was calling her name.
 

“Lina.” Her heart rate increased at the sound of his voice. “What adventures do you have planned for tonight?”

“A little bit of this, maybe a lot of that.”
 

“How about,” he stepped closer, “you give me a do-over for last night?”

“I had a nice time watching
Empire
with you.” Empire’s Cookie Lyons was Lina’s favorite television heroine. The way she loved her family, with fire and ice, serving up a hefty dose of either one depending on the latest family drama.
 

You treat Cookie right, the warmth of her love covered a person better than a mink blanket. But, if you became a threat that same love and passion would encase you in ice. She smiled up at him. “The urgent call to the hospital altered our Empire marathon plans.” Every time she looked up into his eyes she blushed, though no one could see it. She felt small standing next to Gideon, dainty even. Curvy girls wanted a man that could toss them up in the air and catch them without wearing a back harness. She liked the way she felt about herself when she was with him.
 

“Me, too.” Trying not to be presumptuous, she refrained from saying anything else. She learned her lesson about assumptions where men were involved. After Jace, the next man she welcomed into her life would have to carve his feelings on a stone tablet, in blood.
 

“Do you have plans for tonight?”

“And if I did?”

“Do they include me?” Heck yeah, her plans could be all about him.
 

“Possibly.”

“How do I transition from a possibility to a definitely?”

“You could just ask.”

“Miss Lina James, can I take you out tonight?”

“You sure can, but I have to meet a friend at my house within the hour. I’ll text you when we’re done. Spencer is fast. We should be done in no time.”

“He’s fast at what?”

“My new mattress will be delivered tonight, and the old one has to be out of my bedroom before the delivery service arrives.”

“Change of plans. I’ll follow you home. Where did you park?”
 

“Gideon, it’s cool. Spencer is a
murse
, so no worries.”

“I don’t care that he’s a male nurse or that he’s officially in the Girls’ club. To be frank, that’s a dynamic I prefer not to explore. He could be the last eunuch and he would not set his eyes on your bedroom.”
 

“I don’t like what you are implying, Gideon. Spencer is my friend and a pediatric nurse. Spencer is the Mellow Yellow of the male species. He would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship.”

“I know RN Hayeswood is a good friend to you and Ava. He’s a standup guy. I know several of the single, female nurses consider him their resident handyman. But you have me. To my way of thinking, you can call on me for everything you need.”

“Be reasonable. You and Spencer can work faster together,” she huffed.

 
“In my neck of the woods…” She interrupted before he could start with his country caveman moral code.

“Oh my goosebumps, for someone who does not talk about his past, you are quite fond of the woods.” Gideon captured her in a narrowed glance.

“As long as I have breath in this here body, I don’t care if Spencer built your house with his bare hands, he’s not setting one foot in your bedroom.” It was eighty degrees outside and Lina could swear she saw his breath. He was livid. Time to wave the white flag. Bottom line the mattress would be moved.
 

“I’ll grab my stuff.”

“Thank you very much for allowing me to help. I’m looking forward to seeing your new purchase. Text Spencer and tell him not to come. I’d hate for you to see how much of a mountain man I can be.”

“Why is that?” Snagging her around the waist, he pulled her in close.

“I want to see my future resting place.” Her lips parted and a soft moan escaped. His crotch instantly hardened against her pelvis.
 

“Come on sweetness, let’s get outta here. I want to have the mattress in the living room before the delivery truck arrives.” She grinned at him.
 

“What’s funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just when you aren’t thinking about it that accent of yours makes itself known.”

“Actually, the family that raised me never owned any animals.”
 

“You were adopted?”

“Yeah, I was.”

“Wow, Gideon. I had no idea.” Lina volunteered at Second Chance House and saw how difficult it was for kids to get placed.
 

“How old were you?”
 

“Seven.” Without another word he grabbed her hand, leading the way out of the clinic.

It was after five on Thursday evening when Lina turned off the car ignition in the parking lot behind Second Chance House. Once upon a time, it had been a single story home for pregnant teenagers, but the program had expand to a multi-building complex with services for women and children ranging in age from seven to twenty-two.
 

