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“No reason.” She relaxed and waved a hand. “Back to the original question. Do you want to play pirates?”
“There are so many ways to answer your question. Are we talking pillaging and plundering or do you expect me to talk like a pirate? Say things like ahoy and matey?”
The look of horror on his face made her grin. “Yer correct.”
Okay, so maybe her own pirate accent was even worse than his, but Josie was already having fun.
Noah’s obvious reticence made the playacting even more enticing. The remainder of the evening suddenly took on a glossy sheen, like the pages of a magazine she couldn’t wait to devour.
Still, Noah resisted giving his agreement.
Shoving aside the thought that this man was just like her father and therefore someone to be given a wide berth, Josie extended her hand. “Don’t be an ol’ chumbucket, Cap’n. Put yer hand here and shake on the deal.”
* * *
Noah stared at the dainty hand with the pink nails. Just when he thought the evening couldn’t get any stranger, it did.
He took her hand. The feel of her skin against his put all sorts of thoughts in his head. Actually, the thoughts had been there since he’d first seen her tonight.
The vivid blue cocktail dress had drawn his gaze to her breasts and the legs that appeared to go on forever. Certain parts of his anatomy had immediately sprung to life.
When his lips joined hers under the mistletoe and she’d let out a breathy moan, he’d nearly lost it. Stepping back before he did something crazy like slinging her over his shoulder and going belowdecks to find a free bunk, had been the sanest thing he’d done all evening.
Why was he even considering going along with such a ridiculous suggestion? Pretending to be a pirate at a formal New Year’s Eve masquerade ball fell into the realm of a Saturday Night Live skit. “I’ve been thinking about your pirate suggestion.”
Her smile disappeared and wariness returned to her eyes.
The solid ground beneath his feet began to shift and crumble. Noah knew, just as surely as he knew that the body contained 100-160 ml of cerebral spinal fluid, that if he backed out now, she would walk away.
He shoved aside his reservation and his good sense. “Yer suggestion, it be a fine one.”
Noah wasn’t sure which one of them was more surprised by the sentiment. He liked games well enough as long as they had well-defined parameters and clear, concise rules. Rules and standard procedures gave life order. Noah concluded his agreement to Josie’s odd request illustrated that, contrary to what his family thought, he was very capable of being spontaneous. He could live on the edge. At least for one evening.
“I became a pirate because I love adventure,” Josie confided in a hushed whisper, as if imparting a great secret.
They reached the edge of the dance floor and he took her into his arms. They began to move in time to the music.
“There’s so much to see, to experience,” she continued in an earnest voice.
Maybe it was having her in his arms or the fact that they were wearing masks. Perhaps it was being surrounded by music and the enticing scent of flowers that made it remarkably easy to play along.
They spent several dances discussing various places, er, ports, they’d visited. She seemed surprised he knew so much about Portland.
“Edward Jamison, a friend from my fellowship days, grew up there.” Noah gave a nod of acknowledgment to a hospital trustee and his wife as he and Josie danced past them. “He’s now practicing in Chicago.”
“Great. Another doctor.”
Though her tone was light, he noticed how the mere mention of the practice of medicine had her stiffening. There was only one thing he could think to do to dispel the sudden tension.
He whirled about in an intricate spin until she was breathless.
“There’s a touch of pirate under that starched shirt.” She grinned in approval.
While Noah knew that wasn’t at all an accurate statement, he smiled and changed the subject.
“Your travels as a pirate have taken you far and near.” He spoke softly, making sure no one dancing nearby overheard him saying the word pirate. “I’m curious how you found your way back to Jackson Hole.”
Instead of tossing off some quick or clever response, she caught her lower lip between her teeth and appeared to carefully consider the question.
“Last year, a close friend—er, shipmate—was diagnosed with cancer. Not long after, I found a lump in my own breast.”
Fear, hot and swift, struck him. He controlled his emotions and forced a casual tone. “Was it—”
“Benign.”
