The next day wasn’t much better where flu patients were concerned but by her third work day things began to slow down and Solie found herself able to catch her breath in between patients. Next day would be even better. Her shift would end at three o’clock and she would have the rest of the afternoon to do her thing. It was about time. And she knew exactly what she would do, too. She would get out of the house and get herself to The Galleria Mall. She hadn’t been there in a while. With a demanding job like hers, who had time?
She would probably do more window-shopping than actual shopping but it didn’t matter. At least she’d be out of the house and besides, The Galleria had some great restaurants. Tomorrow was one day she would most certainly not be in the kitchen.
Wednesday came around and Solie packed up early as planned. What was not in the plan was for Ransom to call her as soon as she parked her car and walked in the door.
“Perfect timing,” he said in that so familiar baritone. “Want to come over?”
That caught her off guard. “Come over for what?”
He laughed. “To see me, of course. Or,” his voice turned suggestive, “do you want me to come over there?”
“Neither.” She blurted the word out as a flash of apprehension ripped through her. She'd already decided that this thing between her and Ransom, it would not work. She wanted to do nothing to encourage it, not until she’d cleared the skeleton that had come to occupy her closet. “I’m busy.”
“Oh.” She could hear the disappointment in his voice. “I thought you were done work for the day.”
“I…am. But I’ve got other things to do.”
“Oh.”
There was that ‘oh’ again, a mixture of disappointment and…was that annoyance? She’d better be hearing wrong because what right did he have to be annoyed?
“I’m sorry,” he said, immediately dousing her spark of anger. “I guess I was looking forward to seeing you again, just a little bit too much. If you’re busy, you’re busy. We’ll connect another time.” There was a pause and then he said, “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”
That was his way of saying goodbye. He would be hanging up the phone in another second. She had to stop him before he cut off the call. “Wait.” She couldn’t say why but she just knew she didn’t want the conversation to end like that.
Damn. Why was she so wishy-washy? She knew it was better that she let him go but she couldn’t. “I was…planning to go to The Galleria but it can wait till later.” There. She’d done it. She’d gone and complicated things just when she’d successfully avoided him for almost four days.
“I’ve got a better idea,” he said, his voice turning cheerful. “Why don’t I take you to the mall? I took the day off so if you want me, I’m all yours.”
Solie’s heart did a hop, skip and, as if that weren’t enough, a little jump, too. A man, and not just any man, Ransom Kent, offering to take her shopping, the bane of men across America? He must be the one man in a million who would do that.
And then to say, I’m all yours?
“Yes,” she said before she had time to think. “I’d like that. I can be ready in an hour. Is that good?”
“Perfect. Just make sure you don’t eat anything. I’ll take you to The Capital Grille when we get there.”
Solie knew this was probably not the wisest decision she’d ever made but as she slid into her skinny jeans and threw on her embroidered peasant blouse she was feeling bubbly, which was not a word anyone would normally use to describe her. When she heard the doorbell chime she was smiling and she was ready.
She was halfway to the door when her pace slowed and her smile dissolved. God forbid but what if, when she opened the door, it was Raul. It wasn’t as if something like that hadn’t happened before. Stealthily she crept up, shifted the curtain ever so slightly and peered through the window.
She released her breath when she saw Ransom standing on the porch. She grabbed her purse from the hallway table and opened the door to him. “I love a man who doesn’t keep me waiting.” She gave him a mischievous grin, pulled the door shut behind her and sauntered ahead of him to the low-lying Mustang parked behind her Honda.
When Solie glanced back Ransom still stood there watching her then, smiling, he shook his head and followed her to the car.
That afternoon at the Galleria Solie had more fun than she’d had in a long time. It was a different kind of fun than going to the movies with a couple of friends. This time she was in the company of a man who made her body tingle every time he touched her. And the way he looked at her made her temperature rise…in a good way.
The more time she spent with him the more she saw of his complex personality. When they’d first met she’d classified him as nothing but a bully. Then she’d seen he could have weaknesses then she’d learned that he could be a friend. Now she was seeing a whole new side of him. They’d walked the mall together and the whole time he’d been more than solicitous. The man had even sat patiently outside the changing room in Banana Republic while she tried on boot-cut jeans and tops. What better sign did anyone need that this man was a keeper?
And then, to her surprise, he’d offered to pay for the stuff.
“No, thank you,” she said firmly and pushed his hand away as he reached for the outfits. “You’ve done enough. All that food I ate in The Capital Grille must have left a serious dent in your wallet.” She gave him a smile to soften her rejection. “But thank you. You’re very kind.”
Her smile widened as she turned away and headed for the cashier. It was just too funny, listening to him grumble about ‘independent women’.
Later, after grabbing some sweet treats from Godiva Chocolatier, they made their leisurely way home. By that time it was way past dusk and the stars were out and blinking like tiny fireflies in the heavens.
When Ransom pulled into her driveway Solie gave a soft, satisfied sigh. “I had a wonderful time,” she said as she turned to look at him. “Thank you.”