Surprise Partners

“Um…good night.” She was relieved that her voice didn’t squeak.

She locked the door behind him and then sagged against it, lifting her fingertips to her tingling cheek.

Friends, she reminded herself again. That was all either of them wanted to be. Right?

“How long have you been seeing her? Are you serious about her?”

Still groggy from being awakened early by his sister’s telephone call, Scott ran a hand through his hair and leaned back against his pillows, his bedsheets pooled around his waist. “You woke me up this early on a weekend morning just to grill me about Lydia?”

“C’mon, Scott. It’s almost nine o’clock. Just how late do you want to sleep?”

Thinking of all the nights he’d gotten by lately with little more than a couple hours rest, he sighed. “It isn’t often I get a chance to sleep in.”

“Then I’m sorry I woke you. So, um, is anyone in bed with you?”

“Damn it, Heather, what kind of question is that?”

“A nosy one,” she admitted.

“No kidding. And—not that it’s any of your business—no, there’s no one in the bed with me.”

“Good.”

Something in her firm response made him frown. Remembering that Lydia had decided Heather didn’t like her, Scott asked, “Why are you calling to ask so many questions about Lydia? Didn’t you like her?”

“I suppose she was nice enough.”

“What’s wrong with her?” he demanded in exasperation with her decidedly tepid endorsement.

“Nothing’s wrong with her. I repeat, she seemed nice. Just—”

“Just what?”

“I’m not sure she’s right for you. Nothing personal against her, of course, but the two of you just seem ill-matched. I have a feel for that sort of thing, you know. Some of my friends say I’m almost psychic when it comes to relationship stuff. I know how stubborn you are when it comes to fix-ups, but there’s this really great woman I think you should meet. She’s funny and sweet and—”

“I don’t get it,” Scott broke in impatiently. “What’s wrong with Lydia? I would have thought she’d be exactly the type of woman you would pick for me.”

“Well…no, not really.”

“Why not?”

“You want me to spell it out? To be honest, she reminded me of Paula. I thought she was a bit too cool. Restrained. Our friends know how to cut loose and have fun, and I’m not sure Lydia does. I’ve always wanted you to find someone who adores you and isn’t too reserved to show it.”

Scott thought Heather was being ridiculous. Apparently, she wanted him to be with a woman who was bubbly, demonstrative and worshiped the ground he walked on. His sister didn’t want him to find a mate; she wanted him to get an Irish setter. Which would be fine with him, he reminded himself. He wasn’t looking for a mate anyway. Hell, he didn’t even have time to commit to a pet for now.

“So what do you say, Scott?”

“About what?”

“My friend Julie. Will you let me introduce you to her? I could invite her to the thing at the ranch next week and—”

“No.”

“You could at least meet her before you reject her. It’s going to be all couples at the ranch—even Cameron said he would probably bring someone. It’ll be casual and comfortable and fun—a perfect time for you to spend an evening getting to know Julie. I can—”

“No, Heather. If I choose to bring someone to Shane’s gathering next weekend, I’ll find my own companion.”

“You can be so stubborn,” Heather grumbled, a pout in her voice.

“And you are being deliberately irritating. I’ve told you I don’t want you to play matchmaker for me, and you haven’t listened. I’m serious this time, Heather. I’m tired of it. I want it to stop.”

“But—”

“No argument,” he said flatly, swinging his legs to the side of the bed. “At first it was sort of funny watching you running around in circles trying to find me a girlfriend. I’m used to your occasional harebrained obsessions, but this one’s gone far enough. It ends now, okay? No more fix-ups. No more ‘accidental’ meetings. No more ambushes. No more begging me to go on blind dates with your friends.”

“I was only—”

“I know you meant well,” he said more gently. “You and Steve are deliriously happy and you want me to share your good fortune. I appreciate it, but I’m perfectly content concentrating on my work right now. You’ve got a wedding to plan—yours, not mine—and a future to anticipate. Focus on that for now and let me worry about my life, will you?”

“If that’s what you want,” she muttered.

“Trust me, it is.”

“All right. Fine. I won’t interfere again.”

The promise was made stiffly, letting him know that she was a bit miffed with him. He could deal with that as long as he could be assured that she would stop trying to marry him off.

