Priceless(16)

Richard grinned at Mack. “Then it must be something I said.”

Before Richard could explain that remark and further embarrass him, Mack clapped his brother on the back a little more forcefully than necessary. “Thanks for stopping by to pass on the message,” he said. “I know how busy you are, though, so feel free to take off. Give Melanie a kiss for me. Go win over a few voters or raise a few million for your campaign. You’re going to need it, since I intend to vote for whoever runs against you.”

Richard barely managed to contain a laugh at the brush-off. “If it comes down to one vote costing me the election, I didn’t deserve to win in the first place,” his brother said, unperturbed. “And I’m in no hurry. I can hang here awhile.”

“No you can’t,” Mack said, his voice a little tighter. “I’ll walk you out.”

He spun Richard around and aimed him toward the door. As they were leaving, he called back to Beth. “Let Tony know I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Sure,” she said, staring after them with a puzzled expression.

Not until they were in the elevator did Mack face his brother, staring him down with a look meant to intimidate. “Don’t get any ideas, big brother. None, you hear me?”

Richard returned his glare with a look of pure innocence. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about. I just wanted to get to know your new friend.”

“You say that as if you’d caught me on the playground with some girl in pigtails,” Mack grumbled.

“Believe me, I am well aware that you’re past being infatuated with a kid. Those are definitely grown-up sparks flying between you and the doc.”

“You’re crazy.”

“I don’t think so,” Richard said. “Maybe I’ll have Melanie give her a call and set up dinner.”

“You do and you’re a dead man,” Mack said fiercely. He didn’t want his brother, his aunt or anyone else messing with Beth’s head—or his, for that matter. “Leave it alone. This is not like that. Beth and I chat from time to time. We have coffee. It’s no big deal, and I don’t want to turn it into one.”

Richard’s gaze narrowed. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“What was your first clue?” Mack retorted.

To his consternation, Richard burst out laughing. “I’ll be damned,” he said. “Destiny’s done it again.”

“Destiny hasn’t done a thing,” Mack shouted after him as Richard strolled off.

Unfortunately, it was evident that his protest hadn’t done a thing to convince his brother. Heck, he wasn’t so sure he was buying it himself anymore.





Chapter Four




After his disconcerting encounter with his brother, Mack realized that he hadn’t been out on anything that qualified as a real date in several weeks. Maybe that was why he was feeling so edgy and out of sorts. Maybe that was why he was spending so much time seeking out Beth for a few minutes of female companionship at the end of the day.

Beth was quiet and undemanding and most definitely female. Seeing her casually at the hospital was a comfortable pattern to have fallen into. In fact, her total lack of personal interest in him was a relief after the pressure of too many feminine expectations and after his own misguided attempts to live up to the public perception that he was some sort of football-celebrity playboy. There had been a time when he hadn’t minded being labeled that way, but it had grown old recently. Very recently. In fact, it had happened when he’d realized it had shaped Beth’s view of him.

Consoled by the notion that his attentions toward Beth had nothing to do with an interest in the doctor herself, he vowed to rectify the situation as quickly as possible before anyone other than Richard started getting ideas. It would be especially bad if Destiny got wind of his nightly chats with the doc.

Rather than going directly back inside the hospital, Mack pulled out his cell phone in the parking lot and called an attractive stockbroker with whom he’d done a little professional business and a whole lot of off-the-clock deal-making of a personal nature.

Ten minutes later he’d scheduled a dinner date for later in the evening at her place. Given their usual pattern, they’d spend most of their time concentrating on dessert.

Satisfied with the proof that Richard was dead wrong about Mack’s interest in Beth, he went back to Tony’s room to play a few quick video games before his date. When he opened the door, though, he caught Beth with the hand-held computer, a little furrow of concentration on her brow as she tried to master the fast-paced game. His heart seemed to do an odd little stutter at the sight. He had no idea why.