Courting Trouble (The Texas Two-Step Series, Book 3) (4 page)

"I need your help. Meagan is miserable and I think she and Jeff should get back together."

"That's the most common-sense thing I've heard since entering this greenhouse."

"Herb shop," she said automatically as she leaped to her feet, relieved to put some distance between the mouth she was fantasizing about and herself. "You agree? Is Jeff unhappy, too?"

"I don't know about him, but I sure am. Ever since he moved in and decided we should be partners, my life hasn't been my own. I want him out. Back with Meagan and home where he belongs."

"Oh, good. Then you'll help," she said hopefully.

"I didn't say that."

"You're not going to help?"

"I didn't say that, either."

"Oh. Well. Want to hear my plan?"

"No."

"Do you have a plan?"

"No." They were back to the glares again. Alec was being a major pain. Didn't he care about Jeff and Meagan?

Watching Meagan nearly broke Diedra's heart. If Jeff was even half as miserable, Alec must be blind not to notice. Maybe refusing to worry was one of those man things.

Okay, she could set her plan into action on her own and soon her sister would be happy again. It had been a lousy idea to ask Alec for help. Heaven knew, she should have learned that lesson long ago, but it seems she still needed a reminder now and then. Her path had to remain solitary.

It was best to avoid spending too much time with Alec. Experience had taught her that men didn't react well to "accidents." They jumped ship once it began sinking, and she couldn't blame them.

Until her luck changed drastically, she couldn't risk becoming seriously involved, no matter how much she craved it. No matter how much she craved Alec.

A woman could take only so much ego bruising, and she certainly wasn't going to risk having her heart broken again. She was tired of pining for what she couldn't have. Her electromagnetic issues weren't going away, so she couldn't have a normal life with a husband and children and all the trappings, but she'd darn well make sure Meagan did.

Diedra would take care of Alec's injuries and get rid of him. "Let me put something on your leg to reduce the swelling."

"Thank you, but no," he said formally, and stood, wincing slightly. He limped toward the door.

"The least you can let me do is put some ointment on it." Dealing with Alec when he was in a snit required a great deal of patience, a commodity she was losing rapidly. He was so darn prim. "That's what this shop specializes in, you know. Herbal cures and remedies."

"You don't say." He shot her a wry grin. That was better. This expression she could easily get used to.

One kind look and her heart pounded in anticipation. She really wished he didn't affect her this way. "Yes, I do say. And if you don't sit down and let me take care of your leg, I'll be horribly offended and there's no telling what I might do."

He smirked.

She stalked toward the vacuum cleaner.

"I give up!" Alec threw up his hands and sat back down.

She smiled. Their eyes met and she felt as though they were enjoying a private joke, the way two people could only when they knew each other very well. Shoot. She'd better keep her wayward mind on business, not monkey business. And besides, he probably had that effect on every woman he'd ever met.

She went behind the long counter and pulled out her greataunt's book of herbal remedies. Tommy leaped back on the counter and watched with wide gold eyes as Diedra found the correct herbs and vials.

She mixed it all together and took a sniff. It smelled flowery, as though it wouldn't help a paper cut, much less the large bruise Alec now sported.

No way he'd let her put such sweet-smelling stuff on him. With a shrug, she pulled out a few leaves from a packet of herbs she found on the counter, crushed them a little more, and added the powder to the ointment. It smelled minty now, and more masculine.

"What do you think, Tommy? It's better, isn't it?" The cat took a sniff and answered with a loud purr. Diedra smiled and nodded, and sincerely hoped the herbs wouldn't affect the recipe. But it was going outside his body, not inside, so it should be okay.

She brought the small white bowl to him and got down on her knees. He drew up his pant leg and she looked from it to the bowl. The vacuum seemed safe enough for the moment, but something else might spring to life or drop on their heads. Perhaps she'd best stand on the other side of the room.

With a sigh, she asked, "Do you want to put it on yourself?"

"Hand it over."

She gave him the bowl and moved back several feet.

He applied the salve.

She heard a poof.

The room was instantly blanketed with a thick, gray cloud. They both coughed and waved at the air, but it was dense with smoke.

"Did you leave a burner on or something?"

"No." She got to her feet. Could this be a chemical reaction involving the unknown herb?

She'd never mixed anything flammable before. Well, not since that time in high school science class, but that was a long time ago and didn't involve herbs.

After the explosion nearly destroyed the chemistry lab, she'd tried to explain to an irate school principal that she'd only substituted one little chemical. Her story hadn't gone down well. She suspected her explanation this time wouldn't fare much better. "I'll go open the door."

"Good idea. I don't see a fire anywhere, do you?"

"Who can see anything in this mess?" She opened the door and waved it back and forth for a few minutes until the smoke dissipated.

"Hey, Diedra, this stuff's good. The swelling's already going down."

"That's great." She walked back toward him and caught sight of his face. She stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh, my heavens!"

Alec looked behind him. "Is there a fire?"

"No fire." Diedra felt a little frantic. "Oh, this time you'll really never forgive me."