“So, did you and Steve have a good time last night?” he asked, keeping his tone light and encouraging.

“We had a wonderful time,” she answered, still rather subdued.

“Did you get the painting you bid on?”

“Yes, we did.” Her usual enthusiasm slowly returning, she added, “It’s really gorgeous. It was painted by an artist who uses only her first name—Larissa. I had a chance to speak with her very briefly during the event and she’s really interesting. She’s—”

“Lydia’s sister,” Scott inserted. “Larissa McKinley.”

There was a brief pause, and then Heather said bluntly, “No way.”

“It’s true. We spent some time with Larissa and her companion, Charlie.”

“Larissa and Lydia are sisters? Biological sisters?”

“As far as I know. Lydia acknowledges that they are very different, but they seem to be close for the most part.”

“I never would have guessed. They really are so very different….”

Scott had the impression that Heather was mentally comparing the sisters and finding Lydia lacking. For some reason, that annoyed him. Heather hadn’t really given Lydia much of a chance; they’d had the occasion to speak only two or three times during the busy evening. He was sure Heather would like Lydia if she got to know her better.

It only bothered him so badly because it seemed unfair to Lydia for Heather to form such an erroneous snap judgment, he told himself.

He changed the subject before it could get stiff and awkward again, but he continued to be plagued by Heather’s attitude about Lydia.

Chapter Three

“Okay, your lawyer was gorgeous,” Larissa acknowledged late Saturday afternoon. “But I still think you should meet Charlie’s friend, Gary. I really think he’s more your type.”

Holding the cordless phone on her shoulder while she rummaged in her refrigerator for a snack, Lydia frowned. “Are you saying you didn’t like Scott?”

“Oh, I liked him. I’m just not sure he’s right for you.”

Plucking an apple from the crisper, Lydia closed the refrigerator door and leaned against the counter. “Not that I have plans to run off and marry him or anything, but why do you think he’s wrong for me?”

“I don’t know, exactly. He’s just too…polished. A little too slick and lawyerish. I’m afraid you could be hurt by someone like that, Lyddie.”

Lydia sighed. “That’s hardly fair. Just because you have a silly bias against attorneys—”

“And politicians, corporate types and stuffy academics,” Larissa added without hesitation. “It isn’t just lawyers, even though our father should have taught you a lesson about them.”

Ignoring the pointed reference to their late lawyer father, Lydia continued, “Scott’s really very nice. You shouldn’t judge him—or anyone—by his profession. Not everyone can be an artist or poet or musician.”

“Charlie’s friend isn’t any of those things,” Larissa was quick to point out. “He owns an alternative bookstore—New Age, occult, that sort of thing. He’s very sweet and gentle and deep thinking. Much more your type than that glossy, pretty lawyer.”

Lydia set down her apple with enough force to bruise the skin. “You’re really being very offensive about Scott.”

“Okay, he’s terrific. But so’s Gary. And I think, in the long run, Gary’s more your style.”

It was all Lydia could do not to growl. Larissa was actually criticizing Scott because he was too handsome, charming and successful! She was hardly flattered by her sister’s doubts that such a man could be genuinely interested in her.

“Don’t get me wrong, Lyddie,” Larissa said, apparently finally realizing that her sister was annoyed. “As I said, Scott seemed nice enough. He’d probably be just the guy for a woman interested in a hot, brief, teeth-rattling fling. But since that’s hardly your sort of thing—”

“Hardly.”

“—he’s probably wrong for you,” Larissa concluded evenly. “Gary, on the other hand, is much more suitable. He’s admitted that he’s looking for someone to settle down with—”

“Which I’m not.”

Continuing to ignore Lydia’s interruptions, Larissa went on, “And he shares your passion for classic theater. He never misses a local performance of Shakespeare or any of those old plays you always enjoy.”

“So find him someone else who enjoys theater. I have no interest in meeting him.”

“Just give him a chance, will you? Charlie and I are thinking about throwing a party to show off our new apartment. It would be a good opportunity for you to meet Gary and—”

“Not interested,” Lydia repeated firmly. “I would be delighted to attend your party, of course, but I would like to reserve the right to bring my own escort—or come alone without fear of being harassed by your matchmaking once I get there.”

