Learning Curves. Joanne Rock

know, Maddy. Sometimes I think she’s more mature than me.”

      Madeline knew a thing or two about gifted students, and she doubted that was the case. Highly intelligent people often hid social uncertainty behind a screen of erudite conversation. She didn’t share her insights with Cal, though. He had enough on his mind.

      “But I wanted you to know what I’m trying to do so you’ll understand why I can’t take you up on a very tempting offer.” He lifted her hands to his lips and graced the back of each one with a chaste kiss. “I’ve got to mend a reputation that’s been a lifetime in the making, so I can’t take any chances making a splash on campus now. Especially with you being a grad student.”

      Madeline nodded and pulled back her hands. She hadn’t given much thought to that particular issue. She’d known Cal before he’d even started teaching. “It’s okay. I mean, it would have been great if you could have helped me, but I’ll figure something out.”

      Cal frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

      “I mean, I’ll come up with another plan to get my dissertation approved.” Her mind had already started to brainstorm, searching for a new approach to the problem as she backed toward the door.

      He nodded and flashed her a wink. “Okay. Just as long as there are no more steamy propositions involved.”

      Maybe the wretched happenings of her day had made her less circumspect than usual, but for some reason Madeline couldn’t suppress a wicked giggle. “As a purveyor of human mating rituals, steamy propositions are my new business, Cal.”

      She pushed open the door, wondering why he was scowling. “Don’t worry about me. And good luck with your sister!”

      As Madeline squeaked down the corridor in her sensible shoes, she tried not to think about how deliciously gratifying a night with Cal Turner would have been. She couldn’t very well force the man.

      Instead, she focused on the new plan of action quickly taking shape in her head. Since she wouldn’t be gaining any notice—or notoriety—on the arm of the campus playboy, it was clearly time for Madeline Watson to invest in a red dress.

      AS CAL STEPPED OUT of his vintage Chevy in the shopping mall parking lot the next day, he didn’t take any of his usual pleasure in the compliments strangers tossed his way.

      He nodded in acknowledgment of one teen’s, “Nice ride, man,” but his heart wasn’t in it. His day at the new garage had been tormented with thoughts of Madeline. He’d attempted to suppress thoughts of her in the scramble to move into his new office, but no matter how hard he tried, he hadn’t been able to excise Maddy or her tempting request from his mind. He’d been awake half the night envisioning just how rewarding it would have been to take the Lady Scholar to his bed.

      Not that he regretted his decision, he assured himself as he strode through the mall, peering into one store after another in search of his shopaholic half sister. Really, what choice did he have? Allison’s well-being meant more to him than his own. His first priority was to secure guardianship of her and to get her settled in school. He didn’t imagine Aunt Delia would send an investigator up from Tennessee to spy on him or anything, but he did worry that the social services department would watch him all the more closely because she was contesting his suit for custody. Who knew when they would track him down for a surprise visit?

      Besides, Allison required some stability in her life again, and she needed to cultivate some pleasures besides shopping. That meant Cal needed to spend more time with her. An affair with Maddy, especially a very public affair, was out of the question.

      Refusing to think about what man Maddy might approach next with her scheme, Cal concentrated on finding his sister and getting out of shopper’s heaven. His mother’s main passion in life was shopping, and she had dragged her only son with her day after day to indulge her addiction.

      Or at least she had until his father’s money ran out and she’d moved on to more lucrative husbands. By Cal’s calculation, Mom was now on spouse number six, while Cal’s shopping aversion remained unchanged.

      Allison’s voice cut through his brooding. “Over here, Cal!”

      He located her in the food court, surrounded by packages and grinning triumphantly. Today, as always, she wore every conceivable gadget on her body—rings, bangles, handbag, scarf, hat, belt, pins. The theme today seemed to be “cowgirl,” because she wore a cowboy hat he’d never seen before, Western boots with a denim skirt, and about ten turquoise necklaces. The purse she carried looked like a saddlebag, complete with a silver sheriff’s star pinned to the brown leather strap.

      “The Limited was having a sale,” she announced, gesturing toward the overflowing bags.

      Cal hated to squash her enthusiasm, but she had to ease off the spending. He’d indulged her so far, because he couldn’t bear to say no to a grieving child, but he couldn’t see hocking his collection of classic cars to support Allison’s shopping addiction.

      “We’ll talk about the mountain of purchases later.” He reached for the bags. “I need to get going, though, I—”

      At her pout, he noticed her half-eaten bagel and full cup of soda.

      “Okay.” He pulled out one of the metal chairs and straddled it, joining her at the small table. “Five minutes, but then I’ve got to take you home so I can go back to the garage.”

      “Thanks, Cal.” Allison twirled her short blond braid between her fingers and launched into a description of her day, complete with imitations of her professors.

      Cal relaxed for the first time since Maddy’s proposal, grateful for his sister’s ability to remind him of his priorities. Allison was smart, funny and warmhearted, and she deserved every bit of love and security Cal could give her.

      The afternoon was improving by the minute until Cal caught sight of the women’s lingerie store just outside the food court. Or rather, the afternoon was improving until Cal caught sight of a particular woman entering the lingerie store directly behind Allison’s Stetson.

      He would recognize the signature button-down shirt and slouchy skirt anywhere. Madeline Watson’s heavy leather shoes tread silently on the marble floor, allowing her to walk through life without turning any heads but his.

      Cal forgot his promise to himself to not think about her. He lost track of Allison’s story as he watched Maddy through the clear glass of the store front window.

      Her ethereal profile seemed all the more delicate in contrast to the large frames of her tortoiseshell glasses. Her dark hair twirled around her head in a seemingly endless spiral, finally tucking back down inside itself to form a weighty knot.

      Cal’s fingers itched to touch that silky mass. Would it be as long as he imagined?

      His gaze dropped lower, hungry for more of her, when his eyes encountered a sign that sent a flash fire through his veins.

      He’d never spied on a woman before, but he couldn’t have torn his gaze from the scene in front of him if a vintage Duesenberg rolled down the mall corridor. Less than thirty feet away, Madeline Watson lingered over a display table labeled Bikinis And Thongs.

      “Cal, you haven’t heard one word I’ve said, have you?” The concern in Allison’s voice drifted through his consciousness.

      “Um, yeah,” Cal managed to reply, reaching absently for his sister’s soda. He took a long swig, but the icy drink failed to cool the heat generated by quiet, unassuming Maddy as she lifted a scrap of black silk and lace from the pile.

      Somewhere, in the foggy recesses of his brain, Cal registered the fact that Allison swiveled in her chair to follow his gaze.

      “Did the lingerie shop put up new pictures or something?”

      Cal couldn’t find words to respond because Maddy chose that moment to toss a handful of Bikinis And Thongs into a small shopping basket.

      Visions of the Lady Scholar