Learning Curves

Maddy noticed Cal wince, so she hastened on “But I guess it was a pretty bold thing of me to even ask. Especially since the university could officially ax us if we went too public with a relationship.” The administration frequently overlooked liaisons of that sort, but Madeline knew better than to risk her job, didn’t she? The whole idea had been crazy—a lame-brained attempt to fulfill a fantasy and to show her review committee she wasn’t such an inexperienced old maid after all. She tried to edge past him to the door. “I’d better get back to work now.”

“Maddy, wait.” He reached out to her, cupping a hand around each of her upper arms.

She wanted to keep on walking. But some emotion in his eyes proved even more compelling than his touch.

Madeline waited.

“I need to keep a low profile these days because I’m trying to gain custody of my half sister.” Cal let go of her, and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to a worn photo of a grinning preteen with braces. “Of course, she’s sixteen and twice as much trouble now.”

“She’s a half sister?” Madeline couldn’t help but be intrigued by this rare glimpse of Cal Turner’s private life, even if he had delivered a healthy blow to her ego tonight.

“After my mom left us, my dad married Allison’s mom and Allison was born a couple of years later.” Cal traced his thumb over the little girl’s smiling face before snapping the leather billfold closed. “We were pretty close, even after I left Tennessee, but when Dad and Allison’s mother died in that crash this spring…”

Madeline squeezed his hand, unsure what other comfort to give. “I know that hit you hard.”

Cal shrugged. “My dad and I had worked out our differences before then, but I know Allison is still pretty torn up. She stayed with her aunt for a few weeks and then called me to come get her. She moved in with me over the summer, and I’m trying to gain legal custody.”

“I bet that’s a project.” Madeline recalled her father’s headaches when he’d made a motion to obtain sole custody of his only daughter. Cal’s battle would no doubt be twice as hard.

“Especially when Allison’s aunt Delia is convinced I’m a bad influence.” Cal shook his head. “The woman has never forgiven me for riding around the neighborhood on a motorcycle when I was a teenager. You know those people who see a motorcycle and right away assume you’re a Hell’s Angel, ready to spirit away their daughters?”

Madeline had never seen a Hell’s Angel or been worried about anyone spiriting her off, but the idea sounded sort of exciting. She nodded, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“Anyway, Aunt Delia is contesting the motion and trying to prevent me from winning guardianship. Not that Delia wants to take care of Allison herself—she just can’t bear to see me win this suit.”

“What a nightmare.” Madeline couldn’t have felt like more of a heel for worrying about her problems when Cal’s seemed so much bigger. It also deflated her to realize that Cal hadn’t considered her a close enough friend to share this part of his personal life.

“And there are other hoops to jump through,” Cal continued. “Mostly because Allison’s a certifiable genius. She started classes here this semester.”

“Here? At U of L?”

Cal grinned, brotherly pride lighting his features. “She graduated high school early and now she’s tackling college.”

“A sixteen-year-old in college.” Madeline shook her head. “You have your hands full.”

“I don’t know, Maddy. Sometimes I think she’s more mature than me.”

Madeline knew a thing or two about gifted students, and she doubted that was the case. Highly intelligent people often hid social uncertainty behind a screen of erudite conversation. She didn’t share her insights with Cal, though. He had enough on his mind.

“But I wanted you to know what I’m trying to do so you’ll understand why I can’t take you up on a very tempting offer.” He lifted her hands to his lips and graced the back of each one with a chaste kiss. “I’ve got to mend a reputation that’s been a lifetime in the making, so I can’t take any chances making a splash on campus now. Especially with you being a grad student.”

Madeline nodded and pulled back her hands. She hadn’t given much thought to that particular issue. She’d known Cal before he’d even started teaching. “It’s okay. I mean, it would have been great if you could have helped me, but I’ll figure something out.”

Cal frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, I’ll come up with another plan to get my dissertation approved.” Her mind had already started to brainstorm, searching for a new approach to the problem as she backed toward the door.

He nodded and flashed her a wink. “Okay. Just as long as there are no more steamy propositions involved.”

Maybe the wretched happenings of her day had made her less circumspect than usual, but for some reason Madeline couldn’t suppress a wicked giggle. “As a purveyor of human mating rituals, steamy propositions are my new business, Cal.”

She pushed open the door, wondering why he was scowling. “Don’t worry about me. And good luck with your sister!”