Gideon didn’t understand her need to work with the young women at Second Chance. Volunteering a few hours a day, twice a week was her chosen form of therapy. The end of the week was the busy days for client intakes. Staff members were spread thin with admission forms, room assignments, and crisis situations. Volunteers like Lina, augmented the counselors seven days a week.
 

Though Gideon talked with his patient’s about the importance of maintaining healthy connections and the role that a supportive family played in the healing process she noticed he didn’t apply the same rules to himself.
 

Lina grabbed her purse and exited the car. She took the ramp leading to the Maternal Infant wings of the facility. She was about to enter when her phone rang. The picture of Gideon she’d taken on the beach was visible on the screen along with his telephone number. He was still in the office.
 

“Hey, you,” she said into the receiver.
 

“Where are you? You left without stopping by my office.” His voice sounded strained.

“Did you forget?” She laughed, “It’s my night to volunteer at Second Chance.”

“I didn’t forget, but I didn’t think you would leave me without saying goodbye.” Wow. He sounded as if she had abandoned him.
 

“I should be done here, by eight o’clock.” She made her voice light, hoping it would cheer him up.
 

“Where are you volunteering tonight?”

“The usual, with the pregnant mothers.” He was silent on the other end of the phone.
 

“I thought the center had a mental health unit?” Unease skirted down her spine. She hadn’t pressed him when he refused to discuss his nightmares. Why did he feel the need to question where she volunteered her time?
 

“They do, but I want to work with mothers-to-be.” She heard his sigh through the phone.
 

“You volunteering tomorrow night, too?”

“Yep,” was her only reply.

“Alright, sweetness. I’ll see you at work in the morning.

She heard the hospital’s announcement system blare to life in the background.

“Duty calls.”

His deep chuckle hit her ear. Her stomach did a familiar dip.

“Have fun and call me when you’re headed home. If I don’t hear from you I’ll be at your condo with an overnight bag.”
 

“You got it and I should get inside. Tonight is one of our busiest nights.”

“Do you have plans for Saturday?” She smiled. That was the Gideon she knew. Always thinking ahead.
 

“Nope.”

“Pen and ink me in for the entire day.” Her heart rate soared at the thought of spending an entire day with Gideon.
 

“I’ll pencil you in,” she teased him.

“You have jokes.”

“What can you possibly plan that would take up the entire day?” She grinned into the receiver, knowing he liked to be challenged.
 

“Oh, I’ll think of something.” Lina knew what he planned, he’d exceed her expectations.
 

Gideon had to be out of his mind to suggest a Saturday morning at the beach. He could barely conceal his erection with her fully clothed in the office, now he had the cooler separating them as they lazed on the beach in far less clothing. With her silhouetted curves on display, if he got any harder, the ice pack to the groin would be in his treatment plan.
 

They arrived at his favorite fishing hole on the Palmdale River at eight o’clock. The Palmdale was a four mile brackish tributary off the Saint Diasus River. Palm trees leaned into the water with the wear of by-gone decades, swaying in the soft breeze. The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, partially obscured by clouds. An overcast sky kept the salty air cool and light. Lina had managed to hook two medium sized whiting to add to his five smallmouth bass. They sprawled out on oversized beach towels underneath a low-lying canopy of palm trees. The beach was cozy, large for a small gathering, but they had this area to themselves.

“Thanks for inviting me to hang out with you, Gideon.” She thought he was hanging out with her, like one of the fellas.
 

“Is that what I did?”
 

A family of harlequin ducks quacked in cadence for her answer.
 

“You got me out of the house on Saturday morning to stand on a pier casting a fishing line. I promise you, only a personal invitation would have worked.”
 

“Hold the applause until the end of the day. This is only the first, one-third of the day. This picnic on the beach with my promise to cook dinner later had nothing to do with you accepting my offer?”

The wide brimmed sun hat shielded her eyes from view, but he saw her smile widen.
 

“Is it considered blackmail if I benefit from the deal?”