Lights blazed, assaulting his eyes. He squinted upward. What he saw made him flinch, just in time to keep from being beaned by a heavy, decorative brass candlestick.
“What the—? Jacqui, stop! It’s me, Mitch. Meagan’s brother!” he added in a rush, just to make his identity clear.
Her petite body still poised to strike or run, the woman peered suspiciously down at him. Her short, near-black hair was tousled around her face. With her large, sleep-clouded dark eyes and softly pointed little chin, she looked even more elfin than usual—an adjective that had come to his mind the first time he’d met her a year or so earlier. He’d seen her only a handful of times since, but he’d recognized her instantly when she’d wielded the solid brass candlestick in a very efficient manner. He’d been damned lucky she hadn’t bashed in his head.
She blinked her long, dark lashes a couple times as though to clear her vision, then stared down at him with a frown. “Dr. Baker?”
Shifting warily into a sitting position, he stretched his arm to make sure he’d done no damage to his shoulder other than the bruise he would undoubtedly sport tomorrow. “I’m sorry I scared you. I had no idea you were here. Mom said Alice had a sleepover, so you’d be staying at your own place tonight.”
Jacqui tugged self-consciously at the mid-thigh-length hem of the New Orleans Saints jersey she wore for a nightshirt, revealing surprisingly long, slender legs for such a petite woman. “I was going to, but when I walked into my place earlier I found a leak that must have happened during the storm the other night. I guess some shingles were blown off or something. Anyway, the carpet was soaked, so I called the landlord, then gathered some things in my suitcase and came back here.”
“Uh, yeah. I think I found your suitcase.” He climbed to his feet. Now that he was upright, he stood a good nine inches taller than her barefoot five feet four inches. For such a little thing, she seemed more than capable of taking care of herself, he thought with a wry glance at the candlestick she still held.
Following his glance, she replaced the candlestick quickly on the nightstand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just bruised my pride a little. I’m really sorry I frightened you. I didn’t know which bedroom to sleep in.”
“I was under the impression you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow.”
“Last-minute change of plans. I hope you don’t mind that I’ll be staying for a few days.”
“Of course not. It’s your sister’s house and she invited you. You have every right to be here.”
She pulled at her jersey again, and he realized abruptly that she was probably uncomfortable with his presence in her bedroom. He reached for his duffel. “I’ll move to the other guest room. It’s across the hall, right?”
“Yes, directly across.”
Moving toward the door, he spoke lightly. “Okay, then, I’ll let you get back to sleep. Good night.”
She remained standing in the center of the room. “Good night.”
He stepped out in the hallway then couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder to say, “Oh, and Jacqui? You won’t be needing that weapon again tonight.”
Her mouth twitched in what might have been a reluctant smile as he closed the door firmly between them.
Turkey bacon sizzled in the pan while whole-wheat muffins browned in the oven. Sipping her first cup of coffee Saturday morning, Jacqui kept a close eye on the fluffy scrambled eggs cooking in the skillet in front of her. She’d heard Mitch showering upstairs, so she figured he’d be down soon. If he was like most of the men she knew, he’d be hungry.
On awakening this morning, and wincing when she saw her suitcase still lying on the floor, she had decided to put last night’s awkwardness behind her. So Mitch had seen her in her nightshirt, with her hair all a mess and her cheek creased by her pillow. Big deal. Starting now, she was back in professional housekeeper mode. She wouldn’t let that facade slip around him again.
“Good morning.” Dressed in a new-looking white shirt and khakis, his sandy hair still damp from his shower, Mitch greeted her with a crooked smile that crinkled the corners of his clear blue eyes.
“Good morning, Dr. Baker.” She removed the muffins from the oven with a potholder, setting the pan on a trivet. “I hope you like turkey bacon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. I wasn’t sure if you’d have to report to the hospital this morning, so I thought I’d have breakfast ready just in case.”
He studied the food with almost visible eagerness. “Looks delicious, but you didn’t have to cook for me.”
Having expected that comment, she shrugged lightly. “I was going to make some for myself anyway. Have a seat at the breakfast table. Do you drink coffee? Would you like orange juice to go with it? I have fresh-squeezed.”
“You certainly don’t have to wait on me. I’ll get my own coffee.” Moving to the coffeemaker, he poured a cup and carried it to the table.
Jacqui set a well-filled plate in front of him when he took his seat. “There’s homemade jam and apple butter in those little crocks. Help yourself if you want some for your muffin.”
Mitch picked up his fork, then raised his eyebrows when she didn’t immediately join him at the table. “Aren’t you eating?”
“I’m going to wash a load of
cleaning cloths and then feed Waldo,” she answered lightly. “Go ahead and eat. I’ll have something when I’ve finished those things.”
Mitch set down his fork. “I’ll wait.”