As Madeline squeaked down the corridor in her sensible shoes, she tried not to think about how deliciously gratifying a night with Cal Turner would have been. She couldn’t very well force the man.

Instead, she focused on the new plan of action quickly taking shape in her head. Since she wouldn’t be gaining any notice—or notoriety—on the arm of the campus playboy, it was clearly time for Madeline Watson to invest in a red dress.

AS CAL STEPPED OUT of his vintage Chevy in the shopping mall parking lot the next day, he didn’t take any of his usual pleasure in the compliments strangers tossed his way.

He nodded in acknowledgment of one teen’s, “Nice ride, man,” but his heart wasn’t in it. His day at the new garage had been tormented with thoughts of Madeline. He’d attempted to suppress thoughts of her in the scramble to move into his new office, but no matter how hard he tried, he hadn’t been able to excise Maddy or her tempting request from his mind. He’d been awake half the night envisioning just how rewarding it would have been to take the Lady Scholar to his bed.

Not that he regretted his decision, he assured himself as he strode through the mall, peering into one store after another in search of his shopaholic half sister. Really, what choice did he have? Allison’s well-being meant more to him than his own. His first priority was to secure guardianship of her and to get her settled in school. He didn’t imagine Aunt Delia would send an investigator up from Tennessee to spy on him or anything, but he did worry that the social services department would watch him all the more closely because she was contesting his suit for custody. Who knew when they would track him down for a surprise visit?

Besides, Allison required some stability in her life again, and she needed to cultivate some pleasures besides shopping. That meant Cal needed to spend more time with her. An affair with Maddy, especially a very public affair, was out of the question.

Refusing to think about what man Maddy might approach next with her scheme, Cal concentrated on finding his sister and getting out of shopper’s heaven. His mother’s main passion in life was shopping, and she had dragged her only son with her day after day to indulge her addiction.

Or at least she had until his father’s money ran out and she’d moved on to more lucrative husbands. By Cal’s calculation, Mom was now on spouse number six, while Cal’s shopping aversion remained unchanged.

Allison’s voice cut through his brooding. “Over here, Cal!”

He located her in the food court, surrounded by packages and grinning triumphantly. Today, as always, she wore every conceivable gadget on her body—rings, bangles, handbag, scarf, hat, belt, pins. The theme today seemed to be “cowgirl,” because she wore a cowboy hat he’d never seen before, Western boots with a denim skirt, and about ten turquoise necklaces. The purse she carried looked like a saddlebag, complete with a silver sheriff’s star pinned to the brown leather strap.

“The Limited was having a sale,” she announced, gesturing toward the overflowing bags.

Cal hated to squash her enthusiasm, but she had to ease off the spending. He’d indulged her so far, because he couldn’t bear to say no to a grieving child, but he couldn’t see hocking his collection of classic cars to support Allison’s shopping addiction.

“We’ll talk about the mountain of purchases later.” He reached for the bags. “I need to get going, though, I—”

At her pout, he noticed her half-eaten bagel and full cup of soda.

“Okay.” He pulled out one of the metal chairs and straddled it, joining her at the small table. “Five minutes, but then I’ve got to take you home so I can go back to the garage.”

“Thanks, Cal.” Allison twirled her short blond braid between her fingers and launched into a description of her day, complete with imitations of her professors.

Cal relaxed for the first time since Maddy’s proposal, grateful for his sister’s ability to remind him of his priorities. Allison was smart, funny and warmhearted, and she deserved every bit of love and security Cal could give her.

The afternoon was improving by the minute until Cal caught sight of the women’s lingerie store just outside the food court. Or rather, the afternoon was improving until Cal caught sight of a particular woman entering the lingerie store directly behind Allison’s Stetson.

He would recognize the signature button-down shirt and slouchy skirt anywhere. Madeline Watson’s heavy leather shoes tread silently on the marble floor, allowing her to walk through life without turning any heads but his.

Cal forgot his promise to himself to not think about her. He lost track of Allison’s story as he watched Maddy through the clear glass of the store front window.

Her ethereal profile seemed all the more delicate in contrast to the large frames of her tortoiseshell glasses. Her dark hair twirled around her head in a seemingly endless spiral, finally tucking back down inside itself to form a weighty knot.

Cal’s fingers itched to touch that silky mass. Would it be as long as he imagined?

His gaze dropped lower, hungry for more of her, when his eyes encountered a sign that sent a flash fire through his veins.