The public, thanks to the photographers who'd hovered around, would also see his residence in downtown Vancouver and Simon, his mutt. Kade stroked his hand over Si's head, which lay heavy on his thigh. Simon, whom he'd found in an alley on one of his early-morning runs, considered Kade his personal property and any woman would have to fight his dog for a place in his life.
Kade stifled his sigh and resisted the urge to look at his watch. When he'd received the portfolios of his potential dates from Brodie, he'd flipped through the three candidates and opted to eat with the doctor. Then he'd contacted Wren and instructed her to arrange his first date for as soon as possible. Breakfast, lunch and supper...whenever, she just had to get it done. Wren, efficient as always, had done exactly that. One down, two to go.
"And then I spent three months working in the Sudan with Médecins Sans Frontières."
His buzzer signaled someone was downstairs wanting to come up. Kade smiled at his guest, hoping Wren had read his mind and come to rescue him.
You're a big boy, he heard Wren's amused voice in his head. If you can talk them into bed, then you sure as hell don't need my help to talk them out of your apartment.
Or maybe it was Quinn downstairs. The doctor was his type-brainy and built. Quinn would, if Kade asked him, take Rachel off his hands. Kade stood up and walked across the open space to his front door and intercom. He pressed the button, called out a greeting and shrugged when no one answered.
It had to be Mac or Quinn. They both usually hit the buzzer to signal they were on their way up.
Kade turned to walk back to his guest. It was definitely time to maneuver her out the door. Please let Quinn be thundering up the steps, he thought. Please.
A tentative knock told him it wasn't Quinn, or Mac, and Kade frowned. Who else would be visiting him at 9:45 p.m. on a Saturday night? Then again, whoever it was would be a distraction and he'd take what he could get.
Sending a fake smile of apology in Rachel's direction, he walked back to the door and opened it. As per usual when he saw Brodie, his mouth dried up and his heart flipped once, then twice.
What was it about this woman that turned his brain to mush? If he compared her to Rachel, Brodie came up short. She was wearing ratty jeans and a tight T-shirt in pale gray, a perfect match to her complexion. Pale gray tinged with green. Her eyes were a flat, dark, mossy green and accessorized by huge black rings. Her hair was raked off her face and she looked like a spring ready to explode.
"We need to talk... Can I come in?"
Kade tossed a look over his shoulder and sighed when he saw Rachel walking in their direction, a puzzled look on her face. "Hi, there." Rachel appeared at his shoulder and he watched Brodie's eyes widen as she gave the buxom doctor a good up-and-down look.
"Doctor Martinez." Brodie's voice cooled.
Brodie stepped to the side and looked across his apartment to the small dining table at the far end of the room. Kade sighed. Fat candles, muted light, wineglasses, her heels next to her chair. It looked like everything it really wasn't, a romantic dinner for two.
Kade heard the click of Si's nails against the wooden floor and waited for the dog to take his customary place at Kade's side. Si, to Kade's surprise, walked straight past him and up to Brodie. Kade waited for the growl and cocked his head when Simon nuzzled his snout into Brodie's hand. Brodie immediately, and instinctively, dropped to her haunches and rubbed her hands over Si's ears and down his neck.
Delight flickered in her tired eyes. "Oh, he's gorgeous, Kade. I didn't know you had a dog."
"We haven't exactly had a lot of time to talk," Kade pointed out and Brodie flushed. "Meet Simon, part Alsatian, part malamute, all sappy. I've had him about two months."
"He's a lovely dog," Rachel said, her tone bright and chirpy. Oh, hell, he'd forgotten she was there.
Kade watched as Brodie stood up slowly, a blush creeping up her neck. Kade could see she was ready to bolt. He wanted to hustle Rachel out, pull Brodie in, pick her up and cradle her in his arms and find out, in between kisses, what was making her so very miserable.
Because she was-he knew it like his own name.
Brodie darted a look at Rachel and he saw her suck in a breath. He watched how she added two and two and somehow ended up with sixty-five.
Brodie lifted her hands and stepped back. "I am being inexcusably rude, I'm so sorry." She gave them a smile as fake as this date.
"But you said you needed to talk," Kade reminded her. "I'm sure Rachel will excuse us."
"Please... It's really not important," Brodie insisted and jammed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "I'm so sorry to have disturbed your evening. Good night."
"Brodie." Kade didn't want her to leave.
"Good night!" Rachel called, turning and walking back to the table. He watched, irritated, as she picked up his full glass of wine to take a healthy sip. She cradled the glass between her ample breasts and sent him a speculative look.
Kade stopped by the coatrack and pulled her bag and jacket from a hook and held them out to her.
Rachel put down her wine and cocked her head. A small, regretful smile tilted her wide mouth upward.
"Well, that sucks," she cheerfully stated, suddenly looking a lot warmer. Kade scratched his forehead in confusion. But before he could ask for an explanation, Rachel spoke again. "Want to tell me why you are doing the dating thing when you are completely besotted with your matchmaker?"
"I am not besotted with her!" Kade responded, thoroughly disconcerted by the observation.
"Well, something is happening between you two." Rachel slipped into her shoes, then walked over to him and took her jacket and purse from his hands. "Pity, because I rather like you."
Kade rubbed his hand across his forehead. "Look, I enjoyed our evening..."
Rachel laughed. "Oh, you big, fat liar! I've never worked so hard in all my life to impress someone and most men are easily impressed!"
He had to smile and was so damn thankful he wasn't dealing with the drama queen he'd expected her to be. "I'm so sorry. I'm really not besotted with her but it is complicated. And these dates are..." Could he trust her not to spill the beans?
"A publicity stunt?" Rachel had guessed before he could say more. "I figured that out as soon as I saw the look on your face when you opened the door. Don't worry, I won't say anything."
Kade let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you." He bent down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I really appreciate it. I'll take you home."
Rachel patted his biceps. "I'll call a cab and you can go and find your girl so that you can sort out your complications."
Kade watched her walk out of his loft, resisting the urge to deny there was anything between him and Brodie besides some great sex and a couple of laughs. There was nothing to sort out, nothing to worry about. If that was the case, then he shouldn't be desperate to find out exactly what it was Brodie wanted to say.
He was just curious, he told himself. It didn't mean he had feelings for her. He wasn't besotted with her.
Besotted? What a ridiculous word! He wasn't... He couldn't be. He didn't do besotted. But he would admit to being curious, that wasn't a crime.
* * *
Brodie left the rain forest and the Willowbrae Trail and walked onto one of the vast, sandy beaches characterizing this part of the west coast of Vancouver Island. She stared at the huge waves rolling in from Japan and slipped out of her sneakers, digging her toes into the cool sand.
This place-Poppy's cabin-with its magnificent sea views, was her hideout, the place she ran to every time her life fell apart. She and her family had spent many holidays here, in winter and summer and the seasons in between. This was where she felt closest to them. After the accident, she'd spent six weeks up here, to recuperate. Her body healed quickly but her heart never had.
Despite the memories, she still wanted to run up here when life threw her curveballs. Here, if she didn't think too much, her soul felt occasionally satisfied. This was her special place, her thinking place.
Two days had passed since she'd left Vancouver and she'd spent all that time thinking of Kade, and trying not to obsess about what happened between him and Doctor Delicious after Brodie left.
The thought of him and another woman so soon-was six weeks soon?
And she still had to tell him about the pregnancy. Brodie placed her hands on her stomach and sucked in a breath. She also needed to tell him she intended to keep this child, to raise it on her own.