With that one word, the knot that had formed in the pit of his stomach dissolved.
“My friend has a lot of stress in her life, some of it from unresolved family issues.”
The sadness in her eyes had him pulling her a little closer. He resisted—barely—the urge to remind her that cancer had many causes. As a doctor’s daughter and someone in the healing arts herself, that was something she doubtless knew already.
“Sasha’s diagnosis and then my own breast lump, well, it was a wake-up call,” Josie murmured, almost to herself.
He waited for almost a minute for her to continue before he prompted. “Because of your own family situation?”
“Yes.”
Behind the mask, her eyes were hooded.
“Is the pirate queen home to stay?” He kept his tone deliberately light.
“Perhaps.” The smile that lifted her lips didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Tell me, Cap’n, how did ye end up in this landlocked port?”
“Moving here gave me the opportunity to work with your father and, more importantly, my family was here.”
“You arrived what, about a year ago?”
He nodded.
“Do you plan to stay?”
It was a simple question. Undoubtedly she expected him to answer in the affirmative. Jackson Hole was a great place to live. Noah hesitated, thinking of the offer he had pending: the opportunity to go into partnership with his friend in Chicago.
Recently, he’d concluded if things remained at a standstill with Daffodil, it might be easier on both of them if he left town. But the decision to stay or go didn’t have to be made now. He had until March to give Edward his answer.
Although his friend was in a well-regarded practice in Northwestern, the group had recently voted to tie themselves to one of the large health systems. Edward wasn’t happy with the change. He wanted to go out on his own but needed a partner to share call. Noah was his first choice.
The deadline to accept or decline the offer was March 1. That was why Noah had decided to give reconciling with Daff one final, full-court press. If his efforts continued to be met with a brick wall, he could leave with the knowledge he’d done everything possible to bridge the gap between them.
“Noah?” Josie prompted. “It’s not a difficult question. Are you planning to stay?”
“Who knows what the future holds?” It was the type of ambiguous answer he detested, but an honest one.
Noah was spared from saying more when the man Josie had kissed earlier—psychologist Liam Gallagher—tapped him on the shoulder and cut in. Though it was a reprieve of sorts, as he left the dance floor, Noah realized he’d prefer to be subjected to Josie’s interrogation than turn her over to Liam.
“Looks like something is going on between you and my little sister.”
Noah didn’t bother to turn his head. The deep voice of Josie’s brother, Benedict, was as familiar as a member of his own family. Since Noah had arrived in Jackson Hole last year they’d worked closely on many cases requiring the talents of both a skilled neurosurgeon and Ben’s orthopedic surgery specialty.
When Noah had contemplated a move to the area, he’d been pleased to join a practice with surgeons of the caliber of Ben, Ben’s father and Dr. Mitzi McGregor, their associate.
Tension filled the lengthening silence, leading Noah to deduce the comment hadn’t been rhetorical. “Josie is a nice person.”
Ben’s gaze remained focused on his sister. “She’s a bit of a flake. I can’t see her being your type.”
The dismissive tone coupled with the sentiment shouldn’t have bothered Noah. Then why did he, a civilized man who’d never struck anyone in his life, feel like ramming his fist into Benedict’s face?
“That comment shows how little you know your sister.”
“You think you know her?” Ben gave a harsh-sounding laugh. “She disappeared right after her junior year in college. Sent this vague message that she had to find herself. It was almost a year before we heard from her again.”
Noah opened his mouth but Ben continued without giving him a chance to speak.
“We didn’t know whether she was dead or alive. My mother—” Ben took a deep breath and let it out slowly “—well, the worry nearly broke her.”
The strain in his voice told Noah that Dori Campbell wasn’t the only family member who’d worried.
He couldn’t imagine what had possessed Josie to hurt her loved ones in such a way. He was certain her parents and brother only wanted the best for her. Just as he wanted the best for Daffodil.
