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She held out a hand, palm up. “Give me the list. It’s what you’re paying me for.”
“Later. Now it’s time for the first-day-of-work tradition of going out to lunch on the boss.”
“Go out? For lunch? Like a real grown-up?” She clasped her hands to her cheeks. “I’m not sure if I remember how to do that.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s one of those riding-a-bike kind of things.”
He had planned on a quick run up to Subway, but seeing her reaction made him reevaluate. “Do you like Middle Eastern food?”
“Don’t know. Never had it.”
“Well, that settles it. Al-Amir on Main, it is. Uh, ever ridden a motorcycle?”
“Nope.”
“We can take the car if you want. Parking the bike is so much easier.”
“If you have a helmet. I’d rather not splatter my brains across the street.”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t put anyone on my bike without one.”
* * *
THIS WAS A day of firsts, it seemed. First day on the job. First time eating Middle Eastern food—whatever that was going to turn out to be—and the first time on the back of a motorcycle. Part of her was screaming-mommy horrified that she was putting Ian in jeopardy of becoming an orphan, but the other part was too busy realizing she was clinging to her new boss like a barnacle as he navigated the city streets. At a red light, he looked back at her.
“Just relax. Lean when I lean.”
Uh-huh. Not a single part of her relaxed. Not with her knees clamped against his hips and her hands clenching his middle. It was all she could do to keep her fingers from playing with the ridges of his abs. Happy for the helmet that covered her face, she gave in to a wicked smile for her thoughts. For the first time in a very long time, she was having fun. And feeling like a woman. The bike went over a small bump and she bounced forward, right up against that back. She clenched harder at his waist.
“You okay back there?”
“Yeah.”
No. Her heart was pounding and she was having a hard time catching her breath. She wanted to get laid. Now. By him. In the worst possible way. It had been practically since Ian was conceived. A pulling, aching need spread through her. The bike made a sharp turn to the right and she clung to him. This did nothing to help her get her mind off jumping him.
The second the bike stopped, she scrambled off while he secured it. Her trembling fingers fumbled at the helmet strap.
“Let me get that,” he said. His fingers brushing against the side of her throat stoked her need to painful levels. When the helmet lifted away, a frown creased his face. “You’re flushed. Did it scare you that much?”
“No,” she lied. “It was exciting. I liked it.”
Dear sweet baby Jesus in the manger. Stop it. Take a breath. Act like an adult. You don’t need this. But she couldn’t help it. It felt good to pretend for a little while. Pretend she was a normal person. Pretend she didn’t have a care in the world.
* * *
BY THE TIME they were seated, Josh noticed two things. One, Mickie had stopped just inside and scanned every face in the restaurant. Two, she sat with her back to the wall. Interesting. Especially since she wasn’t from Columbia and supposedly didn’t know anyone here.
By the time they’d placed their orders, the flush had faded from her cheeks, but her gaze still darted to the door every time it opened. Time to do some fishing.
“Where’d you move here from?”
Her eyes met his briefly before she focused on bobbing her straw up and down in her water. “Asheville.”
He waited. That was it. “You’re going to USC in the fall?”
She nodded. “Nursing school.”
“Really? What made you decide on that?”
She stopped bobbing the straw and clasped her hands on the table. “When—when Ian was born.” She stopped and cleared her throat. Stared at her hands. “The nurses helped me so much. I admired them. And I want to help people. Like they did for me.”
“That’s admirable.”
He let the silence play out for a stretch. He couldn’t tell if she was an incredibly private person or hiding something. Something more than just being a single mother alone in a big city. There were glimpses he’d catch. Her spontaneous hug after he’d offered her the job. That silly little tiptoe pantomime she’d done the day she came to do her laundry. But she kept that hidden behind a wall of stubborn refusal to let people close. Which was the real Mickie?
“What did you mean when you told me you knew what it was like to be alone?”
Her question surprised him. Her tone was softly questioning and her gaze was direct and warm. Surely she wasn’t about to confide in him. He suppressed a smile as it clicked. Nursing school. She’d found a sore spot and wanted to fix it. Beneath that wall of ice or fear or whatever it was, she cared deeply about people. He wasn’t sure why he’d said that to her. Even though it was true, he rarely opened that part of his life to others. But he found he wanted to know her secret. If he wanted that maybe he’d have to give up one of his own.
