Return of the Last McKenna (Harlequin Romance) by Shirley Jump Page B

memory of dancing with Brody, of
being in his strong, capable arms, pressed to his broad, muscled chest. He’d had
a sure step, a confident swing, and when she’d been in his arms, she’d felt—
    Safe. Treasured.
    Nope, nope, nope. Her goal today
involved real estate, not potential husbands.
    Still, a part of her really liked Brody. He’d told her not all
doctors were the same, and the more she got to know him, the more she wondered
if he was that one rare animal in the room. Could this man who volunteered in
needy areas, who’d taken the time to help a stressed out baker, could he be the
one for her? Or too good to be true?
    The last thing she wanted to do was repeat her mother’s
mistakes and rush into a relationship that was doomed from the start, then spend
the rest of her life fighting to make it into something it could never be.
Better to be cautious, to find a quiet, gentle man. Not one who sent her heart
into overdrive.
    Easier said than done.
    Kate fussed with her hair. Checked her lipstick twice.
Rethought her choice of a skirt instead of jeans at least a dozen times. Ever
since she’d met Brody, her mind had been working against her resolve to business
only. First peppering her dreams with images of him, then flashing to his smile,
his eyes, at the oddest times. She was hooked, and hooked but good.
    A little after one, the bell over the door rang, and Kate had
to force herself not to break out in a huge smile when Brody walked into the
shop. “You’re here early. I thought you said you wouldn’t be over until
three.”
    “My one o’clock appointment canceled, and I had an hour until
the next one, so I thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.”
    Thoughtful. Sweet. Because he liked her? “It’s been a busy
day.”
    “Too busy for lunch?” He held up a bag from a local sub
shop.
    She snatched it out of his hands. “Bless you. I was about to
eat the fixtures.” She glanced up at him, trying to read the intent behind his
blue eyes. “You’re always taking care of me.”
    “I’m trying to, Kate.” His gaze met hers and held.
    “Well, thank you.” The intensity in his eyes rocked her, and
she turned on her heel, heading for the kitchen, rather than deal with the
simmering tension between them.
    He followed her out back and sat across from her while she
ate.
    She finished up the sandwich. “Thank you again. I don’t think
I’ve ever eaten that fast in my life. And one more healthy meal from Doctor
McKenna. This is becoming a habit.”
    “All part of the service, ma’am.” He grinned. “Besides, it’ll
be on my bill.”
    She laughed. “Well maybe I should charge you for cupcakes
consumed.”
    “Who me?” He snatched one of the miniature ones she’d just
frosted, and popped it in his mouth. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Show me the evidence.”
    “I’ll do better than that.” She wagged a finger at him. “I’ll
make you work harder next time we’re in this kitchen.”
    He glanced around the room, at the stacks of orders on the
counter, the tubs of supplies waiting by the mixer. “If you want, we can tackle
whatever is on your To Do list after we see that property today.”
    “That would make for a really long day. Wouldn’t that interfere
with your plans?”
    “Plans?”
    A flush filled her cheeks. She got to her feet, and tossed her
trash into the bin. “Well, it’s Saturday and I didn’t want to assume you didn’t
have…” Push the words out, Kate, you’ll never know unless
you ask, “a date or anything.”
    “I don’t have a date.” He came over to her, lowered the apron
to the counter. “Not tonight.”
    “What about tomorrow night?” Who was this forward woman? Hadn’t
she vowed a thousand times not to get involved with a man like him? To be
cautious, look for someone who didn’t inspire her to run off to the nearest
bedroom? But a part of her wondered if Brody was different, if the risk in
falling for him would end in the kind of