Pretend Mom (10 page)

"No, not really. I do. I don't know,
dear, only from what I've picked up from him. He married her when
he moved off to play football. They never came home. I'm told she
was a very sweet little thing, though. It hurt Mike when she died,
of course, but I have the feeling even that marriage wasn't all it
was cut out to be. He's hinted she was quite a daddy's girl. And
just a tad spoiled. Maybe that's why he's looking a little harder
this time for a wife. Being pickier. Anyway, they had Amanda, and
he had no time to feel sorry for himself then. He just rolled up
his sleeves and began being both father and mother to that little
girl. She adores him."

"You like Mike, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, dear, very much. He's been
like family to me. Always willing to come over at a moment's notice
to help me. He and the boys certainly get along. I think he's led a
lonesome life, except for his little Mandy. His mother dying when
he was born, and then his dad remarrying and having Kevin. His dad
died only a few years ago, his stepmother remarried and moved away.
Kevin rarely sees her. And Mike took care of his dad, too, right up
to the day. Mike's a family man. He thought the world of his dad.
It's just too bad he doesn't have a wife to make a real family for
him.

"Janet is always following him about,
always the do-gooder. Everyone knows how she feels about him. And
he might marry her, except she doesn't take to the child very well.
I seriously don't think Janet takes to any child too
well."

"She can learn. Some women take longer,
but it's instinctive, don't you think?"

"I don't know, dear. No one really
knows how he feels about her, though. Trouble is, in a small town
there aren't too many choices, and Mike doesn't venture too far
away from home. So, who knows? Strange, but I always liked Mike
better than Kevin. Although, I must admit, Kevin is a fine young
politician. Done a lot for our town. One of the most outstanding
men in the community."

"I'm surprised Kevin hasn't been over,
to say hello at least."

"He'll be around. He's a busy man these
days."

"Tell me about Kevin's
marriage."

"Well, let's see, he married June
Summers. Just after your last visit, in fact. They dated off and
on. She became a big help to him in his campaign. She taught Sunday
school for a while. It was no surprise to anyone when he finally
asked her to marry him. Naturally they had a big wedding. They have
one boy, two-years-old, and another on the way. Nice looking
couple, too. They seem very content with each other, but Kevin acts
much older than Mike, even though the reverse is true. Kevin is an
old man now, just like his mother was always an older
woman."

"He's happy?"

"Like a pea in a pod."

"I'm glad."

"Now, tell me about your Ed, dear."
Emily sounded quite curious.

Dixie turned to look at her again,
startled. "My Ed. I've never even thought of him as mine. You're
beginning to sound just like Mrs. Butie. He's not my Ed. He's not
my anything, except my boss. I like him. He's helped me work my way
up the ladder at the recording studio. But I'm not in love with
him." She stopped and listened to herself. She wasn't in love with
Ed. "I work with him. When I think of Ed, I think of work. But,
I'll admit he's nice. Some people think him too tight laced, and
much too ambitious."

"Then you aren't going to marry
him?"

After a long pause Dixie answered the
question. "No, I'm not going to marry Ed. I'm not in love with
him." As soon as she said it, she knew it was the truth. She blew a
soap bubble at her mother. "Marriage is too serious to rush into. I
like Ed, but not the way you might think. Besides," she sighed,
"marriage is out of the question right now. Not that I haven't
considered it before. Even with Ed. I mean... it would work out
marvelously, both of us being in the same business, able to share
our work. But there's no magic between us. And call me a romantic,
but I like a little magic."

When she turned around, she spotted
Mike leaning negligently against the counter. How long had he been
there? How much had he heard?

"Don't stop on my account. It was just
getting interesting. You were about to say how you like a little
magic in a relationship."

Always mocking her! She shot him a
disapproving glance.

"Oh, I knocked, but there was no
answer, so I came on in."

"Hello, Mike. Where's Amanda?" Emily
asked.

"Knee deep in play dough. Ms. Ferris
indulged her this morning. Better her than me."

"You should have brought her. I used to
be an expert with play dough." Dixie chuckled, glad they had
changed the subject.

"Really?" he drawled, his eyes
glittering at Dixie. He folded his arms across his chest and stared
at her. "You're very good with children, aren't you?"

"I don't know. I've never much thought
about it."

God, he looked nice, in snug fitting
black jeans and red-checkered shirt. He had that just showered
look, too, and his clean-shaven jaw invited a caress. My, how her
mind was taking flight.

Emily smiled, patted Mike on the arm,
then left the room, murmuring some excuse under her breath. The
kitchen shrank. Electrical currents seemed to illuminate the room,
bouncing off one wall, hitting her, another wall, hitting him.
Dixie pretended to clean everything, counter tops, tabletops,
refrigerator, everything, avoiding all eye contact with
Mike.

She was sure she would escape him,
until she felt his hands at the ties of her apron, and his breath
mingling in the softness of her hair, like a feather touching all
the sensitive places. She shivered slightly.

Danger lurked in his eyes as she barely
glanced at him and moved away. Warning bells deafened her. Now he
was flirting.

"I...I was just telling Mother..." She
saw him move closer out of the corner of one eye, and she headed
for the sink to wash the lettuce. She began chopping the vegetables
for a salad. "When and if I eventually settle down, it will
probably be to Ed or someone very much like him. You know, someone
in the recording business."

He stopped. The clock on the wall
stopped. Her chopping stopped.

"I seriously doubt that," he
murmured.

He sounded so sure. Unnerved by the
sureness in his voice, she whirled about, forgetting to keep a safe
distance. The large knife in her hands stood between them. She
chucked it in the sink.

