All I Need (Hearts of the South) Read online

  “We’ll get you a stool.”

  “I’m out of practice.”

  “You have two weeks. We’ll do old favorites.” Troy Lee shrugged, a grin lurking at his mouth. “Be ready.”

  Emmett stabbed his fork into his potato salad. “I really hate you sometimes.”

  Bennett nodded, his face set in solemn lines. “Yeah, me too.”

  “It’s unanimous.” Clark glanced at Troy Lee and chuckled. “I bet Chris would vote with us.”

  “Some friends you guys are.” Shaking his head, Troy Lee flipped all of them the finger, and rich male laughter hovered over the table throughout the remainder of their meal.

  * * * * *

  Southwest Georgia’s summer heat lingered into late September. Leaves turned straight to brown and dropped to sidewalks that radiated the sun’s warmth even in early evening. Sweat trickled down Savannah’s spine and formed damp pools under each breast in her sports bra. She slanted a wry look at her sister, walking beside her. “Tell me again how this is better than yoga?”

  “Maybe not better than yoga.” Amy brushed her damp bangs away from her forehead. Perspiration glistened on her upper lip, and she lifted her water bottle for a long swallow. “But you’re not supposed to talk during yoga. We can have a conversation while we do this.”

  “How about next time we wait until the heat index isn’t so high?”

  Amy laughed and bumped Savannah’s shoulder with her own. “You know you’ve missed walking with me.”

  Savannah admitted no such thing. When they’d both lived in Valdosta, these evening walks had been a sisterly ritual, a time for chatting and laughing, sharing and weeping. She had missed this, but letting Amy know she was right could be a recipe for disaster.

  “So, is this transfer as bad as you feared?” Amy glanced both ways at the intersection of Broad and Harney Streets, and they hustled to cross against the light.

  Enjoying the momentary cooling shade of a magnolia tree, Savannah pondered the question. When Southwest Georgia Medical had bought out a set of small hospitals in the counties close to Lowndes, she’d dreaded being transferred away from the ER she’d served for three years. She’d thought being closer to her sister would be the only positive, but she had to admit Coney had its own charm.

  “Not really, but I don’t want to stay here forever. The staff at the hospital is great, even though they really need to hire on some more nurses. Small towns are not my thing, but at least there’s a coffee shop and a decent grocery store. The parks are pretty.” She let a half-smile, half-smirk curve her mouth. “So’s my neighbor.”

  “Really?” Amy’s bright pageant-princess smile lit her entire face. “That’s awesome.”

  “I said he was pretty, not welcoming. He’s kind of grouchy, but that may be because he’s recuperating. You could tell he was in pain when I got to introduce myself last night, and he had a cane with him this morning. He has a nice smile, though.”

  “Oooh, you could help him recuperate.” The pageant-princess smile took on a decidedly naughty note. “You know, give him the benefit of your vast knowledge of human anatomy.”

  Amy’s enthusiasm could only be described as infectious, and Savannah laughed despite herself. She wouldn’t mind exploring Emmett’s anatomy at all. His rugged features—a square jaw, high cheekbones, and thin lips—kept him from being too pretty, and those blue eyes of his were gorgeous, contrasting with thick, tobacco-brown hair. He had lovely hands, too, long-fingered and capable-looking. And nice forearms, leanly muscled and dusted with brown hair. Lord, the possibilities. Plus, he seemed smart. Grad school and involved in reading? She loved nothing more than an intelligent, good-looking man.

  He was younger than she was, probably midtwenties to her thirty-four, but what the hell? She wasn’t looking for a lifetime commitment.

  Shaking her head, she grimaced. “You’re not helping. I miss sex, and he makes me think of it.”

  Amy sketched an airy gesture with her water bottle. “So ask him out.”

  “I did, very subtly, and he was not-so-subtly not interested.” Savannah sighed, indulged the disappointment a moment, then shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m sure there are other eligible men in this forsaken place.”

  “A coffee shop and a decent grocery store, remember?” Amy’s brown eyes gleamed with a familiar teasing light. “Somewhere here there is one eligible man who’d be thrilled to date an independent professional woman who admits to liking sex.”

