The Mummy Makeover / Mummy for Hire: The Mummy Makeover / Mummy for Hire

Stormy hesitated a minute before asking, “Do you still have that baseball glove somewhere?”

Only one of the many keepsakes Erica had clung to in order to preserve the memories. “It’s in the cedar chest. Why?”

“Because I’m going to need it.”

“Show and tell?”

Stormy rolled her eyes. “We haven’t done that since first grade. I’m going to need it because Lisa wants me to play softball with her next spring. We’re supposed to sign up in January.”

Serious concerns came crashing down on Erica. “First of all, the glove’s too small. Secondly, you’ve never played softball before. Are you sure you’re up to it?”

Stormy stiffened, looking determined. “I can run fast and I can throw harder than a lot of boys. My P.E. teacher says I’m a natural athlete.”

If that happened to be true, Stormy had come by it genetically. Aside from Erica’s gymnastics acumen, Jeff had been a talented football player. Yet for years her daughter had been held back by her physical deficits. She had no right to hold her back now, but still…“Before you sign up for anything, we need to check with Dr. Millwood. You can ask him when you have your appointment in February.”

“They’ll pick the teams before then, Mom.” Stormy unconsciously touched the top of the vertical scar peeking out from the parting in her pajama top. “Besides, he told me the last time I saw him that I could do anything I was big enough to do, and I’m big enough, and well enough, to play softball. I can practice with Lisa. It’ll give me something to do while you’re training with Kieran.”

The time had come to let her daughter down easy, at least on one front. “I promise I’ll consider the softball issue, sweetie. But I don’t think the training is going to work for me right now.”

“You aren’t going to do it?” Stormy said, both her tone and expression reflecting her displeasure.

“Maybe later.” Or never. “But I really love that you wanted to do this for me.”

Stormy pulled her legs to her chest, rested her chin on her knees and gave her a mournful look. “Daddy would’ve wanted you to stay in shape. He would’ve wanted me to play softball.”

A masterful manipulation if Erica had ever heard one, even if Stormy happened to be right. Nothing would have pleased Jeff more than to see his daughter excel at sports and his wife maintain a healthy lifestyle, and her weight. “I realize that, but I don’t want you to get hurt if you’re not ready for sports.”

Stormy climbed out of the bed and propped her hands on her hips. “Just because you’re afraid doesn’t mean I have to be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid. I’m only concerned for your well-being, Stormy.”

“You are too afraid!” Stormy stomped her foot, something she had never done before. “Lisa says you’re paranoid, and she’s right. You’re afraid I’m going to get hurt and you’re afraid to let Kieran train you because you’re afraid of guys. You’re afraid of everything, Mom. And I’m afraid I’m going to be stuck in this house with you until I’m too old to have any fun.”

With that, Stormy spun around and headed down the hall, her hair wagging with a vengeance against her back.

On the verge of tears, Erica leaned back against the headboard and released a broken breath that bordered on a sob.

In some ways, Stormy was right—she was afraid. Her daughter would never know how many nights she’d stayed awake and watched each breath she took, fearful it could be her last. How afraid she’d been when she’d received the call informing her that her husband would never be coming home. That fear had admittedly driven her to be too overprotective, but she couldn’t stomach the thought of something happening to her baby girl, the most important person in her life.

One thing she did know—Stormy had been wrong about her fear of Kieran. She wasn’t afraid of him at all. She was afraid of how he made her feel in the short time she’d been around him. Afraid of acknowledging that she was highly attracted to a man, as if she was somehow being unfaithful to Jeff.

Still, she couldn’t imagine Kieran would persist if she didn’t go through with the training. At least she hoped not. She’d had enough trouble explaining her reasons for refusing to her daughter. She couldn’t battle them both.

“Stormy’s here, and someone else is here to see you, girlfriend.”

Erica stopped restocking the therapy room and took a quick glance at the clock before depressing the intercom on the wall. “My next appointment’s not due for another half hour, Megan.”

“He’s not here for a massage. He says he’s the dancing pizza man. Do you want me to call the cops?”

