Vortex (SAI Book 1) by Lea Hart Page A

become friends, after all.”
    The way she was grinning at him made him feel like they could be friends and possibly more. Which was what he wanted. The date she’d gone on last night had made him realize that he couldn’t let anyone else have a chance. It was stupid that it took another man to make him realize it, but there it was. The fact that he’d found Vivi attractive from the moment he’d met her was no longer something he was going to hide from. The opposite was true. He was going to finally do something about it.
    “You and I are going to become real good friends, Vivi.” The look she gave him suggested that he might have taken it too far, but he didn’t care. Once he set his sights on something, that was how he operated. Full steam ahead. “What are you working on?”
    “I’m looking at my current financial situation. My sister keeps me on a tight budget, and I have to figure out a way to cover the living expenses for the family of one of my patients. I have a little girl who is ready for heart surgery, and that expense is being covered, but her mom has to take a lot of time off work, and I want to help out.”
    “Why do you let Ronnie have that kind of power over you?”
    “Have you met my sister? She’s pretty forceful when it comes to her opinions. I’ve relied on her to manage the financial side of my life because I don’t want to be bothered with it. She’s brilliant and does an amazing job. When I opened the clinic, she made me create a foundation to fund it.”
    “Why?” Joel asked.
    “Because, according to my sister, you never touch the capital. You make do with the interest and income. But under no circumstances is the capital ever to be touched.”
    “It makes sense. But what if you want to do some good with your funds?”
    “That’s the problem. Well, not a problem, but a challenge. Ronnie explained to me that once I spent the capital that I could no longer help anyone. The best thing I could do was make it work for me. That way I could help a lot more people over a longer period of time. And, of course, she’s right.”
    “Well, if you run short, let me know. I’m pretty flush, and I can help out.”
    Leaning over, Vivi kissed him on the cheek and patted his chest. “You’re a good man, Joel McDade. Even if you’re a growly bear.”
    When her lips touched his cheek, he felt a zing against his heart. Right then and there, he vowed to himself that he was going to do his best to quit growling at her and give her reasons to kiss him instead. “Can I take you to dinner tonight? I’d like to see what New Orleans has to offer.”
    “Sure. Do you mind if we go to a casual restaurant? The food will be amazing, but I won’t have to dress up.”
    “I like casual. I didn’t bring a suit with me, so that would be great.”
    Patting his knee, she grinned. “I try to only wear heels a couple times a week, and I’ve hit my limit.”
    “You can wear what you have on.” He watched her glance down at her outfit and shake her head.
    “I can do better than this.”
    Shrugging, he grinned in her direction. “Are you ready to hear about the intel, or would you like to finish what you’re working on first?”
    Stacking her papers, she stood up. “Let’s go downstairs and have lunch, and you can give me the full picture. I feel like I’m going to need some potato chips to go along with this conversation.”
    “Do you have any cookies? I think you’re going to need those as well.”
    “Damn, that bad?”
    Taking her hand, he led her out of the room. “And ice cream. You probably need ice cream.” She sighed and gripped his hand a little tighter. That wasn’t a bad development as far as he was concerned. He would hold her hand as tightly as she would let him.
     

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Super Bowl Sunday
     
    Vivi stood in her mother’s kitchen and helped make the deviled eggs. As she mixed mayonnaise and mustard in, she felt the questioning glances of both Essie and her mama. Counting