“You’d bring Scott?” Larissa asked in blatant disapproval.

“Maybe. Or someone else I choose to ask.” Not that she actually knew anyone else at the moment she’d want to invite to a party, she thought. She had plenty of male friends and knew that there were one or two who would like to spend more time with her, but she just didn’t have the time or inclination to get involved in anything right now. She was much too busy with her career pursuits and didn’t want to risk sending mixed signals about her feelings.

That was what had been so easy about her date with Scott yesterday, she mused. There’d been no false expectations on either side. She had been free to enjoy his company, admire his undeniable attributes—even indulge in a few harmless daydreams—without worrying that her heart would be broken since she wasn’t in danger of creating false hopes.

All in all, he’d been the perfect escort at this point in her life, she decided. She wondered if he would be interested in spending another totally undemanding evening with her. If she could get up the nerve to suggest it to him.

“Fine,” Larissa grumbled. “Bring whoever you like. Or come alone. Either way, Gary will be there. You might just discover that I know exactly what you need.”

“And you might have to admit that I’m the only one who really knows what I need,” Lydia retorted.

All she needed, she thought as she hung up the phone a few minutes later, was a friend. And Scott had very generously offered just that.

“You’re sure I’m dressed appropriately?” Lydia fretted on the following Saturday afternoon.

Sitting behind the wheel of his little sports car, Scott smiled. “Relax, Lydia. You look great.”

She smoothed the khaki slacks she wore with a thin white twin sweater set. “What can I expect to happen at this party?”

He chuckled, amused at her uncharacteristic show of nerves. “I take it you’re the type of person who doesn’t like surprises?”

“No,” she admitted. “I like to have everything planned and spelled out for me in advance. Not knowing what to expect makes me nervous.”

“I hate to tell you this, but you can never know what to expect at one of these parties.”

She groaned softly.

Reaching over to pat her clenched hands, Scott added reassuringly, “There’s really nothing to worry about. My friends enjoy getting together occasionally for an evening of food and games. We used to gather once a month, but we’ve all gotten so busy lately it’s harder to find the time.”

“What kind of games do they play?”

With a perfectly straight face, he replied, “Strip poker and naked Twister, usually. I hope you aren’t modest.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her blink, then frown. “I was being serious, Scott.”

“What makes you think I wasn’t?” When she only glared at him, he chuckled. “Okay, sorry. Usually we play trivia games or charades or word games that can be played in teams. The game itself doesn’t matter. It’s just the chance to get together and have fun.”

“I don’t know,” she murmured. “I’m really not very good at games.”

“Lydia, you’re going to give yourself an ulcer worrying about everything this way. Chill out.”

“I’ll try,” she promised, pressing a hand to her stomach as if she were already suffering from the condition he’d warned her about.

Scott found her nervousness rather endearing. He thought it was funny that a woman of her impressive reputation was worried about an evening of games with his friends. “Just relax and have a good time. I think you’ll like everyone there.”

“But will they like me?”

“How could they not?”

A hint of pink stained her cheeks. “That was very nice. Thank you.”

He smiled. “Thank you for coming with me this evening.”

“It was a fair trade,” she reminded him. “I’ll keep your sister at bay for you this evening and you’ve promised to help me fend off Larissa’s efforts to fix me up with Charlie’s friend, Gary.”

“This was a great idea,” he said, pleased with himself for coming up with it. When he learned that Lydia’s sister was still matchmaking as relentlessly as Heather was, he had proposed a plan he hoped would give them some relief until their sisters had moved on to other projects. He and Lydia would be “standby escorts,” he’d suggested. Whenever one of them needed a no-strings, no-pressure date for an event, they could call the other. If they were available, they’d make an effort to go along to distract the matchmakers.

Lydia had been a bit hesitant at first. “I thought we agreed that neither of us really has time for dating anyone right now.”

“We won’t be dating,” he had argued. “Not really. We’ll just be keeping each other company at the occasional obligatory social event. I really enjoy your company, Lydia.”

“I enjoy yours, too. But—”

“We’re friends. I’d much rather spend an evening with a friend than with a blind date, wouldn’t you?”