Erica’s heart did a little skip-beat rumba over the thought of seeing Kieran O’Brien again. Apparently an impatient Kieran O’Brien since less than twenty-four hours had passed since he made the offer. Oh, well. She might as well tell him face-to-face no thanks to the training, and be done with it. “Law enforcement isn’t necessary. I’ll come downstairs to meet him.”

And down the stairs Erica went, practically sprinting. She slowed her steps when she reached the second landing because she certainly didn’t want him to believe she was excited to see him. Yet when she paused at the bottom of the staircase and caught sight of him entering the salon area, she could barely catch a normal breath. She certainly wasn’t the only one who’d noticed him.

From the stylists’ stations lining both sides of the lengthy aisle, clients and beauticians alike snapped their heads around, risking whiplash. And those who didn’t simply studied him in the mirrors’ reflections, including Mrs. Weldon, a seventy-something Houston icon who’d come in for her weekly shampoo and style. Several mouths dropped open, and the once-boisterous conversations quieted to a low murmur, although Erica wouldn’t be surprised to hear a round of catcalls.

She couldn’t blame them one bit. Who wouldn’t notice a good-looking, well-built guy wearing a fairly fitted T-shirt that showcased his perfect torso and loose black workout pants that concealed what she could only assume were a pair of unbelievably toned legs and thighs? The unruly hair and eternally shadowed jaw only added to the perfect physical package. All he needed was a sword to complete the pirate persona.

Arms dangling at his sides, he continued forward without hesitation, with all the confidence of a man who possessed the catalyst that could bring a woman to her knees in worship—undeniable masculine beauty. He kept his dark eyes leveled on hers, causing Erica to clasp the front of her white coat closed to cover what he would definitely find lacking in her body.

When he reached her, Erica managed a weak smile. “What a nice surprise, Mr. Pizza Man. Are you here for a cut and style, or are you just checking the place out?”

“I came specifically to see you.” He glanced over his shoulder before regarding her again. “Can we go someplace more private where we can talk?”

This sounded like serious business, spurring Erica’s curiosity. If luck prevailed, he was taking back the offer, relieving her of the responsibility of declining. And for some reason, that filled her with a touch of regret. “We can go upstairs. I need to get the bed ready.” Would someone please save her from the Freudian faux pas? “I meant I need to prepare the room for my next client.”

He rewarded her with a grin. “I knew what you meant.”

She waved a hand toward the staircase. “Right this way.”

Erica would have preferred to follow behind him, but since he had no idea where he was going, she had no choice but to lead the way and hope he wasn’t totally turned off by her derriere. After they reached the top floor, she navigated the mazelike hallway while chatting incessantly about the various therapies going on behind closed doors, from European facials to peppermint body wraps.

After drawing a breath, she paused at the place that housed the wet area. “We have his-and-hers saunas, but the owner only installed one whirlpool. I’m hoping she eventually adds another to allow for segregating the genders.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with men and women hanging out in the same hot tub,” he said, the first words he’d uttered since she’d begun the tour.

Spoken like a guy. “Some women would prefer not to mingle with men while in their swimsuits.” She would be one of them.

“You have a point.”

She also had an appointment in less than twenty minutes, and that sent her to the end of the corridor. “This is my domain,” she said as she opened the door.

Kieran followed her inside, and while she stood at the head of the narrow bed, he walked around the room, investigating all the trappings that came with the job. After a time, he turned and leaned back against the bureau. “You know how to set the mood.”

“Excuse me?”

He took another visual jaunt around the area. “Soft music, candlelight, massage oil. A lot of bare flesh.”

“Middle-aged executives with hairy backs.”

His smile arrived, but only halfway, with full effect. “Now you’ve gone and ruined it for me.”

She moved to the opposite side of the room, putting the bed between them. “It’s not that kind of a massage parlor, Kieran. It’s therapy, although I will do a Swedish massage if someone prefers more relaxation than rehabilitation.”

“You mean if they’re wimps.”

She pulled a set of sheets from the cabinet behind her before facing him again. “Some people would prefer not to have their pressure points manipulated.”

