Up by Five (20 page)

Though she was beginning to have some strong suspicions that it might not happen like that.

“We do have to be,” Conner insisted.

“Why?”

“She’s going to medical school in August.”

“So?”

“So she wants to be done then.”

Nate didn’t answer for a long moment. “
She
wants to be done then.”

“Yep.”

“Okay. Then stay away from her,” Nate said.

Gabby held her breath, waiting for Conner to respond to that.

“I can’t do that either,” Conner said.

Another much bigger stomach flip.

Now she definitely couldn’t make herself turn in the other direction—the direction that would lead her to the locker room where she could clean up.

As they headed for the procedure room where they did stitches and casts, Gabby noticed all the nurses and aides noticing Conner coming through. Not that Nate wasn’t fine to look at, but he had never given off any flirtatious vibes. She knew they were all watching Conner. She could practically feel their urges to go in and fuss over him.

She had to hold back from snarling at them all.

Yep, things had changed between her and Conner.

Dammit.

“Your sisters are smart and know you really well,” Nate said, rolling him into the procedure room. “I’m not sure you’re going to be able to hide that you and Gabby have something going on.”

“I have to try.”

Gabby hung back now. There was no need for her to be in there. But she wanted to be in there anyway.

Nate, bless him, didn’t close the door all the way.

Gabby hovered outside.

“So you’re going to, what, date her for two months until she starts med school?” Nate asked.

“Apparently.” Conner didn’t sound all that thrilled. He sounded resigned, at best.

They were
dating
now? Wasn’t that something they should decide together? That seemed much more…complicated. Still she leaned closer.

“And you think after two months with her,
living together
, that you’ll be able to just say goodbye and move on?” Nate asked.

She frowned. Nate didn’t have to make it sound like such a stupid idea.

There was a long pause with no sound from Conner. Then he said, “I’ve done it a hundred times before.”

“Not for that long.”

“Still.”

“And not with this girl.”

There was another long pause and Gabby held her breath.

She didn’t really understand why. She could still hear when she was breathing.

“She’s just a girl.”

That was what Conner finally said.

She was just a girl.

Ouch.

Gabby pulled back from the door. Well,
that
hadn’t been worth eavesdropping on. At all.

“You, my friend, are a complete idiot,” Nate finally said. “But I have to admit, watching you go through this is going to be entertaining. Especially once your sisters figure it out.”

“You can’t—”

“Dix, I’m not going to tell them,” Nate interrupted.

“Yeah?”

Nate chuckled. “I’m not going to need to.”

Conner blew out an exasperated breath that was loud enough Gabby could hear it from the hallway.

“Be right back,” Nate told him. “Don’t move and don’t you dare try to stitch yourself.”

Gabby stepped back quickly as Nate came to the door, pulled it open and stepped out.

He didn’t look surprised to see her. He shut the door behind him. “Congrats on med school.”

“Thanks.” She knew Nate had graduated from the University of Nebraska.

“He didn’t mean it, you know.”

“The two-month thing? That’s my rule.”

“The just-a-girl thing.”

She shrugged. “Maybe I am.”

“Uh-huh. Okay, so you’re kind of an idiot too. You’re perfect for one another then.”

She frowned. “You’re not going to tell his sisters then?”

“You don’t want me to either?”

“They’re a little scary.”

Nate laughed. “Yeah, they are. There are four adult, intelligent, professional men who have been turned inside out by them.”

Gabby couldn’t help her smile. That was nice.

“Like you’re doing to Conner.”

Her smile died. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Playing matchmaker.”

“I don’t need to,” Nate said, looking like he was quite entertained. “You’re right there doing it yourself.”

She blew out an exasperated breath of her own. She sympathized with Conner, having all these people with interest in and opinions about his life. “You won’t tell his sisters?” They would very likely turn on the matchmaking like crazy and, frankly, Gabby wasn’t sure
anyone
could resist the Dixon Divas as a group.

“I won’t need to.”