Intoxicated by the sweet clean smell of
him, her hands itched to touch him. Just a touch, but that could be
dangerous—and what would he think? What would it be like to touch
Mike? To really touch him? Why was her mind so
scattered?

Two big arms came around her, not
touching, but so very close, and he deliberately leaned toward her,
making her face him. Fighting the urge to meet him half way, she
hardened her voice at him—afraid she might succumb and be subjected
to his rejection, again.

"H…how do you know?" It came out in a
whisper. Not effective.

An impish grin played at his lips; lips
that captured a woman's imagination. She remembered how those lips
felt on hers, and flushed.

"Because a man like that couldn't begin
to handle you."

Cat and mouse games.

"Maybe I don't want to be handled!" she
gasped.

His grin broadened as he stared down
into her pink face. "Yes, and maybe you're just waiting for the
right man for the job! A man with a little … magic."

She almost trembled from the force of
resisting going into his arms. He was a magnet. She had to force
herself to remember this was the man who accused her of seducing
his brother. Of practically seducing him. He wasn't really an
available male; he just seemed to be. They could never have a real
relationship—she lived in New York, worked in New York—his home was
here. It would never work. And yet… Despite all the arguments going
on in her head, the urge to resist this man was
crumbling.

"Maybe," she barely murmured, her heart
hammering so wildly she was afraid he might actually hear it. An
aimless tear slipped down her rose-tinted cheek. It was painful not
letting herself feel something.

A callused, but gentle hand, reached to
wipe the tear away. She closed her eyes, held her breath, as his
other hand gently tilted her chin. She could feel the warmth of his
breath on her face, and knew he was about to kiss her. But he
hesitated. Again.

Her eyes opened, locking with
his.

His lips hovered above hers, tempting,
inviting, questioning. Did he want her to beg? At this moment, she
would gladly beg, if only he would just kiss her and end this agony
between them. Maybe if he kissed her, it might dispel the
unexplainable pull he had on her. What would one little kiss hurt?
Why couldn't they play out the scene? It might not mean anything in
the long run, but at least it would get rid of the tension between
them.

"No," his voice was softly stroking
her, as her eyes came open and her head raised almost even with
his. He shook his head, his eyes glittering into hers. "When I kiss
you—and I will kiss you, Dixie—it's going to be long and memorable
for both of us. And it'll be everything you could hope for. I'll
brand it into your memory, into your soul. And you'll forget you
ever wanted a Kevin, or an Ed, again," he whispered, just as the
phone rang.

Oh, God, saved by the bell, and yet,
did she want to be saved? Snuffing the sigh within her she
straightened and turned away, cheeks flaming. Still, his arms
encircled her, preventing any escape.

Arms that represented both security and
insanity, she thought wildly as her head lolled aimlessly, inches
from his chest. She thought she heard the wild beat of his heart
when he suddenly drew her back against him, his hands circling her
waist, warm and comforting. In that instant she knew he'd wanted
that kiss as much as she had, for his own body betrayed him with a
shudder. For an instant she let herself be pulled back into the
rapture of his arms. He didn't have to kiss her now. She was
feeling everything she possibly could from his nearness alone. It
was almost as if she were absorbing him. Her knees shook, her lips
trembled, her mouth went dry, and her body actually ached to be
touched—and yet it went beyond mere physical reactions.

Dixie was acutely aware of some wild
soul-searching, gut-wrenching feelings growing between them. God,
somehow Mike had broken through her feelings for Kevin and
transferred them to him.

Her nostrils filled with the sweet
scent of hay, and a woodsy odor that was all Mike.

Years ago she had seen the man, the
physical man. Now, she saw beyond that. Mike—the family man, the
loving man, the goodness within him. She found herself wanting to
know this man—really know him—like others did. She wanted him to
confide in her, talk to her, walk with her, to share his hurts, and
his dreams. She wanted to know what made Mike Dalton
tick.

This is madness, Dixie thought. Why did
she and Mike seem to continually torture each other? Wasn't it
enough to simply want each other? Did these emotions have to reach
in and grab her very soul—and seize her heart?

His lips were in her hair. "Hmm." He
sighed as he held her there. Her back solidly against him now, she
felt him shudder again. "You remind me of a honeysuckle vine, sweet
and tempting. Someday we're going to finish what we always seem to
start, sweetheart."

Promise? her mind spun.

With emotions in danger of erupting,
she started to face Mike when Emily called from the hallway.
"Dixie, the phone is for you. It's Ed, I think."

Mike let her go instantly, and Dixie
was afraid to look back as she escaped to the phone. What would she
see in his face? Her mind was anywhere but on Ed at this
moment.

"Did I interrupt something?" Emily saw
her strange expression.

"Uh, no, of course not," Dixie
insisted, grabbing the phone.

She heard Mike add, "Nothing that won't
keep a while longer."

What did he mean? And how much longer?
She didn't have much time here at home. Moments were
precious.

"Dixie?" came Ed's excited voice over
the receiver as she stood there holding it in mid-air, trembling
with aftershocks.

"Yes, Ed," she managed, trying to mask
the slight quiver in her voice. She had to sit before she fell.
Mike couldn't have affected her more if he had kissed
her.

How could she possibly carry on a
conversation with Ed right now, after being nearly made love to, in
the kitchen? Whatever it was that was going on between her and Mike
had her completely baffled. She had vowed long ago never to get too
close to him. Looking back, she realized she had always been
attracted to him.

Why else would she continually bug her
sister about their relationship? Another relationship that never
got off the ground.

When she hung up, she hadn't the
slightest idea what Ed had said to her, or her to him.

Still in a stupor, Mike confronted her
once more, his face a storm cloud. "Your mother just told me about
your working the baseball throw. That can be a rather unpleasant
experience. Do you really think that's wise?"