He moved closer to the bed. “I don’t mind a good manipulation of my pressure points now and then.”

If he was like most men, he had one particular pressure point in mind. Not that she was totally averse to the prospect. “I’d be glad to give you a good therapeutic massage.” And hoped she survived it. “Just stop at the front desk on your way out and make an appointment.”

“You can’t work me in today?”

“I have a client coming in shortly, remember?”

“Define shortly.”

She took another quick glance at the clock. “Fifteen minutes or so.”

“What can you do for me in fifteen minutes?”

Surely he wasn’t serious. “I’d barely get past your neck.”

“Some other time then.” He planted his palms firmly on the bed’s unmade surface. “I’d definitely want my back done.”

She smiled. “Is it hairy?”

“No. Want to check it out?”

Boy, did she ever. “I trust you. Now please tell me why you’re really here.” Other than to make her relatively large work space seem very small, especially when he leaned over and propped his folded arms on the table while angling his body away.

“I thought I’d plead my case about the benefits of physical fitness,” he said.

So much for him withdrawing his services. “I know all the benefits, but I also know that my time is at a premium these days.”

“Did you stop to consider how much your daughter wants you to do this?”

“She mentioned that to me last night.” Under no uncertain terms.

“She’s the one who convinced me to try again with you.”

Apparently her daughter had borrowed someone’s cell phone. “I’m sorry she called and bothered you.”

“She didn’t call. She came to the gym again this afternoon with the Conrads and asked me if I could give her a ride over here.”

That was worse than a phone call. “She did what?”

He straightened and raised his hands as if to ward her off. “Before you decide to march into the waiting room and ground her, you need to hear me out.”

A grounding was definitely in Stormy’s future, but she agreed to hear him out first. “I’m listening.”

“Stormy’s worried about your health and your happiness. She honestly thinks that a fitness program will help you with both, and she’s right. You can’t fault her for wanting what’s best for you.”

No, Erica couldn’t. In fact, she was deeply touched by her child’s concerns, even if she didn’t care for Stormy’s persistence. “I understand why she’s worried, but I’m still not sure I can go through with this.”

“Yes, you can, with my help. In a month’s time, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to get with the program.”

In a way, she recognized he was probably right and almost voiced that when the sound of a shrill ring interrupted both her thoughts and the conversation.

After Kieran tugged the cell from his pocket and flipped it open, he muttered a harsh, “Yeah.”

Trying not to eavesdrop, Erica straightened a few things on the shelf as Kieran spoke to the party on the other line. But she couldn’t ignore the bitterness in his tone when he said, “I don’t have time for this right now.”

When Erica faced him again, Kieran remained silent, the tension almost palpable. His current problems, whatever they might be, definitely superceded Erica’s decision. “If you need to take care of business, Kieran, we can talk about this later.”

He pocketed the cell and said, “Not business—my brother. Kevin believes his schedule is more important than mine when he wants something. And he always wants something.”

Granted, Erica didn’t have a great relationship with her own brother, but that stemmed from a substantial age difference and general apathy. “Do I detect some sibling hostility?”

“We’re twins, and let’s just say I’m tired of taking the flak for his mistakes.”

“Identical twins?” Erica had a hard time believing that another version of this stunning guy walked the streets of Houston.

“Yeah. People have always had trouble telling us apart. Especially women.”

“I could see where that might be a problem, particularly with a woman involved.”

“And that’s happened more than once,” he said. “A few years ago, I was in a bar and a woman came up and slapped me. It took me an hour’s worth of explanation and buying her two drinks before she finally believed I wasn’t the one who slept with her, then dumped her.”

Erica sensed a solid case of good twin, evil twin. “He’s really that bad?”

“He’s spoiled. My mother catered to him because when we were born, she almost lost him. And since then, he’s always been perfect in her eyes.” The hint of resentment in his tone was unmistakable. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go off on that.”

“I understand it completely. There’s nothing like that bond between mother and child.” Even at the ripe old age of twenty, Erica had realized that the first time she’d held her newborn daughter. And she could definitely relate to almost losing a baby. “Speaking of kids, I need to get a move on, otherwise I’m going to stay behind all afternoon. That means getting Stormy home late.”