He strode toward her and she began to giggle. How could she not? Was she hysterical? He kept coming and she bit her lip, trying to look serious but failing miserably. He backed her into the counter. She took one glance at the tight line of his lips and her laughter died.

"What have you done now?" He patted his suit. "You didn't set me on fire, did you?"

"Nooo." She licked her finger and touched the tip of his elegant nose with it. She rubbed harder. If he looked upset now, how would he react when he found out? "Alec, it really wasn't my fault. I'm sure you had it before you came. Really."

"If you don't tell me what you're talking about, right this instant, you'll live to regret it." He definitely wasn't happy with her, but she couldn't help liking the way his clenched jaw muscles ticked. She was such a basket case when it came to him.

Diedra grabbed his arm and dragged him into the back room. She pointed at the mirror. "Look."

He smoothed his hair before stepping forward to examine himself. His hand froze and she thought his eyes might pop out of his face. "What the hell is this?"

"You mean those bumps all over your face? I don't know, Alec. Honest." She twisted her hands. "The ointment smelled too sweet. I didn't think those leaves could be poisonous."

"Are you saying you poisoned me?"

"No." She scrunched her eyes again, before peeking at him. Of course he'd have an allergic reaction to any ointment she gave him. A five-year-old could have predicted it. "I'm just saying I might have given you polka dots."

"Then get rid of them."

"But, Alec, I don't know how! And besides, if it was the ointment, wouldn't your leg be spotted?"

They both looked at his leg. Small red spots were visible. Diedra felt her heart sink down to her knees. The man sure had sensitive skin.

"Dammit, Diedra, I have a meeting with an important client this afternoon. I can't meet the woman covered in hives!"

"You want me to call and have your secretary reschedule the meeting?"

"No. I mean, yes. I mean, get rid of these spots. Now."

At least now he was more panicked than angry. Handling his panic was easier than the sinking sensation she experienced when his voice took on that quiet, hard tone.

"Okay, okay. Just calm down, Alec. I'm sure there'll be some sort of remedy in Aunt Lilith's book."

"I don't want to calm down. I want to put my hands around your little neck. And don't call me Alec!"

There was no way on earth she'd ever be able to call him something as pompous-sounding as A.C. He'd ruled out Third. Maybe his middle name would be more acceptable. "Don't get me excited, Chuck. You don't know what might happen. I could trip again and this time the whole building might fall in on us."

"Get you excited, Diedra? I'm excited and you don't know how dangerous I can be when I'm excited."

"Remember the vacuum? I don't want anything else to happen to you."

He clutched his hair and turned back to the mirror. "This must be a nightmare. I'm still asleep and this is all a bad dream." His eyes met hers in the mirror and she could feel a jolt, even though it was just a reflected image. "Right?"

What on earth was he asking? "What?"

"This is a dream, right?"

She didn't know what to say. Even she wished it was a dream. But it wasn't. She'd been through this sort of thing all her life and she still had no good answers. She should have known better than to add an unknown herb to the ointment.

"Diedra, please make the spots go away."

"Why don't you go to the washroom and try washing them off with soap?" She tried to sound reassuring and certain it would work. If only it would. But with the way things were going, she doubted it. "Maybe it's just residue from the smoke?"

"Good idea."

She led him to the washroom, where he promptly slammed and locked the door. She scrambled behind the counter where Tommy sat washing his paw.

Diedra grabbed the book of remedies. If she had any luck left at all, she'd find something about bumps. Thumbing through the index as quickly as possible, she didn't see anything under that heading. At last she found: Red Spots, Removal. That should help.

She read down the page. Apply rubbing alcohol. And a number of gross-sounding liniments if that didn't work. The alcohol sounded easy and like something even she couldn't screw up. She was pretty sure she'd seen a bottle on a nearby shelf.

This time luck was with her. She found the rubbing alcohol right away. She put the bottle and some cotton balls on the counter. Within seconds, Alec stormed out of the washroom. He looked as handsome as ever, but just a wee bit more desperate—and spotted.

"I found something I think will work." She pointed to the chair. "Sit."

He took a seat, muttering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He gave her a stern look. "This had better work."

"Oh, I'm sure it will." Diedra sent up a silent prayer that she'd told the truth. She dabbed a little of the rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and applied it to his nose. She was almost afraid to look. Slowly, she pulled back the cotton. The swelling had gone down and the spot was barely visible.

"It's working. Stop worrying." She said a prayer of thanks and got on with scrubbing his face.

Chapter 3

A.C. generally enjoyed being responsible and looking after the interests of others. It was one of the reasons why his law firm was exceptionally successful.

But there were limits.

He looked after his mother, his cousin and his clients. Diedra Palmer desperately needed someone to take care of her, but she was not his responsibility. No retainer fee would be large enough to add her to the list of people he protected.

He kept his eyes closed and gave himself a mental shake. After what he'd been through since entering Diedra's shop, when he opened them again it would prove to be a bad dream, he assured himself.

He forced his lids open.

No such luck.

Diedra's face was within inches of his own and he could feel her soft breath feathering across the coolness created by the rubbing alcohol. "Are you certain the spots are coming off?"