Ana Leigh - Heart At Risk

Same old Gertie. Totally shameless. But he couldn’t help liking her. He always had. She had a good sense of humor, and in school she’d never put on airs or tried to be anything other than honest about herself.

“So what’s it gonna be, honey?”

For an instant he weighed whether she meant sex or food. He settled for the safer choice.

“Burger with the works and some fries, Gertie.”

“Same old Kurt. I see your taste in food hasn’t changed.” She giggled throatily and leaned over. Her uniform was cut low enough to whet his appetite. “What about women?”

This time her message came through loud and clear. If the cleavage was the appetizer, his groin had begun to ratchet up for the main course.

He dragged his gaze away from her breasts and looked up and grinned. “Women all taste good to me, Gertie.”

By the time Kurt finished reading the newspaper his food arrived. His training kicked in and he automatically checked out whoever came in as the diner began to fill up.

He was finishing up the burger when a young woman entered. The male in him—more than the CIA agent—assessed her as she approached a booth by the window where an older woman and young boy were seated.

She sure was hot. Damn hot! Late twenties with a hundred fifteen or twenty pounds curved lusciously on about five feet seven inches. Soft curls of auburn hair feathered her forehead and nape. His mom used to call it a feather cut, but there was probably some fancy French name for it now. Whatever—his fingers itched to dig into it.

But what really grabbed his attention were her green eyes. They were slightly slanted—that Ava Gardner look that turned a man on with a single glance.

She looked vaguely familiar to him and he figured they’d probably been schoolmates. But the only redhead he remembered from school was Joey Bennett’s sister, Mandy or Mattie, or something like that. And she’d been lanky, wore geeky glasses, and had long kinky red hair.

“Hey, Maddie, you’re not going to believe this,” Gertie yelled out to the new arrival. “Kurt Bolen’s back in town.”

The woman jerked her head around and looked at him. Maddie Bennett. So she was Joey’s sister. Boy, had she changed!

Those jade eyes were wide with shock and she was looking at him as if she’d seen a ghost.

Kurt was too flabbergasted to speak. He smiled and waved. Maddie nodded slightly and then turned her head away.

He ordered a slice of pie and coffee, and as he ate, he couldn’t keep his mind off Maddie Bennett. He’d never rally paid too much attention to Joey’s sister, but still he couldn’t believe the change in her. Some past memory flitted on the edge of his brain, but he couldn’t nail it. What in hell difference did it make? He was out of there.

Kurt polished off the rest of his coffee, threw some bills on the table, and got up to leave. His curiosity got the better of him and he stopped at her booth on his way out.

“How have you been, Maddie?”

“Fine,” she said. Despite her attempt at casualness he could tell she was uptight. “What about you?”

“No complaints. How’s Joey? Is he still living in Vandergriff?”

“Joey’s dead. He joined the marines after graduation and was killed in Afghanistan.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. We had some good times together.”

The older woman extended her hand. “I’m Elizabeth Bennett, Maddie’s Aunt Beth. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Kurt Bolen,” he said, shaking her hand.

Elizabeth Bennett smiled warmly. He was struck by the beauty of the gray-haired woman. Unlike her niece—who at the moment appeared to be so tense she looked ready to pop—Elizabeth Bennett had a serenity that enhanced her loveliness. But regardless, both women were knockouts. The family must have one hell of a gene pool!

“Kurt graduated with Joey and me, Aunt Beth,” Maddie said.

Elizabeth Bennett frowned in concentration. “Bolen? Of course! Was your father Charles Bolen?”

“Yes he was. Did you know him?”

Here it comes: Kurt Bolen, the no good kid from Stoneville, whose father was the town drunk.

“I’m a retired nurse, Kurt. I was on duty the night they brought your father into the hospital,” she said sadly. “Such a tragic accident.”

Changing the subject quickly, she smiled and slipped her arm around the young boy’s shoulders. “And this handsome lad is Maddie’s son Scotty.”

He reached out a hand. “Hi, pal.”

The boy hesitated momentarily, as if he didn’t know what to do. Then, as if pleased with the manly gesture, the boy grinned and shook his hand.

Kurt glanced at Maddie: Uptight and Gorgeous looked like she was holding her breath. And he discovered Elizabeth Bennett was studying him intently. What was with these two women? He had to fight the urge to reach down and check if his fly was open.

“After all these years what brought you back to Vandergriff, Kurt?” Elizabeth Bennett asked.

“Just passing through. I’m being treated at the Vet hospital in Milwaukee and I thought I’d drive out and see the old hometown.”

“Oh, I hope it’s not anything too serious.” Elizabeth’s concern seemed genuine.

“I blew a kneecap, but at least I’m off the crutches now.”

Elizabeth’s face creased with sympathy. “Oh my. I’m sorry to hear about that. It must be painful. So you’re in Milwaukee, you say?”

“I expect to leave there tomorrow and go home.”

“Where is your home?”

“In D.C.” Kurt started to back away. “Well, I better get going. Nice meeting you, Ms. Bennett.”

“Yes, and I hope your leg heals swiftly. Take care of yourself, dear boy.”

“Thank you. Nice seeing you again, Maddie.”

“Yes, take care of yourself,” Maddie echoed.

Her face didn’t crack a smile. Ava Gardner eyes or not, she was one edgy female. But come to think of it, she’d been that way ten years ago, too.

Since she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, she was either widowed or divorced, and he couldn’t help wondering how long it’d been since she’d been laid. With her looks…Oh, hell, grow up, Bolen!

He winked at the boy and departed. Once he was in his car, Kurt realized he’d been so distracted by Maddie that he hadn’t said goodbye to Gertie. Well, tomorrow morning he’d stop in for breakfast and say it then—for the sake of the good old times.

Elizabeth Bennett watched Kurt Bolen walk to his car. A slight limp was perceptible, but he appeared to be coping remarkably well with it. “My goodness, he certainly appears to be a fine young man, doesn’t he?”

“He’s okay,” Maddie said.

Beth eyed her niece warily. “Just okay? Honey, you’re too young for that kind of reaction. He’s gorgeous.”

“And you, Aunt Beth, are too old for yours.”

“I liked him,” Scotty declared.

“What was he like ten years ago?” Beth asked. “He’s too good-looking for you not to have noticed.”

“For goodness’ sake, Aunt Beth, what difference does it make? He’s been gone for ten years. We rarely spoke. I don’t think he even remembered my name. He and Joey hung around together, so that was always trouble looking for a place to happen. Kurt left town right after graduation, and that’s the last I saw or heard of him until a couple minutes ago.”

Maddie reached across the table and squeezed Scotty’s hand. “So have you decided what you’re having to eat, sweetheart?”

“I’ll have a hamburger and French fries.”

“Scotty, that’s all you ever order when we eat out.”

“Hamburger and French fries are my favorite meal.”

Maddie chuckled and tousled his thick growth of dark hair. “How will you ever know until you try something different?”