  Savannah rolled her eyes.

  “I could have Rob find you one.” The eagerness of having a new plan to execute suffused Amy’s voice. “There has to be somebody he works with that—”

  “Uh, no.” As much as she loved her brother-in-law and actually respected his opinion, he owed her some major payback for the hell she’d given him over a certain ER visit a couple years back. She was not providing him that opportunity. “I’ll just look where most women do. You know, bars, grocery stores, and church.”

  Well, maybe not church, since her idea of a relationship no longer involved happily ever after. She didn’t need to get tangled up with a guy who wanted vows and forever-and-always. Friendly companionship and a little hot sex—that was all she needed. Besides, to look for a man at church, one had to actually go to church, which she hadn’t done in well over two years. She didn’t intend to get tangled up with that either.

  Their conversation shifted to other topics—work, their parents, Amy and Rob’s nearly yearlong adoption process—as they wrapped up the last block of their walk. Amy wrangled a promise for Savannah to come cook with her one night later in the week, and they parted with a hug despite being sticky and too warm. The Adirondack chair next to Emmett’s door sat empty, his curtains drawn, even though a now-familiar Ford truck sat in the spot assigned to his apartment.

  Inside her still-new home, the blessed flow of air conditioning greeted Savannah. She glanced at the kitchen and headed straight for the shower. Cooking was not on her menu tonight. She stripped off her athletic wear while the water warmed. Pondering takeout versus trying a new restaurant, she stepped beneath the spray. The little retro diner a couple of blocks away looked cute and interesting. She’d try that, maybe pick up a movie from the rental kiosk outside the drugstore on her way home. No romantic comedies, no romantic tragedies…nothing romantic, period.

  Shower over, she left her face bare except for moisturizer, a smudge of eyeliner, and a quick coat of mascara. She half-dried her hair and pulled it into the messy twist she preferred when in the ER. Dressed in cuffed boyfriend jeans and a black T-shirt, she considered sparkly flat sandals versus the sexy black pumps she’d bought on her last girls’ day with her mom and sister. She reached for the heels because, dammit, she’d been dying to wear them and it wasn’t like they were appropriate footwear for the ER. She snagged her pearl studs from her small jewelry box and let a fingertip trail for only a moment over the sparkling diamond solitaire nestled in the blue velvet. On a deep breath, she closed the lid before she slung her leather bag on her shoulder and headed out.

  She swung the front door open to find herself face-to-face with Emmett. Her heart thudded hard with surprise, and her breath whooshed out. His blue eyes widened, and she laughed, a hand to her chest. “Oh, dear God, you startled me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Thought I’d take you up on that beer and getting to know one another but…” His voice died away, and his gaze trailed over her, a distinctly masculine visual inventory. “You’re going out.”

  “By myself, to grab some dinner.” She still sounded a little breathless, but more from attraction and awareness now. His perusal skimmed back over her hips and breasts to her face. Okay, so maybe he was more interested than he originally let on. That could be a very good thing. She graced him with a wide smile. “You’re welcome to join me.”

  He rubbed a finger over his stubbled jaw. “Um, sure.”

  “Wonderful.” She twirled her key ring around her finger. “I was planning to try the
little diner over on Scott Street.”

  “Sounds good.” Oh, she liked the raspy quality of his voice. Small lines fanned out from his blue eyes, made even brighter by his untucked white buttondown, sleeves cuffed to reveal those muscled forearms. The hems of his jeans frayed above leather Reefs. Heavens, she might just understand Amy’s assertion that feet could be sexy. The cane was nowhere in sight.

  With an unspoken reminder that they were going for dinner, not a couple of rounds of hot, sweaty sex, she held her keys aloft. “Ready?”

  “Yeah, let me lock the door.” Any limp was minor as she watched him walk away. She doubted he used the cane every day.

  In the car, silence and cool air flowed around them. The quiet wasn’t uncomfortable, so she didn’t break it during the scant minutes it took to reach the diner. She found a spot on the street close to the door and met him at the front of the car. A young couple exiting the diner greeted Emmett with smiles and curious glances at her.