He surveyed her face from forehead to chin before centering his gaze on her eyes. “You haven’t given me an answer yet.”

That’s because she didn’t have one, although she was heading toward the affirmative. “I’m still concerned about working it into my schedule.”

“I’ve come up with a plan that should help with that. I can come to your place for a jog in the morning to take care of the cardio, then you can come to the gym in the evening for strength training.”

He was definitely being accommodating, something Erica couldn’t help but appreciate. “That might work. I’ll think about it and let you know by tomorrow.”

He rounded the table and stood by her side. “Don’t give yourself more time to obsess over it, Erica. Say you’re going to do it right now. You’d don’t have to be afraid of it.”

You’re afraid of everything, Mom.

Erica tried to discard her daughter’s indictment, without success. As a few moments of nagging indecision passed, she hugged the bedding closer to her chest while Kieran continued to stare at her, assessing her, dissecting her.

“Okay. I’ll do it,” she said, before she had time to make more excuses.

Kieran didn’t look the least bit surprised. But then, he’d probably known all along he’d eventually wear her down. “Good. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be at your place at 7:00 a.m. In the meantime, have your doctor fax me a consent form stating you’re healthy enough to start the program. The fax number’s on the card I gave you. Do you still have it?”

She felt the urge to salute, or to drop the sheets from a sudden desire to explore all his prime bulk with her hands. Fortunately, she did neither. “Yes, I have the card, but I told you I’m not a morning person.”

“And I told you if you try it, you’ll like it. Besides, tomorrow’s Saturday.”

His determination was second only to Stormy’s. “I still have to be at work by ten, and I need to wash and dry my hair, which takes a while. Could we wait and begin on Monday? That would give me more time to get used to the idea.”

“The longer you put it off, the more time you have to change your mind,” he said. “I’ll be over at six instead of seven and we can do some preliminary prep before we go for a run. That should give you ample time to get ready for work.”

Lovely. A crack-of-dawn jog didn’t sound at all inviting to an out-of-shape, thirty-year-old woman. “What kind of preliminary prep are you referring to? Aside from the usual stretching.”

“I have a form for you to fill out about your overall health and I’m going to take your measurements and calculate your body fat. I’ll weigh you tomorrow at the gym.”

Erica’s mouth dropped open momentarily before she said, “That’s like saying you’re going to read my diary.”

He had the nerve to grin. “Do you have a diary?”

As a matter of fact, she did. A very private journal that she kept hidden away in her lingerie drawer. “That’s none of your business, and neither are my measurements.” A hot flush flowed over her cheeks when she realized how ridiculous that sounded.

Now he appeared frustrated. “Look, unless we have a starting point, we won’t know how much progress you’ve made. And if you’re worried what I’m going to think, believe me, I know a lot of women who’d kill for your body.”

Oh, sure. “How would you know? You haven’t really seen it.”

“Trust me, I know.” His gaze wandered to her breasts for a split second before he returned his attention to her eyes. “Some things you can’t hide, even with baggy clothes. You have to learn to embrace your body type because no one has a perfect body. You only need to drop a few pounds and do some toning.”

He might change his mind about that once he wrapped a tape measure around her hips. “All right. You can take my measurements, as long as you promise not to stare.” Or laugh.

He raised one hand in oath. “I promise I’ll be totally professional.”

“Fine. Now I have to finish readying the room. And since you’ve detained me, you can help me make the bed.”

He returned to the opposite side of the table and favored her with another blatantly sexy smile. “Not a problem. I’m good with sheets.”

He was likely good between the sheets, and that was a place Erica didn’t dare go with Kieran, even if the thought had crossed her mind.

The desire that had been dormant for years sprung to life—followed by the usual measure of guilt. The same guilt she’d experienced when she’d considered dating in the past. Yet she couldn’t help but believe that meeting Kieran O’Brien could be the springboard she needed to move forward into a future that didn’t revolve solely around work and her child. That alone gave her some serious resolve.

Not only would she do this for Stormy, she was going to do it for herself.