“Ryan will?” She’d kick his ass.

Nate pointed over her shoulder. “Ryan won’t need to either.”

Gabby turned to find a gathering of female Emergency Department staff at the end of the hall.

She faced Nate again. “Maybe they’ll think it’s all because he got hurt.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nate agreed. “Maybe. Good thing Conner is the only one acting weird.”

His sarcasm was clear.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not really the type to hover outside an exam room, you know.”

Damn.

“I’ve waited around to get reports on patients before.”

“You’re also not the type to eavesdrop.”

Damn again.

“By the way,” Nate said, “I managed medical school and a kid on my own.”

Everyone who knew Nate, knew that Nate’s son, Michael, was his proudest accomplishment. Michael was a great kid.

“You had a nanny,” Gabby said. Everyone also knew that Nate came from money.

“I’m saying you find a way.”

“I need to find a nanny for Conner? Women who get paid to take care of the needs
he
has are called hookers and they’re illegal.”

Nate grinned and shook his head. “You find a way to do it all if it’s important.”

She took a deep breath and dropped the flippant attitude. “It’s been two days.” There was no way that Conner was something she needed to “find a way” for already.

Nate chuckled. “It’s been two years, Gabby. You’ve both just realized it in the past two days.”

Nate stepped around her and headed down the hall.

But the guy had a point.

Double damn.

Nate had kept his promise not to tell his sisters about Gabby—so far. Unfortunately, he
had
told Emma about Conner getting knifed. Which meant they all knew within ten minutes and that meant he’d had to make a stop at his mother’s house after he was released from the ER because his sisters had told
her
.

And, of course, they all showed up too.

After reassuring the women in his life that he was fine, letting his mother feed him, catching up on baby and wedding and kitchen-remodeling plans, and plotting how to get revenge on Nate, he finally headed for home. His leg ached, but he was happy. His sisters were happy. That’s all he really wanted.

Until he came through the door to his apartment.

Then the list of things he wanted expanded quickly.

He wanted to watch the movie that was on his big screen, he wanted to eat the plate of nachos that was sitting on his coffee table and he wanted the woman who was curled up in the corner of his couch under the fleece blanket with her hair up and makeup off.

She looked up as he came in and smiled. But her smile quickly died.

“No,” she said, shaking her head and sitting up straighter, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

“No, what?” He dropped the plastic bag he’d carried in from the car and tossed his keys toward his kitchen table. Or where the kitchen table had once been. Before he and the woman looking at him like he was a serial killer had broken it having sex. His keys landed on the floor.

He didn’t care.

He started toward Gabby.

“What you’re thinking,” she said.

“I’m thinking that this is my favorite movie.”

She glanced at
The Replacements
and muttered, “Damn.”

“And I love nachos.”

“I made these,” she said, waving a hand toward the platter that was still half-full. “They’re not like Trudy’s.”

Trudy really did make fantastic nachos. And burgers. And pizzas.

He plopped onto the couch next to her—right next to her—and reached for the plate. He put a chip in his mouth and groaned. She’d used beef and beans, lots of cheese, guacamole and sour cream
and
jalapenos.

He’d eaten meatloaf at his mother’s to make her happy, but he was suddenly still hungry.

He ate several more chips, watching Gabby as he did it.

She was concentrating on the movie. Or making it look like she was concentrating on the movie anyway.

“A football movie, huh?” he asked nonchalantly.

Except that it definitely wasn’t nonchalant.

“Keanu Reeves is hot,” she said.

“Whatever. You like football.” She came to every Hawks game.

“I grew up with football. On TV, watching my brothers and cousins play. It’s a great game.”

“You like Hawks football in particular.”

She glanced at him. “I love Hawks football.”

“Because they have a hot quarterback?”

She turned slightly toward him with a tiny smile. “Their quarterback leads the league in rushing touchdowns.”

“Ah, you appreciate his talent too. That’s nice.”

“But he only has the
sixth
-best completion percent in passing touchdowns in the league and is third in the league for sacks.”