If his sister had listened to reason, listened to him, she would have walked away from that loser Cruz Newton. She wouldn’t be divorced and paying off his debts.
“I can sympathize with your frustration. My sister never listened to me.” Noah clenched his jaw when Liam whispered something in Josie’s ear, making her laugh.
“Their lives would be so much better if they did.”
Noah nodded in agreement.
“You two look as if you’re plotting to take over the world.” Poppy Campbell slipped her arm through her husband’s.
“Not a bad idea. The world would be running smoothly if I was in charge.”
Ben’s comment made his wife laugh.
Dressed in a loose black sheath, Poppy was an attractive woman with sleek dark bob and green eyes. Her black-and-gold half mask suited her elegant style.
From the time Noah had joined the practice, Ben’s wife had been pleasant, if a bit distant. Ben had mentioned once that Poppy’s first husband had been a neurosurgeon and Noah had the impression he was paying for the other guy’s mistakes.
Poppy inclined her head. “Who’s the guy in the joker mask dancing with Josie?”
“Liam Gallagher,” Ben answered. “The poor sap can’t take his eyes off her.”
“She does look especially lovely this evening.” Poppy’s tone reflected affection for her sister-in-law. “Blue is a great color on her.”
Benedict simply shrugged.
The band launched into another slow number and Liam gave no indication of releasing his partner. That added to Noah’s mounting irritation, as well as the fact that the psychologist continued to hold the pirate queen a little too close for Noah’s liking.
“Excuse me.” Without waiting for a response, Noah strode to where Josie and Liam danced. He tapped the man on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in.”
The psychologist, who’d been smiling down at Josie, turned. His gaze shifted from Noah to Josie then back again. “Too bad. I’m not ready to give her up.”
“You don’t have a choice.” Noah lifted Liam’s hand from Josie’s shoulder and pulled her into his arms.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in a throaty whisper as he whirled her far, far away from the astonished psychologist.
“Being a pirate.” Noah flashed a sardonic smile. “We see what we want and we take it.”
Chapter Three (#ulink_567c65dd-78f9-56ff-ab6b-6dfdd5a54fa1)
As the minutes ticked down to midnight, Noah experienced a surge of regret. Spending time with Josie and playing their ridiculous pirate game had made the evening fly by.
The band finished the set and took a break, no doubt gearing up for the playing of “Auld Lang Syne” when the clock struck twelve.
“That is the strangest cake I can recall seeing.” Noah cocked his head and scrutinized the multilayered monstrosity that would soon be cut and served with champagne.
Jet-black layers alternated with pristine white ones and caught the eye first. A crooked clock on the front made one take a second glance. The glittery mirror ball made it difficult to look away.
“It’s so creative.” Josie’s tone was filled with awe. “I wonder who made it?”
“That would be me.”
Noah and Josie turned in unison.
A slender woman with wavy hair the color of burnished copper and eyes that appeared violet in the light held a glass of champagne. Like most in attendance, she still wore a mask. Edged in gold, the deep purple color matched her cocktail dress. Although flattering, the cut of the dress reminded Noah of something from an earlier generation.
The woman extended her hand to Josie. “I’m Sylvie Thorne. My business, The Mad Batter, is all about creating unique cake designs.”
They’d barely exchanged introductions when Josie’s gaze returned to the cake.
“I adore it,” Josie exclaimed. “It’s so unique. Do you do catering for smaller events?”
“Absolutely.” Sylvie took a sip of champagne. She appeared cool and collected but Noah saw the eager gleam in her eyes. “What do you need?”
“I have an event next week. I promised to bring the dessert. I need something that will serve thirty.” Something in Josie’s tone told Noah she wasn’t excited about the event. “I’d love to take one of your cakes.”
Noah held silent while Josie and Sylvie discussed details and made plans to connect on Monday.
Sylvie strode off after giving them both an impromptu hug.
