“What?”

“I’m going to kneel down and take the stupid shoes off.”

“They’re not stupid; they’re Jimmy Choo. I should have broken them in, but Mom sent them so I wanted to wear them.”

“Let me guess—they cost the earth.”

“Ha. Who are you to talk in your Tony Lama boots?”

“How did you know that?” Did she know they’d set him back nearly a grand? He’d bought them back in the heyday, before his life went to hell in a handbasket.

“I’m going to stock boots for brides who want a cowgirl theme. If I’m not mistaken those are ostrich.”

Reid grinned. “You’re not mistaken. I want to be buried in these suckers. You should be flattered. I bring them out only for very special occasions. But they don’t hurt my feet.”

When Reid eased one shoe from her foot she moaned. “Oh God, that feels so good.”

“I get that a lot.” Reid glanced up at her and she laughed. “You wanna go for two?” he asked. He looked at the heels. “That’s gotta be at least five inches.”

“Only four,” she corrected, and laughed.

“I know what you’re thinking. . . . Don’t say it.”

“Okay, I’ll just think it.”

Reid looked at the shoes. He had to admit they were damned sexy.

“But, yes, let’s go for two.” She gave him a low moan when he gently eased the shoe off of her other foot. “Oh, that’s heaven.”

“Addison, you do have a nasty blister. Why didn’t you change out of these pieces of torture?” He stood up with the shoes dangling from his fingers.

“I didn’t really notice the pain until people started leaving. And then my feet were suddenly on fire.”

“This girl is on fire . . .” he sang, and she tossed her head back and laughed. Thank goodness the ice was broken. He usually wasn’t exactly good at flirting, but there was something about Addison that somehow made him relax after being in her presence for only a few minutes. He didn’t think he’d ever burst into song with a woman before but getting her to laugh was worth making a fool of himself. “Now go sit down in that huge chair over there. Hand me the flowers. I’ll bring you some champagne.”

“I won’t argue,” she said weakly and walked gingerly over to the big wingback black velvet chair trimmed in gold. After she sat down she eased her feet up onto a matching ottoman. A weary sigh escaped her while she leaned forward and massaged her feet, exposing a nice display of cleavage. Reid swallowed hard and almost dropped the flutes of champagne. He downed the cold bubbly liquid in three gulps.

“Here you go,” Reid said.

“Thank you.” She accepted the glass and took a sip. “Ah, nectar of the gods,” she said with a tired grin.

Knowing he was taking a chance Reid lifted up her feet and scooted onto the big ottoman. Her eyes rounded slightly but she didn’t kick or scream, so he went on to his next move . . . massaging her feet.

“If you’re trying to get back in my good graces, that’s totally working.”

Reid chuckled softly. “I am.”

“Then don’t even think of stopping.”

“I won’t.” He pressed the pad of his thumb to the ball of her foot, rolling it back and forth.

“Dear Lord . . . I think you missed your calling.” She leaned against the back of the chair and sipped her drink, watching him through half-lidded eyes. She looked so tired that Reid longed to scoop her up in his arms and carry her upstairs to bed. The massage therapy wouldn’t stop with her feet.

“Sara said you wanted to go over to Sully’s and have a night out on the town. Are you game?”

“Not unless you want to carry me piggyback again.”

“I would.”

Her expression softened even more. He hoped it wasn’t just from the champagne. “That would be funny.” She giggled, and he knew she was a bit slaphappy but it was so damned cute on her.

Reid chuckled. “Have you eaten?”

Addison jammed her thumb over her head. “Cake.”

“Is that champagne going straight to your head?”

“Yeah, it’s awesome. May I have another?” She raised her glass.

“Absolutely.” Reid refilled both glasses. “What are the raspberries for?” He pointed to the bowl.

“Oh, you drop one into the bottom of the flute. To look pretty and to go with the filling in the cake.”

“Ahh . . . of course.” Reid plunked one into her glass.

“No raspberry for you?”

“I don’t fruit my drinks.”

“Yeah, well, you do have to worry about that last swallow.”

“Sounds like you know this from experience.” Reid handed her the glass and then sat back down.

“I seem to learn everything the hard way.” When she started to put her feet on the floor he shook his head.

“No you don’t. Put those tired toes back where they belong.”

“In your lap?”