After all, how hard could it be?

Chapter Three

Crawling out of bed before dew covered the lawn was as bad as forgetting to buy coffee, which Erica had, and that only encouraged her bout of irritability. On top of everything else, she’d barely finished dressing, brushing her teeth, washing her face and fashioning her hair into a misshapen ponytail before the doorbell rang.

Erica muttered a few choice oaths on her way to answer the summons, most aimed at Kieran’s early arrival. Yet before she opened the door, she plastered on a fake smile that slowly withered with one look at him.

With his dark, longish, slightly damp hair and buff body, he could easily be mistaken for a gladiator, regardless of the clipboard clutched in his hand and absent loin cloth. She briefly wondered what he might look like in a loin cloth while resisting the urge to take a downward visual excursion. Instead, she kept her attention fixed midchest on his hooded navy sweatshirt. Even in standard workout apparel, he could put most men to shame, while she resembled something Diner might drag in from the Dumpster.

When he said, “Mornin’,” Erica found him to be much too chipper for the crack of dawn—correction—sliver of dawn since the skies showed only limited light.

“You’re ten minutes early.” Her tone sounded unmistakably prickly, from lack of both sleep and caffeine.

He checked his watch and had the gall to grin. “Guess I am. Want me to wait in my car until six?”

Not such a bad idea at that, but one she couldn’t in good conscience consider. After all, he was accommodating her schedule, not his, even if he had shown up at an obscene hour. “Not necessary. Come on in.”

She held the door open wide while he passed by her, bringing with him a burst of cool air and a noticeably clean scent. Not that she intended to notice anything about him, but her intentions ran amok when she followed behind him and realized he was wearing shorts—to-the-knee shorts—that offered her a fine glimpse of his equally fine calves.

“Are you nuts?” she asked once they entered the den.

His frown indicated he thought she might be. “Excuse me?”

She waved a hand toward his legs. Bare, muscular, enticing, hairy legs. “You’re not wearing pants.”

Kieran looked down as if he didn’t have a clue what he was wearing. “I prefer to run in shorts. Is there a problem with that?”

Erica could think of one big problem—her wandering eyeballs. “Seems to me it’s a bit cold to go outside half-dressed.”

“It’s almost fifty degrees right now, and the highs are going to reach seventy today.”

So much for the first seasonal cold front. “That’s what I love about Texas, frigid one day, sweltering the next. Makes me miss the Oklahoma ice storms.”

“You really aren’t a morning person, are you?”

She felt a tad bit ashamed of her attitude. “Unfortunately, no. But by noon, I’m a really nice person.”

“Since I won’t be here at noon, I’ll take your word for it.” He offered her the clipboard. “I received the form from your doctor, but I still need you to fill out this medical history. It’s only a few general questions.”

A few hundred health questions, Erica realized when she took it from him and perused the text. “Looks like our first jog will have to wait if you expect me to answer all of these.”

“It won’t take that long if you hurry.”

“I’ll try, but remember, I’m barely coherent.”

Erica took a seat on the sofa while Kieran claimed the wellworn brown suede lounge chair across from her. Jeff’s favorite chair—just one more thing she hadn’t had the heart to discard.

Getting back to the business at hand, she answered no to almost all of the queries about her physical condition, then stopped short when she came to the part about her weight. “I’m not sure how much I weigh.”

“Leave it blank. Like I said, I’m going to weigh you this evening and we’ll fill it in then. Since you’ve got to be at work, I’ve decided to wait and do the rest of the assessment at the club.”

Meaning he’d handed her a short reprieve from having her measurements taken and her body fat calculated. Even so, she’d still rather eat dirt. “Fine.”

Going back to the forms, she answered the intimate questions with serious trepidation, read the complex waiver and signed on the dotted line before handing it back to him. “Now that you know my extremely personal history, what’s next?”

He set the forms on the table, slapped his hands on his thighs and stood. “We’re going to start off easy. Just a short jog to the park up the street and back.”

Erica could already feel her muscles begin to protest. “The park up the street is at least five blocks away. How am I supposed to manage that?”