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“She’s not, but her parents depend on her. Still do. Far too much, in my opinion. Since she was twelve until she moved out last year, she’s pretty much held the family together.”
Relief filled Payton as the last of the gauze dropped into the garbage can. Seconds later China entered with a plastic bottle in her hand and bandages in the other.
“It looks like you hand is healing well. Continue doing what you’re doing, Sid. China, I’m going to let you handle washing Sid’s hand and the rebandaging,” Payton said.
At China’s surprised “Okay,” he glanced at her. Hadn’t she ever been trusted to do more?
“We good?” he asked her.
She straightened. “I’ll take care of it.”
Payton headed toward the door. “Good to see you again, Sid.”
“Hey, I want to give you these.” The man handed Payton some cards. “A couple of free meals on me in thanks.” He nodded his head toward China. “Maybe you and China can come in together.”
“Sid.” China tried to shush him.
Had China told Sid about Payton kissing her? No, that wasn’t something she’d share.
“Thanks Sid, I might just do that. Take care of yourself.”
CHAPTER FIVE
A FEW MINUTES LATER Payton joined China in the hall as Sid headed for the front door.
“How does it sound if I pick you up at two on Thursday?”
China looked behind her. Had anyone heard? She didn’t want the others to know that she and Payton were doing something together. They would make more of it than there was.
“You’re not thinking of backing out on me, are you?”
She was but she didn’t plan to tell him that. “Uh, no. Two sounds fine.”
“Good, I’ll see you then.” He strolled toward the employee entrance.
China groaned when Robin came out of the back room. Telephone, telegraph, tell Robin. Now everyone would know she and Payton had plans.
“So, you and Payton have a date?”
China managed to turn a groan into a low moan. “No date. He just wants me to help him buy some plants for his house.”
“Well, that’s a new twist on ‘let me show you my etchings’. I thought you didn’t even like him.”
“I never said that. Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to be nice to a new person in town. Show some southern hospitality.”
Robin gave her a knowing grin. “If you say so.”
Against China’s better judgment she was starting to like Payton, far too much. That kiss that gotten her to thinking what if... More than once Payton had proved that he wasn’t the controlling person that her father was. Just now he’d handed over Sid’s care, believing she could handle it without him looking over her shoulder. It was a simple thing that signified what he thought of her abilities and that meant the world. She’d grown up with a father who’d ruled with a thumb firmly on her, no trust. She smiled. Payton trusted her at least with his secret and patients.
China still had that smile hovering around her lips when Doris said, “I hear you and Doctor Hunky have a date?”
“Doctor Hunky? When did you start calling Payton that?”
“So you think he’s hunky, too?”
Doris was watching her far too closely for her reaction. “I didn’t say that!”
“You didn’t have to. You knew exactly who I was talking about.” Doris grinned at her.
Jean came out of her office. “So what’s this I hear about you and Payton dating?”
China put her hands on her hips. “It’s not a date. He asked me to lend a hand in finding some plants for his house.”
Jean nodded. “Well, he asked the right person.”
China could have kissed the woman. She at least accepted the idea of her helping Payton without any strings attached.
“Have you ever been to his house?” Doris asked.
China hated to lie but she’d promised Payton she wouldn’t tell anyone about the cancer. If she admitted she’d been to his house they’d want to know why. “No, but I guess we’ll go there before we go to the nursery.”
“I heard it’s the big yellow one down on West Beach Road. I’ve always wondered what it looked like inside.”
“Then maybe you should come for dinner some time,” Payton said from behind them.
All their heads swivel to the sound of Payton’s voice.
“I thought you’d left,” China blurted. What had he heard of their conversation? Her lie?
“I forgot my lunch box. I just stopped back to pick it up.”
Doris shook her head. “This is the last time I’m going to talk about you without letting you know first, or maybe I should put a cowbell around your neck so I’ll know when you’re coming.”
Payton chuckled. China liked the sound.
“I’ll try to stomp my way up the hall from now on. About that dinner. How about Saturday night at eight?”
Embarrassment covered Doris features. “I can’t have you do that.”
“Would you agree if I invited you all to dinner?”
Doris looked at her and said, “China, you’ll come, won’t you?”
She didn’t know how to gracefully say no, and Doris was giving her a pleading look.
“I guess. I usually spend time with my parents on Saturday night, but I can change it to another night.”
“Great,” Payton said. “I’ll see if Jean and Robin can make it. Maybe Luke and Larry.”
The more the better as far as China was concerned. That way the larger the buffer between them. He’d given her one more reason to like him. Payton had to stop that. What was she going to do when she had to be alone with him on Thursday?
By the time Payton arrived to pick China up three days later she’d worked herself up into a nervous tizzy. She’d changed clothes five times. Even more times she’d picked her phone up to call to say she couldn’t make it. Instead, she made up her mind that she was an adult and could do something as simple as going to a plant nursery with an attractive man.
She was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs to her apartment, waiting, when Payton pulled into the drive. Her traitorous heart fluttered as he grinned at her when he climbed out of the car.
He wore jeans that had seen better days, a blue collared shirt and his docksiders. His hair had grown to more of a military length. Pink colored his high cheekbones. He’d been in the sun earlier in the day. Payton looked the picture of health, and she’d never wanted to kiss a man more.
Wow, those unruly thoughts would get her into trouble. Instead, she returned his smile as she stood and walked toward
him.
“Hey, I thought I might have to knock on the door and beg you to come out.”
She leaned her head to one side. “Why’s that?”
“I know I make you nervous.”
“You don’t make me nervous.” That was the biggest bald lie she’d ever told. He did make her jittery with awareness. His simple, far-too-short kiss had awakened something in her that she’d never felt before.
“Okay, it’s too fine a day to fight. Friends?” He stuck out his hand.
China took it. His fingers wrapped around hers, strong and confident, as if cocooning them. She mentally shook her head. Quit the dreamy teenage girl stuff and get with the program.
She tugged her hand free. “Friends.” She looked at his car then back at him. “I think we should take my car. Yours is too perfect and you’ll not want to get dirt in it. I have mine set up to transport plants.”
“Okay, if you think I can get into it,” he said, in the most agreeable tone. “You’re the boss.”
He went up a notch in her estimation. It was her experience that men want a woman to do as they asked. Her father certainly believed that and the men she’d dated had wanted her to be agreeable all the time. She pursed her lips and cocked her head in question.
“What?” he asked, in complete innocence. Maybe he was sincere.
“I would have thought you’d fight me about going in my car.”
“Why? You’re the leader of this outing, and I bow to your knowledge.”
She laughed and he joined her. For one of the few times in her life she felt carefree. It was nice, very nice.
“Okay, since you’re up for Mr. Congeniality then I guess you don’t mind me driving either.”
“Not at all.”
That’s right. He’d let Robin drive his car. It had surprised her at the time. Her father always did the driving. Woman couldn’t do as good a job, he’d say. Payton seemed perfectly content with the idea. They walked toward her car, which was parked along the street. “When I first met you I took you for one of those males who thought a woman should be two steps behind him.”
He grinned as he opened the passenger door. “Well, you never know what surprises I have in store.”