Conner munched on a chip as he watched her grin at him.

“And there are only nine teams in the league,” she added as he chewed.

He was aware. “He’s number three, huh?”

She laughed. “Being sacked isn’t a good thing.”

“His offensive line probably sucks.”

“They don’t,” she said. “He takes too long in the pocket.”

He really liked her. Most of the women he dated knew that he was a football player and knew that the Hawks won a hell of a lot more than they lost. That was enough for them. And for Conner. He didn’t expect to sit and talk football with the women he slept with. He didn’t expect to sit and
talk
with the women he slept with.

“Still, he leads the league in rushing touchdowns,” he commented.

“He’s a ball hog.”

He snorted and ate another chip. “These are awesome. You’re doing good at the doting thing,” he said. In spite of the disparaging remarks about his football skills.

“Doting?” she asked sharply. “I’m not doting.”

“Watching one of my favorite movies and making me my favorite food?” He leaned and grabbed her half-full beer bottle, tipping it back. “And my favorite beer?”

She leaned over and took the bottle from him, clutching it to her chest. “This is
my
favorite movie, my favorite food and my favorite beer. This isn’t about you.”

“Really?”

She looked a little panicked.

Interesting.

“What are you wearing?”

She quirked an eyebrow. “Doesn’t matter. That’s also not for you.”

He reached over and tugged on the throw blanket. It fell to her waist, revealing a long-sleeved, gray T-shirt—a loose one. He pulled again and the blanket slid off of her lap. She was dressed in baggy, black yoga pants. And socks.

He lifted his gaze to hers.

“I think this is very much for me.”

“I’m as
unattractive
and
unsexy
as I can get!”

He grinned. “Intentionally.”

“No. I mean… Well…fuck,” she finally muttered.

“You’re trying to tone it down now? After we broke my poker table?” He wasn’t about to let a woman who made nachos and knew that he spent too much time in the pocket and…all the other Gabby stuff…tone things down.

She sat, chewing her bottom lip and watching Keanu for a few minutes. Finally she pointed the remote at the TV and muted it, then turned to face him, tucking her foot up under her.

“I told you not to fall in love with me.”

Yes, she had. And there was no chance that had happened. Strangely, though, he didn’t feel the urge to immediately deny that it was a possibility.

“You’ve been here for two days.” He couldn’t actually be in love with her in two days.

Right?

“I know. But Nate said some stuff at the hospital about me being a matchmaker here. I don’t mean to do that.”

“I know.” He did. He knew that she didn’t want anything more than sex from him. Either. Because that’s all he wanted from her. Probably.

“This is getting complicated. In two days. That’s not good. That’s—”

She stopped and tipped her head as she caught his eyes scanning over her hair and focusing on her mouth.

“Conner?”

“Yeah?”

“Is this like the uniform thing?”

“What uniform thing?” God he loved her mouth. Not
her
, but her mouth. For sure. And her laugh. And her sarcasm.

“The uniform is the opposite of sexy. But instead of being a turn-off, now it reminds you of the sexy stuff because it’s such a contrast.” He also really liked that she could play poker and wore pink lace and drank her coffee black.

“Yeah, that’s probably what it is.”

“So I should go back to the mall and get some of the lipstick and look like all your other girls.”

The thing was, she would never be like all the other girls—lipstick had nothing to do with it.

Damn.

“You don’t want to be in love with me either,” he pointed out.

“No, I don’t,” she said firmly.

More firmly than she really needed to, in his opinion.

“Because of medical school?” he asked.

“And because neither of us needs a bigger or crazier family.”

He thought about that. They both had families that would always be there and involved. If they got together their family—their impossible-to-ignore, loud, meddling family—would get
a lot
bigger. Then he chuckled. “All those years I was using my sisters as a reason not to have a relationship, and now they’re the reason this relationship won’t have me.”

He heard her suck in a quick breath, saw her frown. “You don’t want this relationship to have you.”