“I was raised in the foster-care system. When I turned eighteen, I was out on the street. Alone. No family.”
Her eyes widened and filled with warmth. Usually he saw pity or discomfort in people’s eyes when he revealed this. Which was why he didn’t like to do it. It led to abruptly ended conversations or questions he didn’t want to answer. What he saw in Mickie’s gaze stunned him because he’d only seen it once before: in Sadie’s eyes the day he’d answered her help wanted ad. Empathy. His surprise deepened when she spoke. Her words dropped to a husky whisper. A question not of curiosity or compassion, but one seeking knowledge.
“How did you make it through?”
He leaned forward, wanting to be closer to her, never taking his eyes from hers. “I kept moving forward. I found Sadie. She gave me more than a job. She gave me a family. That was the most important thing. I let her help me.”
The moment spun out. She drew in a breath and her lips parted. Whatever she was going to say was lost when the waitress arrived with their food.
“Everything okay here?” the waitress asked, her gaze moving between the two of them.
Mickie blinked. Smiled up at the waitress. “Yes. This looks amazing. Thank you.”
Josh sat back and concentrated on his gyro and let the intensity of the conversation fade. He’d planted a seed. If she needed help, hopefully she’d let him help her. Paying it back. Just paying it back.
* * *
MICKIE COULDN’T WAIT to get to the day care and pick up Ian after finishing for the day. Hurrying down the sidewalk, she couldn’t quite outpace her thoughts. Josh had scared her, drawing her in like that so easily. Establishing that emotional bond. Establishing himself as a protector. She shook her head as if to dislodge the thoughts. She wouldn’t fall for it again. She knew the signs now. She needed the job but that didn’t mean she’d get herself entangled. Again.
When she peeked around the corner of the playroom, she was happy to see Ian laughing and playing with another little boy. The look of joy on his face when he saw her drove away all her fears. She scooped him up and held him tight.
“Hey there, baby man. Momma is so happy to see you. I missed you so much.”
Pushing the stroller across campus, she spied the pay phone she’d used before. She didn’t have enough change. But she wanted to hear her mother’s voice. Needed. Two minutes later, an operator was asking for charges to be accepted.
“Hey, Auntie Em,” she breathed. “Sorry to bother you.”
“Is everything all right, hun?”
The anxiety in her mother’s voice triggered her own stab of panic. She’d never called collect before. “Yes. I’m fine. Everything is fine. I’m sorry. I wanted to let you know I got a new job. Temporary but it’s perfect for...my needs now.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Did you get the greeting cards I sent you?”
“Yes. Thank you. That should be enough for now.”
There was so much more she wanted to say. How frightened she’d been. How stupid she felt. All her jumbled-up emotions. Ian was beginning to fuss. He was hungry and needed supper. “I miss you,” she whispered.
“We miss you, too. Write to me. I love getting your letters.”
After ending the call, she stared at the black receiver. The sun beat down on her and she felt heavy again. Oh-so heavy and slow. What was it Josh had said? Just keep moving forward. Yep.
“One foot in front of the other, girl.”
With a deep breath and squared shoulders, she pushed the stroller toward home. Nursing school. Job. Nothing else. Remember it’s a job. He’s not your friend. He’s not your confidant. He’s your boss. Keep it that way.
CHAPTER SIX (#u75a50be8-f610-5f06-9e36-19a6d09ba0e7)
SHE SLOWED AS she came in view of the duplex. There was a woman sitting on her front porch. She slowed her steps even more as she checked her out. She was young. African American. Wearing red scrubs. The scrubs required for USC nursing students. She turned Ian’s stroller up the walk leading to the house. She stopped a few feet away from the porch. Where she could reach Josh’s door in a hurry. “May I help you?”
The woman looked up from the book she was reading. “Hey! Yeah. I’m looking for Michael Phillips.” She tucked the book into a backpack and stood. Now Mickie could see the USC nursing school emblem and her student ID.
“That’s me.”
The stunned look on the woman’s face wasn’t new to Mickie. The head shake and self-deprecating laugh was. “Dang! And here I practically had to fight a couple other girls to get you assigned to me. Was hoping you’d be some tall, dark and handsome type.”
Mickie felt a small smile form on her lips. “Nope. Short, blond, girl type.”