She had almost shuddered. “I hate blind dates. I’ve never had one that wasn’t a disaster.”

“Same here. And every time I ask anyone out lately, it seems like she wants a hell of a lot more than I’ve got time or energy to offer while I’m pursuing a partnership with my firm. You have your own career goals and you don’t want anyone to interfere with them—which I wouldn’t. It seems to be the perfect plan—at least until Heather and Larissa realize that they might as well give up.”

“And how long do you think that will take?”

“Heather’s getting married at the end of June—four months from now. I figure she’ll start getting pretty busy with that soon. Too busy to worry about my social life, I hope. As for Larissa—what do you think?”

“She has a pretty short attention span,” Lydia had admitted. “She’ll probably drift on to another scheme within the next few weeks.”

“So there you are. We aren’t committing to anything long-term or time-consuming. You’ll go with me to a couple of things. I’ll escort you when you need me. Our sisters will assume we’re together and they’ll stop trying to arrange dates for us.”

“And what if they assume there’s more between us than there really is?”

“Who cares? We’ll know the truth.”

“Well,” she had said slowly, “Larissa has been hinting about throwing a housewarming party at her new apartment. She’s determined to use the occasion to introduce me to some guy named Gary. If you were there with me, it would be much less awkward.”

“I’d be delighted,” he had said cheerfully.

So here they were, turning onto the road that ended at the Walker ranch outside of Dallas. Scott was confident that he and Lydia would share a very pleasant evening with his friends. He could really relax tonight, he thought in satisfaction. Unlike a “real” date, Lydia wouldn’t expect him to pay more attention to her than to his friends. She wouldn’t get her feelings crushed if he talked to someone else for a while. There wouldn’t be any awkward, how-will-the-evening-end questions. All he would owe her after the party ended was a reciprocal turn at her sister’s affair.

He should have thought of something like this months ago when Heather had first started going overboard with this matchmaking thing. Of course, he hadn’t really known Lydia well enough to suggest such a plan then, and he couldn’t imagine anyone else he knew being such a good sport about it.

He parked his sports car between Cameron’s fancy SUV and Michael Chang’s aging pickup. “Looks like everyone’s here already. That’s Heather’s car over there.”

“We’re late?” Perpetually punctual Lydia seemed disturbed by the possibility.

“We’re right on time. Everyone else is early.”

She cleared her throat and patted a hand over her sleek brown hair. “Signal me if I do anything stupid.”

He laughed. “As if you could.”

“Trust me. When it comes to intimate social situations, I am definitely challenged.”

He only laughed again and opened his door.

Although there were only three other couples, it seemed to Lydia that the small house was filled with people, all watching her in surreptitious speculation. Apparently, Scott usually attended this sort of gathering without bringing a date. Her presence with him this time—following so closely their appearance at the charity affair last weekend—was obviously arousing his friends’ curiosity.

She found herself wondering if this plan Scott had concocted was such a good idea after all.

Because he knew she wouldn’t remember everyone she’d met at the charity event, Scott reintroduced her to everyone. He started with their hosts, Shane and Kelly Walker.

“It’s very nice to see you again,” Lydia assured them politely. “You have a lovely home.”

Kelly, a petite strawberry blonde with a gamine haircut and a warm, friendly expression, looked pleased by the compliment. “Thank you. We didn’t really have a chance to talk at that crowded, noisy thing last weekend. We can get to know each other better this evening.”

Kelly’s husband, a tanned, blue-eyed cowboy with a smile that had probably broken hearts all over Texas, studied Lydia with open curiosity. “I understand you’re a science professor?”

“An associate professor.”

“She teaches microbiology classes,” Scott added.

“And are you involved in research?” Shane asked.

“Not as much as I hope to be after I obtain my doctorate this spring.”

“That explains it, then,” Shane drawled, looping an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

Scott eyed his friend suspiciously. “Explains what?”

Shane’s grin was definitely wicked. “I was just wondering how you persuaded such an attractive and intelligent woman to spend a second evening with you. Obviously, she’s conducting some sort of scientific research on strange and unusual subjects.”

As Scott muttered something that might have been a mild obscenity, Lydia smiled and shook her head. “I confine my research to bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. I leave studies of subjects like Scott to my colleagues in the psychology department.”