  Emmett returned the pleasantries and held the door, ushering her in with a gesture. The interior, decorated in campy, fun fifties-retro style, was packed with patrons, but they managed to find a small table in the second dining room. Savannah smiled up at a black-and-white poster of Marilyn Monroe, all pouty lips and sex appeal. “This is great. A little like that place in Pulp Fiction.”

  “Yeah, it’s a fun place.” Emmett reached for the laminated menus tucked behind the napkin dispenser and handed her one. “They have live music most Friday nights.”

  “I’ll have to remember that.” She perused the standard diner fare offerings—burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches—and pursed her lips. “What’s good?”

  “Just about anything.” His voice emerged huskier than normal, and she glanced up to catch his gaze on her mouth. She smiled and dropped her attention to the menu again.

  After they’d ordered and the server had brought their drinks, Savannah folded her hands on the table. He’d stretched his leg out to one side and rubbed idly at the muscles in his thigh. The lights overhead glinted off his thick hair, the kind a woman wanted to ruffle. “So, grad school while you’re recuperating.”

  “Kind of.” He shrugged, broad shoulders rolling under white cotton. “I’d already started the online program part-time before, and I figured it was a good time to start taking a full load.”

  She sipped her water. “May I ask what happened?”

  “Got shot working a domestic. I’d been cleared to go back on light duty, but then I got an infection and needed another surgery.” He tilted his glass, gaze on the lemon floating among the ice cubes. “And sometimes I’m afraid I’m pretty much out of a patrol car for good, but I’m working toward it, although I doubt it’ll be at Coney’s PD. Small department, and they couldn’t hold my car open forever. My physical therapist says my progress is good, though.”

  “I’m sorry.” She’d spent enough time with her sister and brother-in-law to realize how much personal identity got wrapped up with a law-enforcement career. “It’s hard when things out of our control throw our lives off course.”

  “Tell me about it.” His chest moved with a deep breath, and he shook his head on a smile. “I put in my resume for a couple of administrative jobs today.”

  “I wish you the best. I hope something works out for you.”

  The server arrived, arranging plates of before them. Savannah shook out her napkin and laid it in her lap. The food looked good—basic, but fresh and well prepared. Emmett reached for the pepper and sprinkled it over his fries. “So you’re in medicine?”

  Savannah speared a blueberry from the fruit cup accompanying her chicken wrap. “ER doctor.”

  One eyebrow lifted, he eyed her a moment. “What are you doing here?”

  “Having dinner and getting to know you.” She winked, then shrugged. “The hospital system I work for bought out several smaller medical centers. Chandler was one of them, and they transferred me over to smooth the transition in the ER. So here I am. My sister’s here, though, so that’s good. Do you have siblings?”

  “A sister. She and her husband live in Tallahassee.” Eyes going a little cool and guarded, he bit into his burger. “My parents recently retired to Orlando of all places.”

  “My mom keeps trying to get my dad to retire. He won’t give in.” She lifted another bite of fruit. “Not even for the promise of twenty-four-seven golf.”

  They indulged in leisurely conversation while they ate, swapping likes and dislikes. They paid separate tickets, and outside on the sidewalk, Savannah rummaged in her bag for her keys.

  “Do you mind if we walk a minute first?” Emmett massaged his outer leg. “Sometimes I need to stretch out the muscles after sitting.”

  “Of course.” The heat had dissipated somewhat, leaving behind an evening perfect for a twilight stroll. The town square offered a variety of storefronts to peek into while ambling along the sidewalks, and they weren’t the only couple taking advantage of the late-evening breeze. Only they weren’t a couple, Savannah reminded herself. He walked beside her, leaving a decorous distance between them. It was okay—a girl needed friends too. Even if this particular friend was attractive as hell. She’d focus on his skill at conversation and his sly humor rather than wondering how skilled he was at other activities.

  A bright display of beach reads in the bookstore window caught her eye. Among them was her favorite suspense author, mainly because she could count on there being no romance in the text. “Oh, look, they have the new one by Clarissa Penrod in paperback. I wanted a copy to read by the pool, but I don’t like to take my tablet near the water. Do you mind if we go in?”