The woman put a hand on her generous hip and looked Mickie up and down. “How’d you end up with a name like Michael?”
It wasn’t the first time she’d been asked the question. But she had her lie smooth as silk. “Remember that old TV show The Waltons?”
“I think so. John-Boy?”
“Yeah. The actress that played the mother was named Michael. And the credits listed her as Miss Michael whatever-her-last-name-was. My mom thought it was so classy and elegant. So, here I am. Miss Michael Phillips.”
“Okay. That’s a new one.” She walked up with her hand out. “I’m Tiana Nelson. I don’t have a story about my name but I’ll be your mentor this coming semester. You can call me Tiana or Tee. Call me TeeTee and we’ll have a problem. I tried your number a few times but you never answered.”
“Sorry. I have a thing about answering unknown phone calls. You should have left a message.”
“I have a thing about voice mail. Makes me babble like a fool. So I just thought I’d drop by. Was getting to leave a note. So, do you go by Michael?”
“Mickie.”
Ian let out an impatient cry. Tiana leaned down. “You have a baby! Oh, my God, he’s so cute. Hey, little man, what’s up?”
“He’s starving, that’s what’s up right now. Come on in.”
If Tiana was curious about the lack of furniture, she didn’t say anything. Mickie hurried together some food for Ian while Tiana went over the contents of a package she’d brought. Information on registration, the new student orientation, a welcome mixer, class schedules.
“Any questions?”
Mickie sorted through the papers. “Will I live through this?”
Tiana’s laugh filled the kitchen. It was a warm sound. A missed sound. Mickie smiled when Ian joined in the laughter. That’s what they needed. “Yeah, you’ll live. Won’t seem like it, but you will.” She tilted her head toward Ian, sending the short curls of her hair bouncing, then turned to Mickie. “What about little man there? You have help with him?”
“I’ve got him in the day care. They accommodate our school schedules. Other than that, no. It’s just the two of us.”
Tiana nodded slowly. Now her gaze did roam the sparse apartment before once again settling on Mickie. “Well, now there’s the three of us. Okay? I’m your mentor. I hope I’ll be your friend. Use me.”
Tears clogged Mickie’s throat. Josh’s voice echoed in her mind. I let people help me. “Okay. Thank you.”
“I mean it, Miss Michael. I almost quit in my first year. I came out of a small nowhere town and didn’t know what I was doing with myself. I was alone and lost. My mentor saved me.” She straightened from her slump against the counter and shrugged the backpack on her shoulders. “I’m gonna let you tend to little man here. You have my number. Call me for anything.”
At the door, Mickie forced herself to reach out and take Tiana’s hand. She gave it a brief squeeze. “Thank you. It’s hard for me to ask for help.”
“But you will?”
The question was accompanied by a stern look.
“Yes. I will.”
* * *
THEY HAD SETTLED into a comfortable routine. Josh spent most of his time in the testing room while Mickie kept to the kitchen table. Something had changed, but he wasn’t quite sure what. On the surface, everything was the same. She was warm, friendly and efficient. But there was a bit of aloofness there. Josh shook his head. What do you expect? She’s an employee.
“Hey,” he said as he entered the kitchen. “I’m expecting a visitor in about an hour or so. Wyatt Anderson.”
Mickie glanced at him briefly before returning her attention to the laptop. “Okay.”
Grabbing a bottle of water, he headed back to his office space. And stopped. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Why?”
The look of complete professionalism on her face stabbed at him. “No reason. Just checking.”
Shutting the door behind him, Josh flopped down in his office chair. The look on her face. Why was that bothering him? She was an employee. Yeah, but, another part of him nagged, before that she was your hot neighbor. He twisted the cap off the water bottle and chugged it down. Forget it, man.
He was so focused on plowing through the never-ending paperwork that Mickie’s knock on the door startled him. “Yeah?”
The door opened. “Mr. Anderson is here,” she said.
Wyatt appeared in the door. “Wyatt is fine. No need to be formal.”
Josh stood to shake Wyatt’s hand. “Wyatt’s almost family, Mickie. The only man brave enough to attempt to tame the big boss lady.”
Wyatt laughed. “I’m not even going to attempt that. Besides, I sort of like her wild.”
“Okay,” Mickie said with a smile. “Is there anything I can get for you? Either of you?”