Shane and Kelly laughed. Scott turned to Lydia with a look of amused surprise. “Hey!” he said. “Whose side are you on anyway?”

“Our side, obviously,” a man Lydia remembered from the charity event said as he joined them. “I can tell she’s going to fit right in.”

Trying to remember his name, Lydia smiled, pleased that her impulsive jest had proven entertaining.

“Don’t you start, Cameron,” Scott warned. “If I want insults, I’ll depend on my sister. Or my date, apparently,” he added darkly, giving Lydia an exaggerated glower that made her laugh.

Maybe the evening wouldn’t be so bad after all, she thought.

And then Scott’s sister approached and Lydia’s smile faded a bit. Even as Heather greeted her quite courteously, Lydia once again had the impression that Heather wasn’t enthusiastic about seeing her with Scott. She wished she knew what she’d done to cause Heather to disapprove of her—if it was true.

“Are you people insulting my dear brother?” Heather demanded.

“Of course we are,” Cameron replied.

“Great. How can I get in on the fun?” she asked with a grin.

“Why don’t you guys come up with some original material while Lydia and I speak to the others?” Scott suggested, taking her arm.

“I’ll bring out the snacks,” Kelly said, giving her husband a look.

He responded promptly. “I’ll help you.”

True to his word, Scott guided Lydia around the roomy, wood-paneled den where the other guests were grouped on comfortable furniture. She greeted Heather’s fiancé, Dr. Steve Carter, and was relieved that he didn’t seem to share Heather’s doubts about her. Scott introduced her to Michael and Judy Chang, who seemed like a nice couple. They hadn’t attended the charity affair as far as she remembered.

Scott turned then to the golden-haired, blue-eyed man who had approached them earlier—Cameron North, she remembered now. “Cam, you want to introduce your friend?” Scott asked.

Cameron nodded toward the curvaceous, rather bored-looking brunette who hadn’t bothered to rise from her chair. “This is Alexis Thorne. Alexis, meet my buddy, Scott Pearson, and his friend, Lydia McKinley.”

Something about the way Alexis glanced at Cameron made Lydia suspect that the couple had recently quarreled and she still hadn’t gotten over her irritation with him. Alexis murmured a cool acknowledgment of the introduction, then subsided into silence again.

Lydia watched as, from behind Alexis’s back, Cameron rolled his eyes at Scott. Cameron, she thought, was not pleased with his date. Having endured a few awkward evenings with incompatible escorts herself, she was even more determined at this point to resist Larissa’s fix-up efforts. Her arrangement with Scott suited her very well for now, no matter how temporary it would turn out to be.

The evening proceeded with a great deal of teasing and conversation. The guests consumed an impressive amount of snacks and soft drinks. Scott, Lydia discovered, had a real passion for chocolate and was not averse to battling for the last piece. And she couldn’t help noticing that he rarely lost.

They split into teams for games, and Alexis’s visible lack of enthusiasm couldn’t dampen the good-naturedly fierce competition among the others. Lydia proved to be a knowledgeable contestant in the trivia game they’d selected. Especially when it came to science and medicine categories, she had almost all the answers.

“Man,” Michael groaned, having lost yet another round to Lydia and Scott, “you guys are stomping us. Lydia’s a handy person to have on your team.”

Scott grinned and draped an arm around Lydia’s shoulders. “I’ve noticed that. We make pretty good partners.”

Vividly aware of that arm around her, Lydia noticed that Heather’s smile suddenly looked forced. She wondered if she was only being paranoid, if she was only imagining that Heather disapproved of her. Maybe she should suggest to Scott that he should reassure his sister that there was nothing to worry about. That she and Scott were just friends and nothing else was likely to develop.

Because she didn’t want to foster a wrong impression, she reached for her soft drink, subtly dislodging Scott’s arm. To her relief, he immediately became involved in a spirited conversation with Shane, giving her enough time to recover her equilibrium. She didn’t know why she’d gotten so rattled just because Scott had touched her so easily. Friends touched, she reminded herself, glancing across the room to where Cameron was standing with an arm around Michael’s wife, Judy. No one seemed to think a thing about that, she told herself. They’d probably hardly noticed anything between her and Scott.