“Absolutely.”

“I’m too bone weary to argue. Pretty soon I’ll be tipsy. Wait. I think I already am. Was that your grand plan?” She tipped the glass up to lips that were tinted with something pink and glossy.

“No, my plan was to take you to Sully’s. But I’m flexible.” He hesitated but then decided to take that leap of faith that Sara preached to him about. “In fact, Addison, I know exactly what you need.”

19

Ya Gotta Have Faith

“AND WHAT MIGHT THAT BE?” THE RETURNING TOUCH OF his hands on her feet sent a warm, delicious tingle that started with her toes and spread throughout her body. She felt as if she were melting like butter on a pancake, the pain in her feet forgotten.

“A swimsuit.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m up for swimming laps.”

“You could use a long, hot soak in my hot tub. It saved my sore back when I first started working on the farm. I thought I was in pretty decent shape, but apparently I was wrong.”

Addison watched the play of muscles beneath his shirt as he worked his magic on her feet. She remembered what he looked like bare chested and her fingers itched to lean forward and tug on the mother-of-pearl-covered snaps on his shirt, making them pop open one by one. And then she’d press her mouth to that tanned skin of his. . . .

“I promise you, it will make you feel like a new woman.”

“Oh, I bet you could. I mean, it would. The tub . . . I mean.” Dear Lord. She tipped her flute back and drained the rest of the champagne.

To his credit he kept a straight face. “It works wonders.”

“Oh, I admit that sounds so inviting. I haven’t stopped all week and my weary body is starting to protest. I unloaded a million boxes.”

“A million, huh?”

“Maybe two.”

Reid chuckled. “You should have called me to come over and help.”

Reid’s offer caught Addison by surprise. “Would you have?” she asked softly.

“Yes,” Reid replied, and then lowered his gaze to her feet. When he gently traced his fingertip over the blister Addison melted a little bit more. “You need some ointment on that one.” He might be a little moody, but he was a good guy, caring about everything, unlike Garret who seemed to only care about himself.

“I can’t do it.”

Reid looked up at her. “Hey, I want you to know that I only thought the hot tub would make you feel better. I wasn’t trying—”

“I mean that whole pretending-to-be-a-couple thing I came up with. I just can’t do it.”

“Oh, so you’ve had a change of heart?” He asked casually, but there was something in his eyes that made Addison’s pulse pound.

“You could say that.”

“I want you to know that I didn’t call because I wanted you to rethink it, Addison.” He stoked the arch of her foot, waiting for her answer, but she didn’t know what to say. The foot massage was making her brain short-circuit. “Let me guess: You couldn’t even begin to pretend to like me.” His joking tone was at odds with the searching look he gave her.

“You guessed it. I’m a terrible liar.”

Reid pressed his lips together and nodded.

“The truth is, I don’t want you to be my rebound guy, Reid.”

“I think you’re making yourself pretty clear,” Reid said with an edge of something . . . disappointment?

“No, I don’t think I am. If I have a relationship with you I want it to be the real thing, not some silly sham. I suppose I made up that stupid scenario to try to come up with a way to spend time with you without feeling a sense of guilt for jumping into something so soon. But I already like you way too much, and that’s dipping into dangerous territory.”

“Wait. What did you just say?”

“It’s too soon. I need to get my head screwed on straight.” She tapped her temple.

“No . . . the other part. The part about liking me. Let me get this straight. You don’t want to date because you like me too much? That’s your reason?”

“It sounds silly spoken out loud, but yes.”

“That’s insane.”

Addison scooted up in the chair. “Well, it’s your fault! At first I was just physically attracted to you but I thought you were, well . . . kind of an ass. Then you had to become all likeable too and there’s that dimple when you smile.” Addison sighed. “And then . . .” She trailed off and shook her head.

“It was the piggyback ride, wasn’t it?”

“Yep, that sealed it for me. And now this . . . just when I was pissed when you didn’t call. Why couldn’t you just stay a jerk and we could have had some really hot sex?”

Reid laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“I know. That’s why it’s so funny.”

“Not only that but I wanted to find out . . .”

Reid sat up straighter. “What?”

“Nothing. No more champagne for me.”

“Tell me.”

“No!” The word sliced through his gentle request. She scooted forward but he held her feet captive. “Let go of my feet, please.”