White Wedding for a Southern Belle (3 page)

He said casually, “I don't know about you but I missed lunch and dinner today. Would you join me for a pizza? I'll have it delivered so we don't have to stop work except to eat.”

Was he kidding? No one was going to deliver in Southriver after dark. She chuckled. “Good luck with that.”

“What?”

“Getting something delivered around here after the sun goes down. Too many drivers have been robbed.” She shifted the box so that she could see him clearly. Kiefer really was a good-looking man.

“You have to be kidding.”

“Nope. Give it a try if you don't believe me.” She was going to enjoy proving she was right. She walked down the hall.

When she returned he called from an exam room, “Pizza will be here in thirty.”

She stepped back to the doorway. “How did you manage that?”

“I have a buddy who's a policeman and his family owns a pizza place. He happened to be helping out tonight.”

“I'm impressed.” And she was.

In a short while the front-door buzzer that she'd had installed the day before went off. To Ashley's amazement the pizza had arrived just as Kiefer had said it would. She hoped he always used his powers for good. Following him to the door, she said, “Check the peephole first. Never open the door after hours until you know who it is.”

“You really should consider living elsewhere.”

That wasn't going to happen. She'd made a promise years ago and she wasn't going to go back on it now. “That's not going to happen. It would defeat everything I stand for.”

Kiefer looked at her for a second then out the peephole. “It's Bull.” He opened the door.

A man as tall as Kiefer but much bulkier stood there with a large pizza box in his hands. “Well, Kie, you're sure slumming tonight.”

Anger flared in Ashley. That was the way everyone thought of Southriver. If a person was in Southriver then it wasn't for a good reason, one of many perceptions she was working to change. She stepped around Kiefer.

Even in the dim light she could see Bull's eyes widen and his instant embarrassment. “Ah, I'm sorry. No offense.”

She said in a clipped tone, “None taken. That isn't the first time my neighborhood has been insulted.”

Kiefer chuckled softly as he gave Bull space to enter and closed the door behind him. “Careful, Bull. She might take you out, gun and all.”

His warm sound of compassion took the edge off the moment for Ashley.

“Truly my apologies, Ms. Marsh.” Bull sounded sincere.

Ashley looked closely at Bull. “Don't I know you? Aren't you the officer who caught the guy robbing the café a couple of weeks ago?”

Bull squared his shoulders and gave her a look of pride. “That was me.”

“I appreciate that. The Gozmans are nice people. They've lived here all my life. I'd have hated to see them lose their business because they couldn't pay their bills.”

Bull grinned. “Does that make up for my remark earlier?”

She smiled. “I'll let it go for now.”

* * *

It bothered Kiefer for some reason that Bull was flirting with Ashley. Worse, she seemed to like it. It appeared innocent enough but he knew from past experience that looks could be deceiving. Brittney and Josh had managed to conceal their affair for months. But Ashley was nothing to him, so why should it matter if Bull was interested in her?

That wasn't true. Somehow his reaction to their kiss had added an element he didn't understand.

“Okay, neighborhood hero, I'm hungry. How about that pizza?” Kiefer pulled out some cash.

Ashley wasn't his type anyway. He liked her high energy and understood her big heart to a certain degree, but her drive to change the world was over the top for him. Too much like his mother. If he was ever interested in woman again it would be less about commitment and more about enjoying life.

“Bull, why don't you join us?” Ashley asked.

“Yeah, do,” Kiefer said, in a less-than-encouraging tone.

“Naw. I need to get going.” Bull took the cash and turned back toward the door.

Kiefer opened it, letting Bull exit, and stepped out as well.

“Listen, man,” Bull said, “you be careful coming and going around here at night. Also, you need to get a security light for that lot.” He nodded toward Ashley's place.

“I didn't get much else done around here today but I did call the power company about that.”

“Great. I've heard good things about what Alderman Marsh is trying to do but she has stirred up some trouble as well. I hope you don't get caught in the cross fire.”

“I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the pizza.”

“No problem.”

Ashley was waiting on him when he came back in. “I'm ravenous. Why don't we go up to my place to eat where there's a table?”

“Sounds good to me.”

She led the way down the hall. At the end she opened a door he'd assumed was a closet. It turned out to hide a staircase. He climbed the stairs after her, getting a good view of her nicely round behind. When they reached the top they went through another door that opened into a small kitchen, which had obviously been remodeled. The brick walls and patchwork tablecloth gave the room a homey and functional feel.

Ashley placed the pizza box on the table. “What would you like to drink? I have soda, tea, beer, water.”

“I'd love a beer, but I'd better settle for a soda.” He took one of the matching chairs.

Ashley pulled two cans of soda out of the refrigerator.

“So how long have you lived here?” Kiefer watched as she filled glasses with ice and then poured the drinks over it.

“About a year. I bought the building two years ago and spent six months making it habitable. I still have work to do.” She placed his glass in front of him.

“You did the work yourself?”

“All that I could. I had to cut corners where I could.”

“I'm impressed. You've done a nice job, from what I've seen.”

Ashley smiled. She had a nice smile. Sort of made him feel like the sun had come out. “It was a labor of love. And I do mean labor.”

He flipped the box top up and took a slice of pizza. “If you don't mind, I'm about to starve.”

“You need to pace yourself around here.”

“Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black? You had meetings all day and still managed to check up on me.” He took another bite of pizza.

“I wasn't checking up.”

“Really? What would you call it?”

She shrugged. “Neighborly concern.”

“We aren't neighbors.”

“No, we're not. I'm pretty sure we grew up as different as daylight and darkness.”

“You're making a big assumption. We might have more in common than you think.” Kiefer leaned back in his chair. “To start with, we both grew up in a neighborhood. Are your parents still married?”