  A quick grimace, gone before she was sure she saw it, crossed his face before he reached for the door. “Sure.”

  Inside, scents of lavender and sage wrapped around them. Muted light gleamed on polished wooden floors and plush couches offered a spot to relax and preview a book, and Savannah sighed. “This is wonderful.”

  “Yeah.” A tight note invaded his voice. “It’s a nice place.”

  She darted a quick glance at him. “Should we—”

  “Can I help you…oh, Emmett. Hey.” The sweet female voice shifted from welcoming to extremely uncomfortable in record time. Savannah glanced from Emmett to the young blonde, who was brushing her hair away from her face in an awkward gesture.

  Yep, they’d been a couple at one time, and apparently that breakup had not been pretty.

  “Hey.” Emmett tucked his hands in his back pockets. “Lacey, this is Savannah. She was interested in one of the books you have in the window.”

  “Awesome.” Lacey latched on to the change of subject, her expression clearly relieved. She turned a bright smile on Savannah. “Which one?”

  “The new Clarissa Penrod.”

  “It’s great. I think you’ll love it. I’ll get you one.” Lacey gestured around the store. “Anything else you’re interested in or do y’all want to browse or…you know, whatever?”

  “The Penrod is fine.” Savannah took pity on her. Wow, that had to have been a really bad breakup. She looked Emmett and shrugged. “Unless you wanted to look around?”

  “I’m good.” His muted chuckle bordered on a snort. “I’m a regular at the local library, and I have enough required reading for at least three months.”

  Checking out didn’t take long as Lacey seemed nervous and almost desperate to end the interaction, although Emmett had wandered to the front of the store to browse the nonfiction shelves.

  With her purchase tucked in a brown paper shopping bag, Savannah grinned at him once they were outside. “She’s an ex, right?”

  “Oh, yeah.” He tucked his hand under her elbow and steered her toward the diner and her car. “I mean, sort of. We’d been dating a couple of months when I got shot. The long haul of it was a little more than she could stand.”

  “You’re lucky, then.”

  He glanced at her askance, his palm still a warm contact at her elbow. “That she dumped me?”

  “
That she didn’t stay until you were more emotionally invested and then dump you.”

  He laughed, a deep rumble that built in his chest and shook his shoulders. “Thanks.”

  “You don’t seem any the worse for wear, Emmett.” She could feel his laughter through the light connection of his hand. “But I’m serious. Obviously, she wasn’t that invested in the relationship, and she could have stayed out of guilt, which I’ve seen people do when someone is sick or injured. Then, they leave anyway, and the patient is bereft for lack of a better word.”

  “I’m not bereft over Lacey.” A small frown brought his brows together. “I’m not sure I ever was. The only thing that makes it uncomfortable is that the whole town knows, and they all seem to think I should be bereft.”

  “Small towns are the pits.” She used the remote to unlock the car. He opened the driver’s door, waited until she was behind the wheel, then walked around to ease into the passenger seat. She fired the engine and smiled as cool air washed over them. “I’m glad we did this.”

  “Me too.” He shifted sideways in his seat, pale blue gaze holding hers. “This wasn’t a date.”

  Back to uninterested. She reached for the gearshift. “No, it wasn’t.”

  “Too bad.” His warm hand covered hers on the shift lever. Her gaze jerked to his, and a lazy smile quirked at his mouth. “Because I damn sure want to kiss you good night.”

  Chapter Two

  “It’s mutual.” Her warm fingers flexed under his on the gearshift, but for once, that perfect mouth didn’t have a smile. “I’m not looking for a traditional dating relationship, Emmett. I’d like to spend time with you, and I’m not averse to exploring the physical side of things.”

  “You’re suggesting we be fuck buddies?”

  “If we decide we’re that attracted, sure.” She shrugged. “If not, we hang out and stay friends.”

  His brain felt somewhat like it was short-circuiting. “That’s a little cold, Savannah.”

  “I don’t want to be emotionally invested.”