She nodded.

“Mine are too. We both went to college. We both have jobs that help people.”

Ashley raised a hand. “Okay, maybe you're right. But I grew up in a low-income, racially diverse area, while I'm sure yours was an upper middle class, private school community.”

She had him there. “Yeah, but that doesn't mean we aren't both interested in the same things. I certainly have a mother who showed me the importance of helping people. You're making life better. And I make people feel better. We have more in common than you might think.”

“Now we've moved into philosophy. I think that may be too deep a subject for me this late at night.” Ashley took a bite of pizza. Kiefer watched her chew. Was he ever going to get that kiss out of his mind?

“You might be right. I've been at it so long today I'm starting to feel loopy.”

They ate quietly for a few minutes before Kiefer stood and pushed the chair under the table. “I need to do a couple of things downstairs. Then I'm going to head home. Thanks for the nice place to have dinner.”

“I'm the one who should be thanking you. You bought the pizza and against all odds got it delivered. By the way, the local TV station is coming to do a story on the clinic tomorrow. They've asked to interview you.”

Kiefer wanted nothing to do with that. When his mother had been hurt and the case had gone to trial, he'd been on TV as they'd come out of the courthouse. It had been a horrible experience. He had been the child who had watched his mother being beaten nearly to death but had done nothing. The shame had been more than he could carry. Since then he'd shied away from that type of attention. He had no interest in getting involved with anyone who was always on a mission. He'd been raised by a person like that, knew the risks involved.

“I'll see if I have time.” He headed down the stairs.

* * *

Ashley was waiting for the TV crew when they arrived. In the last year, since she'd been on the council, she'd learned to court the media but to always be wary of them as well. She needed good press to help move her ideas forward in the neighborhood revitalization. Shining a good light on what she was trying to accomplish in Southriver would hopefully not only get the city council behind the project but set a precedent for what could be done in other areas of the city and other cities in general.

It was just after lunch and she'd only seen Kiefer a couple of times that morning. No matter what they were doing their kiss seemed to pop into her mind. The more she tried to shove it away the stronger it became. She'd almost reached the point that she wanted to kiss him again so she could put it behind her and move on.

Ashley had come down early just to check in and see how things were going at the clinic. Kiefer was busy with a patient and Maria was overseeing a full waiting room. At least there shouldn't be an empty room when the news crew arrived. She'd gone downtown for a meeting and had returned in time to grab a bite to eat before she was due to meet the TV crew. Sitting at her table in the kitchen, having a sandwich, she looked at the chair Kiefer had filled the night before.

He was a big person but had seemed relaxed in her small kitchen. It had been too long since she'd shared even a simple meal with a man. Most of the men she had dated hadn't been happy with the prospect of living in Southriver, and she wasn't interested in moving elsewhere. Her world was here and she needed a partner who understood that, who supported that part of her life.

Her one truly serious relationship had ended when she'd decided to run for the city council. He'd wanted her support to further his business but hadn't been willing to do the same with her desire to become an alderman. She had been crushed by his attitude. This was a man who was supposed to love her. It hadn't taken long for them to part ways. Ashley wanted her relationship with a man to be a partnership. She refused to settle for anything less.

Since then she'd made her views and plans clear in the beginning and they had turned off any other men she'd dated. She was starting to miss male companionship. Someone to just have fun with.

Could she and Kiefer become friends? Based on their kiss there might be some benefit sexually as well. She'd enjoyed her conversation with him over pizza. One other good thing about him was that he wouldn't be staying in Southriver long. No outsider ever did. Kiefer wasn't her type anyway. They could part ways without hurt feelings, she was sure.

But what if her radar was off? What if she was misjudging him? It had happened before.

Thirty minutes later Kiefer walked up the hall in her direction as she made her way toward the waiting room.

“So, how's the alderman today?”

She smiled. “Busy.”

“Are you ever not busy?”

Ashley thought about that for a moment. “Not really.”

“That would have been my guess. You know if you don't slow down occasionally you will burn out and not have enough energy to save the world.”

“Save the world? I'm not trying to save the world.”

“Sure you are. What you're trying to do in Southriver is to save a part of the world.”

She'd never thought of it that way. “I'm just trying to help families in this neighborhood live better lives. That's all.”

“If you say so.”

Ashley stepped closer to him so that no one could accidentally overhear them. That was a mistake. She came to an abrupt stop. His aftershave smelled like citrus with a hint of spice. She forced herself not to inhale deeply. He didn't move away but instead he looked down at her. Her gaze flickered down and returned. They were uncomfortably close but she wasn't going to back away. “Dr. Bradford, your job isn't to evaluate me or concern yourself with what I do, but to run this clinic.”

“Why, yes, ma'am, Alderman Marsh.” He glanced behind him then leaned down as if he was going to kiss her and mumbled, “I believe your dog and pony show have arrived.” He stepped around her and headed down the hall.

What was his problem?

She had one as well. He left her tingling all over.

* * *

Kiefer tried to stay out of the way of Ashley and the reporter followed by the TV cameraman. Maybe if he remained busy, which wasn't a problem because he was, he wouldn't have to be involved. He'd stopped by the office to make a quick note on a patient when Ashley stuck her head in the door.

“Hey, do you mind coming in to see Mrs. McGuire? She's agreed to let us film her. We'd like to get you doing the examination.” She turned to leave.

Kiefer wasn't interested in being part of her publicity. He was a doctor and a professional. There were patients to see. He didn't have time for her PR show. “I don't think so.”

Her head popped back around the door. “What?”

“I'd rather not.”

She studied him for a second. “It'll just be for a few minutes. No big deal.”

Kiefer shook his head. “I don't think an examination of a patient is a